It was 1982 when Alexis Bittar, a 13-year-old from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, headed to Saint Mark’s Place to sell second-hand clothing and antique jewelry. What an exciting time to be there. Dressed in a tassel jacket and blue suede Dr. Martens boots, he stumbled right into the heart of the punk rock scene, the place …
by Liz Smith “I live in the world of romantic possibility,” says Stevie Nicks. Nicks is one of the most successful and iconic (overused word, but it’s appropriate here) singer-songwriters of the past fortysomething years. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona—but her millions of besotted fans know that cannot be true! Not only does Stevie …
by Alex R. Travers Jonathan Cohen tilts his head slightly down, and his eyes light up. He leans forward in his seat, and sometimes a wide, brimming grin forms on his face after a declaration. His expression is somewhere between that of an excited teenager and a determined surfer, thinking maybe—just maybe—if he could catch …
by Daniel Cappello Known by title alone, Marquis de Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier was the wealthy nobleman who voluntarily left France to join General George Washington’s army. Wounded at Brandywine, he became a living symbol of the Franco-American alliance that led to Great Britain’s defeat. So Laura Auricchio reminds us in …
One of his favorite spots is in front of the fireplace. Here, he’s as “happy as a clown.” On interior designer Juan Pablo Molyneux’s château at Pouy-sur-Vannes, in north-central France, there are a few buildings. The main residence—protected by four round turrets at each corner and surrounded by a moat—is where he lives. Outside, there …
Do you know how to draw? Some of us would say “I can’t even draw a straight line.” Of course, most drawings do not mandate straight lines, but the thought of making a drawing intimidates many of us. Why? What is a drawing? It is the hand making some form of a mark. This seems …