Jerry Curl

Thank you, random coworker .

[ Editor's note ] Today is my birthday. I have been 27 years old for approximately two hours and forty-five minutes, give or take a few seconds. On the occasion of this relentlessly annual event, I feel it incumbent upon me to share some of the "wisdom" I've gathered along the way. 1)  Speak softly and carry a big stick. Be nice, but be firm. Handle people as they handle you. Always try to make them laugh--  And if all else fails, date someone with a big stick. 2) Some friendships are but for a season. Have no doubt that their time with you had meaning and purpose. Sometimes, people come in just to help you learn to say goodbye.   3) Other friendships are forever. Fight time and tide for those because they can and will save your life at least thrice. 4) Read everything. Read often. And for Christ's sake, finish what you start reading! I would recommend you start by reading Tina Fey's book, Bossypants . You'll laugh and you'll learn. 5) Stop ...

[ Editor’s note ] I finally finished Patti LuPone’s memoir this week. I’m embarrassed to admit that it took me a whole summer to do so, but whatta ride it was! I thoroughly enjoy biographies and Ms. LuPone’s extraordinary life made for an excellent read. For the unfortunate few who may not know who she is, Patti LuPone is the award-winning actress of stage and screen who famously originated the role of Eva Perón in Broadway’s Evita . She was also Fantine in the original London cast of Les Misérables , Mrs. Lovett in the 2006 Sweeney Todd revival, and (my personal favorite!) Mama Rose in the 2008 Arthur Laurents-directed revival of Gypsy . She is, to put it simply, a living legend. Having been in show business for over four decades, Ms. Lupone’s memoir is a veritable tell-all account of a career replete with soaring highs and devastating lows. She discusses the challenges of being a student actress at Julliard and the hardships of being a working actress on the road. S...

[ Editor’s note ] I’m happy to report that Miami is still here after Isaac. Despite some pretty dire forecasts, we didn’t suffer any damage. Somehow though, all of our patio furniture ended up at the bottom of the pool anyway. This I suspect had less to do with the hurricane than it did with my nutty parents. But I digress. While the weather wizards were putting the fear of God in everyone, my boyfriend and I decided to skip town. Armed with a free park pass, we packed our bags and headed for the wonderful, wide open spaces of Walt Disney World. The first thing on our agenda was to visit Downtown Disney—specifically, D Street. Considered by many to be the premier store for all things Vinylmation , I was expecting it to be a sprawling multi-floor store, replete with old and new collections to pick and choose from. Maybe some gilded Vinylmations? As avid collectors, both Javi and I were prepared for an expensive visit but one that would justify the stock-piling of 3” M...

[ Editor’s note ] I’d like to apologize for my unannounced and lengthy sabbatical from the blogosphere. Contrary to unpublished reports, this was not because I joined a Melissa Manchester-worshipping cult or because I eloped with a handsome millionaire mogul. But now that I think about it, sign me up for both! The truth is that after graduation my brain was fried. I didn’t blog, or write, or read anything for a long time. Finishing books and writing to long-time pen pals became daunting tasks that only served to reinforce what I most feared: that my literary days were over. After all, how can you consider yourself a writer if you’re not writing anything? Clearly, the scars that college left behind were deep and needed to heal. As any writer can tell you, writing is the most fickle of crafts. When you’re hot, you can’t type fast enough because the words come a mile a minute. That sort of inspired writing is probably the best high of all. It makes you feel invincible. I think ...

The Huffington Post reports : Anderson Cooper has, at long last, publicly said he is gay. Cooper made the announcement in an email to writer Andrew Sullivan . "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud," he wrote. Cooper's sexuality has long been something of an open secret, but he has never publicly confirmed it. Even after gay magazine Out slapped him on its cover and said he was living in a "glass closet," he kept mum. Cooper told Sullivan that he has always been out to his friends, family and colleagues. He said that, though he had wanted to keep a close hold on his private life, he had decided it was important to be more open with the world. "I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle," he wrote. "It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certai...

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