Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman entered the literary scene in 2007 with a debut novel titled “Literacy and Longing in L.A.,” a lively, offbeat chronicle of a contemporary woman in crisis that was described by Booklist as “book lust meets chick lit.”
In the early morning following Father\’s Day, Sam Weiss died after a long illness, surrounded by his family. One more Holocaust survivor whose voice is forever lost to the world, he was 83. He is survived by Margarita (Malke), his beloved wife of almost 56 years, his daughter Vivian (Chavi) and his son Leonard.
A friend who works for the federal government wrote recently to say that because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), she was able to add her wife to the family’s insurance plan. “I never thought I would get emotional while on the phone with an insurance company, but I did.”
The Marx man is back. Almost. Award-winning actor/director/playwright Frank Ferrante re-creates his PBS portrayal of the famous comedian. The evening will include some of the best Groucho anecdotes and songs, like “Hooray for Captain Spaulding” and “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.” Accompanied by an on-stage pianist, it will be a lively night full of laughter. Sat. 8 p.m. $30 (general admission). Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. (626) 356-7529. pasadenaplayhouse.org.
In any town across the country, a city council meeting can feel a lot like ground zero for American democracy: One by one, residents approach the podium and address the decision-makers with suggestions or grievances. With a few changes, a similar scene could have played out in a medieval English shire or a 19th century Polish shtetl.
“Come on! Come on, everyone, we’re here to make mispachah [family].” That was the rallying cry in the crowded courtyard of Wilshire Boulevard Temple on the night of July 20, as well-dressed young women skilled at walking in heels circled boys in button-downs, looking for a man who would make their mothers (and grandmothers) proud.
In October 1942, George Berci, then George Bleier, was ordered to report for forced labor. Along with 1,600 young men, the 21-year-old was transported from Budapest to a camp near Bereck, Hungary, near the Romanian border.
Your editorial is wrong (“Stand Our Ground,” July 19). The “Stand Your Ground” law had nothing to do with the Zimmerman case.
There is a scene near the beginning of the documentary “The Act of Killing” in which Anwar Congo, a self-professed mass murderer, dances the cha-cha on the rooftop patio where he once beat people to a pulp before strangling them with chicken wire.
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