Today, June 7, 2021, is the 54th anniversary of the death of one of my favorite authors, Dorothy Parker. Most people who know Dorothy Parker know her for her witty bon mots – you’ve probably heard her most famous – “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” One even addressed her eventual demise.

I first learned of Dorothy Parker in college where I was cast in a wonderful one-act play “Here We Are.” It portrays a newly married young couple nervously on their way to their honeymoon in a train car. It is clever, touching and very warm and I loved doing the play. From there I searched the library for what I could find. At the time I wanted to write and especially valued her observations on writing which are so true. One of my favorites is “I hate writing, I love having written.” There are so many…

I recently came across an fascinating article in the New Yorker magazine (one of my favorites and where she contributed for years). When Dorothy Parker passed away she had no close family and her estate was awarded to the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr. and the he died soon later to the work of the NAACP. Her will also specified that the NAACP was to have her ashes and they were so grateful for the bequest they interred her remains on the grounds of their headquarters. Many years later they moved their headquarters and could not leave the grave or move the ashes to the new site. It is worth reading the article to about The Improbable Journey of Dorothy Parker’s Ashes.

Finally, my favorite quote of Dorothy Parker which I actually have printed on a set of my martini glasses. Cheers, Dorothy Parker.

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