Stories,photos

128 results total, viewing 31 - 40

A neighbor, an “aunt,” a second cousin, a friend, a companion: Who, and what, to me, was Edith? She lived on my street, uphill at a corner, and was related to me on both my … more

Mike Fink | 5/6/22

‘Was Elvis Jewish?’: A remarkable book by a remarkable survivor

“Was Elvis Jewish?” is the title of a new book of fun facts by an amazing author named Paulette Cooper. I met her decades ago, when she was a senior at Brandeis University, at a soiree on … more

Mike Fink | 1/5/17

The years come and go, but Mom endures in my thoughts and being

I was born in the month of Sagittarius: I am a centaur, half horse, half archer, aiming high. I get the horse half from my mom, Betty C. Fink: she loved to draw and sculpt equine … more

Mike Fink | 12/9/19

Aunt Edith

I took my aunt Edith pretty much for granted while she lived just a few houses uphill from ours. We both eventually inherited our family homesteads and stayed put there. When I was but a boy, Edith would babysit me. Throughout the war years, she … more

Mike Fink | 1/30/14

August tales in little Rhody

I earned a laugh long ago when I made the following kvetch to my “boss,” the head of my department at the Rhode Island School of Design: “All seasons are depressing, each for a … more

Mike Fink | 8/5/22

No matter the adventure, home is best

I’m not a rabbi, but I AM a “minister.” She sent me a legal document that declares I can perform a proper marriage ceremony – my alumna, who met a boy in Rome and brought him to her nice little cul-de-sac in Brooklyn. (The home purchased … more

Mike Fink | 1/22/16

Summer gives way to the new year – and it’s all good

“These precious days”: Remember those lyrics to the popular old song sung by Walter Huston? It seems right as I report on the past and our hopes for the new year. We got down to … more

Mike Fink | 9/11/22

A tribute to a great lady: Luise Rainer

She was a delicate beauty, a refined refugee from the rise of Nazism who took flight to stardom in the dreamland over the rainbow: Hollywood, USA. Luise Rainer played poignant variations on the theme of her own early life: the loss of, and … more

Mike Fink | 1/30/15

Much to say about ‘Woman in Gold’

I like unpopular movies. “Woman in Gold” kept me deeply interested despite, or because of, its negative reviews. Helen Mirren did a superb job of portraying inner turmoil. The camera gave the viewer plenty to think about, not just … more

Mike Fink | 5/7/15

Many disappointments – and one bright hope

It’s time to look backward and forward. Now, I am one who doesn’t like slogans, but I came across one I did like over the summer. “Love Where You … more

Mike Fink | 9/3/20