SOME OF THE THINGS I LOVE:
1. Dogs. Especially mine of course. Roxie the Beloved. Also, every single golden retriever on the planet, as well as small cuddly pups with long fur and huge eyes. I also love Bernese Mountain Dogs and Australian Shepherds for their coats. They’re lotsa fun to hike with.
2. The Bernese Oberland area in Switzerland (where, of course, said mountain dogs live). We went hiking there every summer for nine years with friends and were blissful. The Swiss Alps are the most exquisite spots on the planet, I’m sure. Norwegian fjords are second.
3. John Denver’s Annie’s Song. And Rocky Mountain High. Country Roads. And Sunshine on My Shoulders. And almost everything he ever wrote and sang.
4. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. I once had the blessed chance to sing in the chorus at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic when I lived in NYC and sang with the Collegiate Chorale. It felt like the ceiling would lift off from the audience’s thundering applause. I was sure God was somewhere in the audience.
5. West Wing. We’re watching it for the third time and never get tired of it. The most gorgeous writing and superb acting. Until very recently, I always fantasized that Martin Sheen (AKA President Jed Bartlet) would someday be our president. Especially when Republicans were in office. If only that could happen now.
6. British actors: Ian McKellen, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Gary Oldman, Helen Mirren, and Mark Rylance.
7. American actors (and singers): Jean Smart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald and Josh Groban.
8. Robin Williams. I once saw him in a restaurant wearing a wild black and white sports coat. As he was headed to the bathroom I commented on his jacket; he stopped walking and did eight minutes of hilarious comedy just for me about the jacket.
9. Beef ribs. Especially with no sauce or anything drippy on them. Very thick and medium rare.
10. The Noel Coward comedy, PRESENT LAUGHTER. The National Theatre Live production stars Andrew Scott and every minute is uproarious.
11. MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING, by Victor Frankl. I reread it every few years.
12. Long, really straight, blond hair on women, with several different shades and streaks, but only if they’re subtle.
13. Fireplaces with real logs, hot tubs, mushy couches, squishy pillows, huge beds with puffy quilts.
14. Champagne, Moscow mules, vodka gimlets, skinny margaritas, pisco sours.
15. Lasagna. It has my most beloved ingredients: melty cheese, ground meat, noodles, and tomato sauce. When they’re blobbed together, they’re sublime.16. $5.00 roast chicken from CostCo.
17. Commentators on MSNBC. Especially Rachel Maddow, Ari Melber and Lawrence O’Donnell.
18. My nine safaris to East and South Africa and my favorite creatures -- giraffes. I would hop on a plane tomorrow if somebody would buy me a ticket. Thank you in advance…
19. Time Heals Everything by Jerry Herman from Mack & Mabel; Losing My Mind by Stephen Sondheim from Follies.
20. A Gentleman in Moscow, the novel and tv series.
21. A thousand more books. I can’t remember them now.
22. Everything Sondheim wrote. But especially Sweeney Todd, my favorite Broadway show. And the magical song, Not While I’m Around. “Nothing’s gonna harm you, not while I’m around.”
23. Facebook. It’s the best way to keep up with distant friends and family in Baltimore or events coming up near me. I try to get Ina Garten’s and Stanley Tucci’s daily recipes on Facebook but can’t. I was just told they’re frauds and not to respond. Phooey.
24. My 9th book, called MY MOTHER WOULD HATE THIS BOOK. (On e-books, Amazon, hard & soft cover.) You’ll love it, I promise.
SOME OF THE THINGS I HATE:
1. Republicans. Beginning with evil Trump of course. Then moving right through the alphabet, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Governors of red states. The few Republicans I like are Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, Adam Kinzinger, and that guy from Georgia. Of course I loathe all of Trump’s appointments, but especially Kash Patel and the insane Kennedy. I hope Trump doesn’t hack this post.
2. The Supreme Court, except for the three female Democrats. Especially Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. But all the other Republicans, come to think of it, are equally disgusting.
3. Pencils of all kinds.
4. Liver, except for pate and chopped. Oxtail. Ugh! My husband Tom loves it.
5. Cilantro and all strong peppers. Spicy food makes my nose run.
6. Bodies covered in tattoos. I have a small round one, about the size of a 50-cent piece, on the inside of my right ankle; it’s green and a circle of the globe with three continents outlined in black. I got it when I became involved in the climate crisis. Most friends in my age group thought I was nuts.
7. Elon Musk. What can I even say about him? You know.
8. Subways in New York. They’re complicated and scary, especially if you’ve seen all those movies where riders get arbitrarily murdered (which movies?). I can’t remember which ones. How about that guy who killed a nut case and got exonerated recently. I don’t know what to say about him either.
9. The bus. I’ve never been on one in the 50 years I’ve lived in LA. But I’m sure I would loathe it.
10. Small purses with many compartments that somehow never have enough room for all my purse needs. And I still can’t find my lipstick.
11. Twitter, Tik Tok, or Reddit. I would like Substack if I could understand it
12. All game shows, except Jeopardy, and even that gets tedious.
13. Driverless cars. I’m sure they’re out to get me. I gallop off the street whenever I see one coming.
14. Overcooked anything. Except pot roast.
15. Noisy restaurants. I won’t go twice.
16. All technology that’s beyond simple whether it’s home or office.
17. All cats. Except for lions, cheetah and tigers.
18. AI. I’ll never use it and I hate that young students are using it instead of writing and studying. It’s a question of morality and personal principles, of which I have many. I never read anything that comes from AI. How about you?
19. Melania Trump for continuing to stay with the monster. And has a best-selling book. Why isn’t my book a best seller, come to think of it?
Please feel free to add anything to either list. All notes are welcome. Joyous holidays!
MY MOTHER WOULD HATE THIS BOOK is now available in hardcover, paperback & eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or order through your local bookstore. https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Would-Hate-This-Book
Check out my website and blog for stories and more: www.marciaseligson.com
“Marcia Seligson is one of the funniest, most original, and irreverent people I know, and her book carries all those qualities. She can make anything funny, from a Peloton bike to a 40-hour brisket cookery. And she can be touching, deep, and bracingly honest. My advice to readers is make sure you have unbroken time ahead when you pick up this book. Each time I did, intending to read for ten minutes, an hour went by before I looked up. And I’d laughed out loud at least twice.” Sara Davidson, Writer NY Times bestseller Loose Change, Head writer for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Hi! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to YOU! I still have and read your book every few years "America's Way of Weddings." It is a great book. The different Western Civ ethnic groups and their traditions are fascinating!! I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. Not many third or even second-generations up here. Except for the Alaskan Natives; they have 20,000 worth of years and generations up here! Good night!