CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN

Escaping to Morocco, via the Magic Carpet of Memory: COVID-19 Isolation, Day 62 (I Think)

November 10, 2022

I wrote this back when none of us had a clue about the long haul we were in for with COVID. From May 2020 originally. Last night I watched the film, “The Forgiven,” with Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain. So Morocco has been n my mind this morning. Once upon a time, I lived … More Escaping to Morocco, via the Magic Carpet of Memory: COVID-19 Isolation, Day 62 (I Think)

Chronicle of a Death Not Foretold*: The Shocking, Early Passing of Food Writer Julie Powell

November 3, 2022

Food writer Julie Powell’s death came as a monumental shock to me. Her Wikipedia page is right up to date: “Powell died of cardiac arrest at her home in Olivebridge, New York, on October 26, 2022, at age 49.” People who blow out only thirty – or fewer – candles on their birthday cakes think of forty-nine as … More Chronicle of a Death Not Foretold*: The Shocking, Early Passing of Food Writer Julie Powell

Oranges, Florida’s Gold

October 10, 2022

Luis Egidio Meléndez: Still Life of Oranges, Watermelon, a Pot, and Boxes of Cake, ca. 1760 The thorn-like spines on the stems nicked me. I had no idea orange trees bore thorns, like the crown of Christ on the cross. And like Christ on the cross, I bled. Sucking my finger, I yelped, and Daddy … More Oranges, Florida’s Gold

Announcing “Mangoes & Roosters: Stories and Tales from Haiti” – and Other News

September 29, 2022

Ever since colonial days, when France claimed it as her own, Haiti carried within it an aura of the unknown and the mysterious. Once called the “Pearl of the Antilles,” Haiti became for a time the largest sugar producing region in the world, thanks to plantations populated by thousands of enslaved Africans, who rose … More Announcing “Mangoes & Roosters: Stories and Tales from Haiti” – and Other News

Speaking of France …

September 18, 2022

You’re not supposed to begin a piece of writing with a question. Why not? No idea, except that the “experts” seem to think that it’s an easy way out. “You can do better,” they say. So what was my question? Oh yes. Why is traditional French food so terribly unpopular at the moment? Many authors … More Speaking of France …

I’ll Always Have Paris

September 11, 2022

The dog shit scene did it for me. When Emily, in Netflix’s new series – “Emily in Paris” – steps in the do-do, her immaculate pink shoes squishing with that “Oh no, ugh!” sound, I laughed out loud. You see, that happened to me as well. Rounding the corner one gorgeous late fall morning, headed … More I’ll Always Have Paris

Sunshine State Book Festival, January 27-28, 2023!!

August 21, 2022

Only 12 more days before the discount ends for authors. For $25 until September 1, you get half of an 8-foot table, chair, and tablecloth. After September 1, you’ll pay $50. And you’ll get to be in beautiful Gainesville, FL in January to boot, with no snow! To register, click on the graphic:

Gherkins & Tomatoes … Since 2008