"Men won’t succeed in literature that they may get into society, but will get into society that they may succeed in literature." – Jasper Milvain, the social-climbing journalist in George Gissing‘s New Grub Street, his classic about the London literary world more than a century ago. Question: Substitute “Web,” “Facebook” or “Twitter” for “society,” and […]
Read MoreParty crashing in Real Life and ‘The Solomon Scandals’
I’m amused by all this talk about uninvited White House guests: the polo-playing vintner and his blonde, sari-clad wife who crashed the State Dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India. Party crashing and social climbing are old traditions in D.C., a city where the celebrated can be so empty headed that there isn’t always […]
Read MoreSubway etiquette and the social order: Are you a Left-Stepper, Right-Stepper or Parker?
Washington, D.C., the main setting of The Solomon Scandals, is like Hollywood or an Army base. It’s a city of hierarchies, both official and social. Read on and find out where you stand in the social order. You don’t have to live in D.C. to take the related poll in this post—one visitor has even […]
Read More