Arts & Culture

For most New Yorkers, Grand Central Terminal is not just a train station, but a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. 

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis is an historical novel that takes place in Grand Central Terminal.

The story begins in April of 1928 with Clara Darden, the only female teacher of the Grand Central Art school.  She teaches the technique of illustration, draws illustrations for Vogue and works for Studebaker automobiles helping to design the car interiors and their ads. The story follows her through heartbreak and financial hard times.

If your sweet tooth keeps you dreaming of syrup and hotcakes, this week offers the perfect holiday: National Pancake Day on Tuesday, March 12. The Lions Club is hosting their Pancake Day on Wednesday, March 13 at the A.C. Brase Arena. This event has been a tradition for 81 years, one of the longest continuous annual pancake days in the United States.

“Oh dear, what does one wear after learning her husband can’t bear the sight of her? Can I quickly fashion a funeral shroud out of the bedsheets? No, I’m still Mrs. Douglas Simmons, and I need to act like it.”

I’m Betty Martin with "Martin’s Must Reads" and that’s a quote from Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel. 

Not long ago I made a sojourn to Lititz, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the American pretzel.  It's a town in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country not far from Philadelphia, another town that takes its pretzels seriously.