Dorothy Parker gave this signed photo to her friend and mentor F.P.A. and his family. Photo courtesy of Anthony Adams. Heywood Broun and Ruth Hale had one of their famous New Year’s Eve parties to close out 1921. They lived in a brownstone at 330 West 85th Street, a townhouse that Broun had won the mortgage at a poker game. He later lost the apartment the same way. That night was one of their most Continue Reading →
I’m happy to announce I will be signing and selling copies of all 5 of my books: A Journey into Dorothy Parker’s New York, The Lost Algonquin Round Table: Humor, Fiction, Journalism, Criticism and Poetry From America’s Most Famous Literary Circle, Under the Table: A Dorothy Parker Cocktail Guide, Dorothy Parker Complete Broadway, 1918-1923, The Algonquin Round Table New York: A Historical Guide. Do your holiday shopping in one place. Come to the Princeton Club Continue Reading →
I’m pretty sure this is the first time a review of one of my books referenced Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Pretty cool. This very flattering review comes from It’s just the booze dancing, a popular cocktail blog. An excerpt: Kevin C. Fitzpatrick’s book “Under The Table: A Dorothy Parker Cocktail Guide” is a history book of sorts, but at no point did I feel like I was being lectured to. Much like a well crafted cocktail, this book is Continue Reading →
April is National Poetry Month. This is a good time to remember the poets who were members of the Vicious Circle: Franklin P. Adams, Dorothy Parker, and John V.A. Weaver. I thought about adding Frank Sullivan to the list, since he wrote the Christmas Letter in The New Yorker for so many decades, but decided against it. If you disagree with my decision, tell me on Twitter. Here are my three Algonquin Round Table members Continue Reading →
The sinking of the RMS Titanic 103 years ago next month is a milestone never forgotten. The disaster also had a huge impact on the life of Dorothy Parker, who lost her uncle in the tragedy at sea, an event that in some small way contributed to the declining health of her father. Reading the stories about the Titanic and the aftermath in New York City, it’s not hard to picture an 18-year-old Dorothy Rothschild Continue Reading →
I just had my fourth article published on the Huffington Post. Condé Nast Hired Dorothy Parker 100 Years Ago marks the centennial (and really, who else but me would make note of it) of the momentous event. I like anniversaries, and this was one I didn’t want to pass by. I write: Parker wrote some of the earliest trends pieces for Vogue. From being a secret knitter (“People look at me, and sooner or later, Continue Reading →
I am really pleased to announce the New York Public Library Mid-Manhattan Branch is going to be celebrating the Algonquin Round Table in April during its popular Story Time for Grown-Ups series. The location is 455 Fifth Avenue, corner of 40th Street. I am going to be giving a free talk (and book signing) about the Vicious Circle on Thursday, April 16, at the same library, and these readings make the whole month more special. Continue Reading →
Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates today, Monday, Jan 19, 2015. Dorothy Parker left her estate to Dr. King, a man she never met. She spoke up for social justice her entire career.
This Friday is Dorothy Parker’s birthday, and the Dorothy Parker Society is having parties in New York and the Catskills to celebrate. But a recent review of the new book Dorothy Parker Complete Broadway, 1918-1923, makes me want to recommend it as a birthday present from Dottie to you. Los Angeles playwright Steven Vlasak wrote: If you love Dorothy Parker, then you’ll have a major crush on this new book compiled by Parker expert Kevin Continue Reading →