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Boston Globe
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Lynn Freed, South African writer with a wry style, dies at 79
'If Joan Didion and Fran Lebowitz had a literary love child, she would be Lynn Freed,' critic E. Ce Miller wrote in Bustle magazine, describing Dr. Freed's writing as 'in equal turns funny, wise and sardonic.' Advertisement Raised by eccentric thespians in South Africa, Dr. Freed immigrated to New York City in the late 1960s to attend graduate school and later settled in California. Her first novel, 'Heart Change' (1982), was about a doctor who has an affair with her daughter's music teacher. It was a critical and commercial dud. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Dr. Freed caught her literary wind in 1986 with her second novel, 'Home Ground,' which drew generously on her upbringing. Narrated by Ruth Frank, a Jewish girl whose parents run a theater and employ servants, the book subtly skewers the manners and lavish excesses of white families during apartheid. 'Here's a rarity: a novel about childhood and adolescence that never lapses into self-pity, that rings true in every emotion and incident, that regards adults sympathetically if unsparingly, that deals with serious thematic material, and that is quite deliciously funny,' Jonathan Yardley of The Washington Post wrote in his review. 'It is also the flip side of rites-of-passage literary tradition, for its narrator is not a boy but a girl.' Advertisement Writing in The New York Times Book Review, novelist Janette Turner Hospital praised the novel's keen point of view. 'Lynn Freed's guileless child-narrator takes us inside the neurosis of South Africa,' she wrote. 'We experience it in a way that is qualitatively different from watching the most graphic of news clips.' Dr. Freed returned to Ruth Frank in 'The Bungalow' (1993). Now it's the 1970s, and Ruth is married and living in California. After separating from her husband, she returns to South Africa to care for her dying father. Staying in a seaside bungalow owned by a former lover, she confronts past loves and past lives in a country that is, like her, in transition. In 'The Mirror' (1997), she told the story of Agnes La Grange, a 17-year-old English girl who immigrates to South Africa in 1920 to work as a housekeeper for a wealthy Jewish family and eventually finds her way into bed with her employer. 'The qualities with which Freed endows her heroine are fundamentally masculine, and through this comes a subtle but inescapable feminist message which makes 'The Mirror' more than a colonial family saga,' Isobel Montgomery wrote in her review for the British newspaper The Guardian. Lynn Ruth Freed was born on July 18, 1945, in Durban, South Africa. Her parents, Harold and Anne (Moshal) Freed, ran a theater company. They were certainly characters. Advertisement 'As childhoods go, it would be hard to imagine a better one for a writer,' Holly Brubach wrote in the Times, reviewing Dr. Freed's essay collection 'Reading, Writing, and Leaving Home' (2005). 'The youngest of three girls, Freed was born into a family presided over by a histrionic mother and a debonair father.' She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, in 1966. She moved to New York City the next year to study English literature at Columbia University, where she earned a master's degree in 1968 and a doctorate in 1972. Her books sold well, but they were never blockbusters. In 2002, she won the inaugural Katherine Anne Porter Award for fiction, among the most prestigious of literary prizes. She also won two O. Henry Awards for her short stories. In interviews, she was often asked how much of her fiction was autobiographical. 'When I am writing properly -- which, I might say, comprises only a fraction of my writing time -- I tend to disappear into the fiction,' Dr. Freed said in an interview with Sarah Anne Johnson for the 2006 book 'The Very Telling: Conversations With American Writers.' 'What is the difference between remembered experience and imagined experience? I don't know.' Dr. Freed's marriage to Gordon Gamsu in 1968 ended in divorce. Her second husband, Robert Kerwin, died in 2021. In addition to her daughter, Jessica, she leaves two stepchildren, Fiona Zecca and Killian Kerwin; a granddaughter; and four step-grandchildren. For many years, Dr. Freed taught writing at the University of California Davis. She was also a frequent -- and popular -- guest at writers' colonies. Friends said her readings were always packed. 'She was beautiful, and she was fun to be around,' writer Philip Lopate, a close friend, said in an interview. 'Her voice on the page was the same as she was in person. Her writing gave pleasure, just as she did in real life.' Advertisement This article originally appeared in
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Lindsay Lohan opens up about motherhood and ‘feeling safe' in Dubai after escaping LA
After nearly 30 years in the spotlight, Lindsay Lohan took a step back from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood and uprooted her life from Los Angeles to Dubai in 2014. Since then, the 'Mean Girls' actress, 38, has not only become a wife and a mother, she has found peace within herself. Advertisement Lohan, who appears on the cover of Elle's 2025 Summer Issue , opened up about her life overseas and what she's learned about herself, both personally and professionally, since making the move. 'It's hard in L.A. Even taking my son to the park in L.A., I get stressed. I'm like, 'Are there cameras?' In New York, there's no worry; no one bothers us,' said Lohan, who shares 1-year-old son Luai with husband Bader Shammas. 'Everyone has their own thing going on. There's a different kind of energy in New York. I'd rather have downtime in New York than I would in L.A.' 'But the nice thing about L.A. is, I like space [and you get that here]. But I'm thinking as I'm saying this, the funny thing is, in Dubai I get all of those things. I get the privacy, I get the peace, I get the space. I don't have to worry there. I feel safe.' Lohan, who began working at age 3 and gained stardom with her first movie role in the 1998 remake of 'The Parent Trap,' was thrown into the thick of Hollywood. Advertisement 5 Lindsay Lohan opened up about life after her move to Dubai in 2014. Chris Colls for ELLE Often facing public scrutiny, the 'Freaky Friday' star had enough and moved to Dubai in 2014. 'I feel like some of [my work] got overshadowed by paparazzi and all that kind of stuff when I was younger, and that's kind of annoying. I wish that part didn't happen,' Lindsay told Bustle in 2024. 'I feel like that kind of took on a life of its own. So that's why I wanted to disappear. I was like, 'Unless there's no story here, they're not going to focus on just my work.'' Advertisement 5 'I feel like some of [my work] got overshadowed by paparazzi and all that kind of stuff when I was younger,' Lohan said about her reason for moving. 'I was like, 'Unless there's no story here, they're not going to focus on just my work.'' Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA In 2022, Lohan spoke about how she was taking control of her own narrative through social media. 'When I first started out in the business, none of us had a say in how to control our own narrative,' she told Cosmopolitan. 'There were paparazzi pictures, and then people ran with it. So I think it's really good that, in this day and age, people can say who they are and who they want to be. And I admire and appreciate that. I'm a little jealous because I didn't have that. But I think it moves really fast, and I just try to keep up as best I can. And I check everything before I post it. I'll send it to people, because you have to.' 'You have to take everything people say with a grain of salt and just be you and slow down because everyone's so quick right now,' she said. 'People just don't stop. You've got to chill.' Advertisement 5 Lindsay Lohan and husband Bader Shammas attend the Vanity Fair Oscars party after the 97th Academy Awards in Beverly Hills on March 2. REUTERS After moving to Dubai, Lohan quickly learned the power of saying 'no' when it comes to picking and choosing professional projects. 'They teach you to say 'yes' to everything, and that's not really what life's all about,' she told Bustle of her earlier years in the industry. 'I was like, 'What if I never fall in love? What if this never happens?' And it took me just taking time for me for all those doors to open and the 'yeses' to come, the things I wanted to say 'yes' to.' Since her return to the big screen, Lohan, who stars alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in 'Freakier Friday,' said she's found that prioritizing herself makes a huge difference in her overall well-being. '[Jamie and I] are both very family-oriented people. We always talk about that, and one of the other big things [she's taught me] is to always take care of yourself first,' she told Elle. 'Because without that, how can you do everything for everyone else?' 5 Lohan starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in 'Freaky Friday' and the upcoming sequel, 'Freakier Friday.' Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP 'I love having a routine, and I like schedules,' she continued. 'So, my morning routine: waking up, writing in my journal, sipping my green tea, breakfast with my son, and then Pilates, making sure I go.' Despite her hectic schedule, Lohan said the 'most important thing' in her life is family. Advertisement 'I mean, it's the most important thing: my husband, my son and me. It's all about balance and, as I said, routine. Especially when you have a kid, routine is the most important thing. And whatever their routine is, I've got to live by that.' Lohan is no stranger to criticism. With fame comes speculative curiosity, especially when it comes to her appearance. 5 'I love having a routine, and I like schedules,' Lohan said. 'So, my morning routine: waking up, writing in my journal, sipping my green tea, breakfast with my son, and then Pilates, making sure I go.' Slimi / Shutterstock Advertisement Elsewhere in the Elle interview, Lohan shut down rumors that she had a facelift. The star shared the secrets behind the skincare routine that she says has dramatically altered her look. 'Everyone does Botox,' Lohan said. 'I drink this juice every morning. It's like carrot, ginger, lemon, olive oil, apple. I also drink a lot of green tea, a lot of water. I'm a big pickled beets person, so I put them in almost everything. My skincare is very specific. I'm trying out some serums now that I'm doing. I'm testing them.' 'Also, I'm a big believer in ice-cold water on your face when you wake up,' the 38-year-old said. 'I drink lemon juice a lot. I also put tons of chia seeds in my water. Eye patches I do every morning. I'm into lasers.' Advertisement 'I did Morpheus8 (a noninvasive radiofrequency microneedling treatment) once, and then I realized my skin is so thin that I can't be doing that,' Lohan said. 'My skin changed after having my son. It got really sensitive. That's what really made me change my whole routine and diet and everything. I did blood tests, and I was like, 'I want to know everything I'm allergic to.' So I cut everything out, and that's kind of when everything started to change for me.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actress Leighton Meester Shares Why She's Prioritized Her Family Over Her Career
Actress Leighton Meester Shares Why She's Prioritized Her Family Over Her Career originally appeared on WeHaveKids. When it comes to Leighton Meester's schedule, her job always comes after her kids. At least, that's what she said in a recent interview with Bustle, where she opened up about how she has passed on different job opportunities throughout her career in order to spend more time with her son and daughter. Related: David Beckham's Daughter Gives Him an Epic Makeover in New Video The actress, who has two children with her husband Adam Brody, shared how she's always put her kiddos first when it came to her career. "There's been a lot of stuff that I haven't done because I want to be with them," she told the magazine. "I don't like being away from them. I'm sure a lot of people feel this way, but I'm especially not into it." "Obviously, for the very right thing, I would probably be like, 'Let's figure it out.' I mean, I'm not going to leave my family for a year. We're not doing that," the 39-year-old continued. "But apart from that, we have a good system in place, where I can consider jobs carefully. And every other piece of life." That's obviously worked out well for the Gossip Girl alum, who has made a pretty good career for herself over the years, despite turning down anything that would take her away from her kiddos for too long. That's likely why she told Vogue that her kids spend a lot of time on set with her and Brody in a February interview, when she said that they understand exactly what their parents due for a living. "I don't think they're fazed at all," the mother of two said at the time. "They get a lot of us off set and a lot of us not working, which has been always a really big benefit for both of us." As working parents ourselves, that honestly sounds like a pretty good work-life balance for the pair. We wish more people had the opportunity to work this way! Up Next:Actress Leighton Meester Shares Why She's Prioritized Her Family Over Her Career first appeared on WeHaveKids on May 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by WeHaveKids on May 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Thank you text' trend is warm, fuzzy — but a little cringe: ‘Earnestness through irony'
Gratitude is going digital — and millennials are leading the emoji-packed charge. The latest way to say 'I love you, man' isn't with a beer or a bear hug. It's with a post-hang text — a heartfelt digital love letter sent immediately after brunch, a night out or even just a 15-minute FaceTime. The gist? 'Wow, I needed that. So grateful for you!!!' Affectionate and aggressively earnest, these follow-up messages — dubbed 'millennial thank you notes' — are flooding group chats and inboxes with a tidal wave of feelings. 'You know when someone texts you right after you get home from hanging out with them and they say, like, 'I had a great time, so nice to see you'? What a gift from God,' gushed TikTok user @carlabezanson in a viral video that's racked up more than 850,000 likes. Another mushy user, @tpwkky, chimed in, 'One thing about me is I WILL be sending the 'thank you so much for hanging out with me' text immediately after hanging out. I love telling people in my life they matter to me bc life is short and you should appreciate them while you still can (:' Cringe? Maybe. Cute? Absolutely. And according to a 2023 OnePoll study for Josh Cellars, Americans are on the same sappy wavelength: The average person says 'thank you' six times a day — totaling over 2,200 expressions of gratitude per year. A whopping 83% say they try to practice gratitude daily. Millennials are just choosing to do it with a digital diary entry sent at 9:47 p.m. Even Gen Z is catching feels — sort of. 'Me fighting the urge to text my friends, 'thank you for hanging with me today, it was so much fun :D You're literally the reason I'm gonna see the sunrise tomorrow' every time we finish hanging out,' joked user @thatssorav3n_ in a TikTok dripping with sarcasm (and over 573,000 likes). The generational split is clear: Millennials wear their hearts on their texts. Gen Z prefers theirs with a thick layer of irony — and a wink. 'I feel like it's a very Gen Z thing, earnestness through irony,' 27-year-old Andrew Pattenaude recently told Bustle. 'It's like a layer of protection to say something that you genuinely feel.' Still, licensed mental health counselor Kathryn Lee says millennials might be onto something. 'Millennials would probably prefer more of that face-to-face connection, because that is what they grew up with,' she told the outlet. When they finally get it, 'they're sure to say 'thank you.' ' In fact, gratitude isn't just a warm, fuzzy feeling — it's a full-blown movement. The Post previously reported on the aforementioned OnePoll study, and how 57% of Americans are saying 'thank you' more often than in years past. A surprising 40% even keep a written gratitude list, while others gush about everything from their families and friends to their bosses and baristas. TikTok user @paige_netting summed it up best: 'Trying not to send a 'thank you for hanging out with me, I really appreciate being together' after every casual hangout with friends.' Sure, some people feel closest to their loved ones during the holidays — when 76% in the study said they're more connected. But for millennials, the new season of thanks is year-round and always starts with: 'Hey, that was a lot of fun.' And sometimes, that's more than enough. As @thatssorav3n_ put it: 'You're literally the reason I'm gonna see the sunrise tomorrow.'
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Caitlin Clark credits Taylor Swift for upgrading her 'drip'
Caitlin Clark credits Taylor Swift for upgrading her 'drip' It's no secret that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and singer Taylor Swift are friends, and what do friends do? Help you out with clothes! I guess Swift didn't want Clark's current wardrobe to go out of style (see what I did there?) because Clark recently revealed that the pop star hooked her up with Eras Tour merchandise that has upgraded her fashion sense. Some might call that an assist off the court. (Okay. I'll show myself out.) "It was helpful in [that] I have good drip now," Clark told Grace Wehniainen of Bustle. "I have every sweatshirt and Taylor Swift Eras T-shirt in about every color and size. So, if anybody needs any, I will let you borrow [one]. But, yeah, I have an option for every outfit. She was kind enough to help me." This is very kind of Taylor Swift, and we fully expect to see Caitlin Clark rocking her new clothes during a WNBA tunnel walk this season.
