Dybbuks, according to Eastern European Jewish folklore, are the malicious spirits of dead people. And because they’re malicious, they raise holy hell with those of us still shlepping on this mortal coil. While I don’t believe in dybbuks, ghosts, haints or other such characters from The ...

I believe there are two kinds of funny. The first is “Funny Ha Ha Ha!” This is the stuff that, in a flash, reduces you to hilarity. A perfect example for me is Mel Brooks’ movies. They’re anything for a laugh — puns, sight gags, slapstick goofs, weird anachronisms and ...

“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “Really moving.” “She” is Heidi Kretser, who’s always a joy to talk with. She’s bright, funny, well-informed, and always alight with enthusiasm and joy unbounded. “It” was something that happened to her at a big city ...

Although a lot of people complain about old age, I’m not one of them. Now, well past the three-quarter-century mark, I find this life stage fascinating. It has all the discoveries and changes of adolescence — just in reverse. In youth, you’re growing bigger, stronger, more aware, more ...

One of my 5,000 or so pet theories is that every adult male has a scar on his chin. If not every male, then at least every one who was once a real boy, a “Look, Ma, no hands” boy, spelled B-O-Y. I have a doozy of one, but because it’s obscured by my facial plumage, I never think of it. ...

Traditionally, the informal and affectionate term for a mayor is Hizzoner. Unfortunately, there’s no equivalent term for an ex-mayor — at least not till now. Yes, that’s right folks, here’s an original honorific for former mayors, coined in My Home Town by none other than yers ...