~ How do you handle Dancing Fools: Read this Q & A ~ by Tam Francis Over the years I’ve taught dance, jitterbugged, collected vintage and published my (out of print) magazine, Swivel:Vintage Living, and have been asked many questions about these subjects. Below are some of the most interesting and funny of the bunch. Let […more…]
~ Fred Kelly: Tony Winner, World Class Choreographer and Story Teller ~ Written by Steve Conrad with edits by Tam Francis The multi-talented dance legend spoke about the history of the Lindy Hop, the creation of the Big Apple to the invention of the Cha Cha Cha and performing with his brother Gene. A few […more…]
~ Don’t be a Fool: Query, Rewrite and Ninja Edit ~ The Torture of Querying It struck me that most of the blogs out there for writers are pushing self-publishing. Heck, I’m going to jump in with a short story collection, but am still on the fence about self-publishing the novel. Especially when gurus like […more…]
~ How to get Dealer Deals at the Auction: Home Vintage ~ by Tam Francis You got the dance lessons, you’re a great jitterbug. You’ve got the duds, the hair, the accessories, now you need to surround yourself at home with your favorite era antiques. On […more…]
~ Meet Django Reinhardt: The Gypsy Jazz Man ~ by the late Jacob Faust edited by Tam Francis Django Reinhardt, an in-depth biography on the late jazz guitarist virtuoso, written by his good friend and colleague Charles Delanunay, (published by Da Capo Press, London 1982). If ever there was a worthy account of this fascinating […more…]
~ How To Spot Phony Vintage ~ by Tam Francis I thought we gals had it figured out, but the more I read and see lately, the more inaccurate information is being passed off as fact. Vintage shops, auctions (ebay, etsy and live auctions) and even […more…]
~ The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion: Book Review ~ by Tam Francis Anyone who knows me, and even those who just met me, can tell I like the 1940s; I almost always dress vintage. Sometimes they’re an era off, but since I like the 1920s through 1950s its an easy in to a conversation. […more…]
~ Bakelite The Queen of Plastic Jewelry ~ The Clink of Bakelite Bracelets This past Christmas and birthday I received my first Bakelite bracelets, a gift from my dear friend Lynnda. As a swing dancer I had never bothered to invest,(if I knew then, what I know now, I would have). Sure, I’d picked up […more…]
