It's weird, but there's something in the popular culture lately that seems to have it out for Christmas. Most of the holiday movies are now about how awful and embarrassing everyone's family is and what a drag it is to have to visit them. I recently went on Pandora.com and...

Theatre in L.A. is sort of a strange beast. When I first arrived here to seek my fortune as a screenwriter, I was floored by the number of small theatres just in Hollywood alone. It seemed like there was one on every corner. I initially found this very comforting since...

Ego is always a force to be reckoned with here in Hollywood. Although we didn't invent it, you could say we perfected it. One of my favorite quotes on the subject comes from that undisputed queen of self-expression, Madonna who once said, "Hey, everybody's entitled to my opinion."

Like most...

When I was a kid, my mom used to complain that there was nothing on TV half as funny as Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows" used to be. One Saturday night, when I was a kid, I turned on our old Zenith and happened onto a movie called "A...

I was recently at a party hosted by a writer-friend who's been experiencing some really big success lately. He is, in addition to being very talented and deserving of this success, a genuinely nice guy. Having successful friends (really successful friends) is for me, a little tricky. I'm always happy...

A few months ago, I called home to chat with my mom and while we were talking, my cousin asked to speak with me. She wanted to tell me that she'd recently heard that all the major Hollywood studios were run by Jews and suggested that perhaps if I wanted...

Recently, I was at a Hollywood dinner party when our hostess abruptly steered the conversation toward what was clearly one of her favorite subjects: fate. Zeroing in on me, she asked, "Didn't you always sense it was inevitable you would become a writer?" I told her "no," but in truth,...

My adrenaline spiked a little when I spotted the pale green envelope in my mailbox. "Money!" I thought. It was a logical assumption since the Writer's Guild of America always sends out their residual checks in these lovely wintergreen envelopes. I was slightly disappointed to discover that instead of a...

Other people's family fights always make me uncomfortable. That's why I cringed a little last week as I watched Ryan O'Neal's oldest son, Griffin, spewing a few choice memories about his nutty father on Larry King Live. The younger O'Neal (now four years sober) pulled no punches as he told...

Last week, I was getting my free soda refill at Astro Burger when my cell phone rang. It was my manager. My heart leapt. She usually doesn't call unless it's important. I hurried out to the parking lot where it was less noisy. After I told her how great it...

I like my dermatologist. He has a sense of humor, which is something I very much appreciate in any branch of the medical profession. Not long ago, I was having a mole checked out and as he was peering at my cheek through his mini-magnifying glass, I made a casual...

It happened last Tuesday. Around 3:00 pm, to be exact. I was at my computer working on a pitch for a TV series when the phone rang. It was the producer of a film I had written. "The studio called," he said. I sensed a slight hesitation in his voice....

About six weeks ago, I went to a wonderful dinner party that a friend of mine was hosting in a restaurant in Hollywood. I arrived a little late and wound up seated at the far end of the table. At the opposite end was an actress I hugely admired. There...

Since last week's "Parts and Labor" entry was about Hollywood memorial services, I was hesitant to write another column about celebrity deaths, but Thursday's news about Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett left me without much choice. When icons of that stature pass away it does leave a mark and I'm...

Not long ago, I was approached about the idea of starting a "spiritually-based" weekly support group for creative types working in the entertainment business. I dodged that suggestion like it was a flying dagger! This being L.A., I instantly pictured myself trapped in a room with a with a Born-Again...

Recently, a straight friend of mine asked me if I was planning to attend the annual Gay Pride Parade in West Hollywood. I half-heartedly replied that I probably would. My friend shrugged, saying that he and his wife always used to attend, but didn't bother anymore. "It used to be...