I spent over 30 years writing speeches, white papers, and articles for big companies. Then I decided to retire and, for a lifestyle change, write books. Go figure! The autobiography I recite at parties: I've taught writing to brilliant non-English speaking graduate students and Shakespeare to prison inmates; I've been collecting cookbooks and developing recipes since I was 18; I've had a bout with cancer; my favorite cities are New York and Paris; my preoccupations are cooking, classical music, and collecting wine; and my life partner and I will celebrate our silver anniversary in December 2013.