Very few writers live lives as interesting as those they write about. My friend Bill Woodfield, who passed away last week from a heart attack, was an exception. How many people have you met who took nude photos of Marilyn Monroe? Who interviewed Jack Ruby in his cell? Who put all his worldly experience to work as a writer-producer for, among other TV shows, Columbo and Mission: Impossible? He was a fine gentleman and a fine writer.
And we're also mourning the passing of Sol Forman. I never met him but the restaurant he owned, Peter Luger's Steak House in Brooklyn, serves the best piece o' beef that ever entered my digestive system. Here's a link to the New York Times obit, which will tell you a little about the history of the place. (And here's a link to the website for this wonderful restaurant.)