So. A mere 201 years it has been since Frédéric Chopin came into the world on George Washington's birthday, back in Emperor Napoleon's heyday, when Abraham Lincoln was a baby and Simon Bolivar was on the rise down in South America. P.T. Barnum was born that year, too. Just for you to know. As to Mr. Chopin, do, if you haven't, see him portrayed by Hugh Grant in the splendid 1991 film, Impromptu.... Meanwhile, pooped am I, having been called up by a radio producer on the stroke of midnight last night in order to be interviewed live, sort of, on a show called Coast to Coast AM. And why? Because of yesterday being Presidents Day and my having written Ghosts of the White House. Not, decidedly not, a spooky book, but is the White House haunted? I wouldn't be surprised, given the intensity of the lives lived there.

I was told that the host would be talking briefly w/ 3 'news' guests [one of 'em was Whitley Streiber, the paranormal expert] and was asked if I'd taken time to listen to the show. I lied. Anyway it was 12:23 before the guy got around to me and it went real well, very conversational. As I had NEVER listened to the guy's show before, I was a bit taken aback when I heard listeners invited to call in. One told about the spirits of her dead pets. There was a brief discussion of Geo. Washington's vision of the end of the nation. news to me, I'm ashamed to say. I'd gathered up the references I'd found about Lincoln's ghost and discovered that the spirit of a torch-bearing British soldier c. 1814 has been seen more than once and more than a few cold
spots have been experienced. And that there haven't been as many sightings since the old joint was gutted in '48. If anything would jangle the psychic space, that'd be it, I figure. Then George [Noory, the host] said he'd heard [from me] that I could rattle off all of the presidents in under a minute. He clocked me @ 40 seconds & asked me if I'd read 'em. 'No! I swear!' He asked me about the book & if it was available, thanked me & I got hung up on. I staggered out into the dark w/ Mimi for her walk & got to bed at 1:30 this morning. The burden of fame, I guess.