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On Turning Forty

I celebrated my birthday early, with my husband, by listening to court transcripts from the Charles Adelson case.


Charles is a chauvinist dentist in Florida. His sister, Wendi, is a difficult person; she was briefly married to another difficult person, Dan Markel. A bitter divorce ensued. Wendi complained about Dan's tyrannical post-divorce behavior, and Charles then arranged to have Dan murdered. Charles handled the logistics in a sloppy way--believe it or not!--and now the season of justice is upon us.


If you're wondering how to respond to your fortieth, I have to recommend the podcast "Tally"--which introduces you to unforgettable characters. I'm not talking just about Charles and Wendi and Dan, but also about Wendi's mother, Dan's law school classmate David Lat, and a group of rabbis accused of extortion by the FBI. It's said that truth is stranger than fiction--and "Tally" makes the case. For example, after the murder, Wendi (who may have been complicit) went ahead and joined a writers' circle, so she could explore the murder in a comic memoir. Also, Charles had Dan killed while Dan's kids were at school; the thought was that someone would just notify the teachers about the mysterious murder, and Wendi could swing by and grab the babies from their classrooms at some convenient time.


I do not have many words of wisdom as I enter my new decade. But, to quote Oprah, here is what I know for sure. A podcast like "Tally" makes life's difficulties all worthwhile. It's deserving of a chef's kiss. I cannot wait for the "update" episodes.

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