My grandmother had snow-white hair that she wore like a crown. Her exacting eyes were a startling emerald. Her large, sturdy frame seemed a fitting home for her strong opinions. She dressed impeccably in tailored suits, wore motoring gloves, netted hats, diamonds from Tiffany’s. Her snakeskin pocketbook fastened with a golden clasp, and when opened, the cinnamon scent of Dentyne wafted from within. On the dashboard of her black Lincoln Continental was a golden nameplate that read: Mrs. Charles Mitchell Brown—another name in a long line of borrowed names. She was Tommy; she was Katherine; she was Mother; she was Mrs. Brown; she was Aunt Thelma; she was Grammy. She wanted to live forever, or at least outlive Nancy Cooper Slagle, her great-grandmother, who lived to be 104 years old.
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Image by Laura McPhee
MARTHA McPHEE 
Am re-reading L’America, which also mentions golden name plate in the Lincoln. Rich history behind all the names. Interesting that you are using her real name in “An Elegant Lady.” So eager for the book.
“An Elegant Woman.” The names of that generation are real, for the most part, as they are already most rich in my imagination as fiction. Thank you for re-reading L’America.