Jeffrey Dollar Laign writer $ editor $ publisher
In Search of Anastasia
In 1920 she surfaced in a mental hospital after jumping off a bridge in Berlin. In 1956 Ingrid Bergman portrayed her in an Oscar-winning film. In 1984, she died of pneumonia in Virginia. To the end she stuck to her claim: She was not Anna Anderson — as the coroner would attest — but Anastasia, Grand Duchess of Russia, only surviving child of the murdered Czar Nicholas II and his equally ill-fated Alexandra.
Family Matters
With her soft-spoken charm and girl-next-door good looks, Kelli Carpenter O’Donnell could step into a poster for the All-American Woman. She’s a successful entrepreneur, a loving wife, and a doting mother of four – with a twist. The spouse of media icon Rosie O’Donnell, she has landed in the limelight as a champion of gay families – and the newest cruise provider on the seas.
Confessions of an Ackee Eater
"Psst..."The man in the red, green and gold knit cap beckoned to me from the sidewalk of a South Florida strip mall. "You waan some ackee, mon?" Once banned in the United States, Jamaica's national food is a strange fruit that resembles scrambled eggs--and is poisonous if not prepared correctly. But in the hands of a master chef, ackee is absolutely delicious.
The Articles
Writing for newspapers and magazines has provided me with the opportunity to explore remote parts of the world, meet fascinating people and learn more about subjects ranging from ethnic cuisine to quantum physics. Here are a few examples of the articles I've produced.
Gorrilla my Dreams
When the silverback charged, I dropped to my knees, grateful that I had taken the time to read that Dian Fossey book back on the plane to Uganda. Never look an angry ape in the eye, the legendary gorilla tracker in the mist had advised repeatedly.
Finland's arctic Lapland warms lovers' hearts
Why honeymoon on a boring beach? Melt your notions of frost-benumbed fingers and frigid gray skies, and look to the north. Finland’s arctic Lapland is a lover’s dream, beckoning romantic adventurers all year long. Couples can cruise a crystal river at midnight, hike over hills carpeted by cloudberries and meander through birch forests, where they’re apt to spot Laplanders (or Sami, as they call themselves) herding reindeer.
Kicking back with kava kava
I had come to this village in Fiji to try kava kava, a potent brew that islanders consider a gift from the gods. For centuries, islanders have claimed that the drink will boost your spirits when nothing else will. Now science is corroborating local lore.