Becoming Duchess Goldblatt by Duchess Goldblatt

​May 1, International Workers' Day we will be discussing one of the New York Times’ 20 Books to Read in 2020. Becoming Duchess Goldblatt by Duchess Goldblat is two stories: that of the reclusive real-life writer who created a fictional character out of loneliness and thin air, and that of the magical Duchess Goldblatt herself, a bright light in the darkness of social media. Fans around the world are drawn to Her Grace’s voice, her wit, her life-affirming love for all humanity, and the fun and friendship of the community that’s sprung up around her.
Duchess Goldblat, the author is a Twitter personality — a “character.” She’s a self-described 81-year-old author of royal blood, who lives in the (fictional) town of Crooked Path, N.Y. She has a (fictional) middle-aged daughter, Hacienda, who is incarcerated, and she’s the author of the (fictional) memoirs “An Axe to Grind” and “Feasting on the Carcasses of My Enemies: A Love Story.” Her avatar is a (nonfictional) 1633 painting by Frans Hals titled “Portrait of an Elderly Lady,” which hangs in the National Gallery.