Robert Grayson

A tale of two Robert Graysons. One is the author of "From Left to Right," a limited edition, accordion-bound book of 80 aphorisms that sells for a staggering $5,000. This Robert Grayson declares, "Thought has become a luxury item. My thoughts are precious. They are priced accordingly," and sniffs: "This is the future of literature." Then there is the Robert Grayson who sits at Yanks, chomping on a grilled chicken salad, taking a long lunch break from his job selling pricey clothes at Valentino.

A tale of two Robert Graysons. One is the author of "From Left to Right," a limited edition, accordion-bound book of 80 aphorisms that sells for a staggering $5,000. This Robert Grayson declares, "Thought has become a luxury item. My thoughts are precious. They are priced accordingly," and sniffs: "This is the future of literature." Then there is the Robert Grayson who sits at Yanks, chomping on a grilled chicken salad, taking a long lunch break from his job selling pricey clothes at Valentino.

Jeannine Stein's article on Robert Grayson, who has done the $5,000 book of aphorisms, ("The Price of His Thoughts: Just $5,000 a Book," Dec. 5) has prompted a few of my own that I want to share with you: When in doubt write inanities; if the medium is respectable, you will be applauded. Among certain groups, chutzpah is an acceptable substitute for talent. Most self-appraisal is self-delusion. Envy of the successful is one of the hobgoblins of little minds.

Shame on you for wasting valuable space on a pompous fledgling like Robert Grayson. ("The Price of His Thoughts: Just $5,000 a Book" by Jeannine Stein, Dec. 5). He has created the literary equivalent of the pet rock. If he had ever read a few masters of the aphorism (Mark Twain, H. L. Mencken and S. J. Perelman come to mind), he'd have realized this and not mistaken his marketing gimmick for literary genius. If, alas, his product doesn't sell as he'd hoped and he must teach a course, try "Delusions of Grandeur, Advanced," or perhaps "Humility: Is It Necessary If One Is Truly Mediocre?"

New York City Opera has announced casting for productions of Bizet's "Carmen," Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" and Bernstein's "Candide" to be staged in January at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Susanne Marsee will sing the title role in "Carmen," directed by Frank Corsaro, at the Jan. 13 and 17 performances. Other principals include John Absalom as Don Jose, Elizabeth Hynes as Micaela and Robert McFarland as Escamillo. On Jan.

A sheriff's deputy in Carson shot and fatally wounded a man in a motel room early Monday after the man pointed a gun at the deputy, sheriff's officials said. Todd Grayson, 26, of Carson was struck once in the chest about 1 a.m. at the Dare-U-Inn in the 17300 block of South Main Street, said Sgt. Robert Stoneman. Grayson was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he died.

Neutrogena Corp., which turned a line of transparent soap bars into a multimillion-dollar skin and hair care products business, said Wednesday that it is negotiating a possible sale of the firm. Los Angeles-based Neutrogena revealed the talks with what it described as a "substantially larger company" after its once-languishing stock rose as high as $23 in heavy Nasdaq trading Wednesday. The stock, which traded as low as $16 earlier this year, closed up 87.5 cents at $21.625.

They came, they saw, they gawked. Some guests who attended Zsa Zsa Gabor's recent party at her Bel-Air home celebrating the publication of her autobiography "One Lifetime Is Not Enough" were more interested in exploring her mansion than her memoirs. As one guest put it, the downstairs is K mart Versailles and the upstairs is paneled like the basement in "Wayne's World." The gym features what must be the oldest exercise bike on Earth.

Frank Corsaro's gimmicky, grimy, updated staging of Bizet's "Carmen," which the New York City Opera is presenting these days at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, doesn't seem to leave much room for individual interpretation. At the opening Tuesday, the hard-working, eminently competent cast tended to get lost amid the director's mod, self-indulgent, violently anti-musical imposition of Spanish Civil War cliches.

For the fifth time in 21 years, a woman took top honors at the annual World's Championship Chili Cookoff held Sunday at Tropico Gold Mine. Using a family recipe that she had adapted through the years, Margo Knudson of Loomis, Calif., won the $25,000 first prize presented by Tecate beer, beating out 80 other finalists from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, England and West Germany.

Frederick H. Joseph has been named vice chairman and chief executive of the New York securities firm Drexel Burnham Lambert. He succeeds Robert E. Linton as chief executive. Linton, 60, will continue as chairman of the securities firm and of privately held Drexel Burnham Lambert Group, which owns it. Joseph, 47, was previously senior executive vice president in charge of Drexel's corporate finance department.