personal : books, music & movies
On My Plate This Month:
Book : Pal Betty recommended A Year of Magical Thinking (Didion) when my dad died. I'd wanted to pick it up before but had (possibly mis-) remembered a previous bad experience with Joan Didion & had hesitated. This is a wonderful chronicle, mostly emotional, of Didion's year when her husband dies suddenly & her only daughter comes close to dying.
Music : Starbucks strikes again, with Glam Revolution. A really terrific collection of glam-era songs, with classics by Bowie, T-Rex, and the like, plus a few modern wanna-bes that hold their own. One of those is Mika, who's album I bought based upon his contribution - and it is HOT HOT HOT! I guess I'm late - he came on the UK scene last year. I especially like the video for the song "Lollipop" - an anime extravaganza!
Movie : Coraline, the highly touted 3-D animation, is worth every breath extolling its virtues. The general story line: An adventurous girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets. Howard was a little put off by the correlations between its story line & that of the Wizard of Oz. I was too captivated to notice during the screening and afterwards I felt like there was no better movie from which to steal. One of few recent movies I am hoping to see again before it leaves the theaters. (I wonder how 3-D affects its DVD sales?)
Book Report [list of fave authors here]
Run out & buy This Is Not Chick Lit edited by Merrick. This collection of short stories by contemporary female writers will blow your mind with its originality. And who can resist a short story?
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 And How It Changed America (Barry): This is a fascinating a social history of this most destructive (but little known) natural disaster, which displaced a million people, changing the agricultural & political structure of the US South forever. Understanding how politics & greed helped cause it & made the effects worse resonates with our own recent experience with Hurricane Katrina (and in fact a lot of this revolves around New Orleans.) The book was very well reviewed but I found it a challenge to get through, and felt like it needed a heavy editorial hand.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union (Chabon): This terrific alternative history detective novel presumes that the nation of Israel never formed, & takes place just before the portion of Alaska loaned to Jewish refugees is returned to the US. So against this uncertain backdrop is a noire mystery involving a Hassidic mafia & the Messiah!
In the Heart of the Sea (Philbrick): This gruesome & gripping tale is the true story of the 1820 ship wreck that became the inspiration for Moby Dick. And, yes, there was an actual enraged whale that attacked the ship & sank it – the first documented but not the last such event. Only 8 of the 20 men onboard survived; 3 on a desolate island & the rest in 2 boats. The book is equal parts voyage, survival, and aftermath.
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed (Slavenka Drakulic): published in 1991 just before the start of the war with the Serbs. In the epilogue written for the 2nd edition, published 2 years later, the author is despondent & cynical of ever achieving a freedom worth fighting for.
A Colony of Thieves, by the author of Schindler's List, Thomas Keneally, was recommended by Mom, since her book group will be reading it soon. This was a relatively in-depth study of the individual characters who were the first to colonize Australia, their adventures, and their impact on the Aboriginals. You learn about what motivated the military personnel who chose to give up years of their lives to an experiment on an unexplored continent, and how criminals adapted to life where the only thing imprisoning them was the profound strangeness of the land around them. I'm ambivalent about this one; I read the whole thing, didn't skip anything, and the writing was engaging. The strength of the story makes me recommend it, but I did find it hard to keep track of all the characters, and I felt Keneally didn't quite succeed in making all the characters true individuals. The amount of research he must of done is impressive, though, and how can you really put a face to petty criminals who are only a name on a 200-year-old list?
Not a typical choice for me: a book about the genesis of the war in Kosovo. But it was a posthumous gift from my friend, Thor, who spent several years there (post-war) helping rebuild the government. So, out of obligation, and a vague curiosity about what he did there all that time, I picked it up. Wow! "Be Not Afraid, For You Have Sons In America: How a Brooklyn Roofer Helped Lure the US into the Kosovo War" (phew) (Sullivan) is a terrific read, and a telling view into the tribal mentalities that create conflicts in the Balkans. What a mess. The author signed the book "For Thor, for caring about this place & doing what you can!"
Also picked up "The Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood" (Kurzem), about a 60-year-old man who, with his son's help, rediscovers his disturbing past. After seeing his family murdered by the Nazis, the father is "adopted" by an SS officer & made to play the loyal Nazi youth. Not terribly well-written, but such a good story it doesn't matter.
Yes, it's a best-seller, and there's a reason. What a great read! "Water for Elephants" (Gruen) is about a young man's unexpected turn at circus work during the Great Depression, told through his memories as an old man. Both the young & old Jacob's stories are interesting, though the excitement -- love, loss, friends, foes, elephants & lions -- all happens in memory. Or mostly. And that's why it's a great read. You pretty much think you're reading one story until the end, when you realize you've been reading another.
"The New Kings of Non-Fiction" (Glass) This is a fabulous collection of short, non-fiction pieces (as you might guess) put together by Ira Glass (host of NPR's "This American Life".) Glass pulled together some of his favorite pieces by those authors not afraid to tell a story while reporting the facts, as he does on his show. One piece, called Losing the War by Lee Sandlin & nominally about the memories of WWII vets, was unbelievable; you can read the whole piece on the author's web site: www.leesandlin.com.
"The Dresden Files" (Butcher) I'm really enjoying a series of fantasy adventure mysteries. I wouldn't have thought they'd be my cup of tea, but I took the advice of a friend & I'm hooked. The protagonist, Harry Dresden, is a wizard. No relation to Harry Potter (which I'm devouring on audio tape -- the narration by Jim Dale is utterly fantastic -- thanks Betsy!). But he's also a regular guy trying to eek out a living in modern-day Chicago.
"Frankie MacFarlane" series (Cummins Miller) I also discovered, thanks to a review in the latest AWG newsletter, a new women geologist mystery series. I've read Sarah Andrews' series with Em Hansen for ages, but now I've got Frankie as well! She starts out as a grad student, as Em did, but she has a very close family, which is a nice departure!
Anything by Carl Hiaasen. He's hilarious. All his books have a strong environmental theme that is woven into some cock-eyed mystery plot full of half-baked Floridians.
"Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash" (Royte) Ever since my boss & me argued about whether or not using a garbage disposal was good or bad for the environment (answer: it depends), I've been fascinated with understanding what specifically happens to our rubbish. This is a detailed, fascinating, scary, & funny discussion.
"Someone to Run With" (Grossman). Oh, luscious sticky story of youth! A 16-year old boy, Assaf, is told to find the owner of a stray lab. The pooch, Dinka, proceeds to drag him all over Jerusalem, through all kinds of adventures. The missing owner, a 16-year old girl named Tamar, is on a mission of her own that involves becoming a street performer & tunneling into the underworld. I only wish I could read it in the original Hebrew.
"The Barbary Plague : The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco" (Chase) is an engrossing account of how plague got into the US - through SF - at the turn of the last century. (You have to be careful of vermin in the Sierras!
"Close to Shore: A True Story of Terror in an Age of Innocence" (Capuzzo) I picked this up at random from a second-hand table at the bookstore & was thoroughly delighted. It's a historical non-fiction piece about the first great white shark attacks on swimmers in US history. And the real thrill was that this took place in 1916 in (drum roll please) - Beach Haven, NJ, where How's family has had a beach house for years! Can't wait to send it to book worm Carol.
"Life of Pi" (Martel) This is a magical little read is about an East Indian teenager's year-plus survival experience. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Some found this a deeply spiritual book, but I just read it as a great piece of fiction & loved every minute.
"An Eye for Gold" & "Fault Line" (Andrews) I met the author at the AWG convention on Halloween & was reminded what a great gal she was and how much I enjoyed the no-nonsense, no-whining female geologist-cum-detective she writes about. I quickly scarfed up two of her novels and tore through them. Sent 'em on to Mom, who's sending them on to Juli, who's supposed to send them on to Stephie but we'll see if that ever happens...
"Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right" (Franken) Okay, you've heard about the book, or at least FOX's ill-fated lawsuit, but it really is worth the time. Hilarious, engaging, and filled with jaw-dropping facts about the right wing & the lies they rely on to recruit & convince.
"Fast Food Nation" (Schlosser) A stunningly revealing book about the seemingly innocuous fast-food industry and how its drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed - mostly destructively - America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce. A must read, along with Al's book above.
"Nickel and Dimed" (Ehrenreich) Her story of what it's like to "not get by" working for minimum wage in the US was interesting, but lacked the compelling context that would've made it social commentary.
"Matt Scudder mysteries" (Block) & "Boney Bonaparte mysteries" (Upfield) Y'all know how the only mysteries I've been reading for years are those by female authors with female protagonists (like Sue Grafton's "Kinsey Milhone" series). Well, I've been seduced into broadening my horizons. Matt Scudder is a recovering alcoholic PI, who left the NYPD after accidentally killing a young girl. Napoleon (Boney) Bonaparte is a mulatto Australian police detective, struggling against prejudice in the late 40s.
"How the Web was Born" (Gillies & Cailliau) You wouldn't think a book printed on Oxford University Press about computer science could be riveting, but the story of the birth of the WWW is quite a tangled...uh...web.
"All Souls - A Family Tale from Southie" (MacDonald) A sad and revealing look at white urban trash life in my generation. Big family, lots of death and disease, both physical and mental.
"Isaac's Storm" (Larson) The story of the hurricane that flooded Galveston, TX, to the depths of rooftops in the years before WWI and the meteorologist who should've predicted it. I've since realized that without looking for the products of this author, I've read most of his work, all of which I recommend: "Devil in the White City" & "Thunderstruck".
Clerestory, an acapella men's choir that focuses on 20th-century compositions, just released their first (and eponymous) CD - I'm listening to it endlessly! Two friends are in the group, so I've been watching them for over a year. You can check out all their past concerts too. I really like the 3 songs in a row here: Sleep, Dance, and Harmonice Mundi.
Okay, I'm noticing this a bit late, but the 2006 Dixie Chicks release, Taking the Long Way, is pretty awesome. When I finally realized what the song "Silent House" was about, I broke out crying: a woman is remembering her mother before she was claimed by Alzheimer's. That's an atypical song topic.
This past summer, Starbucks came out with a compilation of songs performed by artists who also happened to WORK at Starbucks. They married this cd, Off the Clock, with a contest -- "vote for your favorite of these bands & we'll produce their first cd!" There is some really great work on this cd; my favorites are the cuts by Scatteredtrees, Fools & Horses, & Riverman.
The lead singer of my fave band of all time, the Loved Ones, is fronting a new trio that is spectacular, Honeycut. I heard Bart Davenport's distinctive vocals on an NPR review & nearly drove off the road in excitement (I only listen to the radio when I drive, and then I pretty much only listen to NPR.)
I heard "All Purpose" at a cool techie conference held in the woods of British Columbia and was immediately captivated by their funky grrrly big-band sound. I immediately scooped up one of their new cds, which I have since sent on to nephew Badj (waddyathinkaboutit?) In their own words: Forming in 1997, All Purpose has exploded into a 7-piece orchestra with a contagious vibe and a totally unique sound. Fusing a multitude of live instruments with the boombastisic flourishes of modern DJing and plenty of outrageous antics, this group bursts with energy. Featuring a DJ, flute, clarinet, saxamaphone, keys, samples, purr-cussion, sweet vocals, rhymes and plenty of bass, All Purpose is a show of rhythm, excitement and crazy booty shakin' fun.
Working through Green Day's latest, American Idiot. Heard a snippet in a store & was entranced by the garage sound. A solid effort.
Read an article in the SF Chronicle about a local musician who, though not known to the masses, is highly sought after for session work by professionals. Well, I got to his website to download some songs before his site was overwhelmed from the publicity & pulled. And they're great. His name is Josh Fix and you should try his site to see if it's back up.
I rolled out a bunch of my old tape mixes during my road trip from Houston and rediscovered three great anthologies of various artists redoing Hendrix (Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix), The Beach Boys (still looking for this), and Elvis (Honeymoon In Vegas: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
The Loved Ones I just discovered that the lead guitarist from my defunct fave 90s band, the Loved Ones, is now working with my still kickin' fave band from the 90s, Cake. And my coworker Brian is pals with the lead singer of Cake - the humble & hilarious John.
The Hackensaw Boys a rough-n-ready bluegrass band, original songs, great fun in concert & they tour wildly so they're probably coming to a venue near you!
Kirsty MacColl I've found myself listening to the tapes my Scottish brother-in-law sent of her early stuff lately. An incredible UK pop artist, highly regarded by her peers, but pretty much ignored in the US. Pity; she died in a boating accident a year or two ago.
The Pretenders "Loose Screw" This is solid Pretenders, with some pretty interesting variations on the theme. Recommended.
Movie Review [list of fave movies here]
Go see MILK! It's terrific. The very SF story of Harvey Milk, a Republican-turned-gay-rights-activist who helped galvanize the gay community in SF in the 70s, and was tragically murdered, after he entered local politics. Sean Penn finally shakes his dour characterizations & totally inhabits his joyful, hope-filled character. Of course, just seeing my old 'hood as it was in the 70s was a kick. But I saw it in the Castro Theater, which serves as an important backdrop in the film, with a full house of friends & neighbors. Talk about ambiance! Pal Steve's apartment is right across from Milk's old camera chop & his door is seen time & again in the on-location shots!
On the flight home from London, I was able to watch 4 movies, all of which were terrific in their own way. Atonement is a lovely adaptation of the dreamily literary Ian McEwen novel about the high-handed botching of a romance by a naive tween & the life-long consequences. Persepolis is the animated movie made from the comic book by Marjane Satrapi about her experiences growing up during the transition from pre-revolutionary to "modern" Iran. Away From Her is a Canadian production starring Julie Christie as a woman descending into Alzheimer's, and the tragedy of her husband's loss of the woman he loves to that disease. Cried like a baby, but during the middle, when I realized what was going to happen, not the end. Finally, I'd wanted to see Sweeney Todd because I'd never seen the stage production, and could not fathom how Sondheim had created a musical out of a story about cannibalism. Well, he did, and it's a subtle & disturbing piece, with great music!
Ok, I admit it, I indulged in a marathon of all the Harry Potter movies over a period of 2 days last week. It was great; I felt guilty, like I was watching porn. But I also caught a couple I've been meaning to get to for a while, including the terrific anime, Paprika. The only other anime I've seen is Spirited Away, which totally captivated me and the crowd of adults & kids I was watching it with. This was more like a wedding of anime & Saturday morning cartoons. The premise is a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams is stolen, and it looks like all of mankind is going to be subsumed by a kind of mass dream-hallucination. The hero? A young brainy female therapist who has a crush on a fat guy. How cool is that!?
A Very Long Engagement has been around for a few years but I just got to it -- what a treat. Premise is interesting enough -- a woman's search for her missing fiance after WWI. But in the hands of the director & with the lead star of the winning Amelie (one of my all time faves, up there with High Fidelity) it transcends the possible and reels into the magically believable.
The Lives of Others is a depressing but deeply engaging German film about the havoc wrought on a young couple by a bitter, dry old police investigator. And how the experience changes his life.
An Inconvenient Truth is more compelling and frightening than I expected. A must-see.
Oh my god. Go see Hotel Rwanda. This wrenching political thriller, based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, performs the valuable service of lending a human face to an upheaval so savage it seemed beyond the realm of imagination when news of it filtered into the West. The film documents the slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis by the ruling Hutu tribe in Rwanda during a hundred-day bloodbath in 1994, an event still largely unrecognized in the West. Rusesabagina, the unassuming and apolitical Hutu manager of a posh hotel, saves the lives of more than 1,200 Tutsis and Hutu moderates by sheltering them in the hotel and bribing the Hutu military to spare them.
Control Room follows the build up to and first months of the US war against Iraq through the "eyes" of the Arab TV station, Al Jazeera, spinning the "other" side of the media story. In the US, Al Jazeera is perceived as an anti-American network by many, while it is banned by some Arab states for being pro-American. Which I didn't know - makes you wonder, right? The piece makes it easy to see how the US troops are basically seen as unwelcome occupiers. I was profoundly embarrassed as a US citizen.
If you ever doubted there was a "vast, right wing conspiracy" mobilized to take down the Clinton White House, doubt no more. The Hunting of the President covers the Ken Starr inquisition in great detail, interviewing a huge number of players, and clearly establishes the coordinated effort behind a 10-year campaign to destroy Clinton personally & politically. Much more truthful a documentary than Moore's poli-tainment entry, but no less riveting. Fewer laughs, truthfully.
The original, uncut, undubbed, un-Americanized GODZILLA played at our local landmark, the Castro Theater, and wow - what a treat. I can't say I'd ever seen the US version straight through, but I saw enough of it to know what a laugh-fest it was. Well, I can tell you the original was not funny. It is basically a post-WWII statement on nuclear war and is very sad & ambivalent about science for science's sake. Even the low-tech monster scenes were touching in a way.
Rabbit-Proof Fence is a terrific "based on a true story" Aussie flick about the 1000+ mile journey home for 3 (then 2) half-caste girls taken from their families as part of Australia's attempt to integrate aborigines into "civilization" from the 40s until the 70s.
The Weather Underground fascinating documentary about the group of radicals from the SDS who formed, essentially, a terrorist organization to protest the Vietnam War. With a motto of "Bring the War Home", they sought to enact the kind of violence on home turf - your local bank, the local federal offices - that the US was delivering overseas. Fascinating study of how they got there, and the mix of regret & pride the members feel today.
Winged Migration This flick is an unbelievable visual extravaganza of birds in flight. Imagine a feature-length Discovery channel piece on the migration of birds from every continent. I didn't think it went as far as it could have in terms of technical information (of either the birds or how the damn thing was filmed) but I forgave it solely because of the spectacular close-up footage of flying birds of all kinds.
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