LA Times Festival of Books

This weekend I attended the above annual event on UCLA's campus along with two of my friends, "Red Dawn" and "Southern Gentleman". I think these two guys might actually adore literature and writing at least as much as I do, if they were combined, of course. As usual, I digress, but I must say that after attending a day at this amazing weekend, I am both chagrin and peeved that I have not gone out of my way more to try it sooner.

Southern Gentleman picked up a variety of tickets to panel discussions with the big highlight in our collective minds being Ray Bradbury's appearance. Sadly when we arrived, we discovered that Mr. Bradbury had cancelled his appearance due to illness. Luckily, he tends to appear on short notice at my favorite bookstore (Every Picture Tells a Story).

The true highlight of this even in my mind was seeing Ray Harryhausen in conversation with Richard Schickel, his longtime friend who was a film critic and producer of documentary films. If you do not know who Harryhausen is, well, you must've had a very different kind of childhood then I did. Harryhausen movies were a staple of my weekends alongside the habitual classic war movies my brother enjoyed. His amazing stop motion creatures creations were innovative and imaginative, not to mention thoroughly captivating.

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Clash of the Titans are just two of my favorite examples of Harryhausen masterpieces. While he may not be the inventor of stop motion special effects in early cinema, his work is the most well known. His Cyclops, Hydra, Medusa are linked inexorably to my youth and who can forget his army of skeleton warriors? Schickel seemed more interested in getting Harryhausen's take on remakes of his creatures, ie Peter Jackson's King Kong. Harryhausen was appropriately modest and although Schikel baited him (this is my interpretation), Harryhausen remained the gentlemen, even if he did think that the relationship between Kong and his leading lady in the movie became ridiculously sexualized. I have not seen Mr. Jackson's film yet, so if someone could fill me in on the parts I missed, that would be great.

Harryhausen said several interesting quotes that give you a real sense of him as a living legend:
"Fantasy shouldn't be analyzed."
"The past is more romantic then the future."
"Everyone wants to be a critic."

Southern Gentleman was ensnared in the giant community crosswords that were put up sporatically around the event. He is a crossword nut, just like my roomate, The Brown One. So Red Dawn and I walked around the many bookstore stalls, my bag becoming heavier and heavier as I saw one after the other book that I "HAD TO HAVE". Granted, I should've been more careful about my purchases, but I was like a kid in a candy store and rational thought flew right out the window.

After a quick lunch, the three of us went to a panel on Quirky Non-fiction feature moderator Megan Daum, a LA Times Columist. The authors were Veronica Chambers(Mama's Girl, The Joy of Doing Things Badly), June Casagrande (A Word Please, Grammer Snobs are Great Big Meanies), and Martin Smith (Poplorica, Oops : 20 Life Lessons from the Fiascoes That Shaped America). This was an intersting panel, but probably not one I would attend again since I so rarely have enough material to write non-fiction topic specific stories. Of course, I still have no clue what kind of writer I am or want to be. Mostly, I just write for me.

Instant Dads

I went to an Independent film screening premiere last night. When I first finished film school I attended a lot of film openings like this, many of them worked on by fellow graduates and a few that I even did the production or post production audio on. Now, I’m lucky if I am invited to see a truly independent film once a year, so I considered this a big treat. To add to my delight, 2 close friends of mine who composed original music for the film’s score were asked to perform live before the screening.

From the handout provided to guests of the screening:
Plot for Instant Dads
A film about a guy, Steven (who happens to be gay), who’s ex-girlfriend from high school, Nancy, shows up with a surprise, their 10 year old son Luke! Nancy never told Steven that she got pregnant on prom night with his child (the only girl Steven ever slept with by the way). Nancy reappeared in Steven’s life dying of cancer. She informs Steven that her last wish is to have him “the natural father” adopt Luke. WOW what a blow for a guy who is in a relationship with another guy and neither one of them has a clue on how to raise a 10 year old kid! After many talks with his boyfriend Peter, Steven decides that he will make Nancy’s dying wish come true, but NOT without a CRASH COURSE FIRST!

For someone tackling writing, directing, and acting to take on such serious and controversial subject matter was a big risk in my estimation. Instant Dads succeeds on many levels. First the main cast was first rate, especially Dominic Janes who plays Luke. Child actors can be challenging for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being their ability to portray sadness, anger, and uncertainty with a degree of believability. Luke was without a doubt phenomenal. It helped, that Maki writes him to be a wise 10 year old that has had to grow up fast due to his mother’s serious illness. Dominic is being rewarded for his hard work and dedication to his craft, he has a recurring role as Alex Taggart on ER.

The second major success for filmmaker Maki was having Universal studios agree to let him film at their Citywalk. He took advantage of this location using a café, a toy store, and the front of the movie theater for different parts of the film. These authentic locations lent to the overall professional feel of the film. Also Maki’s willingness to use many locations; houses, cars, parks really gave the film an authentic quality that many low budget pictures cannot afford.

You really care about the characters in Instant Dads and this is due to a combination of the script and the actors. This is a cohesive and heartfelt effort from all involved. What I like about the film is although there are many songs and the score is well executed, it is not wall to wall music. In fact, the music is so well integrated into the movie that it contributes to the overall emotion of the piece. Kudos to whoever chooses the placement of the songs since they integrate so well. High praise to my friends who had previously never composed for film, I am thrilled that they were involved in such a superb first effort.

Please Pray

I am a big believer in the power of prayer. A dear friend of mine from work heard last night that his father suffered a severe stroke. If you pray, please include him and his family in the thoughts you send to your chosen entity. My friend will be flying to the state where his dad is tomorrow morning and any good things we can send his way might hopefully mitigate the fear and helplessness he is feeling.

Thank you.

UPDATE: Sadly, my friend's dad passed away. Please continue to pray for him and his family if you are able. I believe it makes a difference, your faith, your love, your spirit contribute to the healing of others and yourself.

Earth Day April 22, 2006

Happy Earth Day dear readers! This Earth Day I spent in Northern California at my parent’s house. My father was taking part in the local clean-up in some nearby areas operated and overseen by the Park’s District so I decided to join him. We got started early and the city provided breakfast and buses to 3 different sites that needed our attention. My father had the task of greeting volunteers and setting up lunch while I went with a group to a recreational park that also serves as a summer nature camp for kids.

The rangers pointed out where the stream in the park had overrun its banks and left debris in the water and on surrounding banks. Our task was to remove the leaves and dead foliage from the living plants and put it into a pile to compost a bit further downstream. While some of us were handing that, others were recruited to bring in gravel and build up a trail that was washed away. Upon completion of this work a large wooden bridge was installed across the stream to provide easy access from one side of the park to the other.

The group of volunteers I was with at the park of included a school teacher from the High School I attended, a member of the city’s beautification committee, kids ranging from toddlers to teenagers, and 4 park rangers (one rather unfortunately named Ranger Rick, I am NOT kidding). Having helped found the Environmental Club when I was in High School, I was happy to see a lot of older teenagers who were wearing sweatshirts and hats from my alma mater.

Once all the volunteers from the various worksites were bused back to the original location lunch was provided. We were also treated to educational pamphlets on keeping your garden bug free using non-toxic means, recycling used motor oil and filters, recycling batteries, keeping water and air clean. We got some really well made, ORGANIC t-shirts. Breakfast, a snack, lunch, and a free t-shirt…I should volunteer more often huh?

Second Successful Seder

Close friends, delicious food, ample wine, a thrilling saga of danger and triumph, and finger puppets, what more could a Jewess want? Besides a little bacon, nothing. Kidding, kidding, please do not reign pestalence upon my crop for a little Kosher joking.

On Wednesday night, April 12th, my roommates and I hosted our second Seder at our humble abode. oh boy, if each and every Seder is supposed to top the next one then this one was right on track.

The menu was typical Jewish fare (at least for a girl who grew up in Northern California). We had apricot chicken, pot roast, matzoh, and the apple and walnut charoset that I grew up with (although my Dad still makes it better then I do, but I've only made it a dozen times while he has been making it for over 30 years). The Brown One and Jedi were kind enough to cook delicious side dishes. The Brown One also bought us a beautiful new Passover Seder plate that was much needed after the Seder plate I made a couple of years ago at Color Me Mine got broken in the move.

The Brown One also contributed the most hilarious new element to our Seder meal, the 10 Plague Puppets. Not sure if everyone has seen these, but they're 10 exquisitely crafted finger puppets, my favorite has to be a tie between Darkness and Locust. Hail is pretty darn funny with his Carrottop hair. For our Seder we let each participant choose a puppet and then read about the cooresponding plague it pertained to, but here's the catch, you had to read the passage in the type of voice you think your plague would have.

We had plague, Death of the First Born, from New York, the Southern Belle Locust plague, and other ludicrous pairings. Our friend Blinky and Koosh were expecially fond of their plagues, Lice and Wild Animals. I tell you, I don't think you have experienced the true freedom and joy of Passover without Ten Plague Puppets.

We didn't have all of this frolic and food without remembering the true reason for the holiday. Our Passover was dedicated to those men, women, and children suffering hunger, rape, war, and an uncertain future in Darfur. We were reminded why we should treasure our freedom from persecution for color, religion, sexual preference, or political convictions. We affirmed that while there remains one person chained, beaten down, murdered for there beliefs we must be their voice, and we cannot stop shouting until we are heard.

As I looked around the table at my friends who are so different from me, hearing them read the story of Moses leading his people out of Pharoah's Egypt. Telling this beautiful tale of freedom from oppression I felt that my heart would burst with the love and goodwill. Next year in Jerusalem.

Me and Stephen King: Reading Soulmates?

I was reading Stephen King’s top 10 books of 2005 today on the Entertainment Weekly Website and was surprised to find that one book I just finished and one I am currently in the middle of are on his list.

First there is Saturday by Ian McEwan. This is the third book that I have read by the author and I admit that his writing style is so descriptive that it takes some getting used to. I prefer to listen to his books versus reading them. The added benefit is that the reader is British so he really captures the more English expressions and contemporary slang terms that are not used here in the United States. There are mellifluous passages that goon page after page describing the minutiae of the main character, Henry Perowne’s day. Since the book takes place over the course of one Saturday in the main character’s life you are able to read every thought he has, every impulse he acts on and know exactly where within the body of his emotional, financial, professional, personal, and physical life this single day occurs.

This is a complex read, not advisable for anyone looking for a beach book or easily followed mystery. The beautiful paragraphs that talk about Perowne’s love for his wife, Rosalind are startling in their intimacies. Sometimes when the author wrote about their deep, abiding, and still passionate love for each other after raising their two adult children I have cause to smile and think of people in my own family who have been together for decades and share a past that contains mutual respect and adoration. I enjoyed this read more then Atonement and Black Dogs and feel that it is the most personal book I have read by McEwan.

The second book mentioned by King is Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories and I am chagrin to admit that I put this tasty morsel down after 200 pages to read King’s newest bestseller Cell (Jedi raved about it and that in and of itself was enough to intrigue me, but 2 friends who also have blogs-theirs are specifically used to review books also had good things to say about this latest offering). Atkinson’s book jumps around quite a bit, but once you catch onto the writing style it proves to be a fast paced, detail oriented read well worth the adjustment. I will be picking it back up this week and maybe just for kicks I’ll start at the beginning.

Charge: Odd Food Collector, Verdict: Guilty

I like going to all sorts of specialty markets and buying obscure or difficult to find items. In the past, these purchases have included dried grated turnip, jars of dulce de leche, hunks of sweet sticky guava paste, Jerusalem artichokes, star fruit, tahini, and kasha. Now some of the previous list you might recognize from Ralph’s or Von’s, but would you know what to do with them once you get them home? Yep, me either. Therefore languishing in fridge drawers and cupboards are the lotus root and red bean paste that seemed so inspiring while browsing the aisles of an Asian market near my house. Yet they keep each other company in the refrigerator awaiting the day when I will reach for them to inspire and motivate my outrageously misguided palate.

Other offenses include yummy, delicious, amazing anchovy wrapped capers in extra virgin olive oil. In my defense I bought these full well intending to eat them. They were a purchase made in the depths of nostalgia for the wondrous meals my Grandparents would cobble together of various pickled items, leftover roast beef, and vegetables galore. Never would I have thought that seedless rye bread spread with a thin coating of unsalted real dairy whipped butter and a smidge of real mayonnaise topped with several anchovy filets (looking almost flowerlike around their caper center) could taste like heaven. Albeit, salty, full-fat heaven, but such simplicity can be the right combinations to make me wax nostalgic. What I never counted on when I bought the tin of anchovies was how incredibly difficult it is to find fresh baked seedless rye here on the West Coast. Yeah, I know, cry me a river, my life is SO hard.

Is there something unmentionable lurking in your cabinets or veggie drawer? Maybe in the dark, cold climate of your freezer? Let me know, I don’t want to be the only one collecting weird foodstuff.