J.M. Coetzee ~ Youth: Scenes From Provincial Life II
Prose, fortunately does not demand emotion: there is that to be said for it. Prose is like a flat, tranquil sheet of water on which one can tack about at one's leisure, making patterns on the surface.
I just discovered this series. Check it out. Collections of noir short stories, anthologies based in various cities in the US and around the world, Istanbul, Paris, Delhi, London, New York. And on and on. Great idea.
The Boston one, which is edited by Dennis Lehane (he has an entry), has just recently been released. Nearly all of them are available for the kindle, and these seem the perfect books for that device. I downloaded this one today. This Thursday, several of the authors (Russ Aborn, Dana Cameron, Brendan DuBois and Lynne Heitman) will be reading from their stories at Indie Newtonville Books.
What happens when the collector becomes the collected? What happens to the new kid in class? Or is it all just a dream? A bad dream which a young girl has and is literally forced to see her dream through to the end, despite her fears…A man revisits the place where, as a boy, a crocodile terrorized his town, his uncle and best friend disappearing in the tragedy. These are some of the fears captured in this black and white, animated-integrated shorts collection. Most (but not all) of the animation is superior and downright creepy.
Afraid of insects? Then the first one will play upon that fear. Although you can see the shoe drop coming at an early stage, because of the drawing and animation, you’re still shocked when it happens. The closing short makes the best use of light and dark, illumination/understanding and darkness/fear. Gluing these shorts together, aside from their more or less common use of black and white drawing/animation, are sequences of musings on what we fear. These are accompanied by very simple geometric line drawings.
Christian Hincker’s animation is split up into three or four pieces, acting also as a dividing line between the short chapters. In these sequences, an ogre with a pack of vicious dogs, purposely lets one, then another loose. While the other tales are not primarily violent or bloody, these snarling beasts from Hell are particularly disturbing. Maybe heightened by the fact that they contrast so sharply with the rest of the collection. The visual of these rabid beasts ripping into and tossing humans like rag dolls are hard to shake. Who the hell is not afraid of snarling dogs with bared teeth?
Uneven in its scare factor, and somewhat spotty as graphic fiction, there are still glimpses of fascinating animation to be had.
♦♦½
Any book junkie knows what a tbr pile or list is – and has one. Books go on mine and come off – some read and some unread. But I also have a ntbr list. That’s Never To Be Read (odds are). For instance, I have a 2-volume Random House set (Lifetime Library) of Remembrance Of Things Past. The Lifetime Library RH imprint must mean it may take you a lifetime to get around to reading it. Each volume is well over 1,000 pages. And we’re not talking NYTimes Large Print editions here, see? All seven Proust books in two volumes. I’ve picked it up from time to time and browsed through Swann’s Way. That’s about as far as I’ve ever gotten. And I bought the set sometime in the ’60’s. I’ve had the freakin’ thing for 50-years! It’s a slow dance.
I got slightly further in The Tale of Genji. This was the beautiful Viking Boxed set from about 2001. I got it into my head that I was going to read a book a day. Or was that a book a week (there are 54)? And I did start it, but one thing or another….Just leafing through it now, I have the urge to try again.
Robert Musil’s The Man Without Qualities is another 2-volume monster clocked at 1700+ pages. This one I have not actually bought. But I’ve eyed it several times in book stores over the years. My self-restraint is amazing!
That’s three. Or six, I guess, depending on how you count ‘em. Now add this new one from Harvard University Press (1128 pages): A New Literary History of America, edited by Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors. Almost a lightweight by ntbr standards.
Recap: Minimum to make the ntbr list? 2 volumes and or 1,000 + pages, whichever comes first. Weight? 5#’s or more (enough for light one-arm curls).
The ntbr pile just proves that books are like food. Some are like cotton candy, sweet and forgettable. Some are difficult to digest and leave a lump in your tummy, like Sunday pancakes. And some are, pretty, sumptuous and classic and prove the old saw that your eyes can be bigger than your stomach.
And for the 40th Anniversary of The Rolling Stones release of Let It Bleed, I had to give a listen to “Love In Vain” – the tune that turned me on to Robert Johnson. Two lights on behind, baby! And love sister, “Gimme Shelter” still rips it up. Isn’t that Bonnie, of Bonnie and Delaney on back-up? Can’t remember.
I tried on Strokes lead Julian Casablancas’ new release for size and only one song grabs me: “Out of the Blue“‘ has a slight Feelies feel with swirling guitar and farfisa like synth. I kinda like ”Ludlow St” as well – a ‘my pianos been drinking, not me’ song that deserves a few more listens. There’s a lot going on (musically) in that one, which is kinda cool. But that’s about it, for me at least. But Strokes fans will need to check it out for themselves, of course.
At Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, a town west of Boston, where the library once housed 20,000 books, there’s an expensive espresso machine and three large screen tv’s. Want books? The “library” has 65 circulating kindles that can be set up with the book or books you need. Students can tap into the libraries subscribed databases for research and study. The library is fully digital. Fairly soon, all of the printed books will be gone.
Now called Cushing Cyber Cafe, (though it’s commonly referred to as 12K Cafe – the espresso machine costs $12-grand), the Cushing Academy decision has sparked a s**t storm from all sorts of places. Thing is, over the recent past, maybe 30 of the 20,000 books had been checked out at any one time. The library was mostly empty. Now it bustles with the bland froth of cappuccino music. When I go into the Boston Public library these days, there are many people spread out reading books. But most of the computers (and there are many) are occupied. Many town libraries are experiencing the same thing. The push is to make the library experience more ‘relevant’. But at what price?
As an avid reader, I swing both ways. I like my digital reading experience. I like an occassional audio book as well. But I’d never want to give up the sound, and feel and heft of a book in my hands, or beckoning from the bedside. How the word is offered up will continue to come in many forms, ever changeable. But I don’t expect that the printed page will become extinct any time soon.
Headmaster at Cushing Academy James Tracy’s defense of his new (titter) paradigm.
Yeah, so here’s my theory. Jonathan Lethem wrote Inherent Vice for Thomas Pynchon. In turn, Pynchon penned Chronic City for Lethem. My theory and I’m sticking to it.
Read more: Pocket Reviews at Like Fire
Il Divo is a montage of power, how it is assembled and how it is wielded. With almost unrestricted power, the source is diffused in such a way that it is difficult to unravel. The higher up one goes, the less one seems to see actual power being used. There may be scandals, there may be intimidation, there may be corruption – and at the extreme there may even be assassination. But at the higher levels there is the aura of the rule of law. Or the moral authority of God, or the Church. It’s the underlings and minions who prop up the throne with a political amorality that is diffuse and pervasive. In ‘democratic’ societies, this is the way we prefer our leaders – above the fray, hands clean. The vision may be a just and caring society, but the mission is mostly by whatever means necessary. We call the entity as a whole “political machines”.
In Italy, there is the additional wild card of the Catholic Church. Andreotti’s party and the way it wielded power, exercised authority, has great synergies with the Church. Director Sorrentino plays this card sparingly, only just hinting. I believe this may have been one of the most important strategic decision the film-makers made.
Toni Servillo, as Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, shows a face to the world that is almost kabuki-like. The mask both hides and projects: mystery, ambiguity, complexity and implacability. The shuffling body language is extraordinary as if he’s moving invisibly through his domain, not leaving a ripple. There is one exception where Andreotti-Servillo depart from the in-control politician. This exception also is a master stroke that would seem a departure, but acts as a cathartic confession, an imaginary sequence, highly operatic, where Andreotti blurts out his confession and sins to his wife, Livia.
There is a scene in the Senate when results of the ballot have just been announced and Andreotti and his faction have just been soundly defeated. Applause erupts, Andreotti joins in. One of the politicians turns to a colleague and says,
Keep watching him. Watch and learn how to behave.
The same may be said about good actors and their roles. Not accidentally, Servillo plays Andreotti as an actor. No surprise. Politicians are manipulators, and actors of the first order. Andreotti’s favorite film? Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. The film played at TIFF 08, and I missed it there. I blinked, and it breezed through Boston before I had a chance to take it in.
♦♦♦♦
Lists are always subject to great debate. What does it for you, may not do it for me. It’s all about taste. Or sensibilities. With a list like this one the age of viewing also carries subjective clout. And I can’t imagine a list more subjective, more prone to personal criteria than this one: Top 50 scariest movies of all time. I started at the end (the scariest): The Thing (1982) , and I’m not even sure if I’ve seen it. But I did see the original (The Thing from Another World), from 1951 - both from a story by John W. Campbell Jr. The original would sure be in my top 5 – but of course I was probably ten or so when I first saw it. At a remote military outpost in the Arctic, something is unearthed in a block of ice and brought back to base camp, a blanket thrown over it. Drip, drip. “The thing” begins to melt. Or should I say that the ice that entombs the thing begins to melt. I literally can see that army blanket and the black and white camera pan to the melting ice beneath the table. It was very suspenseful. James Arness played “The Thing”, by the way. There are in fact, plenty of remakes on the list. Remakes and franchises are a recurring theme in the genre. Probably 80% or more of the movies on the list have a II and III (or more) version. Give the people what they want. Again and again.
Japanese horror is well represented (for good reason): Ju-on (2000), Ôdishon (1999), Janghwa, Hongryeon (A Tale of Two Sisters) (2003). Great flick. Thankfully, the originals are represented, not the English remakes.
Alien (1979) comes in at #5. Definite agreement on this one (top five material). In the 11 spot, The Shining (1980), which I’d have in the top 5 as well.
Here’s two that are “scared out” (over-exposed) – which is not to say they aren’t fine movies: The Exorcist (1973) at #14, and Jaws at #15.
I’m partial to originals. Here’s three on the list that I just might have the original, rather than the newer remake noted. I might waver on Invasion.
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), with Donald Sutherland. The 1956 version with Kevin McCarthy. In a now almost obligatory nod, McCarthy appeared in the remake
- The Fly (1986). The 1956 version with Vincent Price.
- At #45, The Blob (1988). There’s the 1958 version with Steve McQueen.
For me, the most egregious placement is for Rosemary’s Baby (1968). It’s a toss-up on these (1-2): between Rosemary and The Shining. Those are some scary movies. And on these lists, there’s always at least one: “Where is…”. For me, that would be The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). A chilling, memorable ending.
So reads the obit headline in today’s Boston Globe. Dontcha love headlines like this? Oh, I don’t mean that Irene or her family would love it, but it has to bring a smile to your face. Not a bad thing to have on your headstone (should you be so inclined): Measured Earth.
Geodesists, they call ‘em. Those who measure the earth. Irene plied her trade for the government. A former colleague described her a indefatigable. An indefatigable geodesist. I’d guess there is no other kind. She was responsible for the Fischer Ellipsoid. A work that says here is Earth. Here its size. We measure it thus. Not to sneeze at.
Like many hard working and creative people of a certain age, she fled the Nazis and settled in America, where she lived well and so it seems, loved well. Rest in Peace, Irene. Goodnight.
Latitude: 38.89037 / Longitude: -77.031959
