Last weekend I watched "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" on DVD. I'd seen it twice at the theaters, the first on my own, the second with friends. It's the end of an era, a piece of cinematic history. Not all movie series end on such a high note. This one did. It is a very satisfying conclusion to a very satisfying series.I left the theater really wanting to read the books again. For I was thinking about one of the reasons I have enjoyed the movies so, and the books even more so, is the characters. Harry Potter got top billing, but it is members of his supporting cast who shine the brightest. They do it quietly, sometimes behind the scenes, ofttimes unrecognized. Kind of like life -- where would any of us in the real world be without our supporting cast?
I was introduced to Harry Potter shortly before the third book was released. Despite being a fan of children's and young adult literature all my life, not just the childhood part of it, if I'd seen or heard of the books prior to all the kerfuffle over their supposed evil influence over impressionable young minds, I'd not seen enough to have my curiosity piqued. I fully admit I wasn't a fan until I learned being a fan was a bad thing. I admit that were it not for the fervor, I might have continued in ignorance. Hooray for the naysayers: for I found some gems. I've read many books that inspired the ire of others, I've read many banned and challenged books, and many of those I failed to see the badness which was seemingly so apparent to others. Similarly, I've read many books that elicited accolades which left me wondering if time travel is possible, and if so, could I please have those eight or so hours of my life back?
I digress. Harry Potter's supporting cast. Can I pick a favorite? I don't think so, but maybe I can pick a handful. Hermione Granger, of course. How could anyone fail to love her? Smart as a whip, compassionate, loyal, brave, slightly neurotic -- don't you just want to adopt her or something? And Ron, of course, the trusty sidekick, Harry's first friend, loyal to the end and saving Harry's bacon almost as many times as Hermione did.
But beyond the obvious trio around which the epic centers, are those characters who are there on the sidelines, teaching, cheering, chastising, worrying, fussing. Mrs. Weasley, from the time her character was introduced, reminded me of the mother of one of my first friends. Don't mess with her children. Especially not at the final battle. Neville Longbottom is easily overlooked as shy and clumsy and possessing of a last name which practically demands mocking -- but by series end he shows himself to be a valiant and loyal knight. Luna Lovegood lives up to her nickname "Loony", but like many of the other characters, there is more to her than meets the eye; in her own way, she's as sharp as Hermione, and her willingness to accept things which the rest of the world doesn't understand gives her insights which are crucial to the outcome of many of the battles, not just the final one.
There's even more to Professor Snape than meets the eye, which anyone who has read the entire series or seen all the movies knows. I'd always thought there was, simply because Professor Dumbledore trusted Snape. Still, it was nice to learn I was was right. I'd scheduled a portion of my vacation in the summer of 2007 to coincide with the final book's release. Laugh if you will, but reading is an excellent way to spend one's vacation. Anyway, little hints about Snape's true character, scattered throughout each of the books, came to a satisfying conclusion in the final tome, and a complex character becomes a very sympathetic one. J. K. Rowling reports that she cried when she wrote of Snape's death. I did too, when I read it, but I'm pretty sure that was allergies, what with it being summer and all.
The problem with thinking of Harry's supporting cast is simply that that cast is so large. There isn't a single character, hero or villain, which doesn't profoundly affect Harry's life. Professor Snape was profoundly disliked by Harry (and most of the Hogwarts children) but were it not for his badgering, Harry could not have achieved what he did, even with Hermione's and Ron's help; he didn't have the drive himself. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were Harry's mentors even when they were being secretive. But he was also taught much by his enemies as well. Draco Malfoy was also a multifaceted character, and I always suspected he was more than just a bully.
And then of course there is Voldemort. Here is a villain up to par with Darth Vader and Maleficent from Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Right up to the end Harry gave his nemesis the opportunity to redeem himself, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named didn't take that opportunity. Which of course sealed his final fate and made him perhaps the most tragic figure of all. But I think it also further defined Harry. As Professor Dumbledore told Harry early on, it is our choices that show who we truly are. And despite all the good stuff from the books which the movies left out, not many movie series present these themes so splendidly.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Geoffrey's "Best of Denver" restaurants
Okay, regional magazine and newspapers do it, so why can't I? I can't see me creating a yearly updated list of the best restaurants, as I'm not that organized.and consistent. And since I'm the only voter in this case - magazines and newspapers creating polls beforehand - undoubtedly people will disagree with my picks. Come to think of it, I read some of those lists and wonder how so many people could pick the wrong things, so what good does a vote do? That's not to say if my readers think I need to be educated, I won't welcome suggestions. Bring them on! I'm always looking for a good meal!
Geoffrey's picks for the best eats in the Denver metro area (some of these have more than one location; I've listed the one I frequent most):
Best ice cream: Little Man, Highlands neighborhood
Best milkshakes: Big Daddy's Pizza, Lakewood
Best cheese steak: Taste of Philly, Lakewood
Best subs: Mr Goodcents, Arvada
Best fast food style Mexican food: Big Burrito, Arvada
Best sit-down style Mexican food: Gregorios, Lakewood
Best chocolate treats: Rheinlander's German Bakery, Arvada
Best cheap cheeseburger: Griff's, Arvada
Best French fries: Griff's, Arvada
Best Phở : Vina Phở and Grill, Edgewater
Best Thai food: Jumbo Thai, Lakewood
Best Deli: Smiling Moose Deli, Arvada
Best Gyros: Yianni's Gyros Place, Lakewood
Best French Onion soup: La Vie En Rose, Lakewood
Best Lasagne: Borriello Brothers, Lakewood
Best Cheesecake: Cheesecake Therapy, Arvada
Best personal pan sized pizzas: My Pie, Wheat Ridge
Honorable mention goes to this restaurant which sadly is no longer in business. I am open to all restaurant suggestions, but especially to the following category which I declare officially "open" and ready to be extensively researched, especially if someone wishes to accompany me as my research assistant:
Best gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches: (WAS) Chez Cheese, Larimer Square, Downtown Denver ... (NEW) ________________
Geoffrey's picks for the best eats in the Denver metro area (some of these have more than one location; I've listed the one I frequent most):
Best ice cream: Little Man, Highlands neighborhood
Best milkshakes: Big Daddy's Pizza, Lakewood
Best cheese steak: Taste of Philly, Lakewood
Best subs: Mr Goodcents, Arvada
Best fast food style Mexican food: Big Burrito, Arvada
Best sit-down style Mexican food: Gregorios, Lakewood
Best chocolate treats: Rheinlander's German Bakery, Arvada
Best cheap cheeseburger: Griff's, Arvada
Best French fries: Griff's, Arvada
Best Phở : Vina Phở and Grill, Edgewater
Best Thai food: Jumbo Thai, Lakewood
Best Deli: Smiling Moose Deli, Arvada
Best Gyros: Yianni's Gyros Place, Lakewood
Best French Onion soup: La Vie En Rose, Lakewood
Best Lasagne: Borriello Brothers, Lakewood
Best Cheesecake: Cheesecake Therapy, Arvada
Best personal pan sized pizzas: My Pie, Wheat Ridge
Honorable mention goes to this restaurant which sadly is no longer in business. I am open to all restaurant suggestions, but especially to the following category which I declare officially "open" and ready to be extensively researched, especially if someone wishes to accompany me as my research assistant:
Best gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches: (WAS) Chez Cheese, Larimer Square, Downtown Denver ... (NEW) ________________
Friday, November 4, 2011
La Vie En Rose
Last Friday night I made a happy discovery. I was heading home after a week of Mondays,and intended to stop at the dollar-thirty-five a scoop Chinese place. I didn't feel like cooking or even microwaving; and the place is cheap and conveniently located halfway between my bus stop and home.
Two doors down I saw the sign, "La Vie En Rose", proclaiming tea, gifts, catering, take out, and music. That sounded intriguing, so I figured I could pop in and have a quick look-see. I think the music playing on the CD player was Edith Piaf. A small blackboard on an easel advertising the daily specials; one of those was broiled salmon.
And I knew I was staying.
Chiffon, the owner came out and greeted me warmly. When I asked how long she'd been there I was surprised to learn she'd been there for a couple of months. I walk past that shopping center every weeknight and had never noticed it. It's a small place located next to a nail salon, which could account for why I'd looked past it.
First out was fresh French bread with homemade garlic butter. I would've been happy to stop there, I think. The debate rages on over which is healthier or less unhealthy, margarine or butter. My palate is only concerned with taste and wants butter. And who doesn't like garlic? Well, okay, a lot of people don't, but we're all God's children, so we can let such idiosyncrasies slide. Fact is, is was a great way to start my meal.
Next, the "house salad". Now, a "house salad" is generally a few large leaves of iceberg lettuce, two pieces of not-quite-ripe tomato, and a very few shredded carrot bits, right? Not so here. Romaine lettuce (crisp!), two hearty slices, halved, of perfectly ripened (as in, "did you just pick this from your garden out back?") tomato with Italian seasoning, slices of white onion and the best vinaigrette I've had at any restaurant -just enough to season the salad without drowning it. I could have stopped there, too.
Whether my timing, the cook's or the waitress's, I do not know, but I was finishing the last bite of salad when the entree arrived. I didn't realize how important timing was until I was the happy benefactor of it in its perfect mode. Saffron rice accompanied a very large piece of salmon - larger than any of the chain restaurants have ever served me, and at a lesser price. Capers on the side.
A unique thing about this restaurant was how homey it felt. Besides myself, the only other diners were a couple who obviously knew the proprietress well, judging by their friendly banter. The man wondered aloud what capers were. The jar was called for from the kitchen, but yielded no clues; he complained that he couldn't read the ingredients because they were in Italian. It was the type of complaining that one does in a family, and it was fun to listen to them. By this time my own curiosity had gotten the better of me; I'd eaten capers once before this but I too really didn't know what they were. Since I'd come from work, I had my organizer and e-reader with me, I looked it up and shared with them the definition: the pickled buds of a flowery southern European shrub. Chiffon told the man he owed me for that definition, as information is valuable. I told him the first definition is free.
At the end of my meal I took home a smaller portion than I generally do at a restaurant, not because the portions were smaller, as they weren't, but because the food was... well, as I'm not a professional restaurant reviewer, I think I am allowed to use the descriptor yummy.
I stopped in again tonight and tried the onion soup, which was incredibly good. I cannot remember the last time I had an onion soup so hearty. And I'm sure the amount of cheese topping the bowl raised my cholesterol levels. But it was worth it.
Two doors down I saw the sign, "La Vie En Rose", proclaiming tea, gifts, catering, take out, and music. That sounded intriguing, so I figured I could pop in and have a quick look-see. I think the music playing on the CD player was Edith Piaf. A small blackboard on an easel advertising the daily specials; one of those was broiled salmon.
And I knew I was staying.
Chiffon, the owner came out and greeted me warmly. When I asked how long she'd been there I was surprised to learn she'd been there for a couple of months. I walk past that shopping center every weeknight and had never noticed it. It's a small place located next to a nail salon, which could account for why I'd looked past it.
First out was fresh French bread with homemade garlic butter. I would've been happy to stop there, I think. The debate rages on over which is healthier or less unhealthy, margarine or butter. My palate is only concerned with taste and wants butter. And who doesn't like garlic? Well, okay, a lot of people don't, but we're all God's children, so we can let such idiosyncrasies slide. Fact is, is was a great way to start my meal.
Next, the "house salad". Now, a "house salad" is generally a few large leaves of iceberg lettuce, two pieces of not-quite-ripe tomato, and a very few shredded carrot bits, right? Not so here. Romaine lettuce (crisp!), two hearty slices, halved, of perfectly ripened (as in, "did you just pick this from your garden out back?") tomato with Italian seasoning, slices of white onion and the best vinaigrette I've had at any restaurant -just enough to season the salad without drowning it. I could have stopped there, too.
Whether my timing, the cook's or the waitress's, I do not know, but I was finishing the last bite of salad when the entree arrived. I didn't realize how important timing was until I was the happy benefactor of it in its perfect mode. Saffron rice accompanied a very large piece of salmon - larger than any of the chain restaurants have ever served me, and at a lesser price. Capers on the side.
A unique thing about this restaurant was how homey it felt. Besides myself, the only other diners were a couple who obviously knew the proprietress well, judging by their friendly banter. The man wondered aloud what capers were. The jar was called for from the kitchen, but yielded no clues; he complained that he couldn't read the ingredients because they were in Italian. It was the type of complaining that one does in a family, and it was fun to listen to them. By this time my own curiosity had gotten the better of me; I'd eaten capers once before this but I too really didn't know what they were. Since I'd come from work, I had my organizer and e-reader with me, I looked it up and shared with them the definition: the pickled buds of a flowery southern European shrub. Chiffon told the man he owed me for that definition, as information is valuable. I told him the first definition is free.
At the end of my meal I took home a smaller portion than I generally do at a restaurant, not because the portions were smaller, as they weren't, but because the food was... well, as I'm not a professional restaurant reviewer, I think I am allowed to use the descriptor yummy.
I stopped in again tonight and tried the onion soup, which was incredibly good. I cannot remember the last time I had an onion soup so hearty. And I'm sure the amount of cheese topping the bowl raised my cholesterol levels. But it was worth it.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
To Ban or Not to Ban
The American Library Association's Banned Books is held every year the last week of September. Like most years, it came and went without my noticing. When I worked within walking distance of a bookstore and had a friend who worked in that bookstore, it didn't escape my notice because the posters would be up in the store and the past year's banned and challenged books would be taped to the counter for all to read while making their purchases. And every year I was surprised to see something I'd read, blissfully unaware I wasn't supposed to. But since I now do most my book shopping online, I miss those reminders.
For the record, I think the only censorship or banning of books that should be engaged in is in what one bans from their own personal library. Or if you are a parent, you have the right to say what don't want your children to read due to the values you wish to instill in them. Those are private matters. But no one else has a right to tell you or me we "can't" or "shan't" read something, nor do we have the right to say so to anyone else.
Thanks to the ALA, most books that are challenged are prevented from being outright banned. There are many books which I personally find distasteful or simply a waste of trees. But I dislike the notion of telling people they cannot or should not protest, even if they are protesting my own favorites. They have the same right to their opinions as I have to mine or the authors have to theirs. I often disagree with their conclusions, but they still have the right to those conclusions. My disagreement with them does not equate with me thinking they are "uneducated", "unenlightened", "bigoted", "evil" or anything else they are generally called by those who think that their freedom of expression trumps everyone else's.
On the flip side, I believe that genuine concerns, such as "inappropriate for the targeted age group", "anti-religion", "anti-establishment", "hate speech", "unduly violent", or any number of other reasons which affect not just one's own family but potentially the greater community -- I believe those things can and should be brought to attention. Whether I see it the same way or not is moot -- anything that affects other members of the community ultimately affects me as well.
Challenging ideals contrary to your own is itself the free expression of an ideal -- and should not be denied. The First Amendment which gives people the right to express ideals considered by some or even most individuals as unorthodox, controversial or just plain wrong -- that same amendment guarantees another person's right to say that ideal is unorthodox, controversial or just plain wrong
"I read banned books!" is often the rallying cry of those who participate in Banned Books Week. And I support the right to display and promote the use of bumper stickers and posters and tee shirts proclaiming that message. But I won't sport the slogan myself. I have read a number of banned books -- some before I was aware they were challenged or banned and some after -- but always because I wanted to read them, not simply because they were banned and I had "the right to". That's silly. There are so many books I want to read, and a limited amount of time in which to read them, that I'm not going to waste my time reading something I have no interest in simply because someone said I cannot or should not. Nor will I read something that I already know I disagree with just to tick off someone who doesn't want to read it for the same reasons I don't. That is equally silly. (Don't get me wrong -- people have the right to be silly, if they so chose.)
Some of those challenged and banned books I have read I didn't care for, although for different reasons than the official ones. But as far as I know, no one ever tried to remove a book from a school or public library because it was tedious or pedantic. Other books I hadn't even heard of until their challenged status landed them in the news. I must confess that there's a part of me that hopes if I am ever a published author, someone will take umbrage at my work for one reason or another, so I can benefit from the free publicity.
The crux of the matter is this. I applaud the efforts of the ALA to protect my intellectual freedom. But I don't think society is on the brink of destruction because someone is protesting a book. On the contrary, I will be far more worried for society when people stop protesting. Because contrary to popular belief, "everything goes" is the most false of ideas. There is no intellectual freedom without intellectual thought.
For the record, I think the only censorship or banning of books that should be engaged in is in what one bans from their own personal library. Or if you are a parent, you have the right to say what don't want your children to read due to the values you wish to instill in them. Those are private matters. But no one else has a right to tell you or me we "can't" or "shan't" read something, nor do we have the right to say so to anyone else.
Thanks to the ALA, most books that are challenged are prevented from being outright banned. There are many books which I personally find distasteful or simply a waste of trees. But I dislike the notion of telling people they cannot or should not protest, even if they are protesting my own favorites. They have the same right to their opinions as I have to mine or the authors have to theirs. I often disagree with their conclusions, but they still have the right to those conclusions. My disagreement with them does not equate with me thinking they are "uneducated", "unenlightened", "bigoted", "evil" or anything else they are generally called by those who think that their freedom of expression trumps everyone else's.
On the flip side, I believe that genuine concerns, such as "inappropriate for the targeted age group", "anti-religion", "anti-establishment", "hate speech", "unduly violent", or any number of other reasons which affect not just one's own family but potentially the greater community -- I believe those things can and should be brought to attention. Whether I see it the same way or not is moot -- anything that affects other members of the community ultimately affects me as well.
Challenging ideals contrary to your own is itself the free expression of an ideal -- and should not be denied. The First Amendment which gives people the right to express ideals considered by some or even most individuals as unorthodox, controversial or just plain wrong -- that same amendment guarantees another person's right to say that ideal is unorthodox, controversial or just plain wrong
"I read banned books!" is often the rallying cry of those who participate in Banned Books Week. And I support the right to display and promote the use of bumper stickers and posters and tee shirts proclaiming that message. But I won't sport the slogan myself. I have read a number of banned books -- some before I was aware they were challenged or banned and some after -- but always because I wanted to read them, not simply because they were banned and I had "the right to". That's silly. There are so many books I want to read, and a limited amount of time in which to read them, that I'm not going to waste my time reading something I have no interest in simply because someone said I cannot or should not. Nor will I read something that I already know I disagree with just to tick off someone who doesn't want to read it for the same reasons I don't. That is equally silly. (Don't get me wrong -- people have the right to be silly, if they so chose.)
Some of those challenged and banned books I have read I didn't care for, although for different reasons than the official ones. But as far as I know, no one ever tried to remove a book from a school or public library because it was tedious or pedantic. Other books I hadn't even heard of until their challenged status landed them in the news. I must confess that there's a part of me that hopes if I am ever a published author, someone will take umbrage at my work for one reason or another, so I can benefit from the free publicity.
The crux of the matter is this. I applaud the efforts of the ALA to protect my intellectual freedom. But I don't think society is on the brink of destruction because someone is protesting a book. On the contrary, I will be far more worried for society when people stop protesting. Because contrary to popular belief, "everything goes" is the most false of ideas. There is no intellectual freedom without intellectual thought.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Things overheard at Borders
Stuff that made me smile as I walked around Borders today. It's the last week of business for them.
*****
First kid, in the DVD section: "Dude, look at this! The whole season! I've been wanting this!"
Second kid: "Cool. How much?"
First kid: "Thirty dollars."
Second kid: "Everything's sixty percent off."
First kid: "So how much is that?"
Second kid: "I dunno. Use your calculator."
First kid, apparently not in possession of a calculator: "Ummm..."
Me, laughing: "Twelve." I don't think either of them heard me.
First kid, having reached a conclusion but sounding not quite certain: "I think it's fifteen. I'll call Mom, maybe she'll buy it. Mom? I found it. Fifteen. Less than fifteen."
Me: "It's twelve." I still don't think he heard me. I decided to let it go. As I wandered around the store, I saw a number of youth using calculators to do the math. Do the schools no longer teach kids to do math in their head? I'll admit I cannot do it as quickly as I used to, but still! Take ten percent and multiply by four which gives you what you pay after the sixty percent off.
*sigh* Well, at least they know how to read. Math isn't everything.
*****
Father: "Well, hey, let's just get all of them. School's starting, and it's important you have books to read. Besides, we're getting them at a great price."
Son, age five or six:: "Yep."
Nice to know this man's teaching his son about what's important in life.
*****
Man: "Excuse me, do you have any more fitness books?"
This statement isn't by itself smile-inspiring. But since I'd attended a baptism prior to coming into the bookstore, and still had my dress shirt and necktie on, I presume that is why the man asked me the question. As it happened, I knew the answer, as I'd been around every part of the store once and some parts twice. I've often been asked "Where can I find...?" questions, and in bookstores I don't even need to be wearing a tie. An armload of books makes me look official. It's good to know that I have "the look", if I ever decide to pursue a career in retail.
*****
Man: "Oh, there you are."
Woman (abruptly): "I'm not done!"
Man: "Oka..."
Woman (impatiently): "Because I'm still looking!"
I felt sorry for the guy. I didn't think he sounded like he was in a rush, just observing that he'd found her. But the woman apparently felt rushed.
*****
In another part of the store I witnessed a less frantic reunion:
Nine or ten year old boy: "Mom? Found him!"
Two year toddler (happily): "Da!"
Mom, coming around corner with teen girl: "There you are!"
Dad/"Da" said nothing, he just grinned. In fact he looked a little amused as he stood from where he'd been kneeling looking at the lower shelves. I got the impression he was the main reader in that family and quite often needed to be searched for. Which I think is cool.
What better place to get lost than a bookstore?
*****
First kid, in the DVD section: "Dude, look at this! The whole season! I've been wanting this!"
Second kid: "Cool. How much?"
First kid: "Thirty dollars."
Second kid: "Everything's sixty percent off."
First kid: "So how much is that?"
Second kid: "I dunno. Use your calculator."
First kid, apparently not in possession of a calculator: "Ummm..."
Me, laughing: "Twelve." I don't think either of them heard me.
First kid, having reached a conclusion but sounding not quite certain: "I think it's fifteen. I'll call Mom, maybe she'll buy it. Mom? I found it. Fifteen. Less than fifteen."
Me: "It's twelve." I still don't think he heard me. I decided to let it go. As I wandered around the store, I saw a number of youth using calculators to do the math. Do the schools no longer teach kids to do math in their head? I'll admit I cannot do it as quickly as I used to, but still! Take ten percent and multiply by four which gives you what you pay after the sixty percent off.
*sigh* Well, at least they know how to read. Math isn't everything.
*****
Father: "Well, hey, let's just get all of them. School's starting, and it's important you have books to read. Besides, we're getting them at a great price."
Son, age five or six:: "Yep."
Nice to know this man's teaching his son about what's important in life.
*****
Man: "Excuse me, do you have any more fitness books?"
This statement isn't by itself smile-inspiring. But since I'd attended a baptism prior to coming into the bookstore, and still had my dress shirt and necktie on, I presume that is why the man asked me the question. As it happened, I knew the answer, as I'd been around every part of the store once and some parts twice. I've often been asked "Where can I find...?" questions, and in bookstores I don't even need to be wearing a tie. An armload of books makes me look official. It's good to know that I have "the look", if I ever decide to pursue a career in retail.
*****
Man: "Oh, there you are."
Woman (abruptly): "I'm not done!"
Man: "Oka..."
Woman (impatiently): "Because I'm still looking!"
I felt sorry for the guy. I didn't think he sounded like he was in a rush, just observing that he'd found her. But the woman apparently felt rushed.
*****
In another part of the store I witnessed a less frantic reunion:
Nine or ten year old boy: "Mom? Found him!"
Two year toddler (happily): "Da!"
Mom, coming around corner with teen girl: "There you are!"
Dad/"Da" said nothing, he just grinned. In fact he looked a little amused as he stood from where he'd been kneeling looking at the lower shelves. I got the impression he was the main reader in that family and quite often needed to be searched for. Which I think is cool.
What better place to get lost than a bookstore?
Sunday, August 7, 2011
R.I.P., Brick-and-Mortar
Yesterday I made a trip to the nearest Borders Bookstore, which as any avid reader knows, is closing for good all of its brick-and-mortar stores. I'd put off the excursion in the vain attempt to blithely ignore what was happening. If I don't go, it won't be real; the store won't close.Denial is a wonderful thing.
It also reminded me of the demise of Walden's when they were absorbed by Borders just a few years ago. Walden's was in my estimation the superior store, in spite of the fact they'd last landed under the Border's banner after a series of mergers and acquisitions over the previous two decades. To me, Walden's had the best of both worlds, being large enough to have a little of everything yet somehow maintaining the friendly feel of an independent bookseller.
The 1998 romantic comedy You've Got Mail showed the friendship budding into romance of two email correspondents who didn't know who the other was in real life: the owner of an independently owned children's bookstore named The Shop Around the Corner (a nod to the 1940 film with a similar theme) and the owner of the large superstore Fox Books which was edging her out of business. Did anyone think 13 years ago that something could come along and edge out the superstores? That something had its origins four years prior when Amazon.com began as an online bookseller. It is likely that some day there will be something that will edge Amazon.com out.
I am as guilty as anyone else in favoring online shopping over more traditional stores. Convenience and selection are drawing factors as well as price. The only thing I can say in my defense is that when I compare prices of used copies of any particular item, I will look at seller ratings (which determine number of satisfied customers or transactions) and generally select the lower number -- someone with 40 ratings is the "little guy" compared to someone with 40,000. Still, I admit it: I see a book advertised in a catalog and I check the Amazon price. I check out a book from the local public library and enjoy it enough to add to my collection - and I check the Amazon price. I could go to a local bookseller and have them order it for me - but I haven't done so in years.
One of the reasons I don't do so is because I know myself well enough to know how dangerous the act of browsing is. Winding my way between tall bookcases, perhaps looking for a particular book but before I get to that section of the alphabet, a half dozen titles will catch my eye. I feel compelled to take "just a peek" inside the book, to read the opening paragraph and paragraphs selected randomly throughout the book. There's a delicious pleasure in browsing, even when you make it to the counter with an armful of books you hadn't known you desperately needed, and without the title you initially sought, either because it wasn't available or because you simply forgot why you entered the store in the first place. But the magic of online shopping is that the computer tosses your friendly suggestions which customers just like you purchased in addition to your choice. Some of those suggestions are confusing -- I've had suggestions of slasher flicks when I've looked at family friendly cartoons, or automobile repair manuals suggested after I looked at a cookbook. But some of those suggestions resulted in the discovery of a new author or series.
I guess there's good and bad to both types of stores. Both have led me to new favorites and things I might not have ever known about otherwise, as not everything is going to garner the attention Harry Potter has, even if it ought to. Both have prompted me to visit the library first which in turn either made me glad I'd not spent my money on something that looked more appealing in the store or email advertisement, or sent me back to the store for my own copy for my own shelf or for a gift.
There has been much speculation that ebook technology will kill traditional bookstores altogether, or even kill books in their traditional form. Despite the numbers in both dollars and copies purchased, I think this will be a long time coming, as most readers I know still enjoy the weight and feel of paper in their hands. But perhaps a hundred years from now a book with paper leaves bound in a spine will be as archaic as a papyrus scroll. The way we share information and tell stories will undoubtedly continue to change. But hopefully the need to tell those stories never will.
It also reminded me of the demise of Walden's when they were absorbed by Borders just a few years ago. Walden's was in my estimation the superior store, in spite of the fact they'd last landed under the Border's banner after a series of mergers and acquisitions over the previous two decades. To me, Walden's had the best of both worlds, being large enough to have a little of everything yet somehow maintaining the friendly feel of an independent bookseller.
The 1998 romantic comedy You've Got Mail showed the friendship budding into romance of two email correspondents who didn't know who the other was in real life: the owner of an independently owned children's bookstore named The Shop Around the Corner (a nod to the 1940 film with a similar theme) and the owner of the large superstore Fox Books which was edging her out of business. Did anyone think 13 years ago that something could come along and edge out the superstores? That something had its origins four years prior when Amazon.com began as an online bookseller. It is likely that some day there will be something that will edge Amazon.com out.
I am as guilty as anyone else in favoring online shopping over more traditional stores. Convenience and selection are drawing factors as well as price. The only thing I can say in my defense is that when I compare prices of used copies of any particular item, I will look at seller ratings (which determine number of satisfied customers or transactions) and generally select the lower number -- someone with 40 ratings is the "little guy" compared to someone with 40,000. Still, I admit it: I see a book advertised in a catalog and I check the Amazon price. I check out a book from the local public library and enjoy it enough to add to my collection - and I check the Amazon price. I could go to a local bookseller and have them order it for me - but I haven't done so in years.
One of the reasons I don't do so is because I know myself well enough to know how dangerous the act of browsing is. Winding my way between tall bookcases, perhaps looking for a particular book but before I get to that section of the alphabet, a half dozen titles will catch my eye. I feel compelled to take "just a peek" inside the book, to read the opening paragraph and paragraphs selected randomly throughout the book. There's a delicious pleasure in browsing, even when you make it to the counter with an armful of books you hadn't known you desperately needed, and without the title you initially sought, either because it wasn't available or because you simply forgot why you entered the store in the first place. But the magic of online shopping is that the computer tosses your friendly suggestions which customers just like you purchased in addition to your choice. Some of those suggestions are confusing -- I've had suggestions of slasher flicks when I've looked at family friendly cartoons, or automobile repair manuals suggested after I looked at a cookbook. But some of those suggestions resulted in the discovery of a new author or series.
I guess there's good and bad to both types of stores. Both have led me to new favorites and things I might not have ever known about otherwise, as not everything is going to garner the attention Harry Potter has, even if it ought to. Both have prompted me to visit the library first which in turn either made me glad I'd not spent my money on something that looked more appealing in the store or email advertisement, or sent me back to the store for my own copy for my own shelf or for a gift.
There has been much speculation that ebook technology will kill traditional bookstores altogether, or even kill books in their traditional form. Despite the numbers in both dollars and copies purchased, I think this will be a long time coming, as most readers I know still enjoy the weight and feel of paper in their hands. But perhaps a hundred years from now a book with paper leaves bound in a spine will be as archaic as a papyrus scroll. The way we share information and tell stories will undoubtedly continue to change. But hopefully the need to tell those stories never will.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Fictional families I wouldn't mind having as neighbors
One of the things that makes for me a favorite book or book series is the characters: characters who are well developed, believable, and well, just plain likable. I have stopped reading certain series because the dialog and plot weren't enough to overcome the fact that the main protagonist was someone I found myself wishing to step into the pages of their story just so I could slap them.
And one of the reasons I read more children's and young adult fiction than I do "adult" fiction is because the characters are far more likable (not to mention more interesting, smarter, and possessing a tougher moral fiber.) They are far from perfect, but that is okay, they are -- can I say it again? -- very likable! I wouldn't mind having them as neighbors. In fact, I'd rather like it.
Madeleine L'Engle created many many wonderful characters during her writing career, and she wrote about two families who I'd like to sit on the front porch with or borrow cups of sugar and flour from -- the Murry family from The Time Quintet, as I've previously written about, and the Austin family.
Unlike the time-and-space traveling Murrys, the Austins stayed within their own solar system and time period. They did indulge in a bit in mystery (The Young Unicorns) and international intrigue (Troubling a Star), but for the most part just dealt with every day life with some serious aplomb. Whether dealing with those more tangible dangers or adjusting to welcoming a selfish and spoiled orphan into their home (Meet the Austins), a first love (The Moon By Night), or the death of a loved one (A Ring of Endless Light) -- the love of the Austin family is very real and powerful. The siblings (John, Vicky, Suzy and Rob) fight, are sometimes jealous of one another (particularly Vicky, from whose viewpoint most of the series reads, being jealous of her younger prettier sister Suzy), and each have their own strengths and weaknesses. However they are quick to come to one another's aid, quick to put aside their differences and appreciate one another's strengths.
My favorite of the Austin books is, hands down, A Ring of Endless Light, which takes place the summer Vicky is fifteen and her grandfather is dying. It is the summer Vicky is experiencing her greatest personal growth and self discovery. She is trying to understand her relationships with her family and friends (including three very different boys who are all rather fond of her), discovering her talents old and new, and the meaning of life itself when the deaths of a family friend, a small child, and a baby dolphin overshadow her grandfather's own physical and mental decline. The conversations she has with her grandfather during this time would tug at the toughest of heartstrings and are of an intellectual and theological depth that few adults, let alone children, ever engage in. These conversations were sadly left out of the 2003 TV movie adaptation in lieu of a rather stock save-the-dolphins story which was not in the novel -- dolphins do figure prominently in the novel, but in a quite different, and I think far more satisfying fashion.
A Ring of Endless Light also introduced me to seventeenth century poet Henry Vaughan. I don't "get" much poetry, but his poems from which the title is drawn touched me enough that I searched for his work at a used book store after reading this novel.
------------------------
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, by Jeanne Birdsall is the first of a proposed five book series about a tight knit family one cannot help but to love. Rosalind (12), Skye (11), Jane (10) and Batty (4) live with their widowed father (their mother died of cancer shortly before Batty was born.) The first book tells the tale of their summer vacation and the friends they make. Much lighter in tone than L'Engle's books but no less enjoyable. The tale is nostalgic without ever becoming corny or syrupy. Witty and charming, this is a wonderful summer read - and not just for children.
I just finished reading the first sequel, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, and found it even more enjoyable. Perhaps this is because I allowed two years to pass between reading the two tales and I'd forgotten how wonderful this family is. This second tale of the Penderwick sisters takes place during the school following their summer vacation, but it opens with a prologue four years earlier, when Batty is newly born, Rosalind is but eight, and their mother is at the hospital seemingly responding well to her cancer treatment. But it is there that she hands a letter in a blue envelope to her sister with instructions to give it to her husband "in three or four years." Unbeknownst to her mother and aunt, Rosalind witnesses the exchange but does not understand it, and soon forgets it after the following day when her mother takes a turn for the worse.
Fast forward four years. Aunt Claire has come for a visit with non-birthday and non-holiday presents for the children, and Rosalind knows something isn't quite right. When her aunt hands Daddy a blue envelope, Rosalind remembers that night at the hospital and is afraid without knowing why. The letter contains instructions from the children's mother, instructing their shy father to start dating again. He's no more keen on this plan than the children are, but they do want to respect the last wishes. Aunt Claire even has the first date all lined up. Rosalind overhears her father, who occasionally throws out random phrases in Latin, describe the date to Claire as "Cruciatus". Rosy looks it up and is horrified to learn the word means "torture". She calls an emergency council with her sisters and presents them with the "Save Daddy Plan". They will try to arrange dates for their father (without him knowing what they are doing, of course), dates which will be decidedly not enjoyable, whereupon he can say he honestly tried to fulfill his wife's wishes, and then give up the crazy dating scheme so the children don't wind up with a horrible step mother, which Rosy convinces her sisters is exactly what is going to happen.
It's not the only subterfuge going on. Temperamental Skye and dreamy Jane swap homework assignments with very humorous results as they battle their rival soccer team. Batty and family dog Hound begin spying on their new next door neighbors, single mother Iantha and her toddler Ben. When she befriends them, Batty and Ben become the neighborhood's protectors from the mysterious "Bug Man" whom the older sisters are convinced is imaginary. Neighbor Tommy only talks to adoring Syke in vain attempts to find out if Rosy likes him as much as he likes her. Daddy meets someone on his own but always has an excuse why he can't introduce her to the family.
One nice thing about living next door to the Penderwicks would be that Iantha would by default be my neighbor as well. With great wisdom and kindness she recognizes the fears and insecurities of each of the girls and knows how to draw them out the best in each of them. If you think you've figured out how she fits into the lives of the Penderwicks by tale's end, you're probably right, but I won't deliberately give any spoilers.
I am looking forward to reading The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, and the two as yet unwritten novels completing the series.
Do any of my readers have their own favorite fictional families they'd like to share?
-------------------------------------------
And one of the reasons I read more children's and young adult fiction than I do "adult" fiction is because the characters are far more likable (not to mention more interesting, smarter, and possessing a tougher moral fiber.) They are far from perfect, but that is okay, they are -- can I say it again? -- very likable! I wouldn't mind having them as neighbors. In fact, I'd rather like it.
Madeleine L'Engle created many many wonderful characters during her writing career, and she wrote about two families who I'd like to sit on the front porch with or borrow cups of sugar and flour from -- the Murry family from The Time Quintet, as I've previously written about, and the Austin family.
Unlike the time-and-space traveling Murrys, the Austins stayed within their own solar system and time period. They did indulge in a bit in mystery (The Young Unicorns) and international intrigue (Troubling a Star), but for the most part just dealt with every day life with some serious aplomb. Whether dealing with those more tangible dangers or adjusting to welcoming a selfish and spoiled orphan into their home (Meet the Austins), a first love (The Moon By Night), or the death of a loved one (A Ring of Endless Light) -- the love of the Austin family is very real and powerful. The siblings (John, Vicky, Suzy and Rob) fight, are sometimes jealous of one another (particularly Vicky, from whose viewpoint most of the series reads, being jealous of her younger prettier sister Suzy), and each have their own strengths and weaknesses. However they are quick to come to one another's aid, quick to put aside their differences and appreciate one another's strengths.
My favorite of the Austin books is, hands down, A Ring of Endless Light, which takes place the summer Vicky is fifteen and her grandfather is dying. It is the summer Vicky is experiencing her greatest personal growth and self discovery. She is trying to understand her relationships with her family and friends (including three very different boys who are all rather fond of her), discovering her talents old and new, and the meaning of life itself when the deaths of a family friend, a small child, and a baby dolphin overshadow her grandfather's own physical and mental decline. The conversations she has with her grandfather during this time would tug at the toughest of heartstrings and are of an intellectual and theological depth that few adults, let alone children, ever engage in. These conversations were sadly left out of the 2003 TV movie adaptation in lieu of a rather stock save-the-dolphins story which was not in the novel -- dolphins do figure prominently in the novel, but in a quite different, and I think far more satisfying fashion.
A Ring of Endless Light also introduced me to seventeenth century poet Henry Vaughan. I don't "get" much poetry, but his poems from which the title is drawn touched me enough that I searched for his work at a used book store after reading this novel.
------------------------
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, by Jeanne Birdsall is the first of a proposed five book series about a tight knit family one cannot help but to love. Rosalind (12), Skye (11), Jane (10) and Batty (4) live with their widowed father (their mother died of cancer shortly before Batty was born.) The first book tells the tale of their summer vacation and the friends they make. Much lighter in tone than L'Engle's books but no less enjoyable. The tale is nostalgic without ever becoming corny or syrupy. Witty and charming, this is a wonderful summer read - and not just for children.
I just finished reading the first sequel, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, and found it even more enjoyable. Perhaps this is because I allowed two years to pass between reading the two tales and I'd forgotten how wonderful this family is. This second tale of the Penderwick sisters takes place during the school following their summer vacation, but it opens with a prologue four years earlier, when Batty is newly born, Rosalind is but eight, and their mother is at the hospital seemingly responding well to her cancer treatment. But it is there that she hands a letter in a blue envelope to her sister with instructions to give it to her husband "in three or four years." Unbeknownst to her mother and aunt, Rosalind witnesses the exchange but does not understand it, and soon forgets it after the following day when her mother takes a turn for the worse.
Fast forward four years. Aunt Claire has come for a visit with non-birthday and non-holiday presents for the children, and Rosalind knows something isn't quite right. When her aunt hands Daddy a blue envelope, Rosalind remembers that night at the hospital and is afraid without knowing why. The letter contains instructions from the children's mother, instructing their shy father to start dating again. He's no more keen on this plan than the children are, but they do want to respect the last wishes. Aunt Claire even has the first date all lined up. Rosalind overhears her father, who occasionally throws out random phrases in Latin, describe the date to Claire as "Cruciatus". Rosy looks it up and is horrified to learn the word means "torture". She calls an emergency council with her sisters and presents them with the "Save Daddy Plan". They will try to arrange dates for their father (without him knowing what they are doing, of course), dates which will be decidedly not enjoyable, whereupon he can say he honestly tried to fulfill his wife's wishes, and then give up the crazy dating scheme so the children don't wind up with a horrible step mother, which Rosy convinces her sisters is exactly what is going to happen.
It's not the only subterfuge going on. Temperamental Skye and dreamy Jane swap homework assignments with very humorous results as they battle their rival soccer team. Batty and family dog Hound begin spying on their new next door neighbors, single mother Iantha and her toddler Ben. When she befriends them, Batty and Ben become the neighborhood's protectors from the mysterious "Bug Man" whom the older sisters are convinced is imaginary. Neighbor Tommy only talks to adoring Syke in vain attempts to find out if Rosy likes him as much as he likes her. Daddy meets someone on his own but always has an excuse why he can't introduce her to the family.
One nice thing about living next door to the Penderwicks would be that Iantha would by default be my neighbor as well. With great wisdom and kindness she recognizes the fears and insecurities of each of the girls and knows how to draw them out the best in each of them. If you think you've figured out how she fits into the lives of the Penderwicks by tale's end, you're probably right, but I won't deliberately give any spoilers.
I am looking forward to reading The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, and the two as yet unwritten novels completing the series.
Do any of my readers have their own favorite fictional families they'd like to share?
-------------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
"The Herbivore" from Organic Pizza Company
I discovered Organic Pizza Company a month ago, wandering about killing time while waiting for a bus. The Highlands store (there is another location downtown) doesn't face the street, so had I not been wandering I might never have known it was there. I had neither the time nor the money to eat there that day, but I took a look at the menu and knew an organic pizza was in my future. One's curiosity cannot helped but be piqued by titles such as "the Norwegian" (salmon), "the Donald" (duck), "The Tandoori" (Indian), and "The Wild West" (buffalo) -- just to name a few. There is a "design your own" option starting with a base price and adding ingredients to your heart's content. Crust can be organic white, organic whole wheat, or gluten free. You can order "Take and Bake", or have it cooked for you. Delivery is offered within a two mile radius (upon inquiry I discovered I am outside their boundaries by about ten blocks, but was assured I could call any time and if they weren't too busy, they could deliver.)
As the Highlands store is located but a block from Sunflower Market, I decided that my next grocery run would be followed by a pizza run. That opportunity arose last Saturday. I'd just carried out two (reusable organic cotton) bagsful of (mostly organic) vittles, and was hungry for something healthy.
I selected "The Herbivore" which consists of roasted red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, arugula, and sun dried tomatoes atop Gorgonzola cheese with Alfredo sauce, topped off with rosemary. Purely out of curiosity, I asked for it on a gluten free crust.
Sound tasty? Oh, yeah. I would have liked a few more vegetables, but the toppings were by no means skimpy. The gluten free crust was thin and crispy, which I prefer over thick and doughy any day. All the ingredients tasted fresh, and there wasn't that extra half cup of grease aftertaste that so many pizzas have. Salads are available as well, in most of the same varieties as the pizzas, and my next visit will probably include a salad.
One last note. I don't know if it was something Organic Pizza Company did themselves, or a combined offering of the block of businesses in that building, but while I was chatting on the phone outside while my pizza was being prepared, I noticed a dual dog dish on the sidewalk, one side filled with doggie biscuits, the other with fresh water. So if you happen to be walking Rover in the Highlands area, and you pass by Sunflower Farmers Market, head a block in an easterly direction and get a treat for both you and your canine companion. Tell them Geoffrey sent you. They'll have no idea who you're talking about, but you'll get a great tasting pizza.
http://organicpizzacompany.net/our-locations/
http://www.sunflowermarkets.com/Default.aspx http://organicpizzacompany.net/menu/#signature-pizzas
As the Highlands store is located but a block from Sunflower Market, I decided that my next grocery run would be followed by a pizza run. That opportunity arose last Saturday. I'd just carried out two (reusable organic cotton) bagsful of (mostly organic) vittles, and was hungry for something healthy.
I selected "The Herbivore" which consists of roasted red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, arugula, and sun dried tomatoes atop Gorgonzola cheese with Alfredo sauce, topped off with rosemary. Purely out of curiosity, I asked for it on a gluten free crust.
Sound tasty? Oh, yeah. I would have liked a few more vegetables, but the toppings were by no means skimpy. The gluten free crust was thin and crispy, which I prefer over thick and doughy any day. All the ingredients tasted fresh, and there wasn't that extra half cup of grease aftertaste that so many pizzas have. Salads are available as well, in most of the same varieties as the pizzas, and my next visit will probably include a salad.
One last note. I don't know if it was something Organic Pizza Company did themselves, or a combined offering of the block of businesses in that building, but while I was chatting on the phone outside while my pizza was being prepared, I noticed a dual dog dish on the sidewalk, one side filled with doggie biscuits, the other with fresh water. So if you happen to be walking Rover in the Highlands area, and you pass by Sunflower Farmers Market, head a block in an easterly direction and get a treat for both you and your canine companion. Tell them Geoffrey sent you. They'll have no idea who you're talking about, but you'll get a great tasting pizza.
http://organicpizzacompany.net/our-locations/
http://www.sunflowermarkets.com/Default.aspx http://organicpizzacompany.net/menu/#signature-pizzas
Thursday, April 7, 2011
In search of a good wonton soup
Some websites state that "wonton" literally means "swallowing a cloud", although I haven't found a dictionary to give that particular meaning, so perhaps this is folklore arising from the fact that wontons often do indeed look like little clouds floating in a broth. I've also had wontons loosely folded and looking more like a hobo's bindle, and variations anywhere in-between. Once I had a wonton soup with dumplings so tightly wrapped and wrinkled they looked to me like little brains - but perhaps the fact I'd just re-read "A Wrinkle in Time" and was thinking about "IT" that I had brains on my, well, brain.
My own definition of wonton soup would be "yummy dumplings in yummy broth". Okay, maybe that definition doesn't work for you. But when I visit an Asian restaurant or look through a delivery flier the first thing I want to try is their wonton soup. When I want soup, I generally want one of my favorite trio: chicken noodle, French onion, or wonton. For the uninitiated, wonton soup consists of a broth which is usually chicken stock with soy, ginger and other spices, with wontons (boiled dumplings filled with ground pork or other meat as well as chopped ginger, onion and other vegetables and spices) and occasionally a few extra vegetables or meat added to the broth. And have I mentioned it's yummy?
I have compiled a list of wonton soups I have tried in the Denver metro area. I initially began taking notes with the idea of finding the "best" wonton soup in Denver. Well, I've decided this is a near-impossible task; as with any other food I like different aspects of different recipes. If I simply must pick a favorite, it would be the soup served up by Sidewok Cafe. As my own tastes vary from day to day -- for example, one day I might want a more subtle broth and another day a more robust broth -- I leave my readers with my notes taken the day of consumption, and suggest all be sampled, for they are all -- what was that word again -- oh, yeah, yummy!
.............................
Restaurants are listed alphabetically:
Fu Shing, 1024 w 104th, Northglenn –- Medium colored flavorful broth, large loosely wrapped wontons with minimal filling, strips of cabbage and plenty of scallions.
Jade City, 12010 Melody Drive, Westminster -- Light colored savory broth, loosely wrapped (and slightly doughy) wontons, chopped scallions, thin strips of meat.
Li's, 11187 Sheridan, Westminster -- Dark broth with a subtle taste, medium sized meaty wontons, and thin strips of cabbage.
Sidewok Cafe, 4930 West Colfax, Denver -- Light colored robust broth, medium wontons, whole snap peas, large pieces of carrot and zucchini.
Spring Thai, 88 Lamar Street, Broomfield -- Medium colored broth with a more subtle (but still tasty) flavor than the others, large wontons, strips of cabbage & chopped scallions.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Book-into-movie wish list: "House of Stairs"
For the most part, I try to be an optimistic sort of a fellow. That's hard thing to be in an increasingly pessimistic society. So what is it about dystopian novels which I find so appealing? I haven't a clue. Perhaps because I know most of them are going to end on a positive note, x number of pages later, whereas with real life, I have the same belief, but the script's end in not within immediate sight.
In William Sleator's 1974 young adult science fiction novel "House of Stairs", five sixteen year old are brought to a strange prison. It is the future, but we do not know much about this world other than it is a world of scarcity. All the children come from orphanages, but have nothing else in common. Their prison is a huge room with no visible walls, floor or ceiling. There is nothing but seemingly endless flights of stairs which seem to go nowhere. On one landing is running water in a basin which must serve as both sink and toilet. On another is a strange machine with blinking lights which occasionally produces food.
The machine rewards the kids when they exhibit certain behaviors, many of which they discover by accident, and others by experimentation. As the machine begins to require more elaborate and regimented behaviors, it becomes apparent that rewards are more frequent as their behaviors grow increasingly selfish and cruel. Two of the kids realize they are being manipulated and escape as far from the machine as possible. The novel ends with one of the most chilling lines I have ever read in a science fiction novel: "Without hesitation they began to dance."
Despite the chill of that last line, this is a book which had a profound impact on me when I read it first in high school. The social degradation the kids experience has been compared to William Golding's "Lord of the Flies", but I found it ending with a great deal more hope, at least for two of the kids. To me, it is a story about moral agency. The two characters who refuse to be manipulated are seen by the others as well as by their captors, as uncooperative and incorrigible failures. But in the end they still have the ability to chose their behaviors for themselves.
I'd like to see House of Stairs adapted for the screen, but I doubt it ever will be, as least not adapted well. Hollywood talks down to teens, doesn't think they can understand concepts of freedom of choice and social order. When books with such high concepts are adapted for screen, those concepts are expunged or replaced with CGI graphics, explosions, brain-numbing music, and adult actors in revealing clothing portraying teenagers in a hurry to grow up.
Children in general and teens in particular have a great desire to move the world in positive directions, but seldom are given the tools or permission to do so. If Hollywood truly listened to youth, they would learn that youth want better things than what the evening news offers them, that they rail against injustice and seek relationships that have a deeper meaning than "entertainment" shows offer. Perhaps one reason why dystopian novels are currently so highly popular in the young adult genre is because however frightening that literary world is, people their age not only have choices, but the courage and ability to make those choices. As much as I disliked the Twilight novels, I can say this: the characters therein did make positive choices (even though they felt compelled to do two dozen incredibly stupid things before they reached that point.)
Bookstores are filled with literary pabulum. Best seller lists suggest that there are many with strong appetites for the banal. But what about longevity? What about books that might not sell 17 million copies this year but nonetheless are in print decades later, enduring because they have a point, and not simply a glossy cover? What about books which require the exercising of a bit of gray matter over books that require no more brain function than watching a soap opera?
And if those books can require intelligent thought, why not movies?
In William Sleator's 1974 young adult science fiction novel "House of Stairs", five sixteen year old are brought to a strange prison. It is the future, but we do not know much about this world other than it is a world of scarcity. All the children come from orphanages, but have nothing else in common. Their prison is a huge room with no visible walls, floor or ceiling. There is nothing but seemingly endless flights of stairs which seem to go nowhere. On one landing is running water in a basin which must serve as both sink and toilet. On another is a strange machine with blinking lights which occasionally produces food.
The machine rewards the kids when they exhibit certain behaviors, many of which they discover by accident, and others by experimentation. As the machine begins to require more elaborate and regimented behaviors, it becomes apparent that rewards are more frequent as their behaviors grow increasingly selfish and cruel. Two of the kids realize they are being manipulated and escape as far from the machine as possible. The novel ends with one of the most chilling lines I have ever read in a science fiction novel: "Without hesitation they began to dance."
Despite the chill of that last line, this is a book which had a profound impact on me when I read it first in high school. The social degradation the kids experience has been compared to William Golding's "Lord of the Flies", but I found it ending with a great deal more hope, at least for two of the kids. To me, it is a story about moral agency. The two characters who refuse to be manipulated are seen by the others as well as by their captors, as uncooperative and incorrigible failures. But in the end they still have the ability to chose their behaviors for themselves.
I'd like to see House of Stairs adapted for the screen, but I doubt it ever will be, as least not adapted well. Hollywood talks down to teens, doesn't think they can understand concepts of freedom of choice and social order. When books with such high concepts are adapted for screen, those concepts are expunged or replaced with CGI graphics, explosions, brain-numbing music, and adult actors in revealing clothing portraying teenagers in a hurry to grow up.
Children in general and teens in particular have a great desire to move the world in positive directions, but seldom are given the tools or permission to do so. If Hollywood truly listened to youth, they would learn that youth want better things than what the evening news offers them, that they rail against injustice and seek relationships that have a deeper meaning than "entertainment" shows offer. Perhaps one reason why dystopian novels are currently so highly popular in the young adult genre is because however frightening that literary world is, people their age not only have choices, but the courage and ability to make those choices. As much as I disliked the Twilight novels, I can say this: the characters therein did make positive choices (even though they felt compelled to do two dozen incredibly stupid things before they reached that point.)
Bookstores are filled with literary pabulum. Best seller lists suggest that there are many with strong appetites for the banal. But what about longevity? What about books that might not sell 17 million copies this year but nonetheless are in print decades later, enduring because they have a point, and not simply a glossy cover? What about books which require the exercising of a bit of gray matter over books that require no more brain function than watching a soap opera?
And if those books can require intelligent thought, why not movies?
Friday, March 18, 2011
Book-into-movie wish list: "A Wrinkle in Time"
Since the publication and extraordinary success of the Harry Potter series, children's and teen novels are option for film as soon as they achieve any kind of fan base whatsoever. Some of these films never come to fruition, but it's nice that so much imaginative fiction is at least being considered for the screen. Of course, all too often filmmakers get dollar signs in their eyes and don't really have a love for the source material, merely the money they think they can make off an already established fan base.
Nonetheless, I still hope. I believe storytelling on the page and storytelling on the screen are two vastly different things. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. There are limitations to both. Being different mediums, don't expect an entirely "faithful" adaptation to even my favorite books. And what I deem the most important aspects of a story is seldom going to be what the screenwriter does or even the person sitting next to me in the movie house. For instance, I was mildly disappointed in the movie adaptation (2003) of "A Wrinkle in Time" (1962), my all-time favorite juvenile science fiction novel, by my all-time favorite juvenile writer, Madeleine L'Engle. In fact, in an interview she gave in-between the release of the movie and her death in 2007, I learned that she thought they messed up the story more than I thought. Perhaps because I had waited not-too-patiently for someone to adapt my favorite book since I had read it the first time nearly 30 years prior, I was more willing to make allowances for what they got "wrong". I'm sure I'd be more sensitive if it was my own story they messed up.
Due at least in part to our politically correct society, many of the religious aspects of the book were left out of the movie. I find this a bit ironic, but perhaps understandable. Perhaps the movie makers didn't want to open up any cans of worms. The author's works have been criticized and banned by some as being too religious (although religion in her fiction is generally only mentioned peripherally) and by others for her belief in a universal salvation (the very idea that God might love all His children!) This in itself didn't spoil the movie for me, although i don't understand why Hollywood is so shy about having characters express religious belief unless done so in a fanatic manner - do they truly believe that their audiences cannot accept the disparate beliefs of a fictional character without having their own beliefs threatened? Perhaps some do. But that is a topic for another post.
No, my biggest disappointment was the way the characters were presented. At 12 or 13 I fell in love with Meg Murry, my first "book crush". In the book she was awkward and very unsure of herself, bespectacled and not much liking herself, afraid to use the talents her parents had always insisted she possessed. I could relate to her somewhat, especially the first time I read the book. The movie portrays her as sullen but mostly self confident. The movie missed the point here: it was Meg's weaknesses which allowed her to triumph in the end; her weaknesses were actually her strengths. Her youngest brother Charles Wallace, which admittedly would be a difficult character to bring to the screen, is in the movie a bit of a snot, which wasn't the case in the original story. His weaknesses are his downfall in both book and movie, but I think more realistically portrayed in the book. Meg's twin brothers Sandy And Dennys are supporting cast in both mediums, but actually serve a purpose in the book, whereas in the movie they appear to be afterthoughts, little more than props. Actually, most of the characters suffered from this malady. Meg's schoolmate Calvin, and the three mysterious old women Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which are all more fully developed, believable and sympathetic characters on the printed page than on the screen. In adapting the tale for a more modern audience, the movie makers lost much of the soul of the characters.
Unfortunately, the movie fared no better with setting. In portraying the world of Camazotz, a world which has traded away war and poverty and sickness for extreme conformity and lack of agency, the movie portrays a dark world reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984 or Tim Burton's Batman. What makes Camazotz terrifying in the book is how it looks so similar to our own world, so comfortingly familiar -- but a closer look under the surface shows something horribly wrong under the facade. And when then the children meet IT, the ruler of Camazotz -- well, the actual literary description of a brain setting atop a dais might not itself sound terrifying, but the evil is nonetheless palpable. In the movie, IT is reduced to 1950s "B" movie schlock. Here is where the storytelling medium of celluloid falls short -- it cannot conceive a way to portray evil without giving the appearance of ugliness or monstrosity. It has a difficult time portraying evil as benign as it often appears in reality.
So, whereas "A Wrinkle in Time" wasn't a bad movie, it wasn't a good one, either. It had its moments. But it could have been done better, and perhaps someday it will be, leaving its message of unconditional love intact. Of the book's four sequels, I think "A Wind in the Door" (1973) and "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" (1978) would lend themselves best to the screen. Both have messages which are sorely needed in today's world, not just by children, but also by adults. In an age when bullying runs rampart and differences are extolled but seldom truly accepted, we need the message in A Wind in the Door that the individual is lovable and an important part of the whole. And amid the fear and worry of our present day of a planet seemingly tilting out of control, A Swiftly Tilting Planet's message of small changes having lasting generational impacts would be most welcome.
Nonetheless, I still hope. I believe storytelling on the page and storytelling on the screen are two vastly different things. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. There are limitations to both. Being different mediums, don't expect an entirely "faithful" adaptation to even my favorite books. And what I deem the most important aspects of a story is seldom going to be what the screenwriter does or even the person sitting next to me in the movie house. For instance, I was mildly disappointed in the movie adaptation (2003) of "A Wrinkle in Time" (1962), my all-time favorite juvenile science fiction novel, by my all-time favorite juvenile writer, Madeleine L'Engle. In fact, in an interview she gave in-between the release of the movie and her death in 2007, I learned that she thought they messed up the story more than I thought. Perhaps because I had waited not-too-patiently for someone to adapt my favorite book since I had read it the first time nearly 30 years prior, I was more willing to make allowances for what they got "wrong". I'm sure I'd be more sensitive if it was my own story they messed up.
Due at least in part to our politically correct society, many of the religious aspects of the book were left out of the movie. I find this a bit ironic, but perhaps understandable. Perhaps the movie makers didn't want to open up any cans of worms. The author's works have been criticized and banned by some as being too religious (although religion in her fiction is generally only mentioned peripherally) and by others for her belief in a universal salvation (the very idea that God might love all His children!) This in itself didn't spoil the movie for me, although i don't understand why Hollywood is so shy about having characters express religious belief unless done so in a fanatic manner - do they truly believe that their audiences cannot accept the disparate beliefs of a fictional character without having their own beliefs threatened? Perhaps some do. But that is a topic for another post.
No, my biggest disappointment was the way the characters were presented. At 12 or 13 I fell in love with Meg Murry, my first "book crush". In the book she was awkward and very unsure of herself, bespectacled and not much liking herself, afraid to use the talents her parents had always insisted she possessed. I could relate to her somewhat, especially the first time I read the book. The movie portrays her as sullen but mostly self confident. The movie missed the point here: it was Meg's weaknesses which allowed her to triumph in the end; her weaknesses were actually her strengths. Her youngest brother Charles Wallace, which admittedly would be a difficult character to bring to the screen, is in the movie a bit of a snot, which wasn't the case in the original story. His weaknesses are his downfall in both book and movie, but I think more realistically portrayed in the book. Meg's twin brothers Sandy And Dennys are supporting cast in both mediums, but actually serve a purpose in the book, whereas in the movie they appear to be afterthoughts, little more than props. Actually, most of the characters suffered from this malady. Meg's schoolmate Calvin, and the three mysterious old women Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which are all more fully developed, believable and sympathetic characters on the printed page than on the screen. In adapting the tale for a more modern audience, the movie makers lost much of the soul of the characters.
Unfortunately, the movie fared no better with setting. In portraying the world of Camazotz, a world which has traded away war and poverty and sickness for extreme conformity and lack of agency, the movie portrays a dark world reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984 or Tim Burton's Batman. What makes Camazotz terrifying in the book is how it looks so similar to our own world, so comfortingly familiar -- but a closer look under the surface shows something horribly wrong under the facade. And when then the children meet IT, the ruler of Camazotz -- well, the actual literary description of a brain setting atop a dais might not itself sound terrifying, but the evil is nonetheless palpable. In the movie, IT is reduced to 1950s "B" movie schlock. Here is where the storytelling medium of celluloid falls short -- it cannot conceive a way to portray evil without giving the appearance of ugliness or monstrosity. It has a difficult time portraying evil as benign as it often appears in reality.
So, whereas "A Wrinkle in Time" wasn't a bad movie, it wasn't a good one, either. It had its moments. But it could have been done better, and perhaps someday it will be, leaving its message of unconditional love intact. Of the book's four sequels, I think "A Wind in the Door" (1973) and "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" (1978) would lend themselves best to the screen. Both have messages which are sorely needed in today's world, not just by children, but also by adults. In an age when bullying runs rampart and differences are extolled but seldom truly accepted, we need the message in A Wind in the Door that the individual is lovable and an important part of the whole. And amid the fear and worry of our present day of a planet seemingly tilting out of control, A Swiftly Tilting Planet's message of small changes having lasting generational impacts would be most welcome.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Chocolate, Snow & That Small Town Feeling
Without intending to, I have started for myself a tradition. A couple of Saturdays ago I attended Olde Town Arvada's annual "A Chocolate Affair" which is a chocolate tasting festival and fund raiser I discovered only last year but which is now a decade old. So, I jumped on the bandwagon late. Still, I came, I ate, I conquered. Or something like that. The deal is you buy tickets at a buck a piece (bargain hunters take note: 6 tickets for $5) and use those tickets to purchase samples of chocolaty goodness from local, regional, and national vendors -- bonbons, cake, cookies, chocolate milk, donuts, ice cream, etc. The money goes to a local charity that provides counseling and treatment for abused children. There were carriage rides and storytelling (which I hadn't known about until after the fact, so I missed it, sadly so, as I love a good story.) And there was a treasure hunt with clues given at many local merchants in Olde Town Arvada.
A word about Olde Town Arvada. If you don't live in the metro Denver area, put some gas in the car and go. If you do live in the metro area, and you've never wandered about Olde Town Arvada... well, you're missing out. It's a small oasis inside of a rather large suburb, a bit of a refuge from hectic urban life. Pick a day. Mark it on your calendar. Use a pen. Come. No, I am not on the city council, nor do I work at the visitor's bureau. But I know whence I speak. Olde Town has a Mayberry-like charm, although it does have a bit more traffic.
Rheinlander's Bakery, which I've written about in a previous post, was one of the vendors at the Affair; they're the people who can make chocolate taste good even without sugar or gluten. How cool is that? There's Cheesecake Therapy, which is pretty much self explanatory, methinks. Do you like French fries? Do you think McDonald's or Wendy's has the best fries? Sorry, the best fries are served by Griff's, and their onion rings and cheeseburgers are pretty dang good, too. DiCicco's has lasagna that would make Garfield a very happy cat. There's a book store - a real bookstore, not a chain, and the public library is two stories high, with a nice quiet room that on a sunny day is a nice place to quietly read and catch forty winks. (Um, so I've heard -- I've never actually dozed off there...) There's a paint-your-own pottery store, and a candle store with a really cool double staircase which brought out my Inner Hardy Boy, although not enough so that I was brave enough to ask the proprietor if I could go exploring.
Insert note here about the many historical buildings in Olde Town - buildings that had character, before architecture became a cut-and-paste industry. The Arvada Historical Society resides in the Olde Town part of Arvada, as well, and the volunteers there are happy to tell you anything you want to know about any of the buildings or Arvada itself, which started with Colorado's very own Gold Rush.
There's an Army-Navy Surplus store there -- who doesn't love those? There's a candy store selling old fashioned candies (remember Rocky Road, Idaho Spud, Cherry Mash, Big Hunk, Zotz, candy cigarettes?) and old fashioned sodas and root beers (Cherwine, Duffy's, Stewart's) . Etta's Place is a tiny grocery store housed in a quaint (egads, did I just use the word quaint?) Victorian house -- among the groceries the sell are tasty Wisconsin cheeses and homemade jams; but what I really liked here was the memory it evoked of the little mom-and-pop grocery 4-1/2 blocks down the street from my grandmother's house, which I am my siblings oft haunted during most our visits in our childhood.
I frequent the conglomerates, the big chains, because of their convenience, because of their pricing. But sometimes I want to slow down and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace. This particular day started out sunny and not exactly warm, but seasonal. After getting an emissions test done on my car, I headed over to Mayberry -- I mean, Olde Town Arvada -- and somewhere along the way as I wandered in and out of shops, looking for clues and sampling chocolate, it started to snow. A few flakes at first, growing suddenly blustery, and for just a moment I considered heading home before the streets got icy. But I decided I wasn't yet finished. That might not seem significant unless you know me, and how much I dislike snow, especially if I have to drive in it. Give me a good torrential rainstorm over a moderate snowfall.
No, my tummy full of chocolate (it might be true what they say about chocolate containing endorphins) , my too-small hat not quite keeping the snow out of my ears, I found myself relishing even the snow. It was part of the experience. I was happy to be there. I felt more relaxed than I had all week. The snow temporarily abated. A friend came to join me, the snow kicked up again, we ate more chocolate and collected more clues for the treasure hunt (missing the deadline), and we visited Penzy's Spices while the snow continued its bipolar behavior between random flakes and mini-blizzard.
As I drove home, I found the traffic heavy in volume but the roads easy enough to navigate thanks to a Christmas present to myself of new tires. One segment of that journey treated me to a breathtaking vision of snow covered tree skeletons on both sides of the road which made me glad I hadn't wimped out and left early. Surprising to know I can enjoy snow at times other than sitting inside staring out the window with a good book in hand (although that's still my favorite way -- not even chocolate has the power to change my mind on that.)
A word about Olde Town Arvada. If you don't live in the metro Denver area, put some gas in the car and go. If you do live in the metro area, and you've never wandered about Olde Town Arvada... well, you're missing out. It's a small oasis inside of a rather large suburb, a bit of a refuge from hectic urban life. Pick a day. Mark it on your calendar. Use a pen. Come. No, I am not on the city council, nor do I work at the visitor's bureau. But I know whence I speak. Olde Town has a Mayberry-like charm, although it does have a bit more traffic.
Rheinlander's Bakery, which I've written about in a previous post, was one of the vendors at the Affair; they're the people who can make chocolate taste good even without sugar or gluten. How cool is that? There's Cheesecake Therapy, which is pretty much self explanatory, methinks. Do you like French fries? Do you think McDonald's or Wendy's has the best fries? Sorry, the best fries are served by Griff's, and their onion rings and cheeseburgers are pretty dang good, too. DiCicco's has lasagna that would make Garfield a very happy cat. There's a book store - a real bookstore, not a chain, and the public library is two stories high, with a nice quiet room that on a sunny day is a nice place to quietly read and catch forty winks. (Um, so I've heard -- I've never actually dozed off there...) There's a paint-your-own pottery store, and a candle store with a really cool double staircase which brought out my Inner Hardy Boy, although not enough so that I was brave enough to ask the proprietor if I could go exploring.
Insert note here about the many historical buildings in Olde Town - buildings that had character, before architecture became a cut-and-paste industry. The Arvada Historical Society resides in the Olde Town part of Arvada, as well, and the volunteers there are happy to tell you anything you want to know about any of the buildings or Arvada itself, which started with Colorado's very own Gold Rush.
There's an Army-Navy Surplus store there -- who doesn't love those? There's a candy store selling old fashioned candies (remember Rocky Road, Idaho Spud, Cherry Mash, Big Hunk, Zotz, candy cigarettes?) and old fashioned sodas and root beers (Cherwine, Duffy's, Stewart's) . Etta's Place is a tiny grocery store housed in a quaint (egads, did I just use the word quaint?) Victorian house -- among the groceries the sell are tasty Wisconsin cheeses and homemade jams; but what I really liked here was the memory it evoked of the little mom-and-pop grocery 4-1/2 blocks down the street from my grandmother's house, which I am my siblings oft haunted during most our visits in our childhood.
I frequent the conglomerates, the big chains, because of their convenience, because of their pricing. But sometimes I want to slow down and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace. This particular day started out sunny and not exactly warm, but seasonal. After getting an emissions test done on my car, I headed over to Mayberry -- I mean, Olde Town Arvada -- and somewhere along the way as I wandered in and out of shops, looking for clues and sampling chocolate, it started to snow. A few flakes at first, growing suddenly blustery, and for just a moment I considered heading home before the streets got icy. But I decided I wasn't yet finished. That might not seem significant unless you know me, and how much I dislike snow, especially if I have to drive in it. Give me a good torrential rainstorm over a moderate snowfall.
No, my tummy full of chocolate (it might be true what they say about chocolate containing endorphins) , my too-small hat not quite keeping the snow out of my ears, I found myself relishing even the snow. It was part of the experience. I was happy to be there. I felt more relaxed than I had all week. The snow temporarily abated. A friend came to join me, the snow kicked up again, we ate more chocolate and collected more clues for the treasure hunt (missing the deadline), and we visited Penzy's Spices while the snow continued its bipolar behavior between random flakes and mini-blizzard.
As I drove home, I found the traffic heavy in volume but the roads easy enough to navigate thanks to a Christmas present to myself of new tires. One segment of that journey treated me to a breathtaking vision of snow covered tree skeletons on both sides of the road which made me glad I hadn't wimped out and left early. Surprising to know I can enjoy snow at times other than sitting inside staring out the window with a good book in hand (although that's still my favorite way -- not even chocolate has the power to change my mind on that.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)