Do as little as possible, and that unwillingly, for it is better to receive a slight reprimand than to perform an arduous task. 

– Michael Lewis quoting his father’s philosophy

This makes me laugh out loud.  Very amusing.  There are times in my life when I wish I could follow it.  But not today.  

If there is a God, and sometimes I believe there is one, I’m sure He says, ‘Go on, my boy. I don’t know that I can help you, but we wouldn’t want all those people to tell you what to do.’

– Norman Mailer, The Deer Park

And with the pride of the artist, you must blow against the walls of every power that exists, the small trumpet of your defiance.

Norman Mailer, The Deer Park

Chula Vista lost?  Well, I am shocked.  They looked like they were headed for the finals of the Little League World Series (and still may be), but that’s what happens when you run into good pitching.  And the ‘no shock there’ is the team championed by the President of the United States, in a tailspin, a swoon, a nosedive, swirling toward the drain.  Say goodnight, Ozzie. 

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.  ~Winston Churchill

A seriously undervalued film is SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER.  Not only is it brilliantly cast, not only is the screenplay seriously fine, but the way it all comes together is just sensational.  You want a tuna fish sandwich?  I’m going to get you a tuna fish sandwich.  Lawrence Fishburne AND Sir Ben Kingsley?  As rivals?  How can you get any better than that?  FEARLESS and SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER, a viewer could go crazy with happiness.  Steve Zaillian, your table is ready.  

There are a number of truly wonderful movies out there that are forgotten.  Every once in a while, I pull out certain films to watch, and tonight I showed my sons FEARLESS.  It is a film directed by Peter Weir, a director of whom I am quite fond.  This movie is extraordinary, and my son Mark commented that it changed the way he looked at life and death.  He’s twelve.  And, if you don’t mind my saying so, that is a very very good thing.  Mr. Weir has made some of my favorite films:  THE LAST WAVE, GALIPOLI, WITNESS.  I am even a fan of MASTER AND COMMANDER, despite the fact that it does not come close to capturing the genius of Patrick O’Brian.  I liked THE TRUMAN SHOW, and am quite fond of THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY.  The music for that film is big fun.  Mr. Weir has also made a number of what I consider truly terrible movies:  PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK is unwatchable, as far as I’m concerned.  GREEN CARD is worth nothing more than a shrug.   But when he is good, he is astonishing.  FEARLESS has moments that will take your breath away. 

Anyone who has noticed that Mr. Weir includes an underwater scene (even in landbound WITNESS with the death in the silo) in every movie he makes, feel free to write and begin a discussion. 

I struggle to find topics about which to blog.  Perhaps choosing unloved movies will become one of my topics while I write the next novel, as I am unlikely to share information about the work I am doing before it is ready.  So tune in next time for under-watched movies which are truly worthy. 

I ran into a ‘poster’ today, congratulating someone on their photography exhibit, work that seemed a little iffy to me, but everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and opinions are like… well, never mind.  The congratulations included the line:  I am glad to be apart of your life. 

I enjoyed that.  I can only hope it was intentional.  Because in looking at the art work, I also am glad to be apart of that photographer’s life. 

Research can be fun.  No, really.  It can be.  When it’s not a grind and repetitious, it really can be fun.  I mean it.  It fills in gaps and helps you tell stories.  I don’t believe in writers block.  I think if you are not writing or stuck, it just means you haven’t done enough homework.  Taking a little time off and finding the story was great.  Now the research returns so I can fill in the cracks.  Now I can narrow down some of my searches.  And it can be fun.  So I hear. 

The thing about writing is that sometimes the organism, your brain, tells you what you need to do without you knowing it.  I took some time away from the research, and within a few days, feeling like I was sluffing off, the story came flooding in.  Subconsciously (subjacently) the brain knew to stop and let the story work its way through.  Although there is still research to be done, now it is more focused — I know for which sources to reach.