Madison Smartt Bell was one of my professors in college. He served as mentor, literary hero, voice of brutal honesty to me while I learned to be a better writer, and is still someone, to this day, that I find both fascinating and intimidating. Interestingly, these attributes translated amazingly well onto the pages of his newest novel The Color of Night.
The book opens as Mae, our narrator, leaves her job at a casino outside Las Vegas and heads into the desert to her trailer-park home. Once there she witnesses the atrocities of September 11 unfold on her television, riveted as we all were that day but somehow lacking the horror most of us felt, and sees a familiar face in the images of rubble and chaos. Seeing Laurel, a long-lost friend, prompt Mae's rememberences of their time together with the People and their egnimatic leader D, a very thinly veiled cover for Charles Manson, as well as a growing obsession with watching, and rewatching the destruction of the towers.
The years separating two iconic and tragic moments in American history-- the Manson murders and the September 11 attacks-- seemingly disappear in this visceral, brutal, and somehow beautiful novel. Mae's tale is violent, tragic, and disturbing, but Mae is ever in control and never the victim in the eyes of the reader. I devoured her story hungrily and yearned for more.
Bell's prose is typically intense and lyrical, periodically interrupted by moments of abrupt simplicity that will shake you. Other reviewers refer to Bells' penchant for "erotic nihilism" and they are, in fact, spot on. The book refuses to deny the connections between suffering and pleasure, between violence and arousal, and in its honesty creates an uncomfortable but fascinating experience.
One of the things that amazes me most about this book is that, though it is actually a short novel at 224 pages, but Bell has created the feeling of an epic nonetheless. Perhaps I call it epic because the feeling I had as I reads its final words, a haunted, maudlin, icky and yet inspired feeling, has yet to fully leave me.
I could go on and on and gush over this book for many more paragraphs, and would still not do it justice. Bell has, again, earned his place among names like Toni Morrison, John Irving, Margatet Atwood, and Don Dellilo as a legend in today's fiction world. I am honored to have worked with him, and honor that reading this only further soldified.
Ultimately, the best praise I can offer is a promise that this novel will be discussed in literary circles for decades to come, and you need to read it! You won't be sorry.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
The final in summer movie love...
James Franco drives me nuts. I found him a bit awkward before this year's Oscars, and the train wr
eck that was his co-hosting (poor Anne Hathaway) has done nothing to further endeer me to the man. I am sure he is very nice, I see where he has talent, I can barely tolerate watching him.
This is why I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes. As you may have picked up already, I love all things sci-fi, and am a sucker for the continuation of a goofy franchise. This, plus my boyfriend wanting to see it, pulled me into a theater mere moments after the credits rolled on Conan (see my effusive praise on that and my love for Jason Momoa here).
Rise is the prequal to the original Planet of the Apes franchise (please get that Mark Whalberg attrocity out of your heads). Franco plays a scientist studing new Alzheimer's medications who, literally, takes his work home with him. He adopts an adorable chimp as part of the family, without real thought of the consequences.
The film brought me John Lithgow, who will remain one of my favorites forever. And the movie tackles issues-- pretty standard ones like the ethics of animal testing and how far is too far to go when you are researching life-saving drugs-- point being, it is more than just a "monkeys attack!" movie.
And it sets up the franchise well! I wouldn't run to the theater, but this one is definitely worth a rental, even if I did spend the entire film wishing Franco would open his damn eyes all the way and stop staring around through droppy lids.
This is why I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes. As you may have picked up already, I love all things sci-fi, and am a sucker for the continuation of a goofy franchise. This, plus my boyfriend wanting to see it, pulled me into a theater mere moments after the credits rolled on Conan (see my effusive praise on that and my love for Jason Momoa here).
Rise is the prequal to the original Planet of the Apes franchise (please get that Mark Whalberg attrocity out of your heads). Franco plays a scientist studing new Alzheimer's medications who, literally, takes his work home with him. He adopts an adorable chimp as part of the family, without real thought of the consequences.
The film brought me John Lithgow, who will remain one of my favorites forever. And the movie tackles issues-- pretty standard ones like the ethics of animal testing and how far is too far to go when you are researching life-saving drugs-- point being, it is more than just a "monkeys attack!" movie.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Exciting happenings!
This coming Friday, I will be in the author's tent at the Baltimore Book Festival fromm 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. with copies of Max and Menna for sale, and time to talk. The line up for the festival is unbelievable! Sherman Alexie, one of my heroes will be there Sunday (I have to go to Indiana for work, unfortunately), and some other nationally-known names like Laura Lippman and Common are also attending. It runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 12-8, so stop by! More information here: http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/
Next month, I am thrilled to have my first Barnes & Noble signing! I am speaking at a Diversity Festival they host with Bel Air High School in Bel Air, MD. The organizer read Max and Menna and felt like it would be a good fit, which is such an honor. The event is October 15, and I speak at 2 p.m.
Still, almost a year after Max and Menna launched, I cannot get over the awe and honor of having my work out there for people to read! And I am thrilled beyond belief at all the good feedback... take a peak at these Amazon reviews and see why I am humbled... Amazon Reviews
And there is more coming... I am in the midst of the long, arduous process of finding a publisher for my second book, and hard at work on book #3. Stay tuned for details.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Summer Movie Review #2-- a.k.a. Why I Love Conan
I want to tell you that I went and saw the new Conan the Barbarian movie because I loved the original as a kid-- which I did. But I can't lie. Despite my childhood afinity to Arnold's big break, I went to the theater opening night to check out the remake of Conan for one reason and one reason alone-- Jason Momoa, a bona fide dreamy man.
Not familiar? Did you watch HBO's Game of Thrones and go weak in the knees over the broody, sweet Kahl Drogo? If not, suffice it to say that this 6'4", 31-year-old Hawaiin man is very worth shelling out the $11 to see a movie.
Other than Jason Momoa, I had zero expectations for Conan, and I must say, unlike my disappointment with Cowboys and Aliens, I was pleasantly suprised. There is a coheisve plot, good pacing, and actual character building.Oscar worthy? Certainly not, but it is an excellent use of 2 hours of your time.
The plot rings similar to the original-- Conan hails from a fierce tribe of warriors, a tribe that is wiped out by an evil king when Conan is a child. He is left alive to grow into an incredibly attractive man (are you getting my love for Jason Momoa?) who is bent on revenge.
Despite sticking reasonably to the original plot, the movie did take great advantage of new strides in special effects. Rose McGowan does a suprisingly good job playing the creepy witch-daughter of the evil king, with such tricks up her sleeve as conjuring the occasional dust zombie.
If you're a man, lots of good fight scenes, as well as a strong enough plot to tie them all together with keep you entertained. If you're a woman, Jason Momoa. 'Nuf said.
Not familiar? Did you watch HBO's Game of Thrones and go weak in the knees over the broody, sweet Kahl Drogo? If not, suffice it to say that this 6'4", 31-year-old Hawaiin man is very worth shelling out the $11 to see a movie.
Other than Jason Momoa, I had zero expectations for Conan, and I must say, unlike my disappointment with Cowboys and Aliens, I was pleasantly suprised. There is a coheisve plot, good pacing, and actual character building.Oscar worthy? Certainly not, but it is an excellent use of 2 hours of your time.
The plot rings similar to the original-- Conan hails from a fierce tribe of warriors, a tribe that is wiped out by an evil king when Conan is a child. He is left alive to grow into an incredibly attractive man (are you getting my love for Jason Momoa?) who is bent on revenge.
Despite sticking reasonably to the original plot, the movie did take great advantage of new strides in special effects. Rose McGowan does a suprisingly good job playing the creepy witch-daughter of the evil king, with such tricks up her sleeve as conjuring the occasional dust zombie.
If you're a man, lots of good fight scenes, as well as a strong enough plot to tie them all together with keep you entertained. If you're a woman, Jason Momoa. 'Nuf said.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Summer movies! Cowboys and Aliens review
I had the unexpected opportunity to do a lot of one of my very favorite things this summer-- I saw a ton of new movies. I LOVE the summer blockbuster season, and though I didn't see everything I wanted to this summer, I did get an opportunity to see a lot. So, for those of you who missed it and want my humble take on what to add to your Netflix queue, for the next couple of days, I will share my opinion on the summer's best.
Cowboys and Aliens
SKIP IT! I was so looking forward to this movie. I love Harrison Ford, and all things sci-fi. Jon Favreau is an established director, and, quite frankly, I was just sure that if you threw down the gauntlet and were cocky enough to call a movie something as corny as Cowboys and Aliens that you did it because you knew the film was damn good.
Not so. This one rivals Bablyon AD in terms of the number of times I thought "but why..." and for those of you who have seen Bably AD, you know how bad that is.
There is absolutely no characterization at all, which is particularly noticeable and lamentable in Harrison Ford's character. He is not an Oscar winner, but come on, he does have more ability than uttering every cowboy cliche known to man while wearing a permanent scowl.
And if cliched dialogue isn't enough for you, try this out-- Harrison Ford plays a rich cattle rancher. His spoiled son shoots up this dusty frontier town and no one stops him because they fear Daddy's wrath. There is nothing original about the dynamic between the two characters. Add Daniel Craig as Jake Longerman, a bad boy with a mysertious past that he just can't remember. But oh, of course, he secretly harbors a soft spot for beautitful women, animals, and small children. The mysterious bad boy with a heart of gold-- where have I seen that before? Oh... too many places to name. Ten Things I Hate About You approached this more originally, for sure.
And *spoiler alert* in case the dialogue, interactions, and plot devices aren't cliche enough, want to know what the aliens are after? Gold. Why? We don't know... I mean, doesn't everyone want gold?
This film is an egregious case of a studio assembling a top director, a cast of well knowns, a decent special effects budget, and then saying "aww... good enough... the script doesn't really matter THAT much."
Cowboys and Aliens
SKIP IT! I was so looking forward to this movie. I love Harrison Ford, and all things sci-fi. Jon Favreau is an established director, and, quite frankly, I was just sure that if you threw down the gauntlet and were cocky enough to call a movie something as corny as Cowboys and Aliens that you did it because you knew the film was damn good.
Not so. This one rivals Bablyon AD in terms of the number of times I thought "but why..." and for those of you who have seen Bably AD, you know how bad that is.
There is absolutely no characterization at all, which is particularly noticeable and lamentable in Harrison Ford's character. He is not an Oscar winner, but come on, he does have more ability than uttering every cowboy cliche known to man while wearing a permanent scowl.
And if cliched dialogue isn't enough for you, try this out-- Harrison Ford plays a rich cattle rancher. His spoiled son shoots up this dusty frontier town and no one stops him because they fear Daddy's wrath. There is nothing original about the dynamic between the two characters. Add Daniel Craig as Jake Longerman, a bad boy with a mysertious past that he just can't remember. But oh, of course, he secretly harbors a soft spot for beautitful women, animals, and small children. The mysterious bad boy with a heart of gold-- where have I seen that before? Oh... too many places to name. Ten Things I Hate About You approached this more originally, for sure.
And *spoiler alert* in case the dialogue, interactions, and plot devices aren't cliche enough, want to know what the aliens are after? Gold. Why? We don't know... I mean, doesn't everyone want gold?
This film is an egregious case of a studio assembling a top director, a cast of well knowns, a decent special effects budget, and then saying "aww... good enough... the script doesn't really matter THAT much."
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
There is something about the airport at 5 a.m.
Every time I book a 7 a.m. flight, I cringe a bit. Even living 20 minutes from the airport, it means getting up by 4:15 a.m. or so... and I am one of those people who can't sleep when I know I have to get up that early.
So here I sit-- up until 11:30 last night reading Game of Thrones (not up so much because of the book as I was on account of an unplanned 2 hour afternoon nap), then wide awake at 3 in the midst of my normal panic attack caused by dreaming I missed by flight.
I'm on my way to... wait/... where is it this time. Phoenix? No that was week before last... Vegas... no, that is vacation this coming weekend. Hold on, let me check my boarding pass... Hartford! Connecticut, here I come. And it is early, and even the airport is sleepy.
But there is something about airports this early in the morning. I've travelled wayyyyyy more than I like to these past six months or so (after this week, I hit my slow season-- HOORAY!), but despite my general loathing of security lines, digging for a boarding pass, and sitting next to some guy on the plane with hairy arms (who, inevitably, feels he should take his shoes off for the whole flight) I love being in the airport this early.
Typically, its airports that make me so weary of travel. I like seeing new places, new regional cuisines, and I adore a few nights to myself in a big, fluffy hotel bed, but travel is usually made worse by other travelers. Think about it-- in an airport, everyone is sort of isolated. You're in your own world, heading to your own destination. That is all well and good, but it typically translates to an obliviousness that often borders on inconsideration to those around you. We stop and hunt for our boarding pass... oh wait, there are 15 people behind us trying to get to their gate before the door closes. We spread our belongings out across two seats so we can easily keep track of everything, not realizing that there are 10 people standing at the gate who would want to sit down.
But not this early. All of the mild travel transgressions which most of us are guilty of at some point or another seem to not apply at 6 a.m. We all walk around clutching our coffee for all its worth. No one is on their cell phone moseying along in the way. Everyone is just trying to get where their going, and we are all bonded by a common, muted disdain for being awake this early.
I like the airport when it sleeps. And I am looking forward to getting on this plane so I can as well. Me without enough sleep= no good!
So here I sit-- up until 11:30 last night reading Game of Thrones (not up so much because of the book as I was on account of an unplanned 2 hour afternoon nap), then wide awake at 3 in the midst of my normal panic attack caused by dreaming I missed by flight.
I'm on my way to... wait/... where is it this time. Phoenix? No that was week before last... Vegas... no, that is vacation this coming weekend. Hold on, let me check my boarding pass... Hartford! Connecticut, here I come. And it is early, and even the airport is sleepy.
But there is something about airports this early in the morning. I've travelled wayyyyyy more than I like to these past six months or so (after this week, I hit my slow season-- HOORAY!), but despite my general loathing of security lines, digging for a boarding pass, and sitting next to some guy on the plane with hairy arms (who, inevitably, feels he should take his shoes off for the whole flight) I love being in the airport this early.
Typically, its airports that make me so weary of travel. I like seeing new places, new regional cuisines, and I adore a few nights to myself in a big, fluffy hotel bed, but travel is usually made worse by other travelers. Think about it-- in an airport, everyone is sort of isolated. You're in your own world, heading to your own destination. That is all well and good, but it typically translates to an obliviousness that often borders on inconsideration to those around you. We stop and hunt for our boarding pass... oh wait, there are 15 people behind us trying to get to their gate before the door closes. We spread our belongings out across two seats so we can easily keep track of everything, not realizing that there are 10 people standing at the gate who would want to sit down.
But not this early. All of the mild travel transgressions which most of us are guilty of at some point or another seem to not apply at 6 a.m. We all walk around clutching our coffee for all its worth. No one is on their cell phone moseying along in the way. Everyone is just trying to get where their going, and we are all bonded by a common, muted disdain for being awake this early.
I like the airport when it sleeps. And I am looking forward to getting on this plane so I can as well. Me without enough sleep= no good!
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