June 2013

  • Movie Mondays: (Good) movies I never want to see again

    Every once in a while a movie comes along that I appreciate and admire, but don’t “like.” They are provocative and disturbing. I’m glad I saw these, but for me, once was enough. Kids (1995), written by then 19-year-old Harmony Korine (director of Spring Breakers), follows Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick), a reckless teenager whose mission is to… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: The essential Jack Vance reading list

    The world said goodbye to one of the greats last week when Jack Vance died at the age of 96. Vance was one of the most sophisticated stylists in science fiction and he was known for his far-future world building and clever storytelling. If you’ve never read Jack Vance, you owe to yourself to explore… Continue reading

  • An American in Paris — with food!

    I am a not-so-secret Francophile. To put it bluntly, I am obsessed with France – Paris especially. A big part of this obsession is the food. The baguettes, the soft cheese, the macarons, the chocolate – my god, the chocolate! I have been to Paris only once. It was a high school trip and we… Continue reading

  • Do you speak dog?

    Do you have dog friends? You know, the ones that didn’t have kids, they had dogs instead? Yep, I’m one of those.  We don’t mean to drive you crazy with our stories about how smart, funny and devoted our dogs are or how recalcitrant, devious, and amusing they can be. Those of us owned by… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: warming up to summer

    It’s almost summertime! In anticipation of the languid, warm days ahead, check out these great beach reads. The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone After spending 10 years on the road to rock star fame, bad boy Cain’s circumstances bring him back home to Crystal Lake – and in the path of cautious single… Continue reading

  • Who Says the Dead Can’t Dance?

    Ok, I’m not usually a big fan of gore and ghosts, but when they come with excellent characters and a great deal of witty dialogue, what’s not to love? I can’t guarantee that everyone will find these books funny, but that was definitely an aspect that kept me turning the pages. After all, I had… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Where are the women directors?

    The film at SIFF’s closing night gala this year is The Bling Ring, directed by Sofia Coppola. I’ve known that women have been underrepresented as filmmakers, but when I stumbled upon this infographic recently, it was eye-opening: women directors have been nominated for an Oscar only 4 times in 85 years (Lina Wertmuller’s Seven Beauties, Jane Campion’s The Piano,… Continue reading