Thursday, July 3, 2008

Culture Report


-- I saw “The Marriage of Bette and Boo,” an off-Broadway revival of a play by Christopher Durang, on Monday. A very peculiar show, darkly funny and disturbing, about the ways in which our lives, relationships and flaws all collide. Good, but definitely dark. I laughed, and then couldn’t believe I laughed.

-- I rented “Cross Creek,” the 1983 movie featuring Mary Steenburgen about the life of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. I’d seen it about 20 years ago and wanted to refresh my memory. It’s a good movie, and I like Steenburgen and her excellent co-stars (Ike Eisenmann - remember him?). But the real star is the scenery. Filmed around Orange Lake in Alachua County, Fla., it made me homesick for the woodsy Florida I used to know.

-- I also watched “Shelter Dogs,” Cynthia Wade’s documentary about the lives of animals in a dog shelter. It wasn’t nearly as depressing as I thought it would be. In fact, if anything, it was a bit hopeful. But as this particular shelter practices euthanasia, there were definitely some tough moments. (I was inspired to rent this after recently seeing Wade’s “Freeheld.”)

-- Over the weekend I finally finished “Jane Eyre,” and I’ve started “The Kite Runner,” which my mom gave me for Christmas. (I know, I’m practically the last person in the country to read this book.) It’s great so far. I’m about 90 pages in.

(Photo: Street art by Swoon, Red Hook, Brooklyn, June 2008)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice art! Wow.

And nice report of your various activities. Sounds like your stomach ailments have faded - thank goodness.

Happy 4th!

Anonymous said...

I remember cross creek was a wonderful movie, maybe it's time for me to watch it again too! if memory serves me correctly I recall a recent postal stamp celebrating her work!

great street art!

Anonymous said...

If it's any consolation, you aren't the last person who hasn't read Kite Runner.

That photo is great. We don't have street art here in Hooterville. We just get taggers.

Anonymous said...

Kite Runner: add me to the list

(great street art find)

Anonymous said...

super pic.

I like that Cross Creek movie a lot. I haven;t read the Kite Runner yet -- ! although many friends have told me to. My library list is a mile long thanks to bloggers who are great readers.

Anonymous said...

You are definitely not letting any grass grow under your feet! I loved The Kite Runner. It gave me a much better understanding of the problems in Afghanistan.