Sunday, December 21, 2008
Later
I'm about to hop the pond for the holidays, so if anyone cares, here are some of my favourites this year:
Books -
Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo
The Night of the Gun by David Carr
Love Junkie by Rachel Resnick
Performance by Richard Avedon
and (thanks to the movie) the beautifully reissued Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. This is one of the greatest novels ever written. It is also one so psychologically unflinching, you may have to throw it across the room after you're done reading.
The Sacred Book of The Werewolf by Victor Pelevin
Films-
The Visitor
The Fall
The Edge of Heaven
Let The Right One In
In Bruges
Man On Wire
Synechdoche, New York
Years and years ago I went on a date with Tom McCarthy, who wrote and directed The Visitor (and The Station Agent). He was smart and funny and attractive, but I thought "I'm fucked if I'm dating someone whose a better writer than I am".
'Boarding Gate' was not a great film, but Asia Argento's performance in it is one of my favourites. There's no actress like her...maybe Angelina back in 'Gia'. Asia's this ravishing beauty with a very male energy. Very Brando.
My fave art show was a toss up for between Marlene Dumas at MOCA (it's in NY now if you're there) and Kara Walker at The Hammer.
Um, um, um, the best new beauty product was Neutrogena anti-wrinkle/anti-blemish cleanser (what can I tell you, I'm thirty-one). When I think about the films and books that moved me, I suppose they are also anti-wrinkle/anti-blemish. Which is to say, they explore how childishness can co-exist with being an old soul.
You may or may not know that Hanukkah starts today. You may or may not know that the reason we put the menorah in the front window of our homes is because the light we create is not just for ourselves, but for everyone passing. And that's art too. That's what all those films I've listed, all those books gave me. The sense that I was less alone in the world.
Happy Holidays.
ps: Dad says ALWAYS STAY THROUGH THE ENTIRE END CREDITS OF A FILM in 2009! All those people put their hearts into it, not just the movie stars.
xo
Emma
pps: I'm all packed...
# posted by Emma @ 12:42 pm 
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Thanks for the suggestions.
Have a nice holiday and toss some warmth in while you're at it.
It's very pretty. Is that vintage?
Have a nice holiday and toss some warmth in while you're at it.
It's very pretty. Is that vintage?
Happy holidays! Thanks for posting the lists, I must admit I have seen only one of those films so I think I'll use the time off this Christmas to catch up :-)
And yay to you for mentioning that the credits of a film should be sat through! There's hundreds of hardworking people behind a film, and they're just as interesting as the lead actors.
Also, I love your tattoo. Where'd you get it, what does it symbolize? Sorry, I'm a sucker for tattoo stories.
And yay to you for mentioning that the credits of a film should be sat through! There's hundreds of hardworking people behind a film, and they're just as interesting as the lead actors.
Also, I love your tattoo. Where'd you get it, what does it symbolize? Sorry, I'm a sucker for tattoo stories.
"I'm fucked if I'm dating someone whose a better writer than me".
In context, I fucking love this typo.
Merry Christmas, Hannukah Kwanzaa etc.
Bring a coat and some optimism with you, it's a bit chilly on this side of the pond.
In context, I fucking love this typo.
Merry Christmas, Hannukah Kwanzaa etc.
Bring a coat and some optimism with you, it's a bit chilly on this side of the pond.
# posted by 
: 6:48 pm
: 6:48 pm
What would I do without you, Cathusmax? The dress was sent to me by Isaac Mizrahi, who is proof that you can have huge success and stay a sweetheart. The documentary about him, 'Unzipped', is really fun. Especially when Eartha Kitt demands he makes her gowns, "GOWNS, darling!" He is a fan of 'Namedropper' and we went from there...
I laugh with my inside voice when I'm wearing a $2000 dress I've been sent but stealing toilet paper from restaurant bathrooms to try and save money. Which sounds awful, and is not really my life, just a piece of it (the sliver that makes me feel like 'Eloise'.)Otherwise my best dresses are indeed vintage, mostly bought when I first moved to New York, and all under fifty bucks.
JR, the tattoo is featured in Damage Control. It is nominated for a Golden Globe actually: Best Featured Tattoo In A Post-Feminist Essay Collection. It's gonna lose to Hugh Laurie.
I laugh with my inside voice when I'm wearing a $2000 dress I've been sent but stealing toilet paper from restaurant bathrooms to try and save money. Which sounds awful, and is not really my life, just a piece of it (the sliver that makes me feel like 'Eloise'.)Otherwise my best dresses are indeed vintage, mostly bought when I first moved to New York, and all under fifty bucks.
JR, the tattoo is featured in Damage Control. It is nominated for a Golden Globe actually: Best Featured Tattoo In A Post-Feminist Essay Collection. It's gonna lose to Hugh Laurie.
I looked at the photo, then the word on the right, and I thought it said "boobs."
"The Visitor" is a great film. I liked it better than "The Station Agent" actually.
"The Visitor" is a great film. I liked it better than "The Station Agent" actually.
We all lose to Hugh Laurie or Stephen Fry in the end.
One of the tragedies I'm finding of the credit crunch is the closing down of a lot of vintage clothes stores. Get in while you can!
PS pardon my prior pernickitiness. I'm in essay denial and keen to deflect attention.
One of the tragedies I'm finding of the credit crunch is the closing down of a lot of vintage clothes stores. Get in while you can!
PS pardon my prior pernickitiness. I'm in essay denial and keen to deflect attention.
# posted by : 4:24 am
: 4:24 am
I forgot the fricking tree...here you go:
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Merry Christmas HO HO HO
Happy Hanukkah
Happy What-ever-you celebrate
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Merry Christmas HO HO HO
Happy Hanukkah
Happy What-ever-you celebrate
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I started watching House lately and I fancy Hugh Laurie a little more with each watch. Really dreamy eyes.
Stephen Fry has a really good Blog site (by the way).
Stephen Fry has a really good Blog site (by the way).
Ha ha ha, I had the same exact reaction to Revolutionary Road reading it this time around (the first time I read it, I was a virgin, and I didn't get it, to say the least!). I finished it in a coffee shop one morning, cramming to do work before work, and I was so - disgusted isn't the word, but sad and disappointed and scared and feeling too much like my life may be at that sort of point soon and I should choose greatness, not the suburbs, but absolutely terrified that I may make decisions that lead to a Frank and April world - well, I had to leave the book in the coffee shop. I didn't want to feel its weight in my purse.
Coworkers have wanted to read it and I've been, sorry, I kind of left it for the denizens of Joe's. You need something a little bit happier.
I love Richard Avedon's work. I feel like a lot of working photographers who do artist portraits are so much about surface - sure, it's beautiful, but you get nothing extra, no knowledge of the person. Whereas Avedon, dear me, he could take a portrait that really revealed something about the person. I feel like that trick, that talent, isn't seen very much at all today. Although I may be wrong.
Coworkers have wanted to read it and I've been, sorry, I kind of left it for the denizens of Joe's. You need something a little bit happier.
I love Richard Avedon's work. I feel like a lot of working photographers who do artist portraits are so much about surface - sure, it's beautiful, but you get nothing extra, no knowledge of the person. Whereas Avedon, dear me, he could take a portrait that really revealed something about the person. I feel like that trick, that talent, isn't seen very much at all today. Although I may be wrong.
# posted by : 10:02 pm
: 10:02 pm
***Whereas Avedon, dear me, he could take a portrait that really revealed something about the person. I feel like that trick, that talent, isn't seen very much at all today.***
I know EXACTLY what you mean, Elizabeth. You know that my brother is a photographer...he's taken photos of the "rich" and the "beautiful" so to speak, photo models, some celebs, wanna-bee celebs etc. These pics are "pretty" and the people look beautiful, yet, they seem to have no soul...if you know what I mean.
It's bright, it's shiny, itzi-glitzi...clean...but they have little substance and in the end - no *real* beauty.
Most of these pics bore me to death...fortunately, he also does more "artistic" photos that are ABSOLUTELY gorgeous! I really really like those.
I know EXACTLY what you mean, Elizabeth. You know that my brother is a photographer...he's taken photos of the "rich" and the "beautiful" so to speak, photo models, some celebs, wanna-bee celebs etc. These pics are "pretty" and the people look beautiful, yet, they seem to have no soul...if you know what I mean.
It's bright, it's shiny, itzi-glitzi...clean...but they have little substance and in the end - no *real* beauty.
Most of these pics bore me to death...fortunately, he also does more "artistic" photos that are ABSOLUTELY gorgeous! I really really like those.
Richard Yates-another troubled outsider, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness, and was name checked on the movie Lonesome Jim. Conflicted, internally sensitive characters.
Have a contented xmas, and an even better new year. Hopefully more interesting cultural releases in 2009. I wish i wasn't such a wallflower...all those fucking ego's!!!
Have a contented xmas, and an even better new year. Hopefully more interesting cultural releases in 2009. I wish i wasn't such a wallflower...all those fucking ego's!!!
# posted by : 6:45 pm
: 6:45 pm
I'm a first-time commentator and must say, enjoy reading your 'Mixtape,' :].
Normally, I will read a book before watching the film adaptation, but Leonardo DiCaprio is, my opinion, such an amazing actor (to say the least) that I absolutely couldn't help myself. Anyway, my goodness, the movie was great (to say the least) and is it all right that I find myself disappointed that I absolutely love it and not hate it? Many times I wanted to be in front of the two main characters and just really kick their knee or punch their face (perhaps both?), but because I guess I find them soso passionate (full of that sort of heart wrenching passion), like John Givings, I feel sorry for them. Incidentally, Sam Mendes also directed American Beauty which is another film where throughout the film I kept thinking, 'This is just so wrong,' but also couldn't stop watching.
Okay, wow! I'm sorry..this is a much longer comment than I intended to leave. Point is, great, great film and will be making a trip to my local Barnes & Noble to purchase a copy of the book. You should know already, I will most likely throw the book across the room more than once well before I finish it.
Happy Holidays!!
ps: made note and watched the remaining six minutes (the credits) of the film.
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Normally, I will read a book before watching the film adaptation, but Leonardo DiCaprio is, my opinion, such an amazing actor (to say the least) that I absolutely couldn't help myself. Anyway, my goodness, the movie was great (to say the least) and is it all right that I find myself disappointed that I absolutely love it and not hate it? Many times I wanted to be in front of the two main characters and just really kick their knee or punch their face (perhaps both?), but because I guess I find them soso passionate (full of that sort of heart wrenching passion), like John Givings, I feel sorry for them. Incidentally, Sam Mendes also directed American Beauty which is another film where throughout the film I kept thinking, 'This is just so wrong,' but also couldn't stop watching.
Okay, wow! I'm sorry..this is a much longer comment than I intended to leave. Point is, great, great film and will be making a trip to my local Barnes & Noble to purchase a copy of the book. You should know already, I will most likely throw the book across the room more than once well before I finish it.
Happy Holidays!!
ps: made note and watched the remaining six minutes (the credits) of the film.
# posted by : 10:47 am
: 10:47 am << Home
