2/23/12
BLUE NEON NIGHT : MICHAEL CONNELLY'S LOS ANGELES : CHRISTINE TRZYNA FILM REVIEW
BLUE NEON NIGHT is one of the first films I've seen that is about a writer's reasons why and I'm already ordering his book "The Narrows," as the first Micheal Connelly I'm going to read.
His genre is detective fiction. He has a consistent character - the detective - through his whole series of books. In this DVD Connelly discusses the way Los Angeles as a city, a city that is a sunny place full of shady characters, informs his fiction. The film itself consists of brief passages in which the author discusses his writing, along with readings of various passages that mention the streets and buildings of Los Angeles, which are filmed as if you were going on a ride with the detective. Prior to making his living as an author, Connelly was a journalist with a beat. Not a native, he found LA to be his city, a city where you can find everything including the contradictions.
LINKING TO HIS OFFICIAL WEB SITE NOW!
His genre is detective fiction. He has a consistent character - the detective - through his whole series of books. In this DVD Connelly discusses the way Los Angeles as a city, a city that is a sunny place full of shady characters, informs his fiction. The film itself consists of brief passages in which the author discusses his writing, along with readings of various passages that mention the streets and buildings of Los Angeles, which are filmed as if you were going on a ride with the detective. Prior to making his living as an author, Connelly was a journalist with a beat. Not a native, he found LA to be his city, a city where you can find everything including the contradictions.
LINKING TO HIS OFFICIAL WEB SITE NOW!
2/19/12
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG : A SIGNATURE LIFE : BOOK EXCERPT
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG with LINDA BIRD FRANCKE : A SIGNATURE LIFE : BOOK EXCERPT
about designing a perfume.
pages 104-105
"I want something that simply smells good, like cut fresh flowers, a scent you can inhale and almost swallow, like you can with the smell of a roasting chicken," I told people at the different companies, whose perfumers are called "noses."...
"I understood what I meant, but the chemists and noses did not. The poor account executives kept bringing in new notes in various combinations to our office, but they were always too heavy, too obvious, too reminiscent of another fragrance of another time.
"I tried words such as "alive," "Up," and "Open: and urged them to use only white flowers such as jasmine, honeysuckle, lilac, hyacinth, gardenia. But not gardenias in full flower; young, green gardenias has the lighter, fresher scent I was looking for. But nothing came of my efforts. After I had sniffed and worn and rejected a hundred or so samples, we were stalemated.
about designing a perfume.
pages 104-105
"I want something that simply smells good, like cut fresh flowers, a scent you can inhale and almost swallow, like you can with the smell of a roasting chicken," I told people at the different companies, whose perfumers are called "noses."...
"I understood what I meant, but the chemists and noses did not. The poor account executives kept bringing in new notes in various combinations to our office, but they were always too heavy, too obvious, too reminiscent of another fragrance of another time.
"I tried words such as "alive," "Up," and "Open: and urged them to use only white flowers such as jasmine, honeysuckle, lilac, hyacinth, gardenia. But not gardenias in full flower; young, green gardenias has the lighter, fresher scent I was looking for. But nothing came of my efforts. After I had sniffed and worn and rejected a hundred or so samples, we were stalemated.
2/16/12
ONLY YOU MARISA TOMEI and ROBERT DOWNEY JUNIOR
"Only You," was a Romantic Comedy I thoroughly enjoyed. Maybe that's because I'm a fan of Robert Downey Junior, or because this film had an element of synchronicity and magic to it.
"Damon Brinkley" is the buzz word: Character Faith Corvatch of Pittsburgh is 9 days away from marrying a podiatrist when a friend of her fiancé calls to say he's in Italy and won't make the wedding. Faith was 11 when, while using a Ouija board with her brother, she asked for the name of her future husband and what did it spell ? "Damon Brinkley."
(I played the Ouija board once with a teenage friend and when we asked what spirit was communicating it spelled "Jesus Christ." So much for my girlfriend pushing on her end to make it spell. I got the hell out of her too fluffy pink bedroom and ran all the way home and that big full moon sitting on the top of the hill sure did spook me!)
Ok, but then when Faith is a full blown teenager, she goes to a crystal ball reader and guess who the mystic says she will marry? "Damon Brinkley!" The man on the phone from Italy is named "Damon Brinkley." How could she get married without first meeting her soul mate?
Of course she has a couple friends who support her choice, though they see that if she could do this then maybe she shouldn't get married. What follows (I won't spoil it for you) is a romp through Italy.
The movie ends with Faith knowing just who Mr. Right is. Ha!
Re-edited Sept 2013
2/12/12
CASANOVA'S LOVE LETTERS : CHRISTINE TRZYNA FILM REVIEW
The world's greatest lover, or a man so controversial in his own time that it wasn't until the 1960's that his sexsational memoirs could be published?
This BFS Entertainment (Canada) three disc video was fascinating and so well done that I listened to the entire miniseries twice! (OK I was also crocheting at the time!) Subtitle "The Key to Immortality is to lead a life worth remembering." So, Casanova started out in life as a musician - a fiddler - born into a theater family in Venice Italy.
His second chance in life was to go into the priesthood. He fell in with wine, women, and rich patrons.
He was also, like many at the time, someone who grew fascinated with the mystical search for the elixir of life (Kabbala and other interests not Catholic (though he apparently continued to worship and go to Mass into his elderhood), and perhaps sexual escapades were part of that. Maybe sexual experimentation was not the point at all. Or maybe in the 19th century in Europe love and romance were very much part of seduction?
I don't want to ruin this film experience for you by telling you the whole story... Of course part of the question is, do we have an erroneous view of the morals of 18th century Europe? Is the way he lived so unlike the way so many are living today?
C 2011 Christine Trzyna Book Review All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
This BFS Entertainment (Canada) three disc video was fascinating and so well done that I listened to the entire miniseries twice! (OK I was also crocheting at the time!) Subtitle "The Key to Immortality is to lead a life worth remembering." So, Casanova started out in life as a musician - a fiddler - born into a theater family in Venice Italy.
His second chance in life was to go into the priesthood. He fell in with wine, women, and rich patrons.
He was also, like many at the time, someone who grew fascinated with the mystical search for the elixir of life (Kabbala and other interests not Catholic (though he apparently continued to worship and go to Mass into his elderhood), and perhaps sexual escapades were part of that. Maybe sexual experimentation was not the point at all. Or maybe in the 19th century in Europe love and romance were very much part of seduction?
I don't want to ruin this film experience for you by telling you the whole story... Of course part of the question is, do we have an erroneous view of the morals of 18th century Europe? Is the way he lived so unlike the way so many are living today?
C 2011 Christine Trzyna Book Review All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
2/10/12
1/27/12
I DON'T TWITTER!
There is more than one Christine Trzyna on this earth.
This one does not presently Twitter.
I have never sent one Twitter message in my life!
The reason is that I can't believe anyone would be so interested in the minor details of my life that they would want to be interrupted frequently with updates and I CERTAINLY HAVE MORE TO DO WITH MY TIME THAN BE INTERRUPTED BY OTHER PEOPLE'S MINOR DETAILS! (All that using up time instead of using it! If anything I need hundreds of hours of uninterrupted time to write!)
There was a time when to do so I had to pull the phone out of the wall.
And you know. People who want to chat a lot on the phone seem to hardly ever want to go out and do something.
This one does not presently Twitter.
I have never sent one Twitter message in my life!
The reason is that I can't believe anyone would be so interested in the minor details of my life that they would want to be interrupted frequently with updates and I CERTAINLY HAVE MORE TO DO WITH MY TIME THAN BE INTERRUPTED BY OTHER PEOPLE'S MINOR DETAILS! (All that using up time instead of using it! If anything I need hundreds of hours of uninterrupted time to write!)
There was a time when to do so I had to pull the phone out of the wall.
And you know. People who want to chat a lot on the phone seem to hardly ever want to go out and do something.
1/21/12
1/17/12
HAS TECHNOLOGY EFFECTED MY READING ?
HAS TECHNOLOGY EFFECTED MY READING ?
by Christine Trzyna
I'm a voracious reader. I need the intellectual stimulation and my interest are varied. I read a lot of memoirs and bios and I'm interested in cultural social histories and anthropology and archeology and so very much. I also read fiction though much less than I do non-fiction. Most of what I read isn't on the best seller list but sometimes it is. I read books that didn't come out this year, but I do head for the library New Book shelf every time I go.
Used to be that I fell to sleep most nights with a book. I read and went without a TV for years and didn't care, and possibly radio, mostly late night radio, subbed in, as I thought of myself as informed about world events and local news. For instance, I did not miss the World Trade Center falling down. I prefered to read from books, magazines, the written word, before it was all called TEXT.
I have not succumbed to reading off an e-book reader, though I want to experience it. I don't want to roll over in my sleep and over one of those though.
I find myself reading off the Internet more than ever. I read news stories on the net and rarely buy a newspaper, so I'm glad I didn't stick with the Journalism major that was heading me towards newspaper reporting.
I read blogs other than my own though I'm not particularly devoted to creating a following or proving I have a thousand close personal friends. I met a woman who claimed that her following on Facebook was going to attend her wedding in Vegas. Never Happened.
Once in a while you do make a friend over the Internet and you should cherish a real friend no matter how far away. None of these technological options should, in my opinion, replace personal interactions with other human beings who like conversation. You must realize that nothing beats a friend who is close.
I don't think that the small details of my life would be all that interesting if I Twittered them. I'm no Demi Moore, and really, how dreadfully embarrassing to do all that Mrs. Kutchner Twittering and then be publically betrayed big time by the Better Half! If I were Demi my response would be to join a convent.
(I also never watch Reality TV, though I think Andy Warhol was the pioneer of unscripted film.)
For a brief time I tried text messaging. I found there are people who prefer to hide out in text messaging or e-mails who will be unreliable and irresponsible if you try to make a plan of action with them and so it's hopeless trying to engender a real friendship with them and so why try and get personal using technology? I still think it is very rude to make and take cell phone calls while at table, especially in a restaurant; too many people trying to impress you that they are popular or important with all that interruption of conversation.
What I seem to be accommodating more than ever because of technology as a media for communication is lots of interruptions in my concentration. What I seem to have acquired is a way to ignore all advertising and dismiss all pop up and other intrusions to focus. Like deep concentration deep conversation seems to be a rare experience these days.
Over the holidays I was watching a couple movies and a friend of a friend who is a Film School Major succeeded in ruining the movies by talking over the dialog, interjecting personal comments about the script. This is what we get for taking the movies out of movie theatres into the "comfort" of our homes. Really we need to get back to the theatre.
I still adore books. I adore the way they look on shelves all around the room. I love libraries. I go to libraries frequently. I can't imagine my life without reading. Without learning.
C 2012 Christine Trzyna Writerly Life / Christine Trzyna All Rights Reserved including International and Internet Rights.
1/13/12
SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER : WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY EXHIBIT IS A CALL TO FEMINIST ACTIVISM
Just the other day I went to Skirball Cultural Center to see about the exhibit "WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY."
I strongly suggest you do too.
This exhibit was emotionally stirring. It also re-excited my long felt feminism. The focus was on women in Africa and India and other 3rd World Countries but are those women so different that we in the United States?
The presentation is of light, airy sculptures that hold women's wishes which hang for long stretches above you . Or you can focus on a sheet screen while simply listening to the recording of womens voices.
You can write out your wishes for women you know on blue paper leaves which will be integrated into the airy scuptures or using a code on a computer that you're given when you come in, to move more Skirball money into micro-loans that can make a major difference in a woman's ability to support herself. thus participatory art also allows you to be an activist. How does that feel?
Subtle in presentation, there are the also the horrible statistics which do bring the issues of women not getting the medical care they need, or the educational opportunities, or being respected by their own husbands closer to home. There were also tributes more folk art by nature, to women who had died in childbirth.
Every ninety seconds another woman dies in childbirth in this world. There are estimated to be 10,000 women held in slavery (mostly as domestics) in Los Angeles alone. This slavery is not to be confused with the sexual slavery and sexual trafficking in which a hundred thousand mostly young and often innocent teenagers, are sold and forced into prostitution here and around the world. Los Angeles is a prime intake and movement place for these sexual slaves.
Also on exhibit at the Skirball are a few pieces about women and domestic violence, some testimonial in nature.
Here is a quote from one of those pieces. "Real love can be felt in the heart. It cannot be pounded onto our bodies."
THE LINK TO THE EXHBIT, which includes donors such as Dermalogica, DNA Foundation, and The Women's Center Los Angeles, is above.
I strongly suggest you do too.
This exhibit was emotionally stirring. It also re-excited my long felt feminism. The focus was on women in Africa and India and other 3rd World Countries but are those women so different that we in the United States?
The presentation is of light, airy sculptures that hold women's wishes which hang for long stretches above you . Or you can focus on a sheet screen while simply listening to the recording of womens voices.
You can write out your wishes for women you know on blue paper leaves which will be integrated into the airy scuptures or using a code on a computer that you're given when you come in, to move more Skirball money into micro-loans that can make a major difference in a woman's ability to support herself. thus participatory art also allows you to be an activist. How does that feel?
Subtle in presentation, there are the also the horrible statistics which do bring the issues of women not getting the medical care they need, or the educational opportunities, or being respected by their own husbands closer to home. There were also tributes more folk art by nature, to women who had died in childbirth.
Every ninety seconds another woman dies in childbirth in this world. There are estimated to be 10,000 women held in slavery (mostly as domestics) in Los Angeles alone. This slavery is not to be confused with the sexual slavery and sexual trafficking in which a hundred thousand mostly young and often innocent teenagers, are sold and forced into prostitution here and around the world. Los Angeles is a prime intake and movement place for these sexual slaves.
Also on exhibit at the Skirball are a few pieces about women and domestic violence, some testimonial in nature.
Here is a quote from one of those pieces. "Real love can be felt in the heart. It cannot be pounded onto our bodies."
THE LINK TO THE EXHBIT, which includes donors such as Dermalogica, DNA Foundation, and The Women's Center Los Angeles, is above.
1/8/12
THE JANE AUSTIN BOOK CLUB :FILM : BOOK BY KAREN JOY FOWLER, SCREENPLAY by BY ROBIN SWINCORD
The JANE AUSTIN BOOK CLUB is posted as a romantic comedy. I didn't think it was funny or "hilarious" like it says on the back of the DVD, but I did find this story interesting. I'm no Jane Austin expert but I suspect Karen Joy Fowler is, and while I was watching this film, I was thinking about writing workshops, and creative fiction, and how she must have plotted this story out.
Fowler, and then screenwriter Robin Swicord, wove a fiction story about a cast of characters (none of whom overplayed their part), friends, who form a book club to discuss the masterpieces of novelist Jane Austin, and find her stories relate to their 21st century lives. Starting, stopping, or ending romances...
Fowler, and then screenwriter Robin Swicord, wove a fiction story about a cast of characters (none of whom overplayed their part), friends, who form a book club to discuss the masterpieces of novelist Jane Austin, and find her stories relate to their 21st century lives. Starting, stopping, or ending romances...
1/3/12
MARK TWAIN Quote
"Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be." - Mark Twain
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