Please note: I was trying out different themes for the site and a few recent comments got deleted. My apologies for this mistake.
The Firemen’s Ball. 1967. Czechoslovakia. Directed by Milos FormanPicture source First a few links, since they provide useful information and background: The movie’s page on Milos Forman’s official website provides a nice overview, troubles in releasing it, interesting trivia, some of Forman’s comments, and links to reviews. My favorite part is at the […]
The Collected Works posted a link earlier today to a YouTube video of Leonard Nimoy as Roger in the 1963 movie version of Jean Genet’s The Balcony. I have not watched the movie, but I was happy to watch these short clips. It highlights the absurdity of the play while providing Nimoy a great role. […]
This was the first screening of the Stratford Festival HD: From Stage to Screen Series that is now underway. They intend to offer 38 of Shakespeare’s plays…similar to that of the BBC’s Shakespeare project from 1978-1985 plus Two Noble Kinsmen. If last night’s show is any indication of the quality of the series, I am […]
Picture source Looking forward to seeing King Lear in the Stratford Festival HD: From Stage to Screen Series tonight. I could do much worse for a cheat-sheet on the play than the above summary. It almost puts me in the mood to review the movie from the standpoint of a Joe Bob Briggs Drive-In Movie […]
The Asymptote Blog has an interview with translator Tim Wilkinson. I’ve read his translations of Imre Kertész’s Facelessness and Fiasco, Miklós Szentkuthy’s Marginalia on Casanova and Towards the One and Only Metaphor (along with excerpts from other of his books, and I have Prae on deck), and Death of an Athlete by Miklós Mészöly. I […]
Well, despite the press release over two months ago this was news to me: Three of Shakespeare’s great dramas about the burdens, madness and romance of ruling, all performed by one of the world’s premier repertory theater companies – The Stratford Festival in Ontario Canada – come to select U.S. cinemas courtesy of Fathom Events […]
Saturday evening my wife and I went to see The Collected Works present “The Balcony” by Jean Genet. I’ve never completely connected with the play, although I do enjoy certain parts of it. I think my hesitancy with the play is in the randomness (for lack of a better word) in parts of it, a […]
It made me happy to see Richard’s post on Andrei Bely’s Petersburg because it was a book I loved and I don’t see a lot of comments on it (my apologies to those of you have posted on it). It’s weird. It’s sprawling. And it’s wonderful. As Amateur Reader expressed in the comments, “It has a […]
Judging by recent publications, there has been a resurgence in interest about William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. 1146 – 1219). Marshal will be the focus of several posts, so I wanted to have something masquerading as an introduction before I cover books and a TV program about him. My planned posts will be […]
I’ve mentioned the Collected Works theater company after going to see their production of Witold Gombrowicz’s Princess Ivona. Their current production is Jean Genet’s play “The Balcony.” Making the production even more intriguing is its performance at The Old Mint in San Francisco. From the Collected Works’ page about this location: The Old Mint (affectionately […]
Trevor at The Mookse and the Gripes was kind enough to post my comments on the recent translation of Tristana by Benito Pérez Galdós, so please give him some click-love: the review NYRB has provided a major service to readers by publishing Margaret Jull Costa’s translation of Galdós’ novel. While I really enjoyed the earlier […]
Last week BBC Radio 4’s program “In Our Time” featured a great discussion of Thucydides, his writing, and his role as historian. I don’t know how long this link will remain active so I recommend listening to it soon (although many of their previous episodes are available in their archives). If you’re interested in reading […]
I’ve only given a handful of books my highest recommendation (when I add a semi-ranking), and Chevengur by Andrei Platonov was one. Robert Chandler (a polite but definite critic of the only previous available English translation), Elizabeth Chandler, and Olga Meerson will have a new translation of Chevengur, hopefully available soon. Fortunately there are a […]
I usually enjoy the Coen brothers’ movies, I really do. And as much as I love O Brother, Where Art Thou? I find myself not watching it when I have the chance in order to avoid a certain feeling of fatigue. It had been a while since I had seen Songcatcher…actually last viewed upon it’s […]
I reviewed Tristana by Benito Pérez Galdós about two years ago. The version of the booked I posted on was Tristana: Buñuel’s Film and Galdós’ Novel: A Case Study in the Relation Between Literature and Film by Colin Partridge (New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1995). My summary post links to the following posts related […]
Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S. C. Gwynne ISBN: 978-1451673289 (Scribner, 2014, hardcover) It is a matter of record that, a mere fourteen months earlier [than June 1862], the man everyone from Charlottesville to Washington was so breathlessly concerned about had been an obscure, eccentric, and unpopular college professor […]
Pulgas Water Temple Photo by Dwight Green Another post on a local spot I like… Located in Woodside, California, the Pulgas Water Temple commemorates the completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct (more on that below). The original temple, erected in 1934, was replaced four years later with the current structure of fluted columns supporting a […]
General Jackson’s “Chancellorsville” portrait (Picture source) Stonewall Jackson, wrapped in his beard and his silence, Cromwell-eyed and ready with Cromwell’s short Bleak remedy for doubters and fools and enemies, Hard on his followers, harder on his foes, An iron sabre vowed to an iron Lord, And yet the only man of those men who pass […]
Come, stack arms, men! Pile on the rails, Stir up the camp-fire bright; No matter if the canteen fails, We’ll make a rousing night! Here Shenandoah brawls along, And burly Blue-Ridge echoes strong, To swell our brigade’s rousing song Of “Stonewall Jackson’s way.” We see him now, – the old slouched hat, Cocked o’er his […]
I’m in the process of finishing Bull Run by Paul Fleischman with my oldest son and we both really enjoyed it. The book covers the first major battle of the U.S. Civil War (and leading up to it) from sixteen different voices. Northern and Southern, male and female, black and white, young and old characters […]