Guys I’ve Done Time With: Houston Marshall 1948-2017 Hootie Marshall was just a guy: if I’ve ever known anyone that phrase applied to, it was him. I met him when I was five years old and we were in day camp; while the initial experience was bewildering to me (though I eventually loved camp), he … Continue reading Witness to a Miracle
Monthly Archives: October 2018
Too Pretty for Him
Why I Volunteer II In my volunteer job at Urban Ministries of Durham, that Thursday was a weird day; a tropical storm was headed our way, so a lot of people hadn’t come out. On the other hand, and this happens periodically, street people who don’t qualify for the homeless shelter (perhaps because they drink … Continue reading Too Pretty for Him
Go For the Music
A Star Is Born a film by Bradley Cooper. With Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle. **** The first thing I should say is that—somewhat to my surprise—I liked this movie from beginning to end. Bradley Cooper’s Jack was a warm and compelling character; the entire cast was great, including … Continue reading Go For the Music
Infinity in a Grain of Sand
Forever a series by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard. With Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Catherine Keener, Noah Robbins. ***** Forever is one of the most unusual things I’ve ever seen on a screen. It’s composed of eight episodes roughly thirty minutes long, so my wife and I watched it over two nights. The difficulty with … Continue reading Infinity in a Grain of Sand
Saul Learning to Bellow
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow. Penguin Classics. 586 pp. $17.00 ****1/2 When I was a teenager in Pittsburgh in the Sixties, I made up my mind that I wanted to be a writer (without telling anybody, in case I failed), and set about trying to educate myself. The writers we studied at … Continue reading Saul Learning to Bellow
Why Books Are Better Than Movies
The Wife a novel by Meg Wolitzer. Simon and Schuster. 219 pp. $16.00. **** They aren’t always better. The Godfather is a case in point, though it was a better book than it gets credit for.[1] From Here to Eternity was quite a good movie.[2] But The Wife is a much better book than movie … Continue reading Why Books Are Better Than Movies