Wasn’t Born to Follow

A man went looking for America, and couldn't find it anywhere... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXaqNVefOwE A film about intolerance and fear of "the other" as much as anything, Easy Rider today is as timely as ever. RIP Peter Fonda.

Ele-Vader Pitch

Like so many of their peers, my sons are obsessed by the Harry Potter books. No wonder, then, that while introducing them to Star Wars I came upon this happy epiphany. As I brought popcorn into the living room, I overheard one of them reading the Amazon plot pitch for The Empire Strikes Back as if it … Continue reading Ele-Vader Pitch

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I Want the Truth!

Watching the special prosecutor drama unfold is like watching A Few Good Men. We're at the part now where Tom Cruise explains his winning strategy against Jack Nicholson. Here's how the lowly Navy Lieutenant plans to bring down a decorated Marine Colonel: Kaffee: He eats breakfast 300 yards away from 4000 Cubans that are trained … Continue reading I Want the Truth!

World Book Day

On Earth Day I pollute. On World Book Day I watch movies. If I list my favorites, it becomes clear that most actually started out as novels---even Cool Hand Luke (Donn Pearce, '65) and Midnight Cowboy (James Leo Herlihy, same year). Easy Rider ('69) is the exception.

Oh My God, Look at Her Butt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDh_gHDvkk Will Sing win a Golden Globe or other award this season? I hope so. The soundtrack brought out memories of David Bowie (Under Pressure), Leonard Cohen (Hallelujah), and George Michael. That, and its an inspiring story about overcoming obstacles to realize artistic passions. So even if on the surface the only thing your kids … Continue reading Oh My God, Look at Her Butt

Thank You Hollywood, No Thank You

Dear Mr. Hollywood, I read with interest your letter and proposed film adaptation of Two Pumps for the Body Man. Though your concept falls short of my artistic vision for a film version of the book, I'm not opposed to exploring the matter further if you will concede a few preliminary points: 1. Our femme fatale needs to be younger than what you propose. True, … Continue reading Thank You Hollywood, No Thank You

This is what i do when i should be… 2

Welcome to the second installment of "This is what i do when i should be..." This week the author's family gathers in the kitchen to answer fan mail from Mysuru (Mysore) in India and from both coasts here in the U.S. Mohan describes our podcasting layout while Vikram talks about his diorama of The Indian in the Cupboard. At minute … Continue reading This is what i do when i should be… 2

This is what i do when i should be…

Books & News launches its maiden podcast "This is what i do when i should be...", 15 minutes of banter about books, writing, and other stuff. This week Ben, Vikram, and Mohan discuss Roald Dahl's Matilda in anticipation of a trip to the cinema to see The BFG and a future discussion of that book's … Continue reading This is what i do when i should be…