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I'm more than halfway, I'm more than halfway through
Today I got my contributor's copy of Heiresses of Russ 2016: The Year’s Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction, edited by A.M. Dellamonica and Steve Berman. I am really pleased about this anthology and the inclusion of "When Can a Broken Glass Mend?" in it. I am looking forward to reading a lot of lesbian fiction tonight.
Also today, parts of East Cambridge were on fire. My mother and I ran an errand unknowingly on the periphery of the area around five o'clock in the evening—power out for blocks, fire hydrants open, blue-and-red emergency lights flashing everywhere. We assumed fire, but were not in a position to see flames and must have been upwind of the smoke, because otherwise I think I would have noticed it on the street. We thought perhaps a transformer had blown. I texted![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
derspatchel when I got back in the car and heard different. So far no one appears to have died, but dozens have been displaced and homes destroyed; firefighters and other first responders were coming from Arlington, Newton, Wakefield, Chelsea, miles. The Mayor of Cambridge has set up a fire relief fund, now accepting checks and online donations. I did not know there were such things as ten-alarm fires.
A few days ago I wrote to the Forward to express my disappointment in their otherwise fluff piece about the favorite kosher recipes of the Trump-Kushner family, because I don't care if Ivanka and Jared keep a kosher kitchen, the Forward has no business treating them like just another celebrity couple, and now it turns out the broccoli kugel recipe featured on Ivanka's website wasn't even hers and I just want to talk about why people are referring to this wholly unnecessary episode as "Kugelgate" because when I look at a panful of baked eggs, light mayonnaise, and broccoli, I might think "Frittata?" and also ". . . ew," but definitely not kugel. Are there noodles? Is there cheese? Do you want to step outside about the raisins? It's not kugel!
(I didn't know I had opinions about kugel, but it turns out I really do. I may have to make some in order to cope.)
These are the three political pieces that have stuck with me the most recently: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Now Is the Time to Talk About What We Are Actually Talking About," Moira Weigel's "Political correctness: how the right invented a phantom enemy," and Masha Gessen's "Trump: The Choice We Face." I am not entirely sure how to classify the story of Heinrich Steinmeyer, but it is also sticking with me. It does sound like a YA novel. Sometimes that happens to people's lives. Anyway, now-dead one-time actual Nazi still behaving more classily than my country's president-elect.
I am not sleeping almost at all. I would like to write about things.
Also today, parts of East Cambridge were on fire. My mother and I ran an errand unknowingly on the periphery of the area around five o'clock in the evening—power out for blocks, fire hydrants open, blue-and-red emergency lights flashing everywhere. We assumed fire, but were not in a position to see flames and must have been upwind of the smoke, because otherwise I think I would have noticed it on the street. We thought perhaps a transformer had blown. I texted
derspatchel when I got back in the car and heard different. So far no one appears to have died, but dozens have been displaced and homes destroyed; firefighters and other first responders were coming from Arlington, Newton, Wakefield, Chelsea, miles. The Mayor of Cambridge has set up a fire relief fund, now accepting checks and online donations. I did not know there were such things as ten-alarm fires.A few days ago I wrote to the Forward to express my disappointment in their otherwise fluff piece about the favorite kosher recipes of the Trump-Kushner family, because I don't care if Ivanka and Jared keep a kosher kitchen, the Forward has no business treating them like just another celebrity couple, and now it turns out the broccoli kugel recipe featured on Ivanka's website wasn't even hers and I just want to talk about why people are referring to this wholly unnecessary episode as "Kugelgate" because when I look at a panful of baked eggs, light mayonnaise, and broccoli, I might think "Frittata?" and also ". . . ew," but definitely not kugel. Are there noodles? Is there cheese? Do you want to step outside about the raisins? It's not kugel!
(I didn't know I had opinions about kugel, but it turns out I really do. I may have to make some in order to cope.)
These are the three political pieces that have stuck with me the most recently: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Now Is the Time to Talk About What We Are Actually Talking About," Moira Weigel's "Political correctness: how the right invented a phantom enemy," and Masha Gessen's "Trump: The Choice We Face." I am not entirely sure how to classify the story of Heinrich Steinmeyer, but it is also sticking with me. It does sound like a YA novel. Sometimes that happens to people's lives. Anyway, now-dead one-time actual Nazi still behaving more classily than my country's president-elect.
I am not sleeping almost at all. I would like to write about things.
no subject
That is neat and I did not know; thank you for the information.
Have you seen Powell and Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)? I was reminded of the character of Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff, who is an entire war earlier, but follows a similar arc. (My review is very old.)
no subject
I HAVE I LOVE THAT FILM SO MUCH. Theo Theo Theo.
(My love of Powell and Pressburger is indirectly responsible for the existence of a human being! I introduced one of my dear friends at university to P&P; several years later, he was e-mailing me about how he was bonding over shared love of P&P with this amazing girl he had met; a good 15 or so years later, they're still together and have a delightful small son. I like to take credit.)
Thanks so much for the link to the review; it's wonderful reading, and reminds me I haven't rewatched the film in too long.
and Churchill must have found it just another strike against Powell and Pressburger that the most perceptive character in the entire film is the German.
I'm sure. You know the story of him angrily confronting Walbrook over his involvement in the film? (Ah, I just saw
no subject
Hooray.
(My love of Powell and Pressburger is indirectly responsible for the existence of a human being! I introduced one of my dear friends at university to P&P; several years later, he was e-mailing me about how he was bonding over shared love of P&P with this amazing girl he had met; a good 15 or so years later, they're still together and have a delightful small son. I like to take credit.)
That is an excellent matchmaking story. Congratulations!
Thanks so much for the link to the review; it's wonderful reading, and reminds me I haven't rewatched the film in too long.
You're welcome! I discovered Powell and Pressburger in 2007; they became instantly and remain some of my favorite filmmakers. A Canterbury Tale (1944) is in fact one of my favorite films. Have a linkdump below of things I wrote about them at the time and after.
A Canterbury Tale (1944) with follow-up
The Red Shoes (1948) plus I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)
Black Narcissus (1947)
49th Parallel (1941)
The Small Back Room (1949) and a lot of other stuff I was watching at the time
revisiting The Red Shoes
rediscovered diary from Canterbury, 1999
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)
Contraband (1940) plus The Spy in Black (1939)
The Silver Fleet (1943)
R.I.P. Sheila Sim