Review: Brilliantly written book about the experiences of a (too) young German soldier and a blind French girl during the second world war. Each very small chapter, alternating their unique story from the stat to the end of the war- and the to the present, ultimately centering around the tiny seaside city of St. Malo on the Brittany coast. Extraordinary look inside the minds and hearts of two young people caught up in something that makes no sense and which they have no control over. Tragic, illuminating, heartfelt, uplifting- all at the same time. I savored this book for many weeks.
“Wheel’s on fire
Rollin down the road
Let’s notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Bob Dylan and
Richard Manual
“In the course of my life I have often had to eat my words, and I must
confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.”………………………………………Winston
Churchill
“His rise to power was mostly based on his excellent
oration and manipulation skills.
He understood very well the politics of his time and based
his propaganda on hatred towards other countries, blaming them for any
instability of his own country” ……………………Description of Adolph Hitler
I was born and raised in the mean streets-shtetl of The
Bronx
With many people of many places and many colors
My schools were the halls of diversity
Amongst the first” bussing” schools in our nation
I had the fortune of experiencing a giant shift in culture
when I left at a tender age
To find a new life in the heartland, far from the skyscrapers
and teeming streets of the metropolis
I have made many, many mistakes
And I can’t change them, I acknowledge them, I live with
them
I have traveled the world over
Yet here, amongst the amber waves of grain, is where I love-
and live
Living in to beautiful places
A blessing-and a curse
I have three children, who I love and admire beyond words
I have three granddaughters, who are teaching me a new meaning
for love
I have three houses and three cars…which are a burden
I have a partner who is both the challenge and the love of
my life
I have suffered great loss…and strive to be better for (or despite)
it
With occasional success
I have brothers and sisters who I make music with
That sustains me and keeps me alive
I have the privilege to do work (still)
That gives me a platform to speak out for children and families
I have lifelong friends from childhood, from college, from travels
That I continue to draw strength from
Sometimes life is a real ball buster
But I would not trade it for anything
To live here, to live now
In the country of my dreams.
What MY America can
be:
The most beautiful place on earth
A place that people love and care for one another—where
the “We” is as (if not more) important than the “Me”
A free and just place to live and love
A place that allows for differences in thought,
action and preferences
A place that encourages the freedom to think
outside the box
A place in which the fortunate concern themselves
with the less fortunate
An inspirational land
A democracy in which we all have voice and in which
we have leaders of integrity and vision who represent us honorably
The freedom to choose anything that does not
hurt someone else
Profoundly and wonderfully diverse
What
MY America Cannot be:
Narrow-minded and hateful
Fearful of difference
Indifferent to fairness and justice
A place that makes life great for a privileged few and insufferable for too many
Leaderless…helmed by despots who seek only personal gain and power
Cruel and unusually punishing
A place unable to reconcile and learn from its past and move towards a kind, fair and equitable future
Greed, Power and Wealth over caring and compassion
Isolated, authoritative and demeaning
An environment of distrust, fear and loathing
C’mon
people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try and love one another
RIGHT NOW……………………
Notable People: Julia
Brown, Jonah Hauer-King, Zofia Wichlazc, Sean Bean, Lesley Manville, Helen
Hunt, Created by: Peter Bowker
Title:
World on Fire
Review: Brilliant PBS series on the always
highest-quality Masterpiece Theater, tells the story of the Nazi Blitzkrieg of Europe
in 1939 and 1940. Magnificently told through the lens of five participants in five
different countries. Tense, brutal, touching, heroic…once again make the convincing
arguments for the saving graces the Brits and the Resistance, without whom the Nazis
take over the world before we ever enter The War. The young faces in the cast are
exceptional, but the sensational performances from veterans Hunt and Manville make
this must see. Hard not to binge watch this short seven episodes first season.
As second season is definitely in the works. Watch it on PBS On-Demand.
Review: Oh, my, my…this is a troublesome
book…as it should be. The true story of Lale Sokolov, who unwittingly became the
man who tattooed the numbers on everyone who came to this pit of hell from
1942- to 1945. Morris befriended him in the last years of his life (he did in
2006) In New Zealand and recorded his true story-told in novel from. This is
brutal…just brutal…but must reading in my boo. I swept through it in three
days-hard to read, hard to put down. Morris is not the worlds’ best writer, but
the story is so gripping, so compelling……how could this happen? It’s also, by
the way as story (like a million others) of indomitable will and extraordinary desire
to survive….and retain your soul and dignity in the process. OY!
Review: Franzen has won the National
book award for his previous novel, so I was quite eager…but then the book was so
very slow to start, I almost gave up. But stuck with it, and it turned out to be
a fine read about a 30-year marriage between two iconoclasts. Sweeping story from
St. Paul, to the coal mining hollers of West Virginia, to power environmentalists
in DC, and a fading 70s rock star in Jersey City. The novel is dense, so read
in short segments, which made the lengthy novel go a long way during the Pandemic.
The characters really came to life for me as the book progressed. Franzen had a
keen eye for detail, language and context…. ugly turns sweet in this book.
Notable People: Dr. John, The Nevilles, Al
Hirt, Pete Fountain, Produced by: Stewart Levine
Title: Goin’
Back to New Orleans
Review:
The Doctor is making house calls on this
wonderful 1992 release I got from The Nave for my birthday. Filled with Cajun’,
Blues and Swampy rhythms and the magnificent keyboard musings and silver vocals
of Mr. Rebennack, this is a reminder of the greatness of this one of a kind performer.
Top- notch backing musicians. Charmed with the sounds and myths of The Easy. A refreshing
throwback. Got to go get me some Gumbo.
Notable People: Bob
Odenkirk, Rhea Seahorn, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael
McKean, Created by: Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould
Title:
Better Call Saul
Review: The extraordinary prequel to Breaking
Bad features the very excellent Odenkirk conjuring the subtle change from nice
guy lawyer, Jimmy McGill to shyster of the century, Saul Goodman. This is brilliant
television; it was recently named on several lists the best show on TV, and it’s
a fair argument. The cast is top notch, especially Banks as his menacing self and
McKean as the bat shit crazy older brother/lawyer mentor. And Esposito……Whoa….
he is quiet evil in its most potent incarnation. The development of the characters
who later came to populate Breaking Bad is so tasteful as to be shocking. Each
season has topped the one before, though I suspect the next will be the last,
as the timeline is running out to catch up to the birth of Walter White. Not
necessary to have liked or even watched BB to appreciate this one.
Review:
Another….and another….and another……Van The Mans’ 52nd (count
‘em) album release since the mid-60s…. Whoa-can you say prolific?……………..Nothing
new here…but The Voice is as good as ever, the songs are well catchy and written
and the backing band top notch…after a while they all sound pretty much the
same…but no less for it….He is THE MAN…It’s like CHURCH…………a treasure….
Notable People: William H.
Macy, Jeremy Allen white, Cameron Monahan, Emma Kenney, Ethan Cutkowsky, Emmy
Rossum Created by: Paul Abbott
Title:
Shameless
Review: Unlikely you are not aware of this
after ten seasons, but this is cultural icon television, with the amazing WH Macy
reinventing himself as an all-time scumbag. The ensemble cast is beyond
compare, the writing really witty and the south side Chicago setting a formula
for misadventure. The show has been inconsistent in later seasons, especially challenged
by the luminous Rossum leaving fate season nine, though they did a startlingly good
job of going on without her most principle character. Full of star-power cameo
guest appearances- seems like everybody would like to be on Shameless. Great time
to hunker down for The Plaque with ten seasons worth of sardonic humor.
Notable People: Alvaro
Morte, Veronica Sanchez, Irene Arcos, Marta Milans – Created by: Esther
Martinez Lobato, Alex Pina
Title:
The Pier (El Embarcadero)
Review: Wonderful Spanish language
(sub-titled) series in Valencia, Spain and environs about a man living a double
life with two wives. His mysterious death brings the two woman together and the
resulting portrayal of both woman’s’ quest to understand what was going on with
this guy is amazingly portrayed. Hot, steamy, complex with amazing performances.
This one is hard to figure out as it unfolds, with a lot of startling turns. I
doubt there is room for third season given the ending, and thought it went one episode
too long and dragged a bit at the second seasons end…but very high quality television.
Loved every minute of it.
