Well, dear readers, last night I saw something I haven’t seen in years – stars. I was in the Jacuzzi and I looked up and saw – stars. It looked like CGI, actually. And it made me realize that the sky here in the City of Studio is usually bereft of stars – I have never seen them in the entire time I’ve lived here. Not that I look up all the time in the evenings, but I have to say it was a bit of a shock to see a huge number of them twinkling away. And there you have my report on – stars. It was a nice way to end a nice day, seeing stars. I could have also watched the Golden Globe awards and seen stars, but I wouldn’t have known who 90% of them were. I had a very good night’s sleep, got up, futzed and fixed what I’d written the day before, but was basically pleased with it, then I wrote one count them one page. Then I had a hankerin’ for Dino’s Pizza so I badgered someone into going with me so that I could split a large pepperoni. It was as grand as always. Then I came home and wrote eight more pages. I am now more than halfway through the book and, in fact, in about two days I’ll be down to the final 100 or so pages. After that, I was quite tired, so I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched a motion picture that I’d TIVOd entitled The Fugitive Kind, starring Miss Anna Magnani, Mr. Marlon Brando, Miss Maureen Stapleton, and Miss Joanne Woodward. I’d only ever seen about ten minutes of it so it was nice to finally see all of it. It’s based on the play Orpheus Descending by Mr. Tennessee Williams. The film, directed by Mr. Sidney Lumet, is quite good, I thought – very dialogue-centric but it’s always fun to hear Mr. Williams’ dialogue. Miss Magnani (actually playing the role that was created on Broadway by Maureen Stapleton) is an actress I’ve just never cottoned to – she’s good, but I find it very difficult to understand what she’s saying, and I just am not that much of a fan, even of The Rose Tattoo. Brando is very good, though, and Miss Woodward does this sort of role to a fare-thee-well. I was really quite taken with the score by Kenyon Hopkins.
After the movie, I sat in the Jacuzzi and saw – stars. After that, I wrote another couple of pages – over eleven in all, which is the most I’ve written in a day in quite a few days. The fact is, while I was rethinking a few things, I cut four pages and moved very cautiously on the new pages, just to make sure I was getting the tone right – I hit my stride again yesterday and hope I’ll stay there from now through to the end. I had a couple of telephonic conversations, but never got around to taking the music to Staples to get Xeroxed, which I’ll do this very morning. Then I played on the computer until it was time to write these here notes. Oh, yes, and I was a bad boy and had a cinnamon roll and apple fritter for dessert.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’m so tired I’ll soon be seeing – stars.
Today, I must get music Xeroxed and make CDRs, I must write, I must have visits from singers and a musical director, I must have lunch with a young performer and her family, I must write, I must hopefully pick up a package or three (no mail, but I think UPS does deliver), I must write, and then I must sup with the authors of Bukowsical.
Tomorrow, I shall write and give out music and CDRs, then have a rehearsal with The Singer. The rest of the week is mostly writing, doing liner notes, and having a couple of meals, as well as shipping out the new release.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora and the Hora, for today is the birthday of very erratic dear reader Noel. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to very erratic dear reader Noel. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO VERY ERRATIC DEAR READER NOEL!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get music Xeroxed, make CDRs, write, have visitors, lunch, pick up packages (maybe), and have a dinner meeting. Today’s topic of discussion: If you could turn a book into a movie, what would it be, and who would you cast and have direct it, choosing from anyone in the history of movies – your ideal book to film with your best choices for cast and director from any actor/actress or director who’s ever lived. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall see – stars.