Well, dear readers, I’ve now heard five auditions for the Hofstetter books – all fine, none really right yet. I suppose I’ll know “right” when I hear “right.” When I get in the ballpark, then what I’m going to do is read one chapter myself and send it to the final candidates, just for rhythm and cadence purposes, not to imitate. I feel that once they hear a voice doing the correct rhythms of the writing and characters, which will put them in a better place to give me what I need for these. It is daunting work, I think, and I don’t know that whoever I choose is going to have such an easy time of it. I can’t imagine what the narrator of, say, a 900 page Stephen King book would do – how long that would actually take and how to keep it vocally interesting and compelling. I never realized just how hard it must be, but since I’m going to do the two memoirs and the three Kritzer books myself this year, I guess I’m going to find out. All that said, the book “sounds” good and I laughed a few times as I listened. The person I actually thought would be the best wasn’t, but I’m going to work with her a little and see if she can make some changes in approach.
Other than that, I had a perfectly pleasant day doing perfectly pleasant things, starting with getting up at ten after a good night’s beauty sleep. I answered a plethora of e-mails, printed out orders, and finished getting all the singers everything they need. I also found out that it looks like Jason Graae will do a little guest spot at the Kritzerland show, so that’s always fun. I did a two-mile jog, then had a turkey sandwich and no fries or onion rings for my main meal o’ the day. Maybe 600 or 700 calories tops, but probably less than six is what I think. I did some banking, I had some terse conversations with Ontrac, and finally with a supervisor there who assured me that the fellow who delivers the packages to our mail place will be talked to and asked to not make us his final stop every day. I had to do exactly this seven months ago and it helped for a while but then the guy just went back to doing it his own way. The Ontrac/Amazon deal is that they have to deliver between eight and five but certain drivers just think they can come at the last minute all the time and that that’s somehow okay. For example, they arrived at thirty seconds to five yesterday. I picked up that and one other package and that’s when I got on the phone with them, because it’s just nauseating and ridiculous. Then I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching the mini-series, The Fortunate Pilgrim, starring Miss Sophia Loren, and based on the book by Mario Puzo. It’s kind of a weird thing, but Miss Loren gives a fine performance and apparently Mr. Puzo was very fond of the film. After that, I watched the new Criterion Blu and Ray of The Blob. I saw The Blob during its original run, at a Saturday matinee at the Stadium Theater on Pico and loved it. And it’s always fun to watch, I must say, despite being horribly directed (I mean some of the shots are just incredible and not in a good way, and the focus puller must have truly been blind). I wasn’t that thrilled with the transfer, frankly. Color is what it always was, but the grain doesn’t look anything like film grain, especially in any dark scenes – it’s that awful crawling stuff that looks electronic and not like real film grain. I know it’s heresy to say that about a Criterion transfer, but it’s not the first time they’ve had something like that and probably won’t be the last time. It’s not horrible, but it sure could be better.
After that, I ate two helpings of the little frozen tacos – that’s four-hundred calories on top of the sandwich so at most I had about 1100 calories, but I also did the jog so that takes away some. These little taco things are really filling if you eat two helpings of them. I also had some melon balls and pineapple chunks for a kind of dessert. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep and be up by nine.
Today, I shall be up by nine and jogging by nine thirty. Then I have a lunch at noon that will probably take a couple of hours, after which I’ll come home and completely prep our release announcements for the two titles I may or may not announce tomorrow morning – may wait till Friday. Hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, too, and then I’ll do some work on some liner notes, try to make a show order, and then relax.
Tomorrow we may or may not announce two new releases – some of that will depend on an e-mail I’m expecting, and I have a dinner to attend. Friday I’m seeing a show with Barry Pearl, that his ever-lovin’ Cindy is starring in and that’s directed by Kay Cole. Not sure what’s going on during the weekend, save for getting my head together for my Washington trip.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, prep release announcements, write some liner notes, make a show order and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after a full day of auditions, diet, and The Blob.