Happy All Hallow's Eve!

By the time you read this...

I will have already traveled to my college Homecoming.

I'm actually not very big on such events. But this year marks a couple of exceptions.

First, it's my 15 year reunion from college. You know that ol' story...wow, has it really been?

Well, it has. So it seemed like a good time to actually "come home."

Also, I will be participating in the Faculty/Alumni Book Signing.

My first book signing! Granted, it's not exactly a "proper" one, but I'm quite pleased. Especially since Peter Pan's NeverWorld grew out of my college Honors Project. I like to think that if it were not for the opportunities given me at Knox College, I wouldn't have the books to be signed.

So please excuse my absence for the time being. For I will be haunting my Alma Mater through Sunday, November 2. It's very possible that I may chime in now and then. It's not like I won't have access to a computer. I'll be staying with my buddy Laughter, a Theatre professor at Knox (also an Alum). So, until Sunday... or sooner. Perhaps I'll feel the need to rave about the theatre production, Tartuffe. Or maybe I'll say how the book signing went...

It's Amost Halloween - Go Ahead and Spirinate!

In this post I talk about coining a word. Recently I'd been filling out one of those "Get to Know Me Questionnaires" that circulate in emails. One of the questions prompted me to remember something silly my friends and I made in high school. In fact, this recollection is what caused me to plunder the pile of paper that spawned the recent entry about my Isaac Asimov notes.

We kept a dictionary of words we had either invented ourselves or liked in particular from various sources, such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. We called it Xavier's Dictionary. By no means is it something to reckon with, but it proved fun at the time and has provided me with some memories as well as a few chuckles after all these years.

The first word in the (non-alphabetized) list of "new" words is actually the one I remembered while doing the questionnaire. Some of the better entries include:

Flune - n. a huge swarm

Tickatoid - n. the little spark and ping by shiny surfaces on cartoons

Squench - v. 1. to lessen the value of by damaging 2. to shrink

Unpidorous - adj. (OON-pih-door-us) word to say "If I tried to describe it, I woldn't do justice to it."

Spirinate - v. to make a sound like the creatures on Scooby-Doo cartoons

Puffae-a-Pae - n. 1. a pastry-type thing that is not a real pastry, if pastry is defined as a sweet, dessert-type thing covered with dough 2. the pooky face you use to call home on the Atari 2600 video game of E.T.

Unlike my recent attempt to discern the actual etymological ramifications of the word coined, these were conceived and defined on a whim. I'm bringing all this up in a "Oh what silly fun" kind of way, not to suggest that any of these are viable additions to the language. Although I am rather fond of the word that's handwritten in the scan.

I did discover that I still use one of the words from Xavier's Dictionary in my everyday life:

Chartoon - n. a cartoon of a person, a type of caricature.

My drawing of myself is an example of a chartoon. It's not specifically a caricature because it does not utlitize exaggerated features in that way. It's not exactly a cartoon for it depicts someone real. Another good example: The Beatles in Yellow Submarine.

Xavier's Dictionary is nowhere near an unpidorous, but it's at the very least "splendifferous."

Oh, the Gravity!

Usually I am first to hear (okay, not really) about the shenanigans and dealings in Hollywood. I haunt quite a few websites that have become my staples for such infomation. From these, I hear just about everything.

Well, Sunshine bested me... and about one of my favorites, too!

The Graveyard Book will be a movie! Hosah!

Say a little "prayer" that it's done the justice it deserves!
Gaiman is producing and allegedly "sheparding" it along.


Here's the link that Sunshine sent me: HOSAH!

If you haven't seen my previous post which will help explain why I'm so excited, it's here.

Taking Note of My Notes...

Hey guess what! I’d been rummaging through a box of archives (a fancy name for a bunch of paper-related ‘junk’ I’ve amassed) and I came across something quite fun. And possibly valuable. Way back in this post, I spoke about how I had attended a lecture by Sci-Fi master Isaac Asimov. I met him briefly afterward, too, and obtained his autograph. Actually, I had him sign the notes I took during his talk.
So I’ve scanned it in to share it.

The top left part has some pretty standard advice, no? But the one line is rather unexpected. “never revise unless told.” I suppose when you’re Isaac Asimov that can be true…but how interesting is it that he passed the notion along to aspiring authors? I revise on my own anyway. I mean, who doesn’t? Perhaps he meant once the manuscript is “done.” I’m not sure at this point, as I took the notes long ago.

In the middle there you can see the bit of advice which I specifically recalled and posted about.

I particularly like “short sentences and words when they will do.” I find myself following this suggestion in the novel I’m currently writing. Or at least it seems so to me.

I believe that big X with society and plot on either side is supposed to mean that he said to make sure to keep the “world” of your book in conjunction with the plot. Maybe? It’s a shame I didn’t take better notes. But underneath that part is a wealth of good recommendations as to how to deal with the proverbial “Writer’s Block.” It seems that I follow his sagely wisdom. Perhaps it sunk in all those years ago. You can find out what else I do to chop at the block in my interview with The Gaia Peter Pan Guild.

All righty. I hope you enjoy seeing my notes (whoop-de-do) but more especially, Mr. Asimov’s John Hancock.

You can click on it to make it full size.

Rock Me, Amadeus! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Bart and I were at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater tonight. However, we did not see a tale from the Bard. Each season they produce a work by other playwrights. For instance, a Moliere play. But tonight we saw Amadeus by Peter Schaffer.

I had seen the movie. Many times. I even saw its re-release in the movie theater. It's truly a remarkable film. Naturally being able to see the source, the play, appealed to me greatly. For that I had not seen. Nor had I read it. Bart has read it, but tonight premiered it live for him as well.

It did not disappoint. As I knew, the stage version is a different from the cinema. However, Peter Shaffer also penned the screenplay. From that standpoint, it proved interesting to see what cuts he made and how he chose to expand it. For example, the scene where Amadeus replicates and improves Salieri's welcoming march. In the play, Mozart does not add his flourishes and tweaks until after the Emperor and others have gone. But Salieri is still around, of couse. Characters were cut and likewise introduced. Entire scenes, as well. Of course. Though expected, it still proved fascinating to see his choices in being able to "open it up" and re-explore.

But back to Chicago Shakespeare, they consistently deliver a marvelous show. Though always wonderful, this time the costumes alone were applause-worthy. My word! Impeccably period, with details rich and colorful. Truly artistic and accurate with welcome exaggerated hints now and then. The "corker" for me, however, had been that each Mozart and Salieri had many different outfits! By which I mean the costumes were so gorgeous that one look for each man would have sufficed for the evening. But to have a few exquisitely crafted pieces? Each? Bravo!

It is, of course, really Salieri's story. So you need a very strong actor to carry the monologue heavy show. Robert Sella had us all taking note from the moment he shouted, "MOZART!" And it's his Chicago Shakespeare debut. Bravo! But then, without a strong mischievous master musician for him to play against...and sure enough Robbie Collier Sublett provided one. It's his debut for this esteemed ( 2008 Regional Theatre Tony Award Winner) theatre company as well. Bravo! Also, I must say that both gentleman made the roles their own. They did not remind me in the least of the film version. And yet I fully believed and accepted them as their characters. Fantastic. Thank you, sirs! And of course, thank you to the whole cast. Honestly, everyone is superb. The performance we attened received an immediate standing ovation.

All in all, though, I believe I like the movie better. Perhaps because I saw it first. But I do not mean to belittle the play. It achieves a level that the movie never could, simply by being the magic of live theatre. And it's extremely well done (both script and CST's staging). I enjoy them both. But if I had to choose, I'd pick the movie. Maybe just because for what it can achieve in terms of opulence and location that the stage cannot. One's best bet is to see both. :)

Bart and I had an unexpected treat, albeit at someone else's expense. At intermission, a woman asked me "How many are in your party? Is it just the two of you?" She gave us their seats because her mother did not feel well and they had to leave. Bart and I have wonderful seats from our Season Tickets. We're in the last row, just a step off center to the left. Last row, however, of a very small section. CST is quite inimtate. The seats we inherited for the evening? Front row, right on the ailse. Thus, we enjoyed the powerful second act even closer to the action. Actors stood literally right next to us in the thick of the scene. It also meant I could examine those intricate costumes. Thank you, kind woman, whoever you are! I hope your mother is feeling better.

If you're in the Chicago area, I highly recommend the Chicago Shakespeare Theater's staging of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, directed by Gary Griffin. Bravo! It runs through November 9.

"Well-there it is." - Emperor Joseph II

*The pictures I use I obtained from the CST website. For those concerned, I mean no harm in reposting them, I only am doing so to promote their amazing show. The photo is by Michael Brosilow.

Bubble, bubble, toil and....what's the Trouble?

It’s a shame when parents take interest in their kids’ work, isn’t it?
Wait…what?

I came across this article about Robert Grandt, a librarian fined for promoting a book his daughter helped create. Apparently it is his job to display and recommend great new books. This one, a manga version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, he touted as a great resource not only for fun but also in terms of art and re-packaging the classics to stir up interest in those who might have otherwise ignored them.

While I do think it’s more than a bit extreme to say “Best Book Ever Written,” I do not agree with the decision to reprimand him for displaying it. Especially since the claim that his daughter would receive royalties from the promotion is false. Grandt gave copies away for free to those who showed interest.

It’s pretty sad when a father can’t say “Hey, look what my daughter did!” in public.

Could the Weird Sisters have predicted this story?
Strangely enough, Bart and I were discussing Macbeth at the opera the other night. Yes, we made sure to refer to it as "The Scottish Play."

Now, altering Shakespeare into a sophisticated comic book…that’s a separate issue altogether!
(The last statement is made in complete jest!)