On this beautiful, almost balmy, 22nd of September in Schenectady and it's the first day of fall. So in honor of that fact, we have Elke Putzkammer, professor of literature at Union College, to talk about autumn in poetry and literature.
- Good morning, professor. - Hi, Alex. - So, what about it? Why do so many people write about the fall?
- Well, I think it's seen as the beginning of the end, really. If the year is a life, then September, the beginning of fall, is when the bloom is off, the rose and things start to die. It's a melancholy month and maybe because of that, quite beautiful.
- Is there something you might read to us? - Oh, I'd love to.
Whoever has no house now will never have one. Whoever is alone will stay alone. Will sit, read, write long letters through the evening and wander the boulevards up and down, restlessly while the dry leaves are blowing.
- Goodness, that harsh, isn't it? - Well, perhaps. But truthful.
There is a time of year in New York when, even before the first leaf falls, you feel the seasons click. The air is crisp, the summer is gone. For the first night in a long time, you need a blanket on your bed.
I will be dying and so will you, and so will everyone here. That's what I want to explore. We're all hurting towards death, yet here we are for the moment alive. Each of us knowing we're going to die, each of us secretly believing we won't.
And sure enough, this post with Christina's photos just reminded of this 'sweet' movie (can we call a movie sweet?!), but better! Part of it is also spent in an english cottage, but during the winter.
Well, you know, one of those sweet christmassy winter movies! :)
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.
Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the
palate to tap, at three, on the teeth.
Lo. Lee. Ta.
She was Lo, plain
Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in
slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But
in my arms she was always Lolita.
It's a been a loooong time since a movie moved me so much. Tears and everything!
The Motorcycle Diaries is truly a human journey... The movie itself is a master-piece (Gael proving once again why he is one of my favorite actors), the music by Gustavo Santaolalla, the photographic work (black&white portraits) and the story behind is simply unspeakable.
The trailler is good but only 2 min of 2 intense hours... Trust me.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject of love: Avoid, if at all possible. Unfortunately, Arthur Dent has never read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I was keen to share only this funny quote, but then I realize I need to try to say something about one of the craziest movies I've seen.
It's not the kind of movie I'd watch for my will at a first sight, but The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is pure genious! It was some time ago that I've watched and I still can't have a opinion about it, except I love the way big questions of the Universe and of our existence are ridiculed into simple things!
The movie is inspired in the old television series, radio series and book of the same name by Douglas Adams. I must admit I didn't know about it until I watched the movie and I discovered it's not only about THGTTG but also few more novels.
Well, I think I'm gonna watch it again because it's too much to catch up in a one-time-visualization...
Here's the trailler and don't miss the anthem neither: so long and thanks for all the fish
Diana Vreeland's documentary, The Eye Has To Travel, is such an inspirational moment. The certain dose of fresh-air and strength we all need once in a while! It spotlights the inspiring life and talent of Harper’s Bazaar columnist and former Vogue Editor-in-Chief.
It's a voyage about a great woman who always looked avant garde and always push herself and others to where nobody even have thought about it yet.
I first heard about Diana when I was reading an article from Shannon Ables that started as:
There's only one really good life, and that's the life you know you want and make it yourself.
Diana Vreeland
An ugly duckling.
Diana (pronounced DeeAnna) was told as a
young girl by her mother that she was ugly, and lacked the beauty her
younger sister possessed. First of all, I can’t imagine a mother saying
such a thing, and repeatedly reminding her daughter of her wretched
opinion, but what Diana Vreeland did with her mother’s lack of love and
support (emotionally) is what is inspiring. She created a life that was
uniquely her own. She created her own unique signature style and became
respected for being authentically herself. Now I’d say, she redefined
the definition of beauty.
And that's how the documentary begins too.
I've been amazed about natural powerful woman, strong, fearless about making mistakes, or perhaps one can't call them mistakes, just willingness to see beyond the line... Even with all the controversies and upside downs of life whatsoever, of course.
Diana Vreeland just entered to this world of mine. I mean, 70something woman invited to revitalize the Metropolitan Museum of Art (after being fired from Vogue)? She become Special Consultant to Costume Institute.
Moreover, it's a journey through fashion's (and style) history, it's the perspective of fashion that always fascinated me that is fashion as an art. It's a journey between Paris, La Belle Époque, Ballet, Nijinsky and on the other hand the crazy New York, Factory, Studio 54, ...
Much like the brave women who refused to be
treated as second-class citizens or denied the same rights already
afforded men, it is our responsibility to stand up and become willing to
work for a life that can materialize if we refuse to live silently in
somebody else’s idea of a fairy tale.
Forget not about the Ralph Lauren postcard, but my "Italian dream" (already had a glimpse of it, fortunately!) can be a beautiful postcard too. And it goes like this:
... Toscana, fine Estate/principio Autunno, villa, Firenze, vino, formaggio, basilico, [bruschetta!!! - ok, all the italian food!], Vespa, Fiat 500, amici e amore, Sole, notti caldee cene all'aperto, ...
I love this old editorial from Tod's "An Italian Moment" to illustrate it, but also these two movies: "Letters to Juliet" (already shown here) and "Under the Tuscan Sun" (see below). Under the Tuscan Sun is pure delight, it's THE movie that makes you fall in love with Tuscany immediately... and forever!
When I think about inspiration, I think about a few women that thankfully are present in my life and some that I admire only from distance (in fashion, business, academics,...). In that imaginary, there's Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) from "The Blind Side" movie, which I've lost the track about how many times I've watched it. The role played by Sandra Bullock puts me "exactly" where I want to be.
For years and years, I've dreamt about being like some of my inspirational people without realizing I could effectively be one of them. Me as a woman I admire! And there comes a time in your life that for some reason or another (or simply work), it starts to happen...
In this way, I'd like to share 3 of my [infinite!] mantras:
"Being powerful is like being a lady, if you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
"Set your goals high and don't stop until you reach them."
Ontem, "bati os olhos"
de novo neste texto muito bom que a Sílvia escreveu há uns anos atrás. Esta
visão e golden-rules ao alcance de muito poucos ("alcance" read:
"compreensão") são um dos lados da "moda" que mais aprecio,
não fosse o nome deste blog the E. word...
A minha perspectiva deste
texto não é a crítica "às meninas de hoje", tendo-me mais para o
"alerta" da falta que faz a graciosidade, a delicadeza, a
boa-educação, a inteligência e, claro, a elegância.
É verdade que somos mais do que aquilo que
vestimos. Isto está dito e mais que dito e até repetido e mais que repetido.
Também podemos ser menos do que aquilo que vestimos. Isto não é tão dito mas
digo eu, valendo aquilo que vale. Porém, se a moda é expressão dos tempos, de
uma época, de uma cultura, de um contexto social, também é uma forma de
expressão pessoal, do ego, do individual – que interage e recebe influências
que, concludentemente, se materializam depois naquilo que pomos em cima, numa
extensão daquilo que somos. Esta componente semiótica da moda, o facto de “uma
imagem valer mais que mil palavras” deixou-me outro dia a pensar no quão
vulgares as pessoas estão. Falemos das raparigas porque são elas que conheço
melhor nisto do vestir.
Há uns dias estava a ver fotografias de uma festa
nocturna de uma discoteca e, vendo aquelas miúdas, da minha idade, de sorriso
aberto a olhar para a fotografia, não deixei de sentir que eram clones umas das
outras. O sorriso trazia pouca alma e as roupas, ainda que diferentes, eram
iguais, ou tornavam-se iguais tal era a falta de personalidade que dali
emanava. Todas elas vestiam as roupas da loja mais in do sítio, quase
que num grito de: saio para ver e ser vista mas não tanto para me divertir.
Mais que isso, e a meu ver, perdeu-se a classe, a finura, a sofisticação, a
elegância que é tão, mas tão importante em tudo o que fazemos. Se antes tínhamos uma Audrey Hepburn que de calças de
ganga, lenço na cabeça e sabinas pretas tocava com graciosidade um Moon
River à janela, hoje temos a miúda com bronzeado solário e decote, saia
curta e de preferência justa a dançar freneticamente Lady Gaga. Tem algum mal?
Não. Tenho alguma coisa que estar a julgar? Também não. Ainda assim, não deixo
de pensar que nos fazem falta mais meninas Moon River (mais dream
makers que heart breakers, como diz a própria música). Não sei que
significado isto tem. Dirão vocês que a sociedade tem a mentalidade mais aberta
e, como tal, mostrar o corpo tornou-se muito mais normal e aceitável. Não deixa
de ser verdade. Mas será mais bonita a menina da discoteca ou a que, em 1961,
se sentou ao parapeito da janela? O que faz falta são meninas de 20 anos que se
vistam como tal, que saibam ser meninas – não vão sê-lo sempre, sabiam? – e que
saibam ser mulheres de forma refinada. O charme usa a mesma estrada do bom
gosto e do menos é mais.
O Breakfast at Tiffany’s, filme
eterno e que eternizou essa cena, foi traduzido para português como Boneca
de Luxo e o luxo, que não sendo necessariamente sinónimo de
riqueza ou bens materiais, é, necessariamente, antónimo de vulgaridade.
Falando em vulgaridade, acabo com as palavras de Doris Day* que de melhor forma
explicam aquilo que pretendo transmitir neste texto:
“A vulgaridade começa quando a imaginação sucumbe ao
explícito.”
I have to write about it, because it's more than a must-see movie, I need to "immortalize" (here, in my blog!) what I think about it. And so, I was thinking about some key-points to write when I read this description from Christine, that I'm gonna use since she focus on the exact aspects, moments,... I shared with my mom in the end:
"(...) As for a musical film - it really doesn't get any better than this. The entire cast is outstanding and Anne Hathaway's 'I dreamed a dreamed' solo has to be one of the most gripping scenes in a musical film ever.* The live singing (see video below) is definitely what makes 'Les Misérables' stand out from other musical films and this is just one of the great decisions director Tom Hooper made that I absolutely applaud. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter add some welcome comic relief to the film (...). His [Eddie Redmayne] rendition of 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' is a real tear-jerker.**
The fact that almost all lines in this film were sung did get on my nerves just a little bit and I believe the film could have even been better (and shorter) if they had spoken some of the words instead of sung***, but I do realise this sounds like I don't understand musicals all that much and it might, of course, offend some people. So anyway, otherwise in one word I think this film is stunning."
* Her performance is so good that it's disturbing... (Just like all the movie, in fact) As she [Anne Hathaway] said in an interview: "(...) after the sceneofsnatchingthe tooth, Fantinebeginsto declinevery quickly."
** That was a pure poetry moment, disquieting, the verses are too strong,... Listen to that rendition, listening and seeing at the same time the sad reality, it's the moment you can't hold the tears anymore (and, I tell you, it will be like this 'til the end!). No one is really ready for it. (unless of course, if you're 16 years old who choose the longest movie just spend the time with the new boy/girlfriend and eating the fucking cinema-popcorns, kissing and so on and so forth...)
*** Exactly for this reason, there was a time during the movie that I started to feel myself quite irritated, so I completely agree with Christine.
I'd like to add the very subtile role of Bishop (Colm Wilkinson) [he tells the cops that the plates Valjean (Hugh Jackman) stole were in fact a gift], because, for me (and my mom), it's the moment of every change, at least Valjean change: he was forgiven, so he learnt to forgive.
Unlike Javert (Russell Crowe) who never forgive, was killed by the forgiveness of the others... (And I'm telling you too much already!)
The movie is "eery", and in the very first scene (with all the slaves) I start to shiver and my body was like that until the end. It's one of those movies you finish and want to start right after again, because it's too much of a good piece of art!
And, in the end, me and my mom we were laughing realizing we were not the only ones crying, looked like everyone was cleaning the face!
Just re-watched this movie the other night. Almost forgot how good it is! Brad Pitt (forgeting what we ALL know (!) about who he is as a man - if you know what I mean... - I really love his movies) plays a brilliant role and that accent is just amazing! Specially this time, even though not very important, the italian scene made me laugh like crazy: "Bawnjorno!"
As far as I know, there's no "connection" between the Parco Sempione, in Milano, and the (fabulous!) movie August Rush. BUT... the other day, when I was walking around Parco Sempione, I found myself inside some music mystery!... And, without concerning, the first thing I thought, and I can swear I also said it very quietly for me, was:
"Music is all around us, all you have to do is listen."
