Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Arts in the City

I had the opportunity to travel to New York City this month and in spite of the horrendous weather, I jumped at the chance. Was it cold? Yes. Did the wind attempt to find its icy way through any chink in clothing? Yes. But I was prepared. With a mid-calf coat with a hood, scarf, gloves, hat and several layers underneath, I ventured forth and was not disappointed.

I’ve been going to NYC since I was probably around seven years old. My mother and my sister would stop there when we were on our way to visit relatives in New Hampshire. That’s when I got my first taste of Broadway theatre and the magic of the city. There were many years when I was not able to go so the visits became all the sweeter when I could.

This visit proved to be short but full of delights. In the past, I have made my trips with friends who like museums and the theatre, but were just as content to wander the streets and enjoy the shopping and food. That’s all well and good when the weather is nice, but this frigid time was not conducive to strolling. Fast walking. Very fast walking. In four days, I was able to see two amazing plays and four museums. We probably would have gone to at least one more play but travel home became tenuous due to airline cancellations and prevented our last outing.

The first play was A Delicate Balance with Glenn Close, John Lithgow and Lindsay Duncan. An extraordinary set and a master class in acting. The play by Edward Albee won the Pulitzer when first produced on Broadway. The second was Elephant Man with Bradley Cooper, Alessandro Nivola and Patricia Clarkson. All were splendid. I have never been a particular Bradley Cooper fan but I have to say he was nothing short of brilliant in the role of John Merrick. I have never been so moved by a performance.


The museums we visited were: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Frick, The Museum of Natural History & Hayden Planetarium, and the Museum of Modern Art. I have been to all of these before with the exception of the Natural History. But as you know if you have been, once is never enough. The experience of seeing so many master works in such a short time left me overwhelmed. Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Monet, Turner, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Wyeth and so many more.  To see even one of these paintings would have been a thrill. Then, seeing the actual skeletons of dinosaurs (a lifelong dream), the butterfly sanctuary (where exotic butterflies literally floated all around you) and a spectacular show about Dark Matter and Dark Energy narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson left me breathless. I guess I’m blithering now. I am still so full of the experience I will need time to process it, if I ever do.

                                           
                                        A Sunday on La Grande Jatte- Georges Seurat

Thursday, February 19, 2015

FEBRUARY 2015 BOOK SELECTIONS: MATCHED & WATCH ME

Two books this month and they couldn’t be more different.


My first choice was Matched by Ally Condi. Matched is the first book of a Young Adult Trilogy which continues with Crossed and concludes with Reached. Because I write Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult fiction, all of these genres interest me. I like keeping up with what is popular and selling to a particular target audience, thus Matched

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I love when reality exceeds expectation. The story takes place in a Dystopian society in which individual choice has been removed. Everything, from food and occupation to your mate is selected for you. Even your dreams are not your own. The author created a believable, fully realized world… no easy task. The heroine starts to question her life because of a verse of poetry by Dylan Thomas, “Do not go gentle…,” given to her by her dying grandfather. Well-written and fast paced, it was an interesting and well-crafted read. Kudos to Ally Condi. I’m intrigued.
Recommend.



My next selection was the memoir, Watch Me by Anjelica Huston. I have always admired Ms. Huston’s acting talent and thought her life story would be interesting.  Apparently this is her second memoir, the first being A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York which concentrated on her early life. 

Watch Me centers on her life after moving to Los Angeles up to the present. More than anything this memoir is a series of chronological incidents and memories with very little transitional material. It is fascinating to peek into the world of the very rich and glamorous and Huston definitely had/has a roster of famous friends and acquaintances. 

Initially, I enjoyed the gossipy tales but eventually found no real insight into the woman herself. I lost interest over time. The most I can say is it’s a fun read.