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Kathy - oddly enough, the "Doonesbury" cartoon has an occasional storyline about students at MIT. Garry Trudeau got a lot of mail after he had a student refer to a 4.0.

He ended up having to explain on the Doonesbury website that, yes, he knew MIT had a 5.0 system, but he knew that a lot of his readers wouldn't know - so he used the 4.0 system.

My guess would be that's why the movie did the same thing.

WOW Julia, thanks a billion! I'm forwarding this to Mr. BamaMama. I feel validated. And doesn't validation feel WONDERFUL?

Today started grin and cold. I am attending old fashion Sunday School for a while because I want some good Bible history. The study today was Gallatians. St. Paul talks a LOT about circumcision. MOre than I wanted to discuss.

When we left the movie, the sky was clearing up and it is warm. I can hear people puttering in their yards with leaf blowers and lawn mowers.

It's turning out to be a very good day!

THANKS AGAIN!

Kathy

The above is what I think is called a 'hook.' "Another Thing to Fall" is one of the mystery-lite's that I so love. I am hoping that Martha gives this one a shot. (I'll drive it over today). It has several things going for it for our Maryland thespian. The book takes place in Baltimore and the story revolves around the making of a TV pilot. Added to that to salivate Ms. Martha is a great deal of word-play.

Two of the characters mis-use words like 'McGuffin,' saying instead 'McMuffin.' These little spoonerisms are used just enough to keep a reader alert but not so much as to have irritated me.

After finishing the book I found that Ms. Lippman is married to a television producer, most recently of HBO's THE WIRE.

This book has a well-crafted interesting plot that actually is based on a legal case of property rights. There is salvation, sacrifice, and sadness. (I do love alliteration.)

I so identified with a closing quote on page 317-318, "The problem with ...., the problem with most of humnakind, was that the only pain that mattered to him was his own."

Other quotes that gave me a smile: page 28 "Tess had always wondered what was in it for the Cinderella's mice. Did they really think they were going to get to live in the palace once all was said and done?"

page 34, "He could never work out whether such women had increased or decreased in value as plastic surgery became mainstream. If anyone could buy a face and a body, then was it so special to have one bestowed on you by nature?"

page 78 is just for me and Cheesehead, "I liked when those strange little men chanted, "One of us, one of us, one of us." This section has to be read in context of seeing the classic movie "Freaks." It describes an homage to an homage; and the connection to Balitmore is that one of the actors, Johnny Eck (the man born with no legs) was in actuality in real life a Baltimore screen painter.

page 85, "It was COBRA that was killing him, an apt bureaucrattic acronym if ever there was one." AMEN

in the category of didn't know this, page 130 "Although it was rumored (that Rosebud) was thought be William Randolph Hearst's pet name for Marion Davies' nether regions."

in the category of "I can identify:" page 244-245 "Marie didn't actually like teaching...She didn't like kids."

...continuing, "She took a job at Social Security...That was a nice irony, Social Security denying one of its benefit programs to a longtime employee."

Just liked this one: page 256, "Two women with strollers - hip moms, in stylish clothes and their fresh makeup, their children tricked out like the accesories they were...."

Page 263: "...had put out a package of Hydrox cookies with the grape soda.....Hydrox had disappeared from the snack food chain at least a decade ago, but such items often lived on in the tiny groceries....of Baltimore...Every now and then, she unearthed a dusty bottle of Wink...." The only alcoholic beverage my aunt Mickie would drik was Wink with a little but of vodka. She and my aunt sister always made my brother (and only my brother make it for them) They called it their little afternoon toddy.

For Martha: page 315, The premiere was held at the Senator Theatre.

"Another Thing To Fall" was another time to spend away from "the pain that in the ends matters most to me, my own."

Respectfully,

Kathy Albers

Last review of the day:

"Pontoon" by Garrison Keillor. Two words: don't bother.

I read the first chapter and thought, "I might like this book." That was the last chapter I enjoyed.

Mr. BamaMama read the book (skimmed he said). The whole time he reported saying to himself, "Why am I reading this book?"

Usually when I read and review The Best American Something series, it's easy. I can say some were good, some were less good and let it go at that. It's not that easy with The Best American Short Stories 2007. First off, the guest editor was Stephen King and I guess when he's around, nothing can be usual. Second, I read his introduction and he absolutely raved about a short story entitled "Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?" by a William Gay. Sadly enough, it had been the one story in this year's Best American Mystery Stories that I absolutely hated. I didn't hold out much hope for the rest of King's selections. But, boy, was I wrong. Four or five of them blew me away, left me with that it's-time-to-try-short-stories-for-the-literary-magazines-again feeling. Shazam! I even dog-eared pages. Let's see if what grabbed me then still captures me.

The first story that really impressed me was "My Brother Eli" by Joseph Epstein. Eli is a successful novelist who believes his talent exempts him from common courtesy. Believe it or not, I run into that thinking a lot in community theatre people. (Kathy does too, but she's a lot more tolerant than I am.) I find it unfathomable that anyone who scores a success in the arts in Huntsville, AL, can think he is thus "above" anyone else. But it happens. So when I read the following paragraph, I cheered. The narrator in the story is talking to one of Eli's many wives and she says: "Your brother thinks that because he's an artist he can do what he wants, hurt people whenever he likes. Everything is justified by his books. As an astronomer, I don't think Eli knows how small, how truly insignificant, he really is. Maybe someday he'll find out." (page 101) If only all people of that ilk would find out. Even Paris Hilton and—dare I say it?—George W. Bush.

In "Wait" by Roy Kesey a group of people are stranded at an airport as they wait for an international flight. On the second day, in an effort to combat boredom, they organize an Olympiad. Doing so does not go smoothly. "…the Americans want baseball, the Russians want volleyball, the Chinese want table tennis, and all are disappointed. The upper-lower-middle-class locals suggest that children ride their parents for the equestrian events. Synchronized swimming is exchanged for synchronized walking; water polo becomes carpet polo, and archery is replaced with Throw the Ball into the Garbage Can from Increasingly Great Distances. Winter events are ignored until the Norwegians threaten to boycott; then babies in strollers are called bobsledders." (page 201) Apparently one way to Stephen King's heart is through his funny bone. The humor continues as the characters plan an escape. Everyone can help. Everyone is an expert, a claim culminating, when a mechanic is needed, with "my brother is a trained philosopher but has worked in a gas station." (page 203) I laughed out loud.

In "Findings & Impressions" by Stellar Kim a radiologist works hard not to form an attachment to a woman recently diagnosed with cancer. The radiologist's wife, a local TV personality, has died of cancer, leaving him with a four-year-old son and incapable of dealing with a second cancer death. And he recognizes this. "Heartless, we call oncologists who abandon the patients they can't save. Cowards, we say of husbands who flee rather than see their wives suffer." (italics hers, page 223) But the labels don't change the reality. And there are moments when I look at my Republican husband and appreciate the fact that he has stayed.

2007 appears to have been a good year for short stories. At least Stephen King was able to find several that appealed to me.

My Cat's Not Fat, He's Just Big Boned by Nicole Hollander is a book of cartoons. Someone gave it to me for Christmas. Last night I read it. It was cute. Best mpment: "When cats rule the world, everyone will listen exclusively to Gershwin ... maybe a little Cole Porter. 'Oh no, they cat take that away from me.'" (page 65)

Martha, thank you so much....I haven't thought of Nicole Hollander in ages. I used to be addicted to her strip ("Sylvia.") Haven't checked her website for years but guess I'll have to now.

Nicole Hollander is a gem.

Just finished John Connolly's "Book of Lost Things." It's not the most original novel ever written - a stepchild in World War II escapes from real life into story - and not nearly as breathtaking as "Pan's Labyrinth," although it's probably unfair to compare a book to a movie. But it does have imagination, and enough "and then what" to keep me going.

It's worth reading, and I plan to look into more of his writing; he's apparently been around & winning prizes for some time - I just haven't tripped over him yet.

I do it all the time. To Kill a Mockingbird is a better movie than it is a book. Of course, that might be the only book-into-movie I'd say that about.

Yes, but 'Pan's Labyrinth' wasn't made from "Book of Lost Things." That's why it felt a bit strange.