“The Imperfectionists” – Pretty Close to Perfect

21 Jan

Image: RandomHouse.com

If you missed Tom Rachman’s The Imperfectionists when it was originally published in 2010, you’re in luck.  It’s just been released in paperback.  Well-received when it debuted, the novel made several best-of-the-year lists.  There’s good reason for this.

Recently, I caught Mr. Rachman on the first night of his North American book tour.  Held at Brooklyn’s Book Court, a more accessible and intimate space than I’m used to when attending readings in Manhattan, the author read from his novel and participated in thoughtful Q&A session.  Intelligent and forthcoming, he charmed with audience with his self-deprecating wit.  Humble but confident, humorous but at the same time quite serious, I found him to be somewhat like the novel itself.

If you’re not familiar with the book, it is made up of a series of short stories centered around an American-owned, English-language newspaper based in Rome.  Each story is told from the point-of-view of a different newspaper staffer (with the exception of one story which is told in the voice of an avid newspaper reader – according to the author, the only one based on true-life events and, not surprisingly, the most outrageous).  But you don’t have to be a news lover or have an interest in the art of reportage to appreciate the the stories and how Mr. Rachman has chosen to tell them.  During the Q&A, we learned that the individual stories came first (more were written than were included in the final version) and the unifying theme later.   And while it tackles the decline of the newspapers and the printed word, much of the focus is on the messy, complicated lives of the staff away from the paper.  Only when you reach the end, do you experience the full impact of the individual narratives and, not incidentally, do you appreciate the brilliance of the novel’s structure.

So, make the trip to your local bookstore or click your mouse, set aside the weekend, and be prepared to be transported to another time and place (and, yes, to laugh and cry).  Mr. Rachman’s grasp of human nature, and his ability to translate that into the written word, make this one not to miss.

Read well.

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It’s Half-Time In the “Glee” Season, So What Are The Best Musical Numbers So Far?

6 Jan

"Glee" on Fox

So, it’s half-time in Glee’s sophomore (2010 – 2011) season, and therefore time to take stock of which musical numbers really rocked.

Overall, I have to agree with Jace Lacob of The Daily Beast, from a storyline character-development perspective, it’s been a bit weak compared to last year (however, I come no where near loathing it).  Maybe this lack of emotional pull spilled over to the musical numbers, because I experienced fewer goosebumps this season, and as a result, have fewer videos on my “repeat view” list.  With that said, here my top five (okay, six):

“Teenage Dream” from Never Been Kissed.

“Time Warp” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show (Halloween) episode – I challenge you to not “take a jump to the left, and take a step to the right, put your hands on your hips, and pull knees in tight…”

“Baby It’s Cold Outside” and ” Welcome Christmas,” both from A Very Glee Christmas.  I mean who can resist Kurt and Blaine singing and dancing to this Christmas classic.  And anyone who grew up watching “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” well a tear or two could possibly be shed.

And, it was a toss-up, hence the top six…

“Forget You” and “Singing in the Rain/Umbrella” in The Substitute.  Yes, Gwyneth Paltrow delivered, and apparently, she is due back at some point in the second half.

So, those are mine … what are yours?

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What’s the Story “Morning Glory”? A Really Funny Movie, As It Turns Out

19 Nov

The reviews were mixed, at best.  The cast was stellar – Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum.  And I was in need of a good laugh.  So I took a chance, and I’m glad that I did.

Morning Glory is one seriously laugh-out-loud funny movie.  There are so many witty one-liners – and no, they’re not all given away in the trailer – that you really do need to pay attention.  They sneak up on you, especially when it comes to Harrison Ford’s deadpan delivery.  Sometimes it takes a second to realize the smart humor in the line.

Forgive the small transgressions -  every good New York knows that Schiller’s Liquor Bar is not located on Madison Avenue and that rising stars do not attend job interviews at the Today Show in cocktail dresses and that television played just for laughs doesn’t always work – because even when things don’t quite pass the muster, you’ll still find yourself laughing.  And you’ve got to love a movie that has two strong female leads played by two top-notch actresses, not to mention three swoon-worthy male leads.

When the kids head to “Harry Potter” this weekend, I recommend that you check out Morning Glory.  Try it, you might like it.

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U.S. Microfinance – A Few Updates

16 Nov

Photo: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Though I’ve been keep an eye, and a Google Alert, on the topic, I’ve not written about microfinance in the United States in some time.  As there continues to be daily interest on this blog, no doubt prompted in a part the slow recovery in the job market, I thought I’d share a sampling of the more informative and promising pieces that I’ve come across.  If you have any of your own, I’d love to hear from you.

In no particular order:

Kiva: Visa has donated $1 million to Kiva to “Expand Opportunities for U.S. Businesses to Benefit from the Power of Microloans,” serviced by ACCION Texas-Louisiana.

Suite 101: “Domestic Microfinance Organizations Help Small Businesses in U.S.” by Christine Welter, Feature Writer, Poverty/World Development.

Creating a World Without Poverty, A Grameen Foundation Blog: “The Dog Whisperer, Microfinance in NYC” by Christopher Kellen, Bankers Without Borders volunteer.

The Financial Women’s Association’s Microfinance Initiative: On November 9th, hosted The Rise of Microfinance in the United States event in New York.

The Washington Times: “Micro-finance: Let’s get it going in the U.S.,” by Making Change contributor, Donna Rae Scheffert.

YourNabe.com: “Citi touts microloans in Jackson Heights,” by Rebecca Henely.

And, although it’s off-topic, I’m including the links to two pieces from Sunday’s New York Times:

“Can Microlending Save Haiti?” in the Business section.

Nicholas Kristof’s Op-Ed, “Here’s a Woman Fighting Terrorism. With Microloans.”  Both speak to the power of microfinance to change and potentially save lives.

Small business create the majority of jobs in America.  As banks continue to hold onto their wallets, microfinance increasingly seems like a viable alternative, in my humble opinion.

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Lower East Side #10 – East River Park

2 Nov
New York City's East River Park in Manhattan's...

Image via Wikipedia

I love to walk.  I head out  four or five mornings a week.  Which is a good thing, because, if you’ve read previous posts on this blog or my other, Food, Seriously, you’ll know that I also love to eat.  Whenever I move to a new city or neighborhood, one of the first things I do is map out a new route.  I like having it set – the time, the distance – so that I don’t have to think about those things.  My mind is free to wander … wherever.

When I moved to the Lower East Side, I was faced with same challenge, and this time I realized that at least part of my walk could take place along a river, the East River to be exact, and through the East River Park.  It runs from Montgomery Street to East 12th Street, along FDR Drive, and like many others in the city, it’s recently been updated, made user friendly.

The park is unbelievably close.  I cross over FDR Drive at Delancey Street and walk (quickly) alongside the river.  On with way, I pass tennis courts that are busy, even at 7:30 a.m., even when the temperature is 37 degrees; benches installed facing the river like they’re expecting something or someone; a track encircling a soccer field, both of which are in use most mornings; metal tables connected to metal chairs that are mostly empty at this time of day; leafy trees; a baseball diamond; joggers, some leisurely, some running a good clip and checking their watches – a good sign they’re training for Sunday’s ING New York City Marathon; and finally a playground, where I exit the park at East 10th Street.  Throughout my walk there is the East River hit by varying angles of the morning light, the odd boat buzzing by, the Domino Sugar Factory back lit like in a movie, and the Williamsburg Bridge.

How fortunate we are to have these beautiful public spaces – rejuvenated by the city for our pleasure.

And this one on the Lower East Side is to me, daily, a marvel.

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A Guilty Pleasure – British TV Mysteries

26 Oct

 

Photo: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I liked them before I spent a year living in the UK.  MI5 (Spooks across the pond) got me started stateside.  Then, after a year in Southeast London, with only five channels on the television, and little time to watch (too many books to read to make the grade), I became very focused in my viewing.  And the British mystery/crime/detective series became a staple.

In the U.K., serials always run consecutively – often consisting of only six to nine episodes with no repeats.  Even the American programs ran for a full 13 weeks without interruption (a revelation for an American TV viewer).  Overall, I found that British crime dramas addressed current themes and issues head-on, and were stocked with smart, interesting characters who were a bit grittier and real than their U.S. counterparts.  Add to that, the British accent – so endearing to the North American ear – and that dry, witty sense of humor that always seemed to accompany the rather morbid task of identifying victims and time of death and murder weapon.  Sigh…

To prove my point, here is a list of my favorites (many available here on BBC America, PBS, or on DVD): Midsomer Murders; Prime Suspect; The Inspector Lynley Mysteries; Silent Witness; Waking the Dead; and Wire  in the Blood.

And now there is Law and Order U.K. , about which I am on the fence at the moment, and Luther, which I rather like after one episode.

As for the BBC’s new Sherlock Holmes rendering, “Sherlock” on “Masterpiece Mystery!” courtesy of PBS, I can say that I’m a raving fan.  Set in the present day, this current incarnation of Sherlock Holmes is edgy, eccentric, brilliant, and slightly antisocial.  Dr. Watson is a military doctor who recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan.   The New York Times review claimed, “The appeal is elementary: good, unpretentious fun, something that’s in short supply around here.”  I couldn’t agree more.  Although, one American series, “The Good Wife,” which coincidentally features Alan Cumming, host of “Masterpiece Mystery!”, is a pretty bloody excellent show as well.  If you’re not watching, you have no idea what you’re missing.

The same is true of all of the above.  Happy viewing!

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“Three Faiths” – A New Exhibit at the New York Public Library

25 Oct

Photo: New York Public Library

There is a new exhibit at the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, “Three Faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.”  In their review on Saturday, The New York Times called it “stunning.”

Maybe you learned and forgot, or maybe you never learned in the first place, that three of the world’s religions share one source: the herdsman, Abraham.  The goal of this exhibit is to remind us of this, or to educate us anew:

Over the millennia, Jews, Christians, and Muslims have each created a rich body of founding texts and interpretive underpinnings for their respective faiths, each of which derives from the teachings of Abraham. This exhibition treats these three great Abrahamic religions, setting forth in splendid and historic detail the complementarities and differences among them, explaining their development, and exploring their lived experience through public and private prayer.

In an age when there is so much talk about Christians versus Muslims versus Jews, and the hijacking of the conversation by extremists, particularly in the case of Islam, this exhibition makes a timely a timely debut.  It’s the perfect moment for a history lesson or review.  Knowledge, understanding, tolerance … for free.  The exhibition runs through February 27, 2011.

I’ve written about the main branch of the New York Public Library previously.  Even without this fabulous exhibit, it’s one of the sites that I always recommend to visitors.  The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is an architectural wonder; and it backs on to Bryant Park, one of my favorite parks in the city, in every season.  I just walked through the park the other day, and right now it is being readied for the holidays.  As of October 29th, the ice skating rink called Citi Pond will be open, and the structures that on November 5th will open as the The Holiday Shops are in place.

Go to the Library to brush up on your history and then to the Park to share in the joy of the season.

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