Author: Lynn

Remember Euell Gibbons?

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My favorite essay in John McPhee’s book, The Silk Parachute is “My Life List.” McPhee talks about the weirdest things he’s ever eaten, and, in doing so, he describes an encounter he had with that icon of the 70’s, Euell Gibbons. He shared boiled dandelions and water mint tea (remember the Grape Nuts commercial?) with Euell.

This  seems mighty tame compared to the weasel, lion, whale, grizzly bear and bee spit meals he had.

McPhee’s great skill is to make any subject, no matter how arcane, fascinating. He supplies just the right detail and sets the scene and before you know it, you’re sucked in.

In this series of essays written for the New Yorker, he often refers to feedback he received from legendary editor, Wallace Shawn.

Baseball for Dummies

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Baseball’s back which means summer can’t be far behind! While some say that baseball is no longer America’s favorite sport, it’s still an integral part of the American character. This week we’re going to celebrate a favorite combination  – baseball at the movies. Lynn gets us started with a smart and funny film set in the minor leagues.

My favorite baseball movie is Bull Durham. Like the Quad City River Bandits, the Durham Bulls is a minor league team, with a charming baseball park.

Much of the appeal of baseball games in Durham and Davenport, it seems to me, involves the picturesque setting, the promotions, gimmicks, and  tasty ballpark food.

I don’t know much about baseball, but a perfect summer evening to me, is walking from a downtown restaurant or piano bar to Modern Woodman Park. Taking in a game in the twilight, with the lights of  Centennial Bridge’s span in the background can’t be beat.

The Bull Durham stars,  Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and a very young Tim Robbins, were perfectly cast, as well as the rest of the ball players, coaches and managers.

Costner plays a thinking person’s athlete in a baseball film that drops names like Edith Piaf, Susan Sontag and Walt Whitman as readily as Joe DiMaggio and Ernie Banks.  Sarandon’s Annie Savoy is not only an English teacher, but a expert in baseball history and strategy in a movie that can be enjoyed on many levels.

Reports Of My Passing Are Greatly Exaggerated

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A recent Wall Street Journal article reports that newspapers and magazines still are alive and kicking.  “Magazines Team Up to Tout ‘Power of Print” describes a campaign by publishers to promote the value of  print magazines. “The Internet is fleeting. Magazines are immersive,” according to an ad to run in May issues of selected magazines.

Jann Wenner, the man behind the campaign, says that “just as TV didn’t kill magazines, the Internet was a threat only to publications that lost focus on what makes magazines unique. “In a certain way, this campaign is aimed at the magazine business itself.”

Magazine readership has actually been rising. Similarly newspapers are trying to get the word out that the readership of daily papers is up.

Michael Phelps is headlining the ads, so if you see his goggled face, check out the copy. It may surprise you.

Another Irish Author

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Cecelia Ahern is the young author of several bestsellers, including PS I Love You which was made into a movie starring Hilary Swank.  Ahern  combines elements of a tear-jerker with humor in the story about a young woman  struggling to get on with her life after the death of her husband. Her eccentric family and  the  letters from her husband Gerry  guide her through the process.

The celebrity of the author nearly outweighs the book. A telegenic 21-year old when she wrote the bestseller, Ahern was also the producer and co-creator of the tv series Samantha Who? And before that, a member of an Irish band. Three more of her books are being made into movies and she is now all of 28.

She is also the daughter of the former prime minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern. Can’t get much more Irish than that.

The Armchair Traveler – Ireland

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Marian Keyes, a native of Ireland, gives American readers a native’s  view of the differences in culture between Londoners and Dubliners.

Sushi for Beginners has some of the elements of a stereotypical chick lit book (a frank, outspoken heroine, a cadre of funny pals, a glamourous profession). But she goes beyond the usual undemanding plots with an extra twist of being set in Dublin, which, apparently, is quite the backwater for the hyper-ambitious boss of our heroine.

Ashling works for Lisa, a ruthless fashionista, who is responsible for a new Irish fashion magazine, Colleen, and makes her subordinates pay dearly for the stress she is under. Jack Devine arrives just in time from the United States; to leaven Lisa’s power and to provide the spark of potential romance. The daily grind of the magazine world is depicted as mostly very hard work, with the occasional perks fought over by Ashling, Lisa and their co-workers.

Keyes is one of the first of the genre and is one of the grittier and more uncensored. She isn’t afraid to address topics like the alcoholism and serious depression of her  characters.

Chariots of Fire

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Who can forget the iconic slow-motion Vangelis theme music? Or the race around the courtyard of Trinity College? Or Eric Liddell’s race in which he is tripped and  heroically rallies.

Winning the 1981 Oscar for Best Picture, Chariots of Fire had it all. Stylish 1920’s fashions, beautiful Cambridge buildings (actually Eton), lush British estates, and a glimpse into history. (The main characters do have some basis in fact).

The title is taken from a William Blake poem:

Bring me my Bow of burning gold:                                                                               Bring me my Arrows of desire:                                                                                     Bring me my spear;  O clouds unfold!                                                                         Bring me my chariot of fire.

The film embodies the Olympic spirit and is just what you need to get inspired for marathon Olympic viewing.

Mounties and Robbers

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Due South is one of the few prime time Canadian series to air on American tv. The cultural differences between Canada and the U.S.  in general, and the Mounties and Chicago police in particular, were a major theme. The Canadian law enforcement officer is politeness personified, while the American is well-armed and cynical.

The tone was gently absurdist. That, and the fact that it bounced all over the schedule,  led to it’s cancellation. Fortunately, though, like so many other under-rated shows, it is available on DVD through our very own PrairieCat.

Especially charming,  was that the star’s vast knowledge of just about everything was attributed to the fact that his grandparents were librarians. You gotta love that.

The Armchair Traveler – Quebec

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Louise Penny , a former  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporter, steeps her mysteries in the French culture of Quebec. Her Chief Inspector Gamache  series has been compared to Agatha Christie (a small village setting and large cast of characters and  surprise endings) .  In Brutal Telling, Gamache is called in when an unknown dead  body turns up in  local bistro. Penny’s skill is creating a place that is so appealing that  readers want to move there, bringing to life people you want to spend time with and describing meals that make you salivate.

Kathy Reichs works as a medical examiner in Quebec (and North Carolina). Apparently, the tv show Bones was inspired by Reichs’ work and she also works as a producer on the show.

The  heroine of her mysteries is Temperance Brennan, who, coincidentally, is a  forensic anthropologist who works in both Quebec and North Carolina. Monday Mourning is set in Montreal, where Tempe investigates the skeletons found in a pizzeria.  In this installment, her romance with detective Andrew Ryan is not going well, though the French Canadian setting is as magical as ever.

Canadians You Didn’t Know Were Canadian

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Everyone knows Dan Ackroyd and Michael J. Fox. And perhaps you knew that Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey were Canadian.

But did you know aboot Eric McCormack, of Will and Grace? And Matthew Perry of Friends? And Victor Garber of Alias?

Our very own Field of Dreams is based on Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella, who is, you guessed it, not from Iowa, but from Alberta.

Also…..

The Armchair Traveler – On the Rails in Canada

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The Edge by Dick Francis is, as always, about horses, but this time the action takes place in Canada, instead of England.

Head of Security for the British Jockey Club, Tor Kelsey  travels to Canada for the Great Transcontinental Mystery  Race  Train. He works  undercover  as a waiter on the train so he can keep an eye one of the club’s Most Wanted  (an extortionist/horse owner they haven’t been able to catch red-handed,yet).

To add to the intrigue, there is a murder mystery group on the train – no one but Tor and his foe know that there is a real murderer on board.

Another railroad mystery is The Silk Train Murder by Sharon Rowse. A train that rushes silk from Vancouver to the east coast of Canada is the setting for a turn of the century romantic caper. Emily Turner is the liberated heroine who helps John Landsdowne Granville investigate a murder. Granville’s quest takes him to the seedier part of frontier towns (opium dens, brothels and dance halls).

The combination of strict Victorian morals and the rambunctious frontier provide a glimpse into a fascinating period of Canadian history.