When Anya Taylor-Joy won her best actor Golden Globe, she thanked "Chicago Bill." And when The Queen's Gambit won the Globe for Best Series, William Horberg came on the screen as the spokesperson for the show. What a moment!
Thanks to my fast-acting friend Phyllis for your photos of Bill on TV. Thanks everyone who called and popped up in my email.
CHECKMATE!
She was the first to take it to Rahm. He thought he could swat her away but she came back with a sea of red with her. I always felt good when I honked and gave the thumbs up to the teachers walking the picket line.
The Amazon workers are voting now in Alabama. Will they form a union? Maybe the spirit of Karen Lewis will help them make up their minds.
Have you noticed? I haven't been writing lately. My life is as small as a dot as I wait silently for the vaccine I've been reading the early books by Sara Paretsky and Robert B. Parker so my imaginary friends are V.I. Warshawski and Spenser.
I stuck the $600 in my checking account with no immediate plans. I guess I'm not stimulated.
When I can't sleep I listen to podcasts. Last night I heard a professor elegantly describe, step by step, how fascism is emerging from democracy. Right here. USA! USA!
It's going to turn around soon, isn't it?
In case you missed it, Searching for Bobby Fischer is back on Netflix. It's a wonderful family story and, of course, is about chess. It was one of the films Bill worked on when he was at Paramount. Bill has a definite corner on the market of chess films.
I know you'll enjoy it for the first time or maybe again.
I recently saw the movie Midnight Sky. It reminded me of a blog I wrote a few years ago and leads my collection: Joan Chandler Today. Here it is again on the last day of this very difficult year.
Message to the Universe
Voyager 1, launched by NASA in 1977, is the first man-made object to enter the dark region beyond our solar system. If there is a message stored inside, I hope it goes something like this.
Greetings from planet Earth.
We have human beings here who are smart enough to have invented this device which has just broken free of our solar system. But, even though we possess so much intelligence, we are in deep trouble. We have not been able to figure out how to live peacefully with each other. Our whole existence has been one of killing and destruction.
We also have not been wise enough to respect our natural habitat. Our lifestyle is destroying our planet to the point where we can actually envision our own extinction. Yet, no one has the will to turn things around. If you are more advanced we could surely use your help.
Sincerely,
All of us.
I was listening to a discussion on the value of adding illustrations to works of literature. I decided to ask some of my favorite writers and readers what they thought.
How do you feel about having illustrations in novels? I know that graphic novels are very popular. I’m talking about novels that depend on the written word. Would adding a few illustrations enhance your experience?
I’m inclined to think that I want to imagine the characters and scenes in my own mind relying on the author’s descriptions to spark my imagination. Is this just old thinking?
Carole is decisive.
One of the most satisfying aspects of reading is the ability of an author to create an atmosphere and characters that allow the reader to imagine a world outside her/his own. Of course you can imagine that I do not like movies made from books. Why would I want to see someone else’s vision of that which I saw and felt, especially when the decisions for productions are made based on capitalistic greed for profit? Just give me the written word, please!
Natalie added the picture to her note.
I think for younger audiences having pictures dispersed through longer chapter books would be helpful so that they can have visual aids. But for teens/adults I tend to agree with you that having illustrations would probably be at conflict with readers’ own imagination of the visuals- especially what the characters look like! I hate when there’s a movie remake of a book I like and the characters all look so different from how I pictured them hahaha!
Rex is a novelist.
I loved illustrated novels as a kid -- Treasure Island, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Alice in Wonderland. I associate my first libidinal stirrings w/ looking at illustrations of Alice being set upon.
Today I still think of illustrations as being right for young readers. In novels for adults, maybe not. Adult readers might find illustrations interrupt the pleasure of immersion in language
In some stories tho, a map helps, doncha think? : -) / Rex
What do you think? I'm really interested in your opinion.
