I know it's been a while since I got a Harry Potter set-up/payoff post up here -- My apologies. While I have been writing at such a strenuous pace, I've been avoiding most other fiction, to keep my own story clear in my mind. (Although I do confess that the other night when I was feel a bit grouchy and tense, I sat down with Sorcerer's Stone to calm myself down...)
This is the last of my "Spells and Potions" posts. So let's look at The Draught of Living Death.
We first hear about the Draught of Living Death in Harry's first Potions class with Snape [SS-8]. At the time of course, it seemed like a throwaway. But now, haven't we all realized that everything in that class was a set-up in one form or another?
Let's detour over to that class for a second. Snape asks Harry three questions he can't answer about various potion-related ingredients. The first involves wormwood and asphodel, with the correct answer being the Draught of Living Death.
The second question is about a bezoar. As we now know, a bezoar becomes absolutely critical on Half-Blood Prince, when Harry has to save Ron from the poisoned mead. Note that Snape not only answers his own question -- where does one find a bezoar -- he also tells us what it does: "...it will save you from most poisons." Reading that, we might have thought (in retrospect), "Poisons? Gee, I wonder who in these books is going to get poisoned?"
The final question is about wolfsbane, which of course becomes important in Prisoner of Azkaban when we meet Lupin the werewolf. Had we had our set-up/payoff glasses on when we first read that question in SS, we might very well have said to ourselves, "Hm. Wolfsbane, huh? Methinks there'll be a werewolf showing up in this story."
So two of the three items set up in Snape's first class have shown up -- and have shown up in crucial ways, ways that amount to saving the lives of the people who receive them. (And, if you buy Cathy Liesner's "Stoppered Death" theory, even that is set up here in Snape's class.)
The only thing we haven't seen from that class is the Draught of Living Death.
We have been reminded of it, though. In HBP, Slughorn has his Advanced Potions students make the Draught of Living Death [HBP-9]. Harry does so correctly, only with the help provided in his borrowed Potions book, courtesy of the Half-Blood Prince.
(Note that we had a very subtle hint handed to us here as to the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. After all, who was the only person we had previously heard mention the Draught of Living Death, the correct/shortcut instructions to which appear in the Prince's book? None other than Snape.)
The fact that the Draught is the only thing we saw in that first Potions class that we haven't seen used, combined with the fact that we spent so much time being reminded about it (when, face it, Slughorn could have chosen any potion to set as an exercise) makes me feel close to positive that we will see it in Book 7.
Now, some folks think we have already seen it. The Dumbledore-is-not-dead crowd have suggested that Dumbledore is in fact alive and under the influence of the Draught of Living Death, which indeed causes the imbiber to fall into a deep sleep mimicking death.
A few problems with this theory, however. Dumbledore has been buried (yes, I know, it was a closed-casket funeral. But tell me who's in the conspiracy to hide the body). Fawkes's reaction was consistent with Dumbledore's true death -- and wouldn't Fawkes know? Dumbledore's portrait has appeared on the Dead-Headmaster Hall-of-Fame wall. That sure looked like a real Avada Kedavra on the top of the lightning-struck tower. And so on and so forth.
And of course, the meta-reason: It would be a betrayal of J.K. Rowling's beliefs about death, as stated in the books and in interviews. It would be a betrayal of the hero's journey, in which Harry, as our hero, must go forward after his mentor is struck down.
It's not my intention at all to get into a debate about Dumbledore's death. I don't really consider it debatable: Dumbledore is dead.
Which means that someone else will be the recipient of the Draught of Living Death -- and that it will be someone important to Harry (as Lupin and Ron, recipients of the wolfsbane and the bezoar, are). Or it could be Harry himself who uses it (he does know how to make it now), perhaps to fool someone pursuing him (or us?) into believing that he's already dead.
But I pretty much guarantee it will be important. After all, to set something up and wait six books for the payoff -- well, I'm expecting a pretty good payoff.
....Only one last section of these set-up/payoff posts to go: Next we move on to look at Draco Malfoy.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
TWO MORE COOL DA VINCI LINKS
I feel no need whatsoever to comment on The Da Vinci Code when so many other people are blogging so insightfully about it.
First, take a look at Leo Partible's latest blog about it (scroll down to the April 22 entry, "What If the Da Vinci Code Backfires"). Leo speculates: What if the movie bombs? What if it's no good? What if all the other great summer offerings shove it off the screen? He does so with a sharp look at just who the audience for this movie is (vs. the other summer openings), and an equally sharp look at the consequences (box office and moral) of people saying Christians must see this movie to be able to discuss it. An excerpt:
And of course, most of you have probably already seen Barbara Nicolosi's self-proclaimed DVC "rant". But if you haven't, make sure you click over. An excerpt:
I actually disagree with one point in Barb's provocative article here -- Yes, I think people do look for truth on the pulp fiction racks. And at pulp movies. And even in American Idol -- because that's all they've got. They've never learned where else to look for truth. But at least those who do so are looking -- rather than saying "What is truth?" even when they're staring it (or Him) in the face, and turning away.
The point is, go read these posts in full. Let me know what you think.
First, take a look at Leo Partible's latest blog about it (scroll down to the April 22 entry, "What If the Da Vinci Code Backfires"). Leo speculates: What if the movie bombs? What if it's no good? What if all the other great summer offerings shove it off the screen? He does so with a sharp look at just who the audience for this movie is (vs. the other summer openings), and an equally sharp look at the consequences (box office and moral) of people saying Christians must see this movie to be able to discuss it. An excerpt:
Great shades of Elvis! This just The Last Temptation of Christ -- only Christians are giving their money TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. (Sorta like the elder you caught last week with the prostitute -- he just wanted to talk.) And regardless of the criticism, at least the Scorsese film ACKNOWLEDGED the divinity of Christ and his Jesus DIDN'T MARRY Mary Magdalene (He only imagined the possibility). Da Vinci Code asks the audience to ACCEPT its premise as fact, something that St. Paul called "anti-Christ."
But then again, what if no one showed up for the party? And there's no non-believers to talk to about the movie because they were yucking it up over the weekend with a bunch of CGI animals? What happens to McDowell and company's strategy then?
And of course, most of you have probably already seen Barbara Nicolosi's self-proclaimed DVC "rant". But if you haven't, make sure you click over. An excerpt:
I am perplexed by the Christian leaders going around saying that people are reading The Da Vinci Code in a search for truth. Good frickin' grief. Who was it that said, "They have Moses and the prophets..."? People searching for truth would not be reaching for enlightenment from a pulp-fiction rack. The other day, I heard a useful Christian idiot (to Sony Pictures, anyway) say that Christians should stop criticizing DVC as being a badly written story, because "Let's face it, fifty million readers can't be wrong!"
Yes. They can. Let's try this, "Hey let's face it, sixteen million readers of Hustler magazine can't be wrong!" Or "Hey, fifty million Germans who voted for Hitler couldn't be wrong!"
Yes, they could and they were.
I actually disagree with one point in Barb's provocative article here -- Yes, I think people do look for truth on the pulp fiction racks. And at pulp movies. And even in American Idol -- because that's all they've got. They've never learned where else to look for truth. But at least those who do so are looking -- rather than saying "What is truth?" even when they're staring it (or Him) in the face, and turning away.
The point is, go read these posts in full. Let me know what you think.
Monday, April 24, 2006
BEL AIR'S YEAR OF JUBILEE
It seemed to sort of sneak up on us (on me, at least), but suddenly this weekend it was the 50th anniversary of the founding of Bel Air Presbyterian Church.
I first came to Bel Air when I was at UCLA. I visited Bel Air when I first arrived at UCLA, actually visited a lot of churches in the area, but never settled down. I was sort of mad at God at the time, not really well-grounded in my still-pretty-new faith. As an attempt to reground myself, while in Switzerland during one of those college-kids-backpacking-through-Europe summers, I spent considerable time as a student at L'Abri. And when I got home, somehow I just decided, sight-almost-unseen, that I would commit to Bel Air as my church.
And I have been there ever since. I met Lee there, in the living room of a gracious older couple who opened up their home for various college and 20-something groups several times a week. We were married there. Our kids were baptized there, went to preschool there, learned their Bible ABCs there, as it were. Lee and I served as deacons there, I served as an elder, I served on a Pastor Nominating Committee.
It hasn't been all peaches and roses, though. I've been there through horrible scandal that divided the church painfully, through financial distress (and blessing) at the church, through the earthquake that nearly destroyed our new sanctuary. I've been hurt more deeply there than almost anywhere else, been frustrated, been angry. I've been ready to walk away -- but somehow I never did.
And as we came to the 50th anniversary -- in Biblical terms, the year of Jubilee -- I realized why I never walked away. It's because you just don't walk away from your family.
You see, I have no family. Really none. I'm an only child. My father had three siblings, but all the siblings were estranged from each other. I met two of my aunts once each, but neither had children. I technically have two cousins out there, but never met them, couldn't find them if I tried. My mother was an only child, so no cousins there. Her mother was one of 13 siblings, but she broke with most of her family for (of all stupid things) political reasons, and my dad further insisted my mom cut off contact with the few family members she was in touch with. (Estrangement is a big theme in my family.)
I always wanted to marry into a big family -- but that was the one thing I didn't get when I married Lee. His only sibling was a half-sister 17 years older than him, so they never really had any relationship, and we have a Christmas-card relationship now. Because his parents were divorced early in his life, he didn't have much contact with his dad's side of the family.
And what with people who've died and whatnot, we're basically left with my senile mom, and two stepcousins from my mom's last marriage (in her 70s), and that's about it.
So when Bel Air set out to celebrate its history, suddenly I realized how important it was that my kids see it, participate in it. Because this is their family history.
The day was beautiful, and very emotional. All Bel Air's senior pastors are alive (though quite old!), and all participated. Even Donn Moomaw, who pastored the church 28 years, then left in scandal in the early '90s (and who has been a textbook case of redemption since, submitting himself willingly to the discipline of the church when he could have gone and started his own church in a garage and had hundreds follow him) was there. (Donn has not been allowed to set foot on the church's property since he left, by order of the Presbytery, but our current pastor fought to get him there for this one day.)
It was a day of healing and forgiveness, a day of rejoicing in all that God has done, and all the horrible things He has seen us through, a day of laughter and memory and unashamed tears and a day of trying to remember people's names. It was all a day of Jubilee should be.
It was a glorious family reunion, a little window on what arrival in Heaven could be like. And for my kids, it was just a peek at all they've got to serve as their own family history.
I first came to Bel Air when I was at UCLA. I visited Bel Air when I first arrived at UCLA, actually visited a lot of churches in the area, but never settled down. I was sort of mad at God at the time, not really well-grounded in my still-pretty-new faith. As an attempt to reground myself, while in Switzerland during one of those college-kids-backpacking-through-Europe summers, I spent considerable time as a student at L'Abri. And when I got home, somehow I just decided, sight-almost-unseen, that I would commit to Bel Air as my church.
And I have been there ever since. I met Lee there, in the living room of a gracious older couple who opened up their home for various college and 20-something groups several times a week. We were married there. Our kids were baptized there, went to preschool there, learned their Bible ABCs there, as it were. Lee and I served as deacons there, I served as an elder, I served on a Pastor Nominating Committee.
It hasn't been all peaches and roses, though. I've been there through horrible scandal that divided the church painfully, through financial distress (and blessing) at the church, through the earthquake that nearly destroyed our new sanctuary. I've been hurt more deeply there than almost anywhere else, been frustrated, been angry. I've been ready to walk away -- but somehow I never did.
And as we came to the 50th anniversary -- in Biblical terms, the year of Jubilee -- I realized why I never walked away. It's because you just don't walk away from your family.
You see, I have no family. Really none. I'm an only child. My father had three siblings, but all the siblings were estranged from each other. I met two of my aunts once each, but neither had children. I technically have two cousins out there, but never met them, couldn't find them if I tried. My mother was an only child, so no cousins there. Her mother was one of 13 siblings, but she broke with most of her family for (of all stupid things) political reasons, and my dad further insisted my mom cut off contact with the few family members she was in touch with. (Estrangement is a big theme in my family.)
I always wanted to marry into a big family -- but that was the one thing I didn't get when I married Lee. His only sibling was a half-sister 17 years older than him, so they never really had any relationship, and we have a Christmas-card relationship now. Because his parents were divorced early in his life, he didn't have much contact with his dad's side of the family.
And what with people who've died and whatnot, we're basically left with my senile mom, and two stepcousins from my mom's last marriage (in her 70s), and that's about it.
So when Bel Air set out to celebrate its history, suddenly I realized how important it was that my kids see it, participate in it. Because this is their family history.
The day was beautiful, and very emotional. All Bel Air's senior pastors are alive (though quite old!), and all participated. Even Donn Moomaw, who pastored the church 28 years, then left in scandal in the early '90s (and who has been a textbook case of redemption since, submitting himself willingly to the discipline of the church when he could have gone and started his own church in a garage and had hundreds follow him) was there. (Donn has not been allowed to set foot on the church's property since he left, by order of the Presbytery, but our current pastor fought to get him there for this one day.)
It was a day of healing and forgiveness, a day of rejoicing in all that God has done, and all the horrible things He has seen us through, a day of laughter and memory and unashamed tears and a day of trying to remember people's names. It was all a day of Jubilee should be.
It was a glorious family reunion, a little window on what arrival in Heaven could be like. And for my kids, it was just a peek at all they've got to serve as their own family history.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
THE TOP 101 SCREENPLAYS
This is the third time I've tried to post this list and Blogger keeps going wacky on me (one of the reasons I haven't posted in a few days). Okay, third time better be the charm.
The Writers Guild of America has just come out with their list of the top 101 screenplays of all time. For me as a writer, this is a much more interesting and useful list than the latest AFI top-100-films-that-will-get-us-a-TV-special list.
Aspiring (and working) screenwriters could learn a lot from watching these movies: What makes their screenplays so great? The dialogue? The structure? The story itself? The characters? The "movie moments"?
I've seen 73 on this list. How many have you seen? Gear up your Netflix list and start watching!
101. Notorious
100. Memento
99. The Wild Bunch
98. The Grapes of Wrath
97. The Searchers
96. The Hustler
95. Hannah and her Sisters
94. Patton
93. Do the Right Thing
92. Psycho
91. The Verdict
90. Sideways
89. Forrest Gump
88. Field of Dreams
87. 8 1/2
86. Harold & Maude
85. La Grande Illusion
84. The Princess Bride
83. Rear Window
82. Cool Hand Luke
81. Being There
80. Witness
79. The Producers
78. Rocky
77. Adaptation
76. Raging Bull
75. High Noon
74. Being John Malkovich
73. Amadeus
72. Thelma & Louise
71. The Lion in Winter
70. The African Queen
69. Dog Day Afternoon
68. Star Wars
67. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
66. Jerry Maguire
65. Singin' in the Rain
64. Terms of Endearment
63. Jaws
62. Moonstruck
61. The Silence of the Lambs
60. L.A. Confidential
59. It Happened One Night
58. Ordinary People
57. Crimes and Misdeameanors
56. Back to the Future
55. Apocalypse Now
54. Manhattan
53. All the President's Men
52. The Lady Eve
51. Broadcast News
50. The Sixth Sense
49. Schindler's List
48. The Bridge on the River Kwai
47. The Maltese Falcon
46. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
45. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
44. The Best Years of Our Lives
43. Taxi Driver
42. Raiders of the Lost Ark
41. Goodfellas
40. When Harry Met Sally
39. The Sting
38. American Beauty
37. The Philadelphia Story
36. Midnight Cowboy
35. The Usual Suspects
34. The Sweet Smell of Success
33. The Third Man
32. Fargo
31. His Girl Friday
30. Unforgiven
29. Sullivan's Travels
28. Shakespeare in Love
27. Groundhog Day
26. Double Indemnity
25. The Wizard of Oz
24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
23. Gone with the Wind
22. The Shawshank Redemption
21. North by Northwest
20. It's a Wonderful Life
19. To Kill a Mockingbird
18. On the Waterfront
17. Tootsie
16. Pulp Fiction
15. The Apartment
14. Lawrence of Arabia
13. The Graduate
12. Dr. Strangelove
11. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
10. The Godfather II
9. Some Like It Hot
8. Network
7. Sunset Blvd.
6. Annie Hall
5. All About Eve
4. Citizen Kane
3. Chinatown
2. The Godfather
1. Casablanca
The Writers Guild of America has just come out with their list of the top 101 screenplays of all time. For me as a writer, this is a much more interesting and useful list than the latest AFI top-100-films-that-will-get-us-a-TV-special list.
Aspiring (and working) screenwriters could learn a lot from watching these movies: What makes their screenplays so great? The dialogue? The structure? The story itself? The characters? The "movie moments"?
I've seen 73 on this list. How many have you seen? Gear up your Netflix list and start watching!
101. Notorious
100. Memento
99. The Wild Bunch
98. The Grapes of Wrath
97. The Searchers
96. The Hustler
95. Hannah and her Sisters
94. Patton
93. Do the Right Thing
92. Psycho
91. The Verdict
90. Sideways
89. Forrest Gump
88. Field of Dreams
87. 8 1/2
86. Harold & Maude
85. La Grande Illusion
84. The Princess Bride
83. Rear Window
82. Cool Hand Luke
81. Being There
80. Witness
79. The Producers
78. Rocky
77. Adaptation
76. Raging Bull
75. High Noon
74. Being John Malkovich
73. Amadeus
72. Thelma & Louise
71. The Lion in Winter
70. The African Queen
69. Dog Day Afternoon
68. Star Wars
67. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
66. Jerry Maguire
65. Singin' in the Rain
64. Terms of Endearment
63. Jaws
62. Moonstruck
61. The Silence of the Lambs
60. L.A. Confidential
59. It Happened One Night
58. Ordinary People
57. Crimes and Misdeameanors
56. Back to the Future
55. Apocalypse Now
54. Manhattan
53. All the President's Men
52. The Lady Eve
51. Broadcast News
50. The Sixth Sense
49. Schindler's List
48. The Bridge on the River Kwai
47. The Maltese Falcon
46. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
45. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
44. The Best Years of Our Lives
43. Taxi Driver
42. Raiders of the Lost Ark
41. Goodfellas
40. When Harry Met Sally
39. The Sting
38. American Beauty
37. The Philadelphia Story
36. Midnight Cowboy
35. The Usual Suspects
34. The Sweet Smell of Success
33. The Third Man
32. Fargo
31. His Girl Friday
30. Unforgiven
29. Sullivan's Travels
28. Shakespeare in Love
27. Groundhog Day
26. Double Indemnity
25. The Wizard of Oz
24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
23. Gone with the Wind
22. The Shawshank Redemption
21. North by Northwest
20. It's a Wonderful Life
19. To Kill a Mockingbird
18. On the Waterfront
17. Tootsie
16. Pulp Fiction
15. The Apartment
14. Lawrence of Arabia
13. The Graduate
12. Dr. Strangelove
11. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
10. The Godfather II
9. Some Like It Hot
8. Network
7. Sunset Blvd.
6. Annie Hall
5. All About Eve
4. Citizen Kane
3. Chinatown
2. The Godfather
1. Casablanca
Saturday, April 15, 2006
HIDDEN POWER
My kids had an assembly at school the other day warning them of the dangers of the Internet. Usually I don't even hear about assemblies (if it's, say, some opera singer come to visit or whatever), but this time I heard every beat of it. A cop even came in from the LAPD's internet division to tell them how he catches online predators. All in all, it scared them to pieces.
The assembly was prompted by the discovery on the part of the school officials that many, many kids at the school have MySpace accounts. Given that you have to be 14 to have a MySpace account (at least that's the rule), and given that no one in our school is over 13... well, you see the problem.
Which made me think about the huge immigration marches that happened here in L.A. (and elsewhere) a couple of weeks ago. To me, the amazing thing wasn't that they got 500,000 (or however many) people to march on a Saturday. The amazing thing was what happened the following Monday.
On Monday, approximately 40,000 kids got up and walked out of school (in the L.A. school district) when the bell rang, all to protest immigration issues. (Okay, clearly some kids just walked because it was a day out of school.) But the way they knew to do it? On Sunday afternoon, at about 4:00 in the afternoon, a group of kids started posting the idea on their MySpace accounts.
That's how fast it spread. From a handful to 40,000 in about 16 hours. And the school officials never saw it coming.
Which makes me think about the "Othercott." The idea of going to a different movie on May 19th is spreading; I've had lots of people e-mail me back news on how it's spread. But it shows me how possible it is now to reach enormous numbers of people with so little initial effort.
All to say, we can do better than just helping kids to ditch school. Keep spreading the word about the "othercott" -- If you want, scroll over to my February 11 post and use it. Or change it as appropriate. Or send your own. Or post it on your own blog. Or your MySpace account. Just keep spreading the word that there are other options out there.
And let me know how you see the word being spread.
In the meantime, Happy Easter to you and yours!
The assembly was prompted by the discovery on the part of the school officials that many, many kids at the school have MySpace accounts. Given that you have to be 14 to have a MySpace account (at least that's the rule), and given that no one in our school is over 13... well, you see the problem.
Which made me think about the huge immigration marches that happened here in L.A. (and elsewhere) a couple of weeks ago. To me, the amazing thing wasn't that they got 500,000 (or however many) people to march on a Saturday. The amazing thing was what happened the following Monday.
On Monday, approximately 40,000 kids got up and walked out of school (in the L.A. school district) when the bell rang, all to protest immigration issues. (Okay, clearly some kids just walked because it was a day out of school.) But the way they knew to do it? On Sunday afternoon, at about 4:00 in the afternoon, a group of kids started posting the idea on their MySpace accounts.
That's how fast it spread. From a handful to 40,000 in about 16 hours. And the school officials never saw it coming.
Which makes me think about the "Othercott." The idea of going to a different movie on May 19th is spreading; I've had lots of people e-mail me back news on how it's spread. But it shows me how possible it is now to reach enormous numbers of people with so little initial effort.
All to say, we can do better than just helping kids to ditch school. Keep spreading the word about the "othercott" -- If you want, scroll over to my February 11 post and use it. Or change it as appropriate. Or send your own. Or post it on your own blog. Or your MySpace account. Just keep spreading the word that there are other options out there.
And let me know how you see the word being spread.
In the meantime, Happy Easter to you and yours!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
THEY MADE HIM AN OFFER HE COULDN'T REFUSE
You gotta love it.
I read in today's paper that, after a 40-year search, Italian police captured the godfather of the Cosa Nostra, Bernardo "The Tractor" Provenzano. Italy's most-wanted fugitive, responsible for scores of the most gruesome murders in Mafia history.
And where did they capture him? In a farmhouse in the town of...
(Wait for it...)
Corleone.
Can't you just see Mario Puzo pumping his fist, "Yes!!!"
Why do I have a sudden urge to grab my Godfather I and II laser discs, pop a tub of popcorn, and sit down for the day?
I read in today's paper that, after a 40-year search, Italian police captured the godfather of the Cosa Nostra, Bernardo "The Tractor" Provenzano. Italy's most-wanted fugitive, responsible for scores of the most gruesome murders in Mafia history.
And where did they capture him? In a farmhouse in the town of...
(Wait for it...)
Corleone.
Can't you just see Mario Puzo pumping his fist, "Yes!!!"
Why do I have a sudden urge to grab my Godfather I and II laser discs, pop a tub of popcorn, and sit down for the day?
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
EASTER AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
I realize just about everyone who reads this blog already has their Easter plans set...
And I realize most of you don't live in the L.A. area anyway...
But just in case you don't... and you do...
We are thrilled that this year, our church, Bel Air Presbyterian, will celebrate Easter at the Hollywood Bowl.
Why are we doing this? And how did it happen (I hear you ask)?
Well, we are under construction. Our "Fellowship Court" (basically a big, appx 2500 sq. ft. patio) is ripped up, with a construction fence around it. The sanctuary is fine. But last year, we had 6000 worshippers on Easter, spread across 5 services. And this year, we would have nowhere for them to stand before or after the service -- and getting that many people in and out would be difficult.
So the people who handle such things started thinking about what to do. Rent a big tent? Turns out, a big enough tent was well over $30,000. (And if we tented the parking lots, where do we put the cars?)
Share services with another church? Well, we tried to do that. But most everyone wanted to have their own services (understandable, from a spiritual and financial point of view -- given how much money comes in on Easter).
What about a public venue, people began to muse. What about, say, the Hollywood Bowl?
Impossible. For one thing, the Bowl has its own sunrise service (a bit tooecumenical, at least in its doctrine, for me). It's tradition. They won't change their tradition. And because they have their own service, they have never -- never -- allowed another church to rent out the Bowl for a service. It won't happen.
Nevertheless, we had some well-connected people in the church who could at least get a meeting set up. Give our folks a chance to explain about the construction and the 6000 people (or more), and the fact that this is a one-time thing (construction will be done by next Easter). And to point out that Bel Air is celebrating our 50th anniversary this year (in fact, the very weekend after Easter). And to stress Bel Air's long-standing social commitment to the city of L.A.
The woman in charge of the Bowl's sunrise service was suspicious. "We don't do individual services." Right. We know. But she listened.
And she did more than listen. She started slipping in to services. Listening to see if what she heard from the pulpit matched the pitch she'd been given over lunch.
And I guess she liked what she heard. Because the next thing we knew, we had a yes! (And at about an 80% discount, cheaper than the cost of renting that tent!)
We are excited! We have booked box seats (available only to Bel Air members or attenders who commit to bring unchurched friends to Easter) -- I've never had a box seat at the Bowl before, I'm always back in the cheap seats. We've invited several friends. We're teaming up with another family from church to throw a big Easter brunch afterwards for two or three dozen folks -- Easter egg hunt, home-smoked ham, the works.
So I mean it. If you're in L.A. and have nowhere to go for Easter, come to the Hollywood Bowl. And e-mail me and tell me you're coming, and I'll send you my seat number so we can say hi!
And I realize most of you don't live in the L.A. area anyway...
But just in case you don't... and you do...
We are thrilled that this year, our church, Bel Air Presbyterian, will celebrate Easter at the Hollywood Bowl.
Why are we doing this? And how did it happen (I hear you ask)?
Well, we are under construction. Our "Fellowship Court" (basically a big, appx 2500 sq. ft. patio) is ripped up, with a construction fence around it. The sanctuary is fine. But last year, we had 6000 worshippers on Easter, spread across 5 services. And this year, we would have nowhere for them to stand before or after the service -- and getting that many people in and out would be difficult.
So the people who handle such things started thinking about what to do. Rent a big tent? Turns out, a big enough tent was well over $30,000. (And if we tented the parking lots, where do we put the cars?)
Share services with another church? Well, we tried to do that. But most everyone wanted to have their own services (understandable, from a spiritual and financial point of view -- given how much money comes in on Easter).
What about a public venue, people began to muse. What about, say, the Hollywood Bowl?
Impossible. For one thing, the Bowl has its own sunrise service (a bit tooecumenical, at least in its doctrine, for me). It's tradition. They won't change their tradition. And because they have their own service, they have never -- never -- allowed another church to rent out the Bowl for a service. It won't happen.
Nevertheless, we had some well-connected people in the church who could at least get a meeting set up. Give our folks a chance to explain about the construction and the 6000 people (or more), and the fact that this is a one-time thing (construction will be done by next Easter). And to point out that Bel Air is celebrating our 50th anniversary this year (in fact, the very weekend after Easter). And to stress Bel Air's long-standing social commitment to the city of L.A.
The woman in charge of the Bowl's sunrise service was suspicious. "We don't do individual services." Right. We know. But she listened.
And she did more than listen. She started slipping in to services. Listening to see if what she heard from the pulpit matched the pitch she'd been given over lunch.
And I guess she liked what she heard. Because the next thing we knew, we had a yes! (And at about an 80% discount, cheaper than the cost of renting that tent!)
We are excited! We have booked box seats (available only to Bel Air members or attenders who commit to bring unchurched friends to Easter) -- I've never had a box seat at the Bowl before, I'm always back in the cheap seats. We've invited several friends. We're teaming up with another family from church to throw a big Easter brunch afterwards for two or three dozen folks -- Easter egg hunt, home-smoked ham, the works.
So I mean it. If you're in L.A. and have nowhere to go for Easter, come to the Hollywood Bowl. And e-mail me and tell me you're coming, and I'll send you my seat number so we can say hi!
Monday, April 10, 2006
TWO MUST-READ LINKS
I'd usually rather re-post great things I read (credited, of course) rather than linking, but I've got a couple of things you should read that are simply too long to re-type (especially on a week when I'm finishing a script).
First click over to Leo Partible's Infuse Magazine blog to read They Don't Hate You Because You're a Christian -- You're Just Annoying!. A well-done article that suggests that maybe in the 'war on Christians,' maybe we Christians should take a look at ourselves before throwing any stones. Scroll down to the April 1 entry.
And don't miss Barbara Nicolosi's reposting of Eric Metaxas's lovely Screwtape Letters takeoff, Screwtape on The Da Vinci Code. Delightful and pungent at the same time! Scroll down to the April 7th entry for this one.
Go, read. But feel free to come back here and comment, so I can make sure I see what you think.
First click over to Leo Partible's Infuse Magazine blog to read They Don't Hate You Because You're a Christian -- You're Just Annoying!. A well-done article that suggests that maybe in the 'war on Christians,' maybe we Christians should take a look at ourselves before throwing any stones. Scroll down to the April 1 entry.
And don't miss Barbara Nicolosi's reposting of Eric Metaxas's lovely Screwtape Letters takeoff, Screwtape on The Da Vinci Code. Delightful and pungent at the same time! Scroll down to the April 7th entry for this one.
Go, read. But feel free to come back here and comment, so I can make sure I see what you think.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
MOVIE THOUGHTS: SHE'S THE MAN
Just wanted to give a quick plug for the most delightful movie I've seen, well, since Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
She's the Man is the kind of movie that flies under most people's radar. It's a date movie, sure, but a date movie for junior high or high schoolers. And unless you're a fan of "The Amanda Show" on Nickelodeon (a show you've probably never heard of if you don't have tweens at home), you won't recognize anyone in the cast.
But wow, is this one charming movie!
It's a redo of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (a play I wrote six, count 'em, six papers on in college), and they hit every note just right. The pretty and very funny Amanda Bynes plays Viola, a killer high school soccer player who finds herself stuck when her high school cuts the girls' soccer team. Conveniently, Viola's twin brother Sebastian, who has been expelled from their school for non-attendance, is about to start at the rival high school (Illyria High, of course), a boarding school. But Sebastian, continuing his habit of ditching school, takes off for London for two weeks with his rock band.
So Viola takes his place, moving in to the dorms, making it on to the soccer team (with the help of her roomie, Duke, a hot -- in every way -- soccer player himself). After Viola, posing as Sebastian, improbably proves herself worthy as a 'man,' Duke seeks 'his' help in love -- only problem is, of course, that Viola is falling for Duke herself. Well, actually that's not the only problem: Another problem is that Olivia, the girl Duke's interested in, is falling for Sebastian -- who, of course, is actually Viola. And then when Sebastian comes back to town...
Twelfth Night is, for my money, the funniest and tightest of Shakespeare's mistaken identity comedies, and every note is beautifully picked up and played here. Hey, if you're gonna borrow your plot line, borrow from the best! The performances are all well done, and Amanda Bynes in particular shows that she will have a healthy career in features, not just basic cable, as the all-too-rare funny-and-pretty leading lady.
She's the Man is LOL funny, sweet, and charming. We saw it several weeks into its run, and it'll be out of theatres in a week or two, most likely. So if you like Shakespeare adaptations -- or if you're just in the mood for funny and delightful -- run out and catch it!
She's the Man is the kind of movie that flies under most people's radar. It's a date movie, sure, but a date movie for junior high or high schoolers. And unless you're a fan of "The Amanda Show" on Nickelodeon (a show you've probably never heard of if you don't have tweens at home), you won't recognize anyone in the cast.
But wow, is this one charming movie!
It's a redo of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (a play I wrote six, count 'em, six papers on in college), and they hit every note just right. The pretty and very funny Amanda Bynes plays Viola, a killer high school soccer player who finds herself stuck when her high school cuts the girls' soccer team. Conveniently, Viola's twin brother Sebastian, who has been expelled from their school for non-attendance, is about to start at the rival high school (Illyria High, of course), a boarding school. But Sebastian, continuing his habit of ditching school, takes off for London for two weeks with his rock band.
So Viola takes his place, moving in to the dorms, making it on to the soccer team (with the help of her roomie, Duke, a hot -- in every way -- soccer player himself). After Viola, posing as Sebastian, improbably proves herself worthy as a 'man,' Duke seeks 'his' help in love -- only problem is, of course, that Viola is falling for Duke herself. Well, actually that's not the only problem: Another problem is that Olivia, the girl Duke's interested in, is falling for Sebastian -- who, of course, is actually Viola. And then when Sebastian comes back to town...
Twelfth Night is, for my money, the funniest and tightest of Shakespeare's mistaken identity comedies, and every note is beautifully picked up and played here. Hey, if you're gonna borrow your plot line, borrow from the best! The performances are all well done, and Amanda Bynes in particular shows that she will have a healthy career in features, not just basic cable, as the all-too-rare funny-and-pretty leading lady.
She's the Man is LOL funny, sweet, and charming. We saw it several weeks into its run, and it'll be out of theatres in a week or two, most likely. So if you like Shakespeare adaptations -- or if you're just in the mood for funny and delightful -- run out and catch it!
Friday, April 07, 2006
HERE'S SOMETHING OBSCENE
The Associated Press recently conducted a poll on swearing in America. For those of us who prefer our language on the cleaner (or perhaps just the more creative) side, the results were a bit depressing.
62% of respondents 18- to 34-years-old admitted to swearing several times a week. 39% of those aged 35-and-over admitted to the same amount of swearing.
32% of the men admitted to using the "f-word" weekly, and 23% of the women.
The only upside, according to the article, was that many of those who swear regularly still think it's wrong to do so. But, as Miss Manners points out in the article, people hearing the swear words pretend not to be shocked, and eventually they won't be shocked.
I was actually not that surprised to read these stats. I was almost surprised they weren't higher, given the language I hear out and about. (Actually, my guess is that the respondents lied downward to make themselves look better.)
No, here's the reason the article stuck out to me: The following quotes:
Note the use of the word "profanity." But actually, there was no profanity at all discussed specifically in the article. Obscenity, yes. But no profanity.
Because profanity is that which profanes the name of character of God. Profanity may use "dirty" words. But it may not.
Obscenity, on the other hand, varies from time to time, from culture to culture, from language to language. The "f-word" (which certainly belongs to the category of obscenity, not profanity) derives from a perfectly acceptable Old Germanic word meaning "to join." It has socially acceptable synonyms. It is certainly, in our time, culture and language, an extremely vulgar word, not to be used in polite society (or one would wish). But it doesn't rock the heavens.
Profanity, however, is not specific to time, language, culture. Profaning the name of God is bad. Always. Everywhere. It can have (who knows -- it may always have) eternal consequences. It is wrong, no matter how you spin it.
Okay, fine, I'm being too picky. But I love precise language, and it seems to me the distinction between obscenity and profanity is one worth keeping. And, as Miss Manners points out regarding swear words, if we deliberately let the distinction blur, eventually there won't be a distinction anymore.
And that would be a $&#*)&% shame.
62% of respondents 18- to 34-years-old admitted to swearing several times a week. 39% of those aged 35-and-over admitted to the same amount of swearing.
32% of the men admitted to using the "f-word" weekly, and 23% of the women.
The only upside, according to the article, was that many of those who swear regularly still think it's wrong to do so. But, as Miss Manners points out in the article, people hearing the swear words pretend not to be shocked, and eventually they won't be shocked.
I was actually not that surprised to read these stats. I was almost surprised they weren't higher, given the language I hear out and about. (Actually, my guess is that the respondents lied downward to make themselves look better.)
No, here's the reason the article stuck out to me: The following quotes:
But even though we can't print [the words] (we do have our standards), we can certainly ask: Are we living in an Age of Profanity?
Price, 31, still gets mad at himself for doing it, worries about the impact of profanity (especially from TV) on his children, and regrets the way things have evolved since he was a kid.
Note the use of the word "profanity." But actually, there was no profanity at all discussed specifically in the article. Obscenity, yes. But no profanity.
Because profanity is that which profanes the name of character of God. Profanity may use "dirty" words. But it may not.
Obscenity, on the other hand, varies from time to time, from culture to culture, from language to language. The "f-word" (which certainly belongs to the category of obscenity, not profanity) derives from a perfectly acceptable Old Germanic word meaning "to join." It has socially acceptable synonyms. It is certainly, in our time, culture and language, an extremely vulgar word, not to be used in polite society (or one would wish). But it doesn't rock the heavens.
Profanity, however, is not specific to time, language, culture. Profaning the name of God is bad. Always. Everywhere. It can have (who knows -- it may always have) eternal consequences. It is wrong, no matter how you spin it.
Okay, fine, I'm being too picky. But I love precise language, and it seems to me the distinction between obscenity and profanity is one worth keeping. And, as Miss Manners points out regarding swear words, if we deliberately let the distinction blur, eventually there won't be a distinction anymore.
And that would be a $&#*)&% shame.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
THE BOOKS OF THE FIRST QUARTER
Usually I go over all the books I've read during the year sometime in December/January, but I never really did that for 2005. A couple of reasons. (1) Our lives were so topsy-turvy all year that (2) I didn't read many books at all. Most of what I read was either work-related (i.e., books we were trying to get the screenwriting gig on), or Harry Potter.
But I dove back into my reading with great determination this year, and thought that, instead of setting myself this huge task of cataloguing all books at the end of the year, I'd do it quarter by quarter. So here are January through March's books, alphabetical by title (just to shake it up a bit). If I really loved a book, I've provided the amazon.com link.
The Dark Tower by C.S. Lewis
In my New Year's resolution to read my way through C.S. Lewis (it may take more than one year), somehow I have wanted to start with the fiction. The Dark Tower is a book of short stories, some not-quite-finished. The short story "The Dark Tower" itself is related obliquely to Lewis's space trilogy. Not much good writing here, I have to say -- I'm inclined to think that Walter Hooper, who is suspected of having added to some of this work after Lewis's death, did indeed have a hand in it. The one good story is "Form of Things Unknown," about why man can't quite seem to make this moon landing thing work -- worthy of Robert Heinlein. This rest is interesting, but skippable.
Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God by Dallas Willard
I like to start every new year by reading Dallas Willard in my quiet time. Usually I read The Divine Conspiracy, which is by far the most challenging and enlightening Christian book I have ever read. But this year I started with Hearing God, a rewrite of an older book called In Search of Guidance. In many ways, the older title is more apt. This is really a book about finding, knowing and following God's will. The first two-thirds of the book is quite academic, sort of laying the groundwork for what we really want to know about. But it finishes well, becoming downright practical -- as well as both challenging and encouraging, as Dallas always is.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
A chilling you-are-there account of the 1996 catastrophic season on Mt. Everest, in which eight people died in one 24-hour period. Absolutely riveting because Krakauer was there, writing about the expedition for a magazine. Krakauer is a terrific writer, and moves out of journalist mode to weave his own guilt -- survivor's and otherwise -- through the telling of a can't-take-your-eyes-off-it story. One of those books that gives you an experience you will most probably never get in your own lifetime.
Krakatoa by Simon Winchester
I really wanted to read about a big explosion. I wanted to read about the worldwide effects of Krakatoa, about how it produced the weird red sky behind Edvard Munch's famous painting "The Scream." Stuff like that. Instead I got a history of geology. A plodding read, sometimes as slow as continental drift itself.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Not the right time to read this, having just seen the movie. I ended up doing more mental comparison between the book and movie than anything else. But, risking the wrath of Narnia fans everywhere, I have to say: Lewis just didn't know how to write for kids (he got better later in the series). Take away the Christian allegory elements (and the built-in fan base), and I doubt this story would have survived. Sorry. But give me J.K. Rowling, or even E. Nesbit, any day.
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
I started my re-reading of The Chronicles of Narnia here because (a) that's how the publisher is packaging the series now (mine had Magician's Nephew as book no. 6, as it was originally released and written, and (b) because it's my favorite of the books. The story of the creation of Narnia, Magician's Nephew is actually, I think, one of the better written of the Narnia books, which definitely show the signs throughout of a writer-for-adults contorting himself a bit to try to communicate with children. I think this is the book where I really liked Aslan the best, and where I felt the underlying message was the strongest and best interwoven with the story.
Man in White by Johnny Cash
Yes, this is indeed "Man in White" by the "Man in Black." I really debated about whether to include an amazon link, but realized it would be sort of meaningless, as this book is very out of print. The story of the apostle Paul captivated and obsessed Cash for years, and his depth of research comes through on every page (sometimes in endearingly clumsy ways). The story covers Paul immediately before and after his conversion. The depth of faith and insight is at times astounding, but the characters so often talk in direct Scripture quotes that it hinders the readability.
The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester
I was introduced to the Oxford English Dictionary in college, and promptly fell in love. The OED, compiled over some 70+ years, set out to be the complete record of the English language: Every word in the language, with a complete history of pronunciation, meaning, and spelling, illustrated with quotes attached to every meaning of every word to show how the word has been used through time. (Not as complete as they boast: no dirty words. They were Victorians, after all.) I would have loved to have been one of the thousands of volunteers who collected quotes for the OED, so loved reading about its creation. If you love words, and esp. the history of words, as I do, this is the book for you.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
What a rich and unique book this is! Designed as radio talks for the unchurched, Mere Christianity presents in clear, readable, and absolutely logical terms a defense of historic Christianity. An amazing feat, to combine such a topic with such an audience. Yet Lewis manages to take both high intellectual points and issues of the deepest faith, and make them clear. Brilliant. He wrote the talks originally to set historic Christianity against the "modern" -- against the culture of his day. Given that that day is now history itself, it's particularly interesting to read, and makes the timelessness of Christianity stand out even more. If you haven't read this book, what are you waiting for?
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
Lewis's first attempt to write science fiction. It really belongs to the "old school" of SF -- Wells, Burroughs, Verne -- and is written in that fusty, overwritten style, even though it is contemporary with much more readable writers. The bad guys feel dated, indeed. Nevertheless, there is some fascinating stuff in here in the creation of a world that has never known the Fall, and that's where the story really works.
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
This is the first book Winchester wrote about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. This one focuses on the relationship between James Murray, the master editor of the OED, and an insane American doctor confined to an asylum, who did a lot of work as a volunteer for the OED. Interesting, but read The Meaning of Everything (which contains a condensed version of the basics of this story) instead.
The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting by Christie Mellor
A Christmas gift, this was a fun read, but not something I can imagine picking up again. Quite funny, even LOL a few times, it's basically a snarky (sometimes twisted) look at parenting that makes the claim that parents do not have to (and shouldn't)_ give up their own lives for the sake of their children. The parents who most need to hear that their making their kids the center of the universeis a bad thing, however, are likely to be quite offended to be humor here. Might be a cute baby shower gift (for parents of a second child-- newbie parents would probably be shocked).
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
I think this is one of the strongest Narnia books, perhaps because Lewis's fiction works better in the vignette form, and the voyage from island to island allows him to do just that. The story of Eustace becoming a dragon is by far the highlight, I think, of all the Narnia books. But there's a lot to enjoy here -- the descriptions of the sailing itself, the horrors of the Dark Island, Lucy's encounter with the Magician at the end.
But I dove back into my reading with great determination this year, and thought that, instead of setting myself this huge task of cataloguing all books at the end of the year, I'd do it quarter by quarter. So here are January through March's books, alphabetical by title (just to shake it up a bit). If I really loved a book, I've provided the amazon.com link.
The Dark Tower by C.S. Lewis
In my New Year's resolution to read my way through C.S. Lewis (it may take more than one year), somehow I have wanted to start with the fiction. The Dark Tower is a book of short stories, some not-quite-finished. The short story "The Dark Tower" itself is related obliquely to Lewis's space trilogy. Not much good writing here, I have to say -- I'm inclined to think that Walter Hooper, who is suspected of having added to some of this work after Lewis's death, did indeed have a hand in it. The one good story is "Form of Things Unknown," about why man can't quite seem to make this moon landing thing work -- worthy of Robert Heinlein. This rest is interesting, but skippable.
Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God by Dallas Willard
I like to start every new year by reading Dallas Willard in my quiet time. Usually I read The Divine Conspiracy, which is by far the most challenging and enlightening Christian book I have ever read. But this year I started with Hearing God, a rewrite of an older book called In Search of Guidance. In many ways, the older title is more apt. This is really a book about finding, knowing and following God's will. The first two-thirds of the book is quite academic, sort of laying the groundwork for what we really want to know about. But it finishes well, becoming downright practical -- as well as both challenging and encouraging, as Dallas always is.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
A chilling you-are-there account of the 1996 catastrophic season on Mt. Everest, in which eight people died in one 24-hour period. Absolutely riveting because Krakauer was there, writing about the expedition for a magazine. Krakauer is a terrific writer, and moves out of journalist mode to weave his own guilt -- survivor's and otherwise -- through the telling of a can't-take-your-eyes-off-it story. One of those books that gives you an experience you will most probably never get in your own lifetime.
Krakatoa by Simon Winchester
I really wanted to read about a big explosion. I wanted to read about the worldwide effects of Krakatoa, about how it produced the weird red sky behind Edvard Munch's famous painting "The Scream." Stuff like that. Instead I got a history of geology. A plodding read, sometimes as slow as continental drift itself.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Not the right time to read this, having just seen the movie. I ended up doing more mental comparison between the book and movie than anything else. But, risking the wrath of Narnia fans everywhere, I have to say: Lewis just didn't know how to write for kids (he got better later in the series). Take away the Christian allegory elements (and the built-in fan base), and I doubt this story would have survived. Sorry. But give me J.K. Rowling, or even E. Nesbit, any day.
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
I started my re-reading of The Chronicles of Narnia here because (a) that's how the publisher is packaging the series now (mine had Magician's Nephew as book no. 6, as it was originally released and written, and (b) because it's my favorite of the books. The story of the creation of Narnia, Magician's Nephew is actually, I think, one of the better written of the Narnia books, which definitely show the signs throughout of a writer-for-adults contorting himself a bit to try to communicate with children. I think this is the book where I really liked Aslan the best, and where I felt the underlying message was the strongest and best interwoven with the story.
Man in White by Johnny Cash
Yes, this is indeed "Man in White" by the "Man in Black." I really debated about whether to include an amazon link, but realized it would be sort of meaningless, as this book is very out of print. The story of the apostle Paul captivated and obsessed Cash for years, and his depth of research comes through on every page (sometimes in endearingly clumsy ways). The story covers Paul immediately before and after his conversion. The depth of faith and insight is at times astounding, but the characters so often talk in direct Scripture quotes that it hinders the readability.
The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester
I was introduced to the Oxford English Dictionary in college, and promptly fell in love. The OED, compiled over some 70+ years, set out to be the complete record of the English language: Every word in the language, with a complete history of pronunciation, meaning, and spelling, illustrated with quotes attached to every meaning of every word to show how the word has been used through time. (Not as complete as they boast: no dirty words. They were Victorians, after all.) I would have loved to have been one of the thousands of volunteers who collected quotes for the OED, so loved reading about its creation. If you love words, and esp. the history of words, as I do, this is the book for you.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
What a rich and unique book this is! Designed as radio talks for the unchurched, Mere Christianity presents in clear, readable, and absolutely logical terms a defense of historic Christianity. An amazing feat, to combine such a topic with such an audience. Yet Lewis manages to take both high intellectual points and issues of the deepest faith, and make them clear. Brilliant. He wrote the talks originally to set historic Christianity against the "modern" -- against the culture of his day. Given that that day is now history itself, it's particularly interesting to read, and makes the timelessness of Christianity stand out even more. If you haven't read this book, what are you waiting for?
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
Lewis's first attempt to write science fiction. It really belongs to the "old school" of SF -- Wells, Burroughs, Verne -- and is written in that fusty, overwritten style, even though it is contemporary with much more readable writers. The bad guys feel dated, indeed. Nevertheless, there is some fascinating stuff in here in the creation of a world that has never known the Fall, and that's where the story really works.
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
This is the first book Winchester wrote about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. This one focuses on the relationship between James Murray, the master editor of the OED, and an insane American doctor confined to an asylum, who did a lot of work as a volunteer for the OED. Interesting, but read The Meaning of Everything (which contains a condensed version of the basics of this story) instead.
The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting by Christie Mellor
A Christmas gift, this was a fun read, but not something I can imagine picking up again. Quite funny, even LOL a few times, it's basically a snarky (sometimes twisted) look at parenting that makes the claim that parents do not have to (and shouldn't)_ give up their own lives for the sake of their children. The parents who most need to hear that their making their kids the center of the universeis a bad thing, however, are likely to be quite offended to be humor here. Might be a cute baby shower gift (for parents of a second child-- newbie parents would probably be shocked).
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
I think this is one of the strongest Narnia books, perhaps because Lewis's fiction works better in the vignette form, and the voyage from island to island allows him to do just that. The story of Eustace becoming a dragon is by far the highlight, I think, of all the Narnia books. But there's a lot to enjoy here -- the descriptions of the sailing itself, the horrors of the Dark Island, Lucy's encounter with the Magician at the end.
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