MOVIE THOUGHTS: ATONEMENT

Pretentious, self-indulgent, unsatisfying in the end, and full of itself. I know this movie has fans, but I am not one of them. (And neither is the friend I saw it with.)

Pass. See something else.

MOVIE THOUGHTS: CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR

Growing up in the general L.A. area, I noticed mysterious notations at the very bottom of movie ads around this time of year: "Academy members: Your card will admit you and a guest to any screening."

Wow, I would think. Not only do the Academy members get the Oscars, they get free movies on top of that!

Some years ago, that perk was extended to the Guilds -- the WGA, DGA... well, not SAG, because they're so huge, but their nominating committee at least. Basically anyone with awards to give out.

Which means it's "free movie" season, and this year we're in a better position to take advantage of it than we have been in a while (all that strike-provided free time). So look to see some movie thoughts appearing here over the next few weeks.

Today, it's Charlie Wilson's War.

Charlie Wilson's War is a pleasant movie, definitely not a waste of time, though I really don't see what all the awards talk is all about. (Probably it's based on the movie's pedigree -- Mike Nichols directing, Aaron Sorkin writing, Tom Hanks/Julia Roberts/Philip Seymour Hoffman starring... and not on the actual movie.)

Based on actual events, Charlie Wilson's War tells the story of hard-drinking, hard-flirting Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson's successful efforts to fund a covert war backing the Afghans against the Soviets in the 80s.

The story is told with a lot of snappy, very enjoyable dialogue, as one would expect of Sorkin. It's pretty straightforward in the telling: Tom Hanks, as Charlie, has his consciousness raised (or something like that) by the efforts of socialite do-gooder Julia Roberts concerning the plight of the poor Afghans being decimated by the Soviets. He teams up with CIA geek Hoffman to learn more, then charmingly twists arms to appropriate money to fund this secret war. He starts asking for $5 million, ends up with a billion and change by the end of it. The Afghans beat back the Soviets. The CIA gives Charlie a secret medal.

Performances are good, with Tom Hanks burying himself in a character more than I've seen in quite a while. When Hanks and Hoffman are onscreen together, things positively crackle. Julia Roberts does the best she can do with a truly horrendous hairstyle that ages her a good 15 years, and with really no purpose for her character (you could pull the character completely out of the movie, tweak a few lines here and there, and move forward without realizing you'd missed anything).

Production values are decent, though the stock footage used to show the Afghan story is a mess. Some is highly degraded, some is fine, but it's all smushed together willy-nilly. Perhaps what we're seeing here is Nichols' lack of experience in directing (or editing) action. If he'd degraded all the stock footage (including the new stuff that was cut in with the stock), maybe sepia'd it all to give it some style, it would have been much stronger (and much less boring).

The reason the movie doesn't rise to award-caliber, however, has nothing to do with the performances (I wouldn't be too surprised to see a nomination or two, though no awards) or the actual production. It has to do with the decisions made prior to (or during) the writing.

Yes, the dialogue is superb. Hilarious, at times. But this is a movie that doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. The fact that it's nominated in the "Comedy/Musical" category of the Golden Globes speaks to this: Charlie Wilson's War is definitely not a comedy. But with all that hyper-witty dialogue, and with the lightness of tone that suggests that what's happening here really was just a fun little interlude, it's hard to see it as a drama either.

But it wasn't a fun little interlude. As the movie hints at (with the closing quote, and with Hoffman's enigmatic "Zen master" story near the close), but never never comes out and says, this covert "war" was the immediate cause of the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The fact that the movie is scared to come out and say this (only dropping those hints for those already in the know) is almost a plea on the part of the filmmakers for the audience not to take them too seriously.

And that part of the movie works. It's hard to take Charlie Wilson's War seriously. Fun, witty, enjoyable, yes. Important? Award-worthy? Nope.

Now if Oliver Stone had made this movie... that would have been worth taking seriously.

CHRISTMAS DURING A STRIKE

Christmas during a strike turns out to be very odd. We pretend things are normal. But they're not.

No party this year. That was a shock to our kids, who thought of our annual Christmas party as something immutable. Few festivities to go to. (Are people having fewer parties? Or are we not being invited -- to, say, parties thrown by producers -- because we're writers on strike?) Far fewer presents under the tree. No cards. No newsletter. No Christmas picture (another shock for the kids).

In other ways, which I won't detail here, things are strange for us this year. And so we see our kids clinging to every bit of tradition they can. Normally we drag them to light the candles on our Advent wreath. This year at every opportunity they reminded us, "Are we going to light the Advent candles?"

A few years ago, we decided to bake a birthday cake for Jesus. Little did I realize, if we do something Christmas-related only once, it immediately becomes a ritual. This year, Jesus's tastes seem to have become more sophisticated. He's always been happy with chocolate cake from a mix before, but this year only a carrot cake from scratch will do. (So today is baking day.)

Tonight we'll go to the early service at church. We'll come home and each open one present. We'll share Jesus's birthday cake. It will all seem normal. But, at least for me, it's all against a background of not-normal. It's as if we could pull back the camera at any instant and see that we're really on a sound stage and none of this is real.

Tomorrow everyone gets whatever they want for breakfast. ("Mom, could I have a Guitar Hero III for breakfast?" Cory asked.) Sabrina is having chocolate chip pancakes and pomegranate ice cream. Cory is having cranberry bliss bars and pomegranate ice cream. Lee is having orange chicken and fried rice.

Then we open presents (and yes, thanks to that savvy eBaying by mom, there will be a Guitar Hero III... though it will be Sabrina's name that's on it). My mother can't join us this year, for many reasons, so we will go down to her house in the afternoon, then go to some good friends for Christmas dinner. We're extremely grateful for that -- probably the most "real" Christmas thing we'll do.

And then comes New Year's. Usually we look ahead, I make my resolutions, we feel the hope that New Year's brings. But this year, New Year's brings... well, more striking. Uncertainty. Not a lot of hope. Maybe the strike will end in January/February after the force majeure cards are played. But maybe not.

It's odd to feel such uncertainty at Christmastime. I realize most of the world lives in greater uncertainty at all times than we do now. But it's still odd.

Nevertheless, it's still Christmas. It's the Christmas we've got, even if not the one we'd like to have.

So here's wishing you all (those of you who have stuck around despite the dearth of my recent blogging!) (and for whom I'm grateful) a very Merry Christmas and a Hopeful New Year.

IN PRAISE OF THE POST OFFICE

Every year I send a box of Christmas gifts to my stepbrother and his family in northern California. I don't mind the shopping and wrapping. It's the shipping that always drives me crazy. Finding (or buying -grr) the right size box. Packing it, stuffing in newspaper. Sealing it.

Then the joy of standing in line... standing in line... standing in line... to get it weighed and postaged. And of course it's usually right around the busiest post office day of the year (yesterday) that I end up ready to ship. So that line is immense.

This year, I had a little bit of early shipping to do. Okay, I'll confess. My kids want Guitar Hero III for their Wii. Impossible to find. And it costs $100, way out of range for a striking writer. I checked on eBay, but of course there were no deals there, not for something to hard to find. In fact, all the GH III's for the Wii were going for a premium.

Hmmm. Now there's an idea...

So a couple of weeks ago, I happened to be driving on a freeway I never take, through a part of town I never drive through. In fact, I was in Compton, famous for its gangs and homicide rate. And I saw a brand new shopping center off the freeway. Best Buy. Home Depot. Target.

On a whim, I got off the freeway and worked my way back. Best Buy was sold out. But Target had -- get this -- 16 GH III's for the Wii. The only store in town to even have one of them!

I bought 6. One for my kids, 5 for eBay. And I've sold all 5, earning just enough to cover the cost of the game for my kids.

Yes, I know, this is supposed to be about the post office. We're getting there.

I haven't sold anything on eBay in years, and everything I've sold before has been envelope-sized. So I was delighted to see that Paypal would allow me to print and pay for a shipping label for my GH IIIs. Lots of line-standing avoided. Thanks, Paypal!

Back to the gifts for my stepbrother. I got them all packed this morning, got ready for that looooong line at the post office --

And then I wondered. If the post office will let me print and pay for a shipping label through eBay and PayPal, maybe I can just do it on my own.

Yes! I did it at usps.gov. And it was easy. Amazingly easy. And it took a matter of minutes -- less time than it would take to drive to the post office, much less park, wait in line, wait in line, wait in line, and then drive home.

Maybe you all knew this. Maybe you're laughing at me for just now figuring this out. Go ahead. Laugh. With not much to be glad over around here, the sheer ease and efficiency of this just made my day.

And if you didn't know about it, now you can avoid the lines, too!

SEVEN WEEKS... AND A GREAT LINK

We're now in the seventh week of the strike. And it's guaranteed to go ten weeks, as everything is shutting down this week till after New Year's. (There's a big WGA meeting tonight, a rally sponsored by the TV crime writers outside the AMPTP offices tomorrow, and that's it till January 7.)

We should be getting depressed and weary. But somehow, resolve seems just as strong among writers as it did week 1. That's actually pretty cool.

Here's a terrific essay by WGA member Bob Elisberg appearing on the Huffington Post. A quick snip from it so you'll see why you should click over...

Most people misunderstand why the Writers Guild of America is striking, too. But most can grasp it once it's explained. The AMPTP, not so much.

You see, writers have long had a credo of "Pass it on." When I say "long," I mean cave-dwellers, sitting around the fire, enthralling listeners with tales of hope, terror, laughter and enchantment. Passing on stories is a writer's reason for being -- and at the core of that, they pass on their craft to other writers. Writers can be argumentative, isolated and petulant, but they adore what they do -- to sit alone for a lifetime, dreaming up ways to enthrall others, you have to adore what you do -- and so they have a burning desire to see that devotion continued. And so, they pass it on.

I've been saying for a while that there's one thing the AMPTP seems to have forgotten in this strike. They've forgotten that we're writers. For instance, they seem to think that because they pay big bucks to a PR firm, and we have no PR firm, they'll win the PR war. But we're writers. We know how to think. We know how to communicate. It's what we do.

The AMPTP may have all the money. But it turns out money isn't the only weapon in this struggle. If there's one thing this strike has done for me, and for many others, it's to make me proud that I'm a writer. And proud to be a member of my Guild.

Anyway, click over to the HuffPost article. Well-written, well worth reading.

LOOKING FOR A PROJECT...

When you take those "career" questionnaires in college, one of the parameters often used to help you decide what you should do for a living revolves around the concept of whether you're more "routine-oriented" or "project-oriented."

Do you like to do the same thing every day (see patients, answer phones, patrol streets, sell sweaters)? Or do you like to see a project through from start to finish, then start something else (plan events, run campaigns, build houses, make movies)?

For me, it was never a question. Since I was 8 or 9, I've known I'm highly project-oriented. People ask me, "Do you have to write?" And I answer, "No. I don't have to write. Lee has to write. I can write. But I have to organize, to plan."

Right now, however, I have nothing to plan. No project.

Normally, this time of year, I would be up my ears in Christmas. We usually throw a Christmas party, which is usually quite large (120+). We give little gifts to all our guests (something else to plan and execute in itself), and of course there are the invitations, tracking the RSVPs, planning menus, cleaning cleaning cleaning, shopping, wrapping...

We're not having a party this year, for obvious reasons. This is the first time in over 20 years we aren't having any party at all.

Maybe we should be working on a spec script. And we sort of are. But it's remarkably hard to write when you're on strike, I'm finding. And knowing you can't show it to anyone sort of takes the juice out of it all.

Maybe I should find something else to write, then. But frankly, nothing else I could write (not going back to All I Need To Know I Learned From Harry Potter, not either of the screenwriting books) stands a chance of earning back financially any decent recompense for the time put into it, probably not even minimum wage. And when you're on strike, somehow the financial issues come to the forefront.

Even picketing can only take you so far. And the pickets shut down for the holidays in 5 days anyway.

I'm not looking for a way to fill my days (volunteering at my kids' schools, feeding the homeless, walking the picket line, grading papers, running errands). I need a project. Something I can see through from beginning to end. Something I can first plan, then execute, then finish.

I expected to give up a lot in going on strike. My expectations have certainly been correct. But this one caught me by surprise: The need for a project.

MAYBE THEY REALLY DON'T GET IT

The AMPTP has been insisting since before the strike that they don't understand the Internet. "It's too new!" How can anyone possibly figure out how to make money off it?!

Maybe they were (for a change) telling the truth.

The AMPTP has, of course, a website. www.amptp.org.. Rather blah, but it's not like they're writers or anything.

But it seems, when they bought their domain name, they neglected to buy all their domain names.

So a writer did it for them. Check out www.amptp.com. (Hilarious! The best laugh of the strike!)

(A warning: Some language issues, if those things bother you. And I wouldn't encourage you to click on the "Just For Fun" link.)

I guess they really don't know how the Internet works after all...

WEEK SIX OF THE STRIKE

The AMPTP (the organization which negotiates on behalf of the studios andnetworks) walked away from the bargaining table on Friday. Given that theyhad their press release out to the media less than 5 minutes from walkingout (a press release which had to be not only written, but approved by representativesof each and every studio and network ahead of time), it would seem exceedinglynaive to think they walked out spontaneously.

It's going to be a long strike. January. Maybe February. (And if it doesn't settle by mid-February, probably July.)

But there have been some high points.

For instance, yesterday Lee joined the "Star Trek" picket at Paramount. At thepicket were Star Trek stars and writers from every incarnation of the show(George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Brent Spiner, Armin Shimmerman, Walter Koenig,Scott Bakula... and more). Lee went wearing (of course) his WGA-approvedbright red strike shirt, and carried a sign reading, "Studios -- Don't Killthe Redshirts!"

Other signs on the line included "Writers are Not Expendable" (carried by a guy in a red shirt, of course) and "Residuals are Not Futile." And Lee came home with a cool t-shirt -- on the front it says "Logic Dictates that The Needs of the Many Outweigh The Needs of the Few." And on the back it has a "Live long and prosper" image, and says "Trekkies Support the Writers -- Strikedate December 10, 2007."

Okay, we all have to let our inner geek out once in a while.

There's a Heroes picket today, but we're not going to make it in time. A little geekiness goes a long way.

JUST A LITTLE KVELLING, IF YOU DON'T MIND

Sabrina really didn't want to be in our church's Advent musical this year. Or rather, she wanted to be in it, but only if she had a speaking role. Trouble is, she didn't tell anyone she wanted a speaking role. Not me, not the director (who's an old friend and Sabrina knows her well). So, of course, she ended up with a singing role, not a speaking role.

She cried. I told her she had to let someone know if she wanted a specific role. She wanted to quit. I wouldn't let her.

She did get a solo, of course. And then another solo. And then when one of the girls assigned to yet another solo couldn't handle the music, it became a duet with Sabrina keeping her on track. So she ended up with a lot of time in front of a mike.

And I ended up being very proud of her. For two reasons.

First -- the day before the big show, one of the moms involved w/ the staging threw a screaming fit at the director. Right in front of kids and parents alike -- "Your show would be nothing without me!," that kind of thing. Really inappropriate, very melodramatic. Well, it turns out this same mom threw the same kind of irrational screaming tirade at me a year or so ago, and the director knew it. So she called, extremely upset, to tell us about it, and to ask: If the screaming mom pulled her kid from the show at the last minute, would Sabrina learn that child's speaking role and step in?

Well, I was pretty sure this mom would do nothing of the kind. But I told Sabrina about the director's request, just because I wanted her to be aware (just in case), and because I wanted her to know how much the director trusted her.

And here's where I was proud the first time: Sabrina, essentially being offered a shot at the speaking role she had wanted so badly, told me that while of course she would love the role, and of course she would help the director out, she really hoped her friend showed up for the show because she had worked so hard on the role and it would be such a disappointment to her if she didn't get to go on.

Sabrina's friend was late for her call time. So I saw Sabrina's face when she actually showed up. Sabrina was so happy that her friend didn't miss her chance to be onstage. Even in the part Sabrina wanted. And I was proud.

Then came the show. Sabrina sang her solos which, frankly, turned out to be better "roles" than any of the kids' speaking roles she had coveted (all the good lines and funny moments went to the adult characters). One of her solos, in the song "Some Children See Him," was actually quite musically difficult. The other soloists had some problems hitting their notes, but Sabrina was right on. She was luminous and sang beautifully.

And afterward, we were approached by a couple of people. One was a musician we know pretty well at church who praised Sabrina for being rock-solid and absolutely reliable. He had watched her in rehearsals, he said, and not only did she have a beautiful instrument, she got it exactly right every single time. High praise from this guy.

Then I was approached by a total stranger, who introduced himself as a professional singer. He couldn't stop raving about Sabrina's voice (her resonances, something about her soft palate -- someone would have to interpret half his comments to me). He told us that the level of emotion she sings with (something she's had since she was 5) can't be taught and is incredibly precious, told us that her musicality and tonality were incredible, said she was the only real singer on the stage that night, kept saying she has a gift and we must support it. He went on for a good 10 minutes, all out of nowhere. I don't even know his name.

(An interesting side note -- both men told us she shouldn't have voice lessons for another year or two, but that she should start piano right away for the understanding of musical structure that she's going to need. Hmm.)

We've always known Sabrina could sing. We listen to her sing for (sometimes) hours a day. But somehow having these comments come at us drove it home in a new way.

Sabrina's had a rocky year in many ways, and for her to get this kind of affirmation was so lovely. It just made her glow. "I guess I know I'm good at something," she said. (Says the little girl with almost straight A's!)

So pardon my kvelling. But on both levels -- talent and grace -- I was so proud of my little girl this weekend.

GETTING CAUGHT UP...

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted here, and I can't believe anyone's still checking in! Thank you for your patience.

The past couple of weeks have been extremely discombobulating for many reasons, and I feel as if I am just getting my head above water to grab a breath. But a few thoughts....

A Thankful Thought

A long overdue thanks to John Granger for his lovely post on my behalf. It was so nice, in the first days of the strike, to hear kind thoughts from people in my "other" world.

A Weary Thought

The strike continues. Hopes were high among some (not among me) when the writers and producers returned to the negotiating table last week. But though talks resume tomorrow, they appear to be getting nowhere.

A lot of non-industry friends of mine caught the false hope. "I hear the producers have made a really good offer!" they'd tell me. But no. Here's a sample. Right now if a writer writes a half-hour sitcom and it is re-run on its original broadcast network, the writer receives $11,000 and change for that re-run. (That is not a residual payment, by the way; it's part of the originally contracted amount for writing the show in the first place. Residuals are for re-use in a different broadcast venue than the original showing, and a re-run on the same network is not a different broadcast venue, it's the same one.)

But when was the last time you saw a lot of re-runs on TV? All the re-runs are going to the internet. And what do the studios want to pay for that first re-run (same show, same time frame, just moved to a different channel)? Nothing for the first six weeks. (You know, the time when most people would be most likely to go looking for that re-run, the time period in which the studios can charge the most to the advertisers.) And then $139 to cover all re-runs for the next year.

That's not a "good offer." It's a 99% rollback.

So we have a loooong way to go.

My guess is that we won't see movement until January, when the studios/networks are legally able to cancel (or "force majeure") their standing deals with dozens of writers and actors, netting themselves hundreds of millions of dollars. I'm thinking that might be the key moment to get some serious talking going. We'll see.

You can check out more here -- more information, more links to cool videos, etc.

An Enchanting Thought

In the middle of the discombobulation and sweat, we took a moment to see Enchanted. What a lovely movie! Sweet, fun, fresh, relaxing, witty. I'll try to blog a real post about it soon. But don't wait for me to do that -- just go see it!

...

Okay, that's all I can manage for now. Back tomorrow (I hope?!) with either that post about Enchanted or some thoughts that I am still working out about my lovely Sabrina's burgeoning gift and what to do about it....

But at least I'm back. That's a start... Thanks for sticking around.

HAPPY THANKS GIVING

If you've been reading this blog for over a year, you know that I stop to list my thanks for the year around this time.

I actually do it every month (okay, almost every month). I have a journal where I list, at the beginning of each month, 50 things I'm thankful for. Some months it just flows. Some months I have to really work to dig up the things I'm grateful for.

This has been a year where it's been hard to find things to say thanks about. A lot of cruddy stuff, to be honest. A lot. Maybe that makes my "thankfulness" exercise even more important.

This list here is chosen randomly from the last year's monthly "thankfulness" lists, starting with the present and going back in time. I encourage you to take time this week to do something similar.

1. Finishing up some writing that was due on deadline.
2. A friendly relationship with various other professors
3. A BBQ and "salon" at a former student's home
4. The Starbucks at USC
5. A good meeting with an actress and producer
6. Watching Cory and a friend of his from church aceing "Harry Potter Celebrity"
7. Family Camp
8. My mother's caregiver Estelle
9. "Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow"
10. Liking this year's students at USC
11. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
12. IMing with my friend Pete in Chicago
13. Sabrina having a better attitude about Vacation Bible School this year
14. Our friends Andrea and Brady's charming new house
15. Lots of reports on how helpful Cory was while volunteering at Vacation Bible School
16. No health catastrophes
17. Finishing Cory's graduation video well
18. Finding lots of uniforms that fit Sabrina at our school's used uniform sale
19. The "American Idol" finale
20. Working on the 6th grade video with producer Lisa
21. Watching movie musicals with the kids
22. All of Cory's school-year-end activities
23. Mother's Day brunch with Grandma
24. Our friend Bob joining our writers' group
25. Cory's friend Cameron praying for his school situation
26. Watching "Dancing with the Stars" with the kids
27. Sabrina's teacher calling to check up on Cory's school applications
28. Our former agent keeping tabs on us
29. A perfect Easter brunch
30. Sabrina having a wonderful time on her class trip to Sacramento
31. Praying with Lee
32. Lee working really hard to get a job (that we didn't get)
33. Being promised a class at USC for the fall
34. Two really terrific scripts written by my students
35. Spring break
36. Box seats at the Hollywood Bowl for Easter morning
37. Playing "Alchemy" on my computer
38. Deciding to throw another Easter brunch
39. Lee's good work prepping for (another job we didn't get)
40. Watching "Heroes" with the kids
41. My new cell phone
42. Sabrina enjoying Junior Winter Camp even without snow
43. Nick from "Life Without Limbs" speaking at our church
44. Re-reading "Divine Conspiracy"
45. Our friend Andrea being pregnant again
46. Hosting the Alliance of Women Directors' members' meeting
47. Getting our cars fixed
48. Seeing "Rocky Balboa"
49. Cory suddenly being all cuddly and affectionate
50. Lee giving me a new guitar for Christmas


Okay, there's the list for this year. Here's hoping the next year, it won't be so hard to compile these lists!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving for 2007....

FROM THE MOUTHS OF CHILDREN

My daughter has been particularly concerned about the writers' strike, asking me all sorts of questions that one would not expect a girl her age to care about ("What's a force majeure?" "How are the studios and the networks related?"). Maybe just because of the extreme uncertainty it brings to her own world, she is deeply anxious for an end to this whole thing.

Nevertheless, I was quite surprised when she announced a couple of days ago that she was going to make a video to put on YouTube about the strike. How cute, I thought.

No. Not "cute" at all. She got incredibly into it. The little girl who gets in trouble for not completing her essays on time for English threw herself into writing the script for the video (after informing me that, after all, the script comes first and foremost). When I asked her if she wanted to join us watching TV, she looked up and said, "No, I think this is much too important." And when she said she was going to show her essay to her English teacher, and I commented that Dr. J. would be so glad to see her writing for fun, she said, "Mom. This is serious. It is not for 'fun.'"

The video itself will have to wait for a couple of weeks as our lives are in too much consternation at the moment. But here's the script. (Imagine it performed with all the hauteur of an indignant 11-year-old.)

THE STRIKING FACTS

My name is Sabrina. I'm making this video. to tell what is really going on in the Writers’ Strike. Now you may be asking, “What would an 11-year-old kid know about the strike?” My sources are two writers. I call them “Mom” and “Dad.”

The writers’ requests are not unreasonable. Writers are getting four cents per DVD. They asked for eight cents. Because of that, studios have greedily offered to pay less than four cents. Isn’t that generous of the studios? I thought so.

Another conflict is the profit writers are getting from the Internet. Do you know how much writers are paid for the Internet downloads? Nothing! Nada! Zero! Zilch! The excuse the studios made up for this is, “The Internet is too new.” The Internet has been around for as long as I have been alive. Do I look new? Was I born yesterday? No! Thousands of thousands of people use the Internet day after day. THE INTERNET IS NOT NEW!!!

You may think the writers want to be on strike. They don’t. About 4,000 writers have had to tell their kids that they’re not having Christmas this year. Studios don’t care! They might as well be saying, “No Christmas for you. Too bad. So sad. Who cares as long as we have a good Christmas because we’re more important. See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya.”

Many people other than writers are out of their jobs. Because of the writers’ strike, actors, cameramen, the doughnut boy, and many others are losing their jobs. If writers don’t write, new episodes can’t be shot. If new episodes aren’t shot, actors can’t act, and there’ll be nothing to shoot. If there’s nothing to shoot, cameramen are not needed, so nobody can do their job. Everything depends on the writers.

Studio executives have been caught on tape saying things like, “We are expecting an estimated $1.5 billion on this.” They later say to the writers, “Why should we pay you as much as you’re asking for? We aren’t making that much money.” I’ve heard better excuses from a non-fat half-caf mocha latte!

The strike is probably going to go on for at least two months. Why, you ask? Studios can get rid of writers’ contracts only after two months. They never stop to think how the strike will affect people other than themselves. I’d bet they couldn’t care about someone who works for them if their life depended on it!

Here’s some things you can do to support the strike. Write complaints to the executives of studios and networks. Honk your horn when you pass a picket line (many short honks; one long honk is considered rude). Join the picket line. And if you are a studio executive, here is something you can do to support the strike: You can end it, by paying the writers more for DVDs and the Internet!

Go, Sabrina!

THOUGHTS FROM THE PICKET LINE -- WEEK 2

Today was "Take-Your-Kid-to-the-Picket-Line" day here in Hollywood. (Being the official Veteran's Day, many kids were off school.)

So we trucked ourselves over to Disney, that seeming to be the best lot for a kid to picket. Sabrina was not all that interested, frankly, though she did perk up when we told her there would be snacks. "What kind of snacks?" she asked. "Unhealthy ones," we promised.

She perked up even further when the first person we met on the picket line was one of the writers for Hannah Montana. Even though she went into her "shy" mode, we did get the plot line for the next new Hannah episode to air, which should be worth something on the playground.

There were indeed quite a few kids there, ranging from babes in strollers to middle schoolers who were quite happy to grab the bullhorn and lead the chants. Our favorite kid-created chants were:

What about this don't you get?
Pay us for the Internet!

And the classic

Pay my Daddy
Four more cents!

We did have a celebrity on the line... of sorts. The collie dog from Desperate Housewives was there, and never have I seen a better behaved, better trained dog. Sabrina had a lot of fun making the dog 'talk.' And talk about your six degrees of separation: Lulu (the dog) is the sister of Lassie 9. What more could you want?

As for the unhealthy snacks... Today we were given cookies, chips, more cookies, doughnuts (from the "D-Girls" of Disney -- those are the young women in 'development,' working with writers on their scripts), some kind of high-end "stress-reducing" water dropped off by some folks from the Longshoreman's Union, more cookies, popsicles, yet more cookies, and Vitamin Water delivered by a company truck with a bullhorn. Oh, and some oranges. But I don't think anyone ate those.

The sense out there on the picket line is that we're in for a very long haul. That's very bad news indeed. It's certainly extraordinarily bad news for us personally. All the honking in the world, encouraging though it may be, won't change that.

We hear rumors that maybe possibly the powers that be might be thinking about talking to each other again. It's really up to the studio moguls at this point -- the six men who will make all the decisions here.

Pray for negotiations to resume. Pray for peace.

I DON'T KNOW BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD...

All that writing energy has to go somewhere... And some of it has gone toward writing chants for the picket lines.

I thought I'd share some of my favorites...

We write 'Lost' and we write 'Heroes'
Download them and we get zeroes

For sheer simplicity and staying on message, you can't beat:

Four More Cents!

This is a little 'inside baseball,' but all you screenwriters reading this will get it:

Exterior. Street.
Writers on strike!

Even a little shoutout to the Creator:

In the beginning is the word
Cheating writers is absurd!

There are those chants specific to the heads of the companies they run (Les Moonves is CBS, Peter Chernin is Fox, Alan Horn is Warner Bros.):

More money!
Less Moonves!

What *you* earning,
Peter Chernin?

Hey hey, Alan Horn,
The Internet's not just for porn!

Here's the one that's gotten the most press:

Network bosses, rich and rude,
We don't like your attitude!

One of the best crafted (and again, specific to a studio, Paramount, where Sumner Redstone is the honcho in charge):

I don't know but I been told
Sumner Redstone's made of gold
Makes his money off our sweat
Won't pay us for Internet!

I don't know but some folks say
Paramount is late to pay
Why we marching at this gate?
We got screwed in '88!

More clean, economical simplicity:

We write!
They wrong!

On the less simple side, we have this call and answer that was a big hit at Universal this week:

Caller: Battlestar Galactica!
Everyone: WE WROTE THAT!
Caller: Bionic Woman!
Everyone: WE WROTE THAT!
Caller: Law and Order!
Everyone: WE WROTE THAT!
Caller: Carpoolers!
Everyone: WE WROTE THAT!
Caller: Untitled Zombie Movie!
Everyone: WE WROTE THAT!
Caller: Spec half hour pilot about a neurotic tax collector that was almost sold!
Everyone: WE WROTE THAT!

(Maybe you have to be a screenwriter to fully appreciate that one.)

Okay, back to the more traditional chant form:

This won't make you overjoyed
Without us you're unemployed!

If writers don't come through that gate,
You'll be selling real estate!

And finally, my personal favorite:

If you think our rhymes all suck--
They were written by scabs.

Kudos to all the writers who wrote those chants! Maybe I'll pick up some more on Monday. It's Veteran's Day, so lots of kids are off school. I hear there will a picket line of writers' kids at Disney (where else would kids picket, right?). I'm taking Sabrina (and oh, wouldn't it make her day, her year, her life, if Miley Cyrus should choose to join the line!)...

Hmmmm. Wonder what rhymes with "Disney"?...

DAY FOUR OF THE WRITERS STRIKE

A couple more resources for those of you interested in following the Writers' Strike.

First, here's a quick flash video a writer did to explain to his friends and family what was going on.

(Unfortunately the original version on the writer's blog isn't available anymore -- maybe due to overload of visitors? It was better because it used The Who's "Won't Be Fooled Again" as the soundtrack -- the theme song for this strike!)

Also worth checking out is Nikki Finke's blog. She is the only reporter out there who isn't skewed toward the producers' side (since the producers - duh - own most of the media outlets reporting on the strike). I have been told by several people in the know that she is absolutely accurate.

Tomorrow is a huge rally at Fox (we'll be late, but we'll be there). Monday, with many kids off school for Veteran's Day, there's talk of taking the kids to strike with us and having them set up lemonade stands where they'd sell cups of lemonade for... four cents.

I'll be back with more reports from the line tomorrow, including some of the better chants being used...

TALES FROM THE LINE

So I'm sitting there in Starbucks yesterday, just off the picket line, wearing my bright red Writers Guild t-shirt. The WGA logo, the words "Writers Guild of America," and smaller, "United we stand."

And there's a homeless guy working his way through the shop. Dreadlocks, ratty old clothes. His hand out, quite polite. He gets a dollar from the girl at the next table and heads for me.

Before I can even open my mouth to acknowledge him, he glimpses my shirt. "Sister! You on strike!" he says. "I ain't asking you for a thing!"

And as he moves on to the next table, he pumps a clenched fist at me and says, "Hang tough, sister. You're gonna be all right."

...United we stand, indeed.

RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM THE PICKET LINE

Four hours on the picket line this morning. There was a mixture of sobriety (as we all realized how serious this action is) and enthusiasm (for one another).

A few random thoughts on Day 1 of the Writers Strike:

--It is astonishing how encouraged we were by the people driving by and honking. I've honked for picketers and protesters before, and wondered if it was actually stupid to do. It's not. We loved it. We especially loved the big trucks with their big horns, and the police car that honked for us.

--Even more encouraging were the people who showed up from inside the lot (I was picketing at Sony Studios) to show support. One show still shooting on the lot (their showrunner was on the picket line) sent out a variety of goodies from their craft services (i.e., snack) table. Someone came out from the lot with a cooler of chilled drinks. And the best was the electrician who came out to hold a sign and walk on his lunch hour.

--If you tuck your picket sign into the front pocket of your jeans, your arms are much happier.

--We felt very blue collar all of a sudden. Maybe this was because many of the people honking for us were driving very old cars. The BMWs were, somehow, less willing to show their support.

--I am very very blessed to work at a job where I can sit and think all day. I don't think I could be a hamster (walking in a circle all the time).

--Someone needs to bring a pedometer to the line. 50 feet, turn, 50 feet, turn and wait for the light to change, 50 feet, turn... for four straight hours... So how far did we walk, anyway?

--If you have to walk a picket line, do it with a group of writers. The jokes will be better than anywhere else.

...But really, the only thing that matters is that both sides sit back down at the negotiating table, and that the producers become willing to talk about the only issue that matters. (The writers have pulled virtually all our issues off the table. But as of today, the producers still refuse to discuss the internet in any meaningful way.)

I have tomorrow off because I'm at USC all day. (Maybe I'll invite my students to join their future colleagues on the line!) And then it's back to walking.

As we keep walking, please you keep praying....

PENCILS DOWN

Time to get out the sunscreen and the walking shoes. Because less than 24 hours from now, I will be on a picket line.

What is it all about, people have been asking me. Why do Hollywood writers who, as everyone knows, make a fortune and live like kings, have to go on strike?

Okay. You asked. Here's the answer.

Pare away all the chaff, and here's what the writers are asking for.

1) DVDs aren't the biggest issue, but probably the simplest to understand, so let's start there with DVD residuals.

What's a residual, you ask.

When I write a movie, I get paid upfront by the studio for the right to make a movie out of my screenplay. Just like, say, an author writing a book. The author gets some upfront money to deliver the manuscript. And when the book sells well, the author gets royalties; that is, the author gets paid a small percentage of what the publishing company makes. Fair, right? After all, the book wouldn't exist at all without the author's imagination and hard work. And if the book sells well enough, the author can end up richer than the Queen of England.

So when I write a movie is made, and the studio makes a gazillion dollars off its showing in the theatres, how much of that do I get?....

Zero.

But that's okay, because a movie has more lives than a book does. A movie gets shown on pay-per-view, it goes shown on TV, it gets shown on airplanes, it gets shown on cable, it gets sold as a DVD, it gets sold overseas...

And then I get a tiny (veeeeeerrrry tiny) bit of what the studio makes. Those are called residuals, but you can think of them as royalties, just like the royalties a book's author receives (In fact, I declare them on my taxes as royalties).

When the studios pay me this way, they're actually getting a win/win deal. If they didn't pay me on the back end like this, through my residual checks, they'd have to pay me a lot more up front. And not just me -- they'd have to pay actors a lot more, too. (And there are a lot more actors to pay than writers!) That would make movies much more expensive to make. This way, if our movie is a hit, we share in the success. If it's not, well, we share in the failure.

Residuals are even more important for actors, by the way. Actors often get paid what's called a "day rate" for their work. This can range for $100 a day to (I think) $716 (for stunt performers). Not bad for a day's work, you think? But remember, that actor likely auditioned for 30 days (for no pay) to get that one day of paying work. How can someone live on $100 to $716 per month?

Because of residuals, that's how. Because if an actor makes, say, $268 for one day of work on a low-budget movie, he might make $3000 later in residuals, over time. Many an actor (and writer) has survived dry spells thanks to what we call "green envelope days" -- the days residuals arrive.

(And by the way, about those rich Hollywood writers? The median annual income for a Writers Guild member is $5000. That's because over half our membership are out of work in any given year. Of those who are working, the average annual income is $37,700. Not poverty. But certainly not riches either.)

Now, some 20 years ago, when videotapes were in their infancy, the studios begged the Writers Guild for some leniency in paying residuals on videotape sales. It's so expensive to make a videotape, they argued! We don't know how this new business model is going to work! We might lose our shirts!

So, on a temporary basis, the Writers Guild agreed to a temporary discount. Yes, we all agreed, we should make 2.5% of the sale. But, because the studios' expenses are so high, because it's a new technology, because it's a new business model, we agreed to 2.5% of 20% of the sale (or, if you do the math, 1/2 of 1%, of the total.

Fast forward. DVDs replace videocassettes. Production costs go waaay down. The business model is in place. In fact, studios generally make more off the DVD sales of a movie than they do off the theatrical run. But that "temporary" pay cut we agreed to? It's still in place.

In hard numbers: A DVD retails for approximately $20. Of that, about $12 is pure profit. And how much does the writer get?

Four cents.

We are asking for eight cents. I'm sure we'd be happy to split the difference.

So ultimately, a good chunk of this strike is based on the studios/networks' unwillingness to pay out approximately two cents (out of 1200 cents of profit). Given that failed executives regularly get golden parachutes in the hundreds of millions of dollars, I'm thinking they have room to flex a couple of pennies.

But DVS aren't the big issue. The big issue is:

2) The Internet. We want to be paid for our work when it's distributed via the internet. That means (a) work written originally for TV and the movies, then re-broadcast on the internet, as well as (b) work written directly for the internet (that is, written for companies that have a deal with the Writers Guild of America and distributed via the internet; it does not, obviously, apply to writing such as, say, this blog).

Let's look at 2(a) first.

TV episodes are already being sold on the internet. Movies won't be far behind. And what do the studios/networks want to pay the writers for those sales?

Zero.

The studios claim (to the writers) the internet is too new, they don't know where the revenue is coming from. (Sound familiar?) All while they claim (to their stockholders) that they're making hundreds of millions of dollars on the net already, with more to come.

And what about 2(b), material written directly for the internet (again, written for those companies that are signatory to the Writers Guild)? Well, that's already happening, too. TV shows are asked to produce "promotional" material for the web. Material written by writers, acted by actors, shot and edited by the various crew folks. And what are people getting paid for that work?

Zero.

We all know the future is the internet. In a matter of years, DVDs will be as hard to find as VHS tapes are today. And a few years after that, they'll be gone.

Most of the writers I know feel that the internet is the only issue that really counts in the entire negotiation. It's the whole ball of wax.

The Writers Guild has asked for, I believe, 2.5% of internet sales. (And if there's no revenue, as some studios claim, then 2.5% of zero is zero.) In earlier negotiations, the figure 1.2% was bandied around. Hey, I could live with 1.2%

The studios/networks' response? They refuse to discuss the internet at all. It's our number one issue, and they refuse to even allow it on the table.

And that's why we're striking.

Do I want to strike? No. Absolutely not. I don't know a single Writers Guild member who wants to strike. But do I want to get paid for my work? Of course. Don't you?

If you're a praying person, please pray for a quick and equitable end to this strike. For the studios/networks to even be willing to discuss the single most important issue (that should be) on the table.

In the meantime, as of midnight tonight, it's "pencils down" for all writers. And tomorrow morning, we are, sadly and with great somberness, walking the line.

STRIKE ONE

It's official. The Writers Guild of America is going on strike on Monday.

Is this the right thing to do? I think so, given all the choices that were made (by both the writers and the producers) up until this moment. (Were all those choices the right choices? Probably not. But we are where we are.)

This means no writer in Hollywood can work for any studio, network, major production company, etc. (There will be writers who are not Guild members who will keep working. They're not part of the Hollywood equation here.)

Late night TV will shut down first. Daytime soaps will be close behind. Scripted network TV will be a month or two out. And you'll see the effect in movies in 2009.

But we'll all feel the effect here right away. No writing means no paychecks. Production shutting down means people getting laid off (one major agency has already announced it's withholding a week's pay from its assistants). It means less traffic at restaurants, car washes, dry cleaners... The trickle down starts now.

People are saying this will be a 6-month strike. But today is a day for doom-saying, and I'm hoping that will not be the case. Please join me in praying that will not be the case.

More on what the Guild is asking for tomorrow (or soon).

It's a sad day.

A NOTE FROM THE HALLOWEEN GRINCH

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know I am not a fan of Halloween... especially of what Halloween has become.

But this year has been less painful than most.

True, I didn't enjoy my trip to four separate costume stores with Sabrina. Not only did I have to deal with steering her away from the slut zone -- slutty nurse, slutty student, slutty waitress, etc., but there was the indescribable delight of walking in past the realistic animated figures intended for the front lawn. My favorite was the zombie puking its guts out.

Oh yeah, a lot to love about this holiday.

Nevertheless, as I said, it's been a mild one, for which I am truly grateful. Cory agreed early on to reprise one of his biggest hit costumes (since he's a new school and no one's seen it). He's at school today in a blue hoodie covered with cotton balls, carrying a squirter bottle full of water... and he's "Partly cloudy, chance of rain." Total cost: about $2 for the cotton balls.

As for Sabrina, it looked as if we were going to have another traumatic year on our hands. She was unhappy with last year's costume (she went dressed in all black, including black face paint, carrying an iPod -- she was an iPod commercial). It seems no one recognized her and a lot of people didn't get it.

But she nixed some of my early obvious suggestions (e.g., Hannah Montana), and I was beginning to dread the eventual fight. When suddenly we came upon a mutually agreeable, not expensive, acceptable-to-her-friends idea: Paris Hilton in jail.

So she's at school today in a cute outfit (a long tunic top worn as a dress over tights), lots of flashy jewelry, a headband, big sunglasses -- and topped off with ultra-high-end shopping bags (Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Versace -- she made a field trip to Rodeo Drive for the occasion), a little "teacup" doggie, and a pair of handcuffs.

Total cost: about $13 (the tights, and we bought a lot of accessories at the 10-for-$5 sale at Claire's, even including the sunglasses... we had the doggie, borrowed the handcuffs).

Her friends approve. Therefore she's happy. Therefore I'm happy.

And given how I usually feel about Halloween, that's actually pretty amazing...

WAITING TO STRIKE.... OR NOT

First, thank you to the people who have been e-mailing me out of cyberspace to let me know of your thoughts and prayers. I have been touched by the mini-influx of such messages I have received. I know that it can be powerful when God suddenly brings you to someone's mind (Lee and I once had our lives saved that way). And I am grateful...

Second, I do want to get back here and start blogging again. I want to weigh in on the "Dumbledore is gay" issue (which I don't think is as big as deal as others do). I want to talk about movies and TV and how my cat learned how to open doorknobs. But life has not permitted.

Finally, while I ponder what are the best shoes to wear on a picket line, and whether one must wear red, and while I wait for the miracle that will stop this writers' strike (or at least delay it for a good bit?), here is a fun (and short) bit that will show what life may be like for some of us in the next few weeks. Enjoy...

JUST CHECKING IN

I have been much too absent, and I do apologize. Too much stress here, what with the pending writers' strike and the ever-present smell of smoke in the air, among other misadventures. (Our hearts go out to those who were, or are, in the path of the fires, and especially to our friends at Malibu Presbyterian, whose church burned to the ground Sunday morning -- the first loss of this swath of fire.

I will return. In the meantime, please pray for those negotiating on behalf of the writers and producers, and for those affected by the fire. And for us as well, if you don't mind.

Back soon....

WELL, WE KNEW IT, DIDN'T WE? -- J.K. ROWLING ON CHRISTIANITY IN HARRY POTTER

It comes as no surprise, I'm sure, to readers of this blog, that Harry Potter, and Deathly Hallows in particular, has Christian roots. For "those who have eyes to see," the Christianity shines out in plot, in character choices, in symbolism, in spirit, in theme...

But now it's official. J.K. Rowling herself has acknowledged those Christian roots, themes and storylines.

It's a good article, even though clearly written by someone who perhaps didn't know the most perceptive questions to ask. Check it out.

WHERE I'VE BEEN... WHERE I'M GOING...

Where have I been the last week and a half?

Well, not here, blogging, obviously. And I do apologize. I have wanted to sit down and chat here, but have either been swamped with work (and swamped by that feeling of being behind on things), or have feel too strained to have anything to say.

It's a nervous time here in Hollywood. A time when people are either spending all their time shedding their anxiety on the internet (take a look at The Artful Writer blog as an example), or holed up in their little writing rooms, waiting for the sky to fall.

Why?... Because in a matter of weeks, most of us writers here in town expect to be walking a picket line.

I have a strike authorization vote ballot sitting on my desk right now, waiting for me to make up my mind. I understand all the arguments for voting yes. But a large part of me rears back and says, "Wait a minute. Shouldn't a strike be the last action taken in a contract negotiation? Shouldn't we actually negotiate first?"

I'm too weary of the arguments on either side to recount them here. But the weight of the de facto strike already going on (with studios unwilling to do business with writers, for the most part) is already incredibly destructive on so many fronts. How much more horrible would a real strike be?

Here's what we need: We need a group of agents to step in and broker a deal. That's what they do, after all. We're always telling young writers not to try to make their own deal; hire a professional who does it for a living. ...Ah, wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy here?

Anyway, between that and my students' work and my own work and my volunteer work and my family crises... that's where I've been. I'll try to actually have something to say soon...

As for where I'm going... Well, my best guess is, like it or not (not!), I'm headed for a picket line.

Pray for peace...

GOD-ANSWERS.COM

As part of our church's mission to make Los Angeles the greatest city for Christ, we're in the middle of a series of sermons on the tough issues of Christianity (you know, light topics like death, the Trinity, etc.).

And as part of that series, Bel Air has started up a very cool interactive website, God Answers. I'm really enjoying especially looking at the questions that people type in, and seeing how quickly and thoroughly they're answered...

Just thought I'd pass it along to you...

TV THOUGHTS: KID NATION

My apologies for the dearth of blogging recently. I have been out of town a lot -- I went to Two Bunch Palms two weekends ago on a planning retreat with The Alliance of Women Directors, and I went on a Girl Scout overnight field trip this weekend to Sea World in San Diego. I'll let you guess which one was the more relaxing and enjoyable!

Basically I had 3 days home in between, into which I had to squeeze a whole week's work... and blogging never quite rose to the top of the overwhelmed list. But I'm back now, and while I think life is going to get quite wild in the near future, at least I have a moment to breathe (and to blog) now... and a moment to catch up on the new TV season.

I didn't expect to like Kid Nation. The pre-premiere hype of "Oh no! These poor children were left out in the desert all on their own!" didn't bother me a bit. Yeah, right, all alone. All alone except for the 30 or so camera people/sound people/continuity people/etc. constantly surrounding them at all times. (On these reality shows, the truly remarkable thing is that they manage to keep the cameras out of the scene!)

And I wasn't bothered by the parallel pre-show "scandal" that the kids weren't getting paid. Well, duh. It's a reality show, really a game show. None of the contestants get paid. When I was a contestant on Jeopardy, I didn't get paid, other than my winnings, and it never occurred to me that I should.

No, I didn't expect to like it because I thought it would be a bit squirmy. I remember the junior version of American Idol that was tried a couple of summers ago -- it was not so fun watching cute little kids getting their dreams shattered and facing the kind of rejection that adults don't even handle so well.

But that's not what Kid Nation turned out to be. As reality shows go, it's been designed to be remarkably gentle. No one's voted out of "Bonanza City" (kids can leave voluntarily, and only one has so far). Even though the showrunners are doing their best to foment competition (dividing the kids into the equivalent of 4 "tribes," even giving them status, jobs, and spending money based on this artificial caste system), the kids are defying expectations and getting along well.

So far we've seen big kids comfort small kids, winning kids encourage and cheer for losing kids, and kids who aren't required to help out with various chores (according to this artificial caste system) chip in and help out. We've also seen kids make smart choices, as when they forwent a working TV they could watch as much as they wanted, choosing instead a set of outhouses.

We've even seen a remarkable degree of fairness in the doling out of the "gold stars" which are (so far) the primary prizes in Kid Nation. Four kids were pre-designated as the "Town Council" (i.e., leaders), and they get to give out a gold star worth $20,000 in cash every few days. The first week, they gave it to an older girl named Sophia who was working her tail off (and working smart, unlike some of the younger kids who didn't know how to cook, etc.), even though Sophia had gotten up in the Town Meeting to criticize them. You wouldn't see that happening on Survivor!

This week (week 2) was a bit more interesting. A troublemaker named Greg threw himself into hard work, trying to win one of those stars. He's an intensely practical and skilled kid for a 15-year-old, having worked in a butcher shop and helping install landscape sprinklers, among other things. This made him ever so handy when the tasks for the week included killing a couple of chickens for food (how many kids out there today would know how to kill, pluck and butcher a chicken?), and installing PVC pipes to make a water wheel run.

But Greg didn't win the gold star, by the skin of his teeth (2 of the 4 Town Council members insisted on giving it to Michael, a very hard worker as well, and a kid with immense charisma). I don't think there was any animus against Greg; I just think Michael's charisma swayed the council members.

Now, however, Greg is mad. Next week we were promised hints of revenge. Although this show has been so gentle, I wouldn't be surprised if that was just a tease and everyone ends up being nice after all.

Regardless, we are committed for the season. Why? Because about 10 minutes into the first episode, my kids started begging to apply for the next season. They sooo want to be on this show! For them, it's all about empowerment, about showing that they can do whatever an adult can do. Forget that it's really about delivering butts to couches so that people can watch commercials and go and buy stuff... For them, it's the best possible idea for a summer camp anyone could come up with.

Sabrina even explained all about how she would start a church service for the kids. Without a Bible, she'd have to recite her memory verses, they'd sing songs everyone knows (Sabrina feels everyone must know "Jesus Loves Me," "Amazing Grace," and "Holy is the Lord," for starters), she give a short sermon on hanging in there and being nice to each other (though she'd be happy for someone else to give the sermon), and they'd pray for each other's safety and fun.

(I won't let them apply though, at least right now: For some idiotic reason, they're taping the next season during the school year, and I won't pull my kids out of school for a month. But if they taped during the summer, I'd have no problem...)

Anyway, this is not a show that will appeal to a lot of folks, is my guess. But I'm certainly enjoying it a whole lot more than I expected... And you might, too.

TV THOUGHTS: BACK TO YOU

Okay, let's start with a little disclosure. Patty Heaton, who stars in Back 2 You, is an old friend of ours, so I am of course predisposed to like the show.

But I would have liked it no matter what.

Back 2 You is something we haven't seen in a while on TV: a new sitcom that's genuinely funny, without the sense that everyone's trying too hard. In fact, part of the joy of this show is that it feels as if no one's trying very hard at all -- it's so smooth, so easy, we can just relax and enjoy it.

Back 2 You returns to The Mary Tyler Moore Show's turf by taking us behind the scenes at a local news station. Here, we're watching the relationship between the two anchors, one of whom rose to anchorman stardom, only to have it crash around him due to misbehavior. He's back where he started, teamed up with his former anchor partner, who never left. That alone is a good enough set-up to provide some good laughs. But there's more.

With Kelsey Grammer (of Frasier and Cheers) and Patricia Heaton (of Everybody Loves Raymond) in the starring roles, Back 2 You is in the hands of two very funny people (isn't it surprising how often comedies are cast with the opposite?!). They deliver the jokes with perfect ease and perfect timing. And with Steven Levitan (of Frasier, Just Shoot Me, and Wings) and Christopher Lloyd (of Frasier and Wings) writing and producing, and with James Burrows (of Will and Grace and Cheers and a zillion others) directing, we know we can sit back in very good hands indeed. (The basic cast and crew above have 24 Emmys among them...)

So with that pedigree, sure, I expected it to be funny. And it certainly was.

But I didn't expect it to be moving. And it was.

I found myself most unexpectedly caught up in the late-in-the-episode plot twist that let us know there's more between our two anchors than we thought. And with that twist, Back 2 You lets us know that it give us much more than one-liners, that it will give us something worth watching for, one hopes, many seasons.

One small caveat: Back 2 You is an 8:00 show, yet there were quite a few jokes I really wouldn't want to have to explain to my kids. Plenty of people have been saying that this doesn't feel like a Fox show, but with some of the overt sexual material, it felt plenty like Fox to me. (Hopefully they'll tone it down, especially when American Idol starts and kids are watching... After all, Heroes started out inappropriate for kids, and pulled back after their first 6 episodes...)

All in all, a great way to start a new TV season. Back to You is on Wednesdays at 8 on Fox. I'll definitely be tuning in next week!

HOW'D THE PARTY GO?

I've gotten quite a few e-mails from folks asking how our "Harry Potter" party went the other night...

Well, it was actually quite lovely. We had such a far-ranging group of people that I actually had to pull out name tags so we could all speak to each other. A little awkward at the beginning, I suppose. But it all worked out. Here's what a friend who was there e-mailed me:

It was delightful to see this group of strangers standing awkwardly around the table change into a wonderfully intelligent and compassionate circle, cemeneted by a shared love.

No one came in costume except Sabrina, who insisted on making radish earrings and coming as Luna Lovegood (her own school uniform was quite handy here, as was the copy of the Quibbler that her dad made for her). But that was fine -- I didn't want this to be a costume affair.

We had some very nice food -- I think the most impressive were the Rice Krispie Treat Golden Snitches (complete with wings!). We also had "wands" of various sorts (carrot, celery, rolled up cookies w/ chocolate filling, and the best, breadsticks with cheese "cores"). We had Herbology Salad, Shepherd's Pie, Rhubarb Crumble with Vanilla Custard (like the one Harry pigs out on at the Burrow in Chamber of Secrets, and I'm sure I'm forgetting other treats.

To drink, we had pumpkin juice (which the person who brought it described as "drinkable"... well, yes). And we had hot chocolate (so many people drink it so often in the books, and handy for warding off dementors at any time). And yes, we had butterbeer -- Lots of bizarre recipes on the web (How could anyone think that a concoction involving root beer and butter would be remotely drinkable?!). But we went with a simple one involving butterscotch pudding mix and cream soda -- We had to make seconds, and the next day Cory actually asked if we had any left, and if he could make some more.

Then we sat around and talked about what our favorite part of Deathly Hallows was. Lots of appreciation was expressed for Dobby in particular, but I was really surprised at the breadth of "favorite moments" around the room. It was so clear that everyone just really wanted to express how much they loved this book and this series, which was lovely. We branched out from there into a general discussion of the books overall, really just an appreciation rather than anything particularly scholarly or challenging.

Then we played "Harry Potter Celebrity." If you've never played "Celebrity," it's basically a game where you team up in teams of two and take turns drawing a name out of a hat. You have to get your partner to say the name on your slip of paper (So if I say, "Lord Voldemort's given name," you say, "Tom Riddle"), then your partner grabs a slip of paper. You have a minute to see how many names you can get, and the winner is the one who gets the most.

I had prepared our Celebrity game ahead of time, and I didn't think it would be as hard as it was. Sure I knew there were a few really hard items in it (like "Armando Dippet" or the "International Statue of Secrecy"), but I didn't think "Peeves" or "Aunt Marge" and the like would be that hard. The fun part was to see how the kids just spanked the adults in the game. We changed partners several times, and all the kids kept angling to be partners with each other, the better to win the prizes (HP bookmarks and Bertie Botts Beans). They did a great job.

I even had someone email me asking if I'm going to throw another party when the next movie comes out... So I guess it was a hit.

And that was our Harry Potter party.

WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?

So we're having our cozy little Harry Potter party this weekend... We'll have butterbeer and Acid Pops, and someone's bringing rice krispie Golden Snitches, and people are bringing all sorts of wand-shaped foods... And we'll play Harry Potter "Celebrity" and have prizes... And we'll talk about the books...

If you were going to be here, what would you want to talk about? What should we make sure we discuss?....

R.I.P. MADELEINE L'ENGLE

As you probably know, Madeleine L'Engle died a few days ago.

When I was about 9 or 10 years old, I picked up A Wrinkle in Time off a random library bookshelf. I'm sure I was attracted to the weird title more than anything.

"Wrinkle" was unlike anything I'd ever read before, with its combination of mysticism and intelligence. I was Meg -- the girl who was too smart for her own good, who didn't fit in to her local school system and didn't know that there even could be a place where she could fit in. It was astonishing to me to read a story featuring a girl who was that smart, astonishing to read a book that didn't apologize for being as smart as it was.

I didn't recognize the Biblical quotes or allusions. Not in the least. It would be many years before I would even lay my hands on a Bible of any kind. (Which makes me smile as I think of the kids reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows now and not recognizing the Scripture quotes on the gravestones...) But something in that book wrapped itself around my young soul and demanded that I let it in.

I was hooked. I began to read every Madeleine book I could get my hands on. I must have read The Moon By Night dozens of times, fascinated by the character of Vicky caught in the midst of her attraction to both Andy and Zachary, boys as different as, well, A and Z.

Many many years later, I realized that Madeleine's work went oh so much deeper than I had first realized, and I began to read some of her non-fiction. I think her Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art is must reading for any Christian striving to survive in the entertainment industry.

I even got to talk to Madeleine once. Lee and I, before our writing careers actually took off in any discernible fashion, optioned the rights to The Arm of the Starfish. The project never went anywhere, but we got to speak to Madeleine and ask her some questions (just what did Typhon Cutter do for a living, that sort of thing).

And now she is gone from us. I knew how old she was, but somehow it caught me by surprise. I guess she had always seemed that same indeterminate age. I was unexpectedly and deeply saddened to hear of her passing... And a bit peeved as well, as the handiest obituary to me was the Los Angeles Times, which somehow managed to omit her Christianity completely from the compilation of her life(!) -- even making it sound, between the lines, as if she was an enemy of God. Shame on the LA Times!

So I started googling to find something a bit more right. The best obit I found was the New York Times one, which you can read here.

But my googling also made me realize that my journey with Madeleine isn't over. I was surprised to see, in reading over her bibliography just how many of her books I have yet to read. (Hmmm... I feel a New Year's Resolution coming on...)

God bless you, Madeleine. And thank you for what you meant to a 10-year-old girl, and to the 10-year-old girl who still lives inside me.

MUSINGS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Actually, we have three first days of school this year. USC started last week, so my first day of school has come and gone. This year we got snazzy new online rosters with the students' pictures on them, which, for me with my odd mental inability to remember faces, was like gold. Somehow, though, that didn't feel like the real first day of school.

And Cory starts next week -- his new school is under construction, and they pushed the start of school back a week to allow more work to be done. We go to the new students' ice cream social this Friday, and I'll learn how the dropoff carpool line works, and Cory will learn where his locker is, and I'll confirm that he can grow his hair as long as he wants.

But that doesn't feel like the real first day of school either. It's not the "first day" when you're not allowed to walk in (either by the school or by your kid, who would be heartily embarrassed if you tried, because he's now too cool for that, and besides, since he's taller than you, it would just look stupid).

No, the real first day of school was yesterday, as Sabrina, 2 1/2" taller than last spring and squeezed into all the new uniforms that no longer fit, walked into 5th grade. Her 6th first day of school, but my 8th time of walking in a child to the first day.

Only this time, without Cory there, it felt odd. I saw other moms from Cory's class and wondered why they were there ("Oh yeah, they also have a 3rd grader/kindergartener/4th grader"). I greeted Sabrina's new teacher, greeted moms, rushed down for announcements and flag salute, all automatically. But all aware that I'll only do this one more time.

And now we're in the routine already of checking homework, of slapping together breakfast, of making sure the backpack is packed. And this year will rush by, one piece of spelling homework at a time, one breakfast at a time, one hair-brushing at a time, and then it will be over.

And there will only be one last real first day of school left... I'd better enjoy every moment of this year, because next year -- the last year -- I'll probably spend the whole time crying!

Okay, Day One down. Here we go out the door to Day Two!

ON AUDITIONING, ENTITLEMENT, AND SAYING NO

I don't have to deal with actors' auditions very often, but I do deal with people who want me to read their script.

And often these people are Christians who feel an obligation on my part to read their script. By "read," often these people think I will also write extended notes (which takes hours above and beyond the time taken to read), or solve all the script's problems for them.

I used to say yes. Now, I usually say no.

One recent such request came from the husband of the daughter of someone I knew in graduate school. I gave a cursory read to his script some months ago. It was dreadful. He knew absolutely nothing about the world he was writing about, and he was astonished that I could tell he knew nothing. The story was dreadful. The characters were dreadful. The writing itself was dreadful.

He has a second draft ready to read.

Or maybe it's a completely new script. I don't know. All I know is that, out of the blue, he sent me an e-mail basically announcing he's done with his script, and could I take a look at it.

No "thank you for looking at it before." No "I know you're busy, but..." No "I'd appreciate it if..." None of the niceties or politenesses one might expect from someone asking me to put myself through a couple of hours of unnecessary pain.

So I told him 'no.' Or something close to 'no.' I pointed out that school has started, making me responsible for reading the weekly pages of two classes of students. Plus I have to read the work of the people in my writers group. Plus I'm doing a significant amount of script consulting these days (in other words, getting paid for what he wants me to do for free) and have those pieces to read. Plus, oh yeah, I'm supposed to be doing my own writing. I told him he can check in with me after Christmas if he wants.

I didn't even get a "thanks for considering it" e-mail, not even a "I'll check in with you in a few months" e-mail, back from him. The sense of entitlement on his part echoes from every bit of our exchange.

All of which to say that, even though I don't often deal with actors, I'm so very, very glad that Sean Gaffney has blogged so extensively and thoughtfully about a Christian view of auditioning here, here, here, and here.

Read them all in order.

ALAN JACOBS, THE "PENNY DREADFUL" AND THE NEED FOR A MORAL COMPASS

I'm certainly not the first to point out the truly lovely essay by Alan Jacobs on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

For me, however, the most interesting part of his piece comes before he even mentions Harry.

I've blogged here in a preliminary way (and spoken in various places in a more defined way) about what Lee and I call the "Spiritual Needs of the Audience" (in fact, I'm even speaking about it again in a couple of weeks).

The logline of this concept is that as creators, we should turn our focus from what we want to express and start thinking about what the audience needs that our stories can provide.

One of the spiritual needs we focus on is the Need for a Moral Compass. In this day and age, when moral choices are hedged in every way, when real life people who should be role models not only have feet of clay but are solid clay up to their navels, when so few seem willing or able to say "This is right and this is wrong," it's no wonder that so much of the audience out there seems confused and lost. And when you're lost, the greatest gift someone can give you is a compass.

That's what stories can do.

Jacobs touches on this early in his essay when he quotes from G.K. Chesterton on the "penny dreadful," the cheap boy's adventure books sold at that time (presumably for a penny).

The vast mass of humanity, with their vast mass of idle books and idle words, have never doubted and never will doubt that courage is splendid, that fidelity is noble, that distressed ladies should be rescued, and vanquished enemies spared … . The average man or boy writes daily in these great gaudy diaries of his soul, which we call Penny Dreadfuls, a plainer and better gospel than any of those iridescent ethical paradoxes that the fashionable change as often as their bonnets.

Isn't that a great quote? What I love about it is the idea that it's the "low" literature -- the pulp paperbacks, the comic books, the movies that pile up box office but not awards -- that may have the best opportunity to provide that moral compass.

Do they always? Of course not. But with so many striving to "express themselves," to be auteurs, to "tell the story I want to tell," without ever thinking about their audience and the effect of their work on that audience (and yes, this is oh so true in the Christian world, too), it's nice to hear such a voice speaking up for those who dwell creatively in the world of the modern-day equivalent of the "penny dreadful."

Oh, and the rest of Jacobs's article is pretty fantastic, too. But you probably already knew that.

PLANNING THE HARRY POTTER PARTY

First, let me just say that "Harry Potter party" is surprisingly hard to say. Try it. Out loud. Five times. Fast.

See what I mean?

Okay, moving on. I've talked to enough people over the last few weeks who seem to really want to just talk about the books, especially Deathly Hallows. So I thought we'd throw a party to do just that. Talk, maybe come up with some (non-cheesy) games, talk some more. And since it's a party, of course, eat.

We're doing the same thing we do for our Oscar party. We're asking people to bring food reminiscent of the books. And since I always have to fill in the gaps at these events, I thought I'd ask you folks to chip in with ideas.

What would you bring to such a party? Be creative!

(And by the way, if any faithful readers of this blog are in L.A. in mid-September and want to come, all we ask -- or actually demand -- is that you have read all 7 books. If you want to come, e-mail me off list and I'll send you an invite.)

Meanwhile, let me have your party food ideas!

A DELICIOUS IRONY

My apologies for the dearth of blogging. The lazy, hazy days of summer appear to have slammed to a stop around here, despite the weather outside.

USC's fall term starts in, oh, two days, and I am teaching two classes I have never taught before. And it's back-to-school at any moment for both kids, with Cory at a new school (resulting in new student events, new parent events, yada yada). And I have a production rewrite to do, a ton of script consulting piling up, meetings to prepare for, pitches to develop. Oh, and I still have to go buy those cedar chips (not mothballs!) to save the rest of the wool in my closet.

All this is good. I am grateful. But I find myself looking longingly at poor Harry sitting over on the antique magazine rack where I stack some of my "to-do" stuff, wishing I could sit down and work my way through all those notes I made on Choice and Temptation, on Redemption and Remorse... And I glance at the post-it note where I scribble things to blog about, and realize I haven't even posted my thoughts on The Simpsons Movie which I saw, oh, two weeks ago...

My apologies. Life will balance out. It always does.

In the meantime, while the following ironic juxtaposition has been noted elsewhere (here, for instance, and here), I couldn't help but share it with you all as well, as we watch the Christian camp of "Harry Haters" go through what one hopes will be their last throes.

James Dobson published recently his outspoken objections to Harry Potter as a whole. One questions, of course, whether he has so much as opened any of the books, but whatever.

But then, in his monthly newsletter this month, he focuses on the need for sacrificial heroes in our culture.

Ah, the irony.

P.S. A little bonus treat for any of you who struggled through The Canterbury Tales in college, and especially for those of you who enjoyed it. With the link courtesy of Jeffrey Overstreet's Looking Closer blog, it turns out that Geoffrey Chaucer Hath A Blog. Enjoy!

HOW TO STOP THE PESTS

At our old house, it was ants. We lived on the side of a hill under which there was an underground running stream and, clearly, the largest ant colony this side of Brazil.

We also had mosquito eaters large enough to cause nightmares in any thinking person.

We've seen nary an ant where we're living now. And not one single mosquito eater. But apparently we have moths.

Now, I've hardly seen any moths. Less than at our old place, in fact. But they're here.

Thanks to my daughter's Christmas gift subscription to In Style magazine, over which she pores every month as if studying for the SATs, I know that wide leg pants are back, and that grey is the new black.

So as I get ready for a string of meetings, my mind slipped to the back of my closet and remembered those lovely Armani wide-legged grey pants I bought oh so many years ago. Almost old enough to be vintage.

I pulled them out, tried them on. They fit quite nicely, thank you. But what's that odd spot down on the leg?

Turned out it wasn't a spot. It was a hole. A hole with a tiny little bug attached. Which I can only assume, given the 100% wool nature of the pants, was a hungry little moth larva.

I'm debating right now over how visible the holes (yes, more than one when I looked closely) are. And I'm dreading going back into the back of the closet to check all my lovely, not-quite-yet-back-in-style-but-too-expensive-to-throw-out wool suit jackets. And Lee's closet is next.

Obviously I will race to the store today to get mothballs. But does anyone have any other surefire moth-beater ideas? Please let me know!

By the way, we also are seeing increasing numbers of silverfish -- way more than ever before. Maybe our weird weather. Anyone got any ideas on stopping them, too?
Thanks...

TV THOUGHTS: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2

Talk about "Must-See TV." We've been anticipating HSM2 in our house, oh, since it was first announced. Or maybe even before that, maybe since we saw HSM1 and mused, "I wonder if there'll be a sequel."

It's actually been sort of funny to watch the "cool" factor around HSM rise and fall. When #1 turned into this monster unexpected success on the Disney Channel, at first we were all excited. Then we suddenly got "too cool" for it. Only the "little kids" watch HSM, I was informed. (How "little" do you have to be to watch a show about high school kids, I wondered? Suddenly 10-years-old is too old?)

But time has come and gone since then, and hype has come and stayed, and suddenly the on-screen countdowns began to HSM2, and all of a sudden we weren't too cool after all. So Friday night (and again on Saturday night, and we would have watched on Sunday night if we hadn't had plans), we cozied up around the TV for High School Musical 2.

And you know, it was actually pretty good.

It's so tempting with a sequel like this to basically do the exact same plot as the first movie (High school jock Troy finds his inner singing geek and the girl of his dreams, Gabriella, in the process totally ruining the school show for self-acclaimed diva Sharpay). But they actually managed to do a bit more, even go a bit deeper with HSM2.

There is, of course, a show that ends up starring Troy and Gabriella, to the repeated embarrassment of Sharpay. But this time around the story mixed in issues of social class -- Troy faces the temptation of sucking up to Sharpay's family to get that all-important college scholarship, in the process spurning his old friends. The conflicting dilemmas and choices Troy faced rang quite authentic.

And in a surprising subplot, Sharpay's "poodle" of a brother loses (most of) the gay subtext of HSM1 and turned into a decent guy who chooses to stand with his school chums rather than his haughty sister. Again, it felt (mostly) true and is a great storyline for school kids who are dealing with precisely these sorts of issues. Another nice surprise was that they took the plot away from the high school, setting it instead in the country club where the kids have summer jobs -- a smart choice.

The show is as G-rated as it's possible for a high school story to be. Really, it's high school in a fantasy universe. The girls all wear one-piece swimsuits (tankinis if they're daring), Troy and Gabriella barely get to kiss (they didn't kiss at all in HSM1), everyone glows with work ethic and good language, and any bad attitudes are cheered away by other kids. Its sheer retroness is ultimately a large part of its appeal.

The songs are mostly dispensible, the one notable exception being Zac Efron's big "crisis moment" solo, "Bet On It." True, my daughter is now able to sing about half the score already, but she's been concentrating hard. I haven't had a single song stick in my head after repeated viewings, so that doesn't say much for the music.

Performances were quite good (Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella remains the weak spot -- she can't dance, and she just beams sweetness and cuteness without a lot of real acting going on -- I keep feeling Troy deserves someone better). Casting directors should keep their eyes on Zac Efron (who also held his own in Hairspray) and Ashley Tisdale in particular. Kudos to Kenny Ortega for pulling his ensemble together so smootly (and for some sharp choreography). Lighting was good, camera work was good.

Ultimately, for a show this highly-anticipated, the quality of the work may not matter to the "box office." But given that my kids (and millions of others) will be watching it over and over (and over and over...), I'm glad the production values were high, glad the story choices were smart.

One has to ask if we're seeing a mini-resurgence of the musical, given the success of Chicago, HSM1, Hairspray, etc. Maybe. One notable element in these shows' success appears to be the importance of dance. I actually love it that these shows are making it cool for (straight) guys to know how to dance, and look forward to being jealous if I ever get to chaperone a high school dance...

But the real question is, of course, whether HSM2 will stay "cool" by the time school starts. Yes, every kid will have watched, but will they admit it, or will they (now in the exalted halls of 5th grade) be "too old" for it. Given the sheer joy evinced by the 5-year-old who unwrapped a HSM1 t-shirt at a party this weekend ("I love this show!" she squealed), I can see those sophisticated 5th graders turning up their noses (even as they watch the repeats in secret.. over and over and over...).

The true test will come next summer when High School Musical 3 opens -- in theatres this time, not on cable. Will people be willing to admit they love this series? Will they pay cold hard cash for a ticket when they're used to watching for free (over and over and over...) on the Disney Channel?

I'd say you can bet on it.

REGINA ON DEATHLY HALLOWS

Much as I love the intellectual puzzle of the set-up and payoff structure of Harry Potter, for me the real power of the books, the reason they're worth reading over and over lies in the emotional heart of the story. (Otherwise I'd spend all this time looking at the set-up/payoff structure of the Back to the Future movies.)

Nowhere have I seen that power expressed as strongly as in an e-mail Regina Doman shared with me. Those of you who have followed this blog for a while know that Regina, longtime reader and commenter here, most tragically lost her 4-year-old son just over a year ago. She has graciously allowed me to post it here.

I'd heard before that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are a reflection on death, and that the author had suffered the loss of her own mother suddenly while working on the writing, an event which influenced the books' subject and death. But I guess I wasn't expecting to find the last book healing to me, having lost my son.

As you know, I lost my son Joshua last year on July 8th, a few weeks before his fifth birthday on July 26th. So coming up on the one year anniversary, I was partially glad that Deathly Hallows was being released on a day poised almost exactly between those two dates. I thought it would be a nice distraction.

I bought the book at a midnight book sale hosted by our local bookstore, and it was well past one in the morning when I got home. I thought I would go right to bed, as soon as I looked at one page...

Several hours later I was still on the couch, reading and weeping and reading, experiencing that peace that comes from being in the grip of a master storyteller.

I cried when Hedwig died. I cried when Moody died. I cried when Fred comes into the living room and halts in shock at the sight of his bleeding twin. Roughly about every three chapters, I put down my head and sobbed.

And it was cathartic for me to cry. It's hard to feel loss at times, especially
when you are bracing yourself for an anniversary: sometimes you just feel numb inside. But grieving for these other, imaginary characters whom I loved just helped assuage the grief: it helped me feel again.

Dobby's unexpected and noble death was the one that moved me the most: as well as Harry's digging the grave, without magic, feeling his disordered and distracting cravings for control of the Hallows burn away with his grief. I understand how death can rebalance your focus: how it can make you recognize what's truly important, what your true mission is. I loved how true and how real that entire scene was, particularly how Harry is, for the first time, able to shut is mind to what Voldemort is thinking and feeling. There was so much in this book that rang true from a spiritual point of view.

Harry's walk to his death in the company of his parents and Lupin was another moving moment. The vulnerability of Harry was so real for me. But by far the best scene was King's Cross. It was just enough of a foretaste of heaven to comfort me: it reminded me in many ways of C.S. Lewis's Great Divorce. The solace of that scene was the *purpose* of it all. It's hard to see the reasons for things. But at King's Cross (as JKR said, wonderful name) Harry begins to get an inkling of how things might begin to make sense. That scene, more than anything else, confirms to
me that Rowling is indeed a true Christian. With suffering and death, it is only in the presence of the King's Cross that there is any consolation or hope of redemption at all.

I am so grateful to Rowling for finishing the series in a way that satisfies the demands of plot as well as the desires of the readers. But in an odd way, I am also so grateful that she gave me the chance to grieve for my son. And to point us in the direction of the only hope for sorrowing hearts. What a great story. What a great read. I feel privileged to live at this moment in history when such a book is released.

I couldn't say that this book had a special allegorical meaning for me: I can't say I "saw" my son in any of the characters. But then again, I can't see Rowling's mother in any of them either. But the sense of loss and the hope of redemption definitely imbues the entire series and particularly this last book. I don't know that I can quite explain it, but that's what I took away with me from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"Of course it is all in your head. But why on earth should that mean it isn't real?" - Dumbledore