We’re all patterns in the universe, swimmer Daniel Reiner-Kahn reasons in my new novel “Water Music.” But sometimes it’s only when we’re at the end of a journey – maybe even life’s journey – that we understand how the strands came together. At other times, we recognize how the strands fit as they’re being woven.
Last week, I had an onstage conversation with film critic Marshall Fine at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, N.Y. about the relationship between language and images after a screening of “Words and Pictures,” which opens this Friday, May 23. It’s the story of a tempestuous rivalry between a prickly artist (Juliette Binoche) and a showoff writer (Clive Owen). Four days later, the writer (me) and the artist (David Hutchinson) came together more happily at a reading from “Water Music” at The Lionheart Gallery in Pound Ridge. After, I opened up the floor for a discussion about David’s paintings and drawings there, which are based on the perverse writings of Jean Genet.
First, a few words about “Words and Pictures,” a rather contrived but nonetheless absorbing movie about a love-hate relationship that sparks a contest between the artist’s students and the writer’s. It occurred to me after that the only arena in which men and women compete is the intellectual one.
Read MoreWhew, what a couple of weeks it’s been. I feel like I should be crashing, but instead I’ve come up for air to take stock and marvel at all that’s happened.
It began when I appeared in my guises as WAG editor and author of the new novel “Water Music” at the pre-Mother’s Day “Indulge” event in The Westchester, White Plains. Less than a week later, I sat down with Pat Casey, editor in chief of The White Plains Examiner and host of “Examiner Talk News” on Pleasantville Community TV to discuss WAG and “Water Music.”
That night, I was film critic Marshall Fine’s guest for a discussion of the relationship of words and images at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck after a screening of the new Juliette Binoche-Clive Owen movie, “Words and Pictures.” That discussion would continue a few days later at The Lionheart Gallery in Pound Ridge where I read from “Water Music” and then opened up the floor to consider the way text is used in David Hutchinson’s paintings and drawings, which are on display there. (More on this in the next post.)
In-between the movie and the art gallery appearances, I was at Crunch Fitness’ one-year anniversary party in White Plains. OK, you say, it’s not the Cannes Film Festival. Maybe not, but the same principle applies: You’re putting yourself and your work out there. And along the way, you learn some valuable lessons.
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Read MoreSo now it’s on to the Belmont Stakes June 7 and a shot at the Triple Crown, and you think, We’ve been here before, most recently with I’ll Have Another. We get all excited and then we’re let down, so when a new champ comes along, we hedge our bets with Why-he’ll-win, why-he-won’t articles.
But I’m a born optimist, one who’s not afraid to go out on a limb. I believed right from the get-go that California Chrome will do what no horse has done since Affirmed in 1978. He has the speed and endurance, the smarts and the heart. And, contrary to what people think who’ve misinterpreted his rags-to-riches story, he has an excellent pedigree, with Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Native Dancer among his ancestors. His owners’ origins may be humble, but there’s nothing humble about Chrome’s bloodlines. And blood will out.
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Read MoreSaw a good movie the other night at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, where I was invited to speak as editor of WAG magazine and former art critic of Gannett Inc. about the relationship between writing and images. (More about that in a later post.) Suffice it to say that “Words and Pictures” is about the tempestuous relationship between an increasingly crippled, cantankerous artist (Juliette Binoche) and an alcoholic writer (Clive Owen). It’s a bit contrived, but I did find the old writer’s prejudice against having photos do anything but serve my precious prose stirring within me.
Yet I had to laugh when I whizzed through Mark Hodgkinson’s “Andy Murray: Wimbledon Champion, The Full Extraordinary Story” (New Chapter Press, $19.95, 307 pages). What, I thought, no photos inside? Where are the pix of Andy hugging Rafa, Roger and especially Nole at the net? I mean, there are whole websites devoted to the stuff. You could write a book on it. (Indeed, I did, so to speak….
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Read MoreSo what do we think? Is Shelly Sterling in cahoots with disgraced hubby Donald to retain ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers by divorcing him and secretly allowing him to run the team?
Or is she a woman who recognizes her moment and, sensing his vulnerability, has decided to divorce him and make a power play for control of the team?
“I think the latter,” a male friend said the other night over dinner.
OK, so Shelly Sterling is seeking to become the principal owner – the team is actually owned by a family trust – at the moment when two women have lost prominent journalism positions. Jill Abramson was dismissed as the first female executive editor of The New York Times May 14 while Natalie Nougayrède, the first female editor of France’s Le Monde, announced she was stepping down from her post. And while Abramson apparently confronted her bosses about making less in salary and benefits than previous executive editor Bill Keller, the bottom line in both cases is that she and Nougayrède were considered controlling bosses who had lost the confidence of their employees.
But were they really controlling bosses, or were they perceived to be controlling bosses, because we expect women to be the “nice” sex?
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Read MoreMany thanks to Pat Casey for a great TV interview yesterday. Delighted to "dive deep" about all things Water Music. What a keen (and flattering) observation to make the parallel between me and one of my main muses, Mary Cassatt.
Watch here.
Read MoreSo what did New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning think about Michael Sam making history as the first openly gay football player in the NFL?
“I’m excited for him, especially going to the team he wanted,” Manning said of the former University of Missouri defensive end, who was picked by the St. Louis Rams. “I’m excited for all the draftees,” good-guy Eli added.
But perhaps particularly for Odell Beckham Jr., the receiver out of Louisiana State University who the Giants hope will spark their offense after a disastrous season. It helps, of course, that Beckham went to Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, the same alma mater as Manning and older bro Peyton, the Denver Broncos’ signal caller. As Eli shyly noted, he himself is more than a little familiar with Beckham’s game.
Looking natty in at least three shades of gray – and very much like a darker version of Peyton, particularly in profile – Eli was on hand at Mulino’s of Westchester in White Plains, N.Y. May 12 as host of the 37th annual Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic. (The tourney takes place June 9 at Mount Kisco Country Club.) This will be the eighth time that Eli has served as the host of the classic – a relationship I explored in WAG magazine’s November 2013 “Voices” cover story.
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