Wait and See

Have you heard? John Krasinski is directing a film version of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews With Hideous Men! Oh, you have? And are you as generally suspicious of everything you've heard about it as everyone else is? Probably.

Me, I kinda winced when Krasinski said it was a feminist film. Which is weird, because normally I find everything he does infinitely adorable. But I didn't think the book was necessarily feminist (unless you are of the mindset that all we do is sit around and talk about hating men)- and I just feel like I'll have to hold off judgement until I see the movie. I mean, it's not that I don't think men can be feminists, it's just that I have a "wait and see" policy on it.

Also, a lot of the time, books that are amazing just don't translate to film very well. The movie versions of The Handmaid's Tale, Everything is Illuminated, The Bell Jar, Breakfast of Champions, 1984, etc. were all pretty forgettable and disappointing.

The preview is available here http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/env-et-krasinski19-2009jan19,0,7576803.story.

It looks a little romantic comedy-ish... but I don't know, I hope it's good. Especially because he's just so gosh-darned excited about it. Although, quick word of advice- whenever someone says "Will you promise not to be mad/offended/whatever if I tell you something?"... Don't. Because you totally will, otherwise they would not have said that.

Colours seen by candlelight will not look the same by day (or what I did with my Amazon gift cards)

I just found the letters of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning (both volumes!) on Amazon for $9.74. I've never owned a copy- but when I was a kid, I really wanted one- I was absolutely in love with it. I'd sit indian style in the middle of the aisle in the library for hours when I was like, 9 or so reading the huge leatherbound copy they had of it there. I think it was almost bigger than I was. I never took it out for some reason, I just read it while I was there. But now I will own my own copy, which I'm sure will not be huge, or leatherbound, but it will be mine- and that will be quite nice.

So I got that, and also The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell (which I've heard so-so things about, but whatever, I like her), 2666 by Roberto Bolano, Phillip Roth's new book, because I love him, and a biography of sorts about Hepburn and Tracy, and Fantasy Island Season 1, and also The Lady from Shanghai (which, weirdly, I do not own), and the Greta Garbo Signature collection. Because I plan on being Garbo-esque this winter. Not so much in terms of being glamorous and mysterious, because everytime I attempt such things I spill coffee on my blouse or fall off of a curb. It's more that I just really, really hate to be cold.

I like the bad guys (and girls!)

When I was a kid, I wasn't too much into toys or dolls, but I did have a few- and the vast majority of the toys my mom got me were of the evil characters from the show. Like, I had the Peculiar Purple Pieman, and Sour Grapes (from Strawberry Shortcake), and Murky Dismal and Lurky (Rainbow Brite) and The Misfits... I don't know if that's what I wanted, or what my mom thought was cool looking.

My sister had a doll called Baby Alive, that she fed creepy packet food to, who would then shit or piss in it's diaper. I was terrified of that doll. It gave me nightmares. That has no relevence to anything else I'm talking about- just, you know, while we're on the subject. Oh! She also had one that you put water in and then microwaved so it was, um, blisteringly hot. You know, like real babies are?

I was unreasonably irritated by Roadrunner cartoons. I found it really unsatisfying that the coyote never won. Over the years I became frustrated with most cartoons in general for similar reasons. It wasn't hard for me to see how one might be annoyed by Rainbow Brite.

I don't know what this says about me. Probably nothing- it's possibly just the wine (I've had quite a bit) making me think that it might.

As far as "heroines" went, as a kid... I really liked Pippi Longstocking- I think she was my first, like, favorite. I just remember reading that whole bit where she goes into the store, and looks at the sign that says "Do you suffer from freckles?" and then tells the lady "No! I don't suffer from freckles! I enjoy them!" or something like that. And my five year old self thought that was just the most amazing thing ever. I wanted to be just like her. I also really liked Ramona Quimby, and later on I liked Anne of Green Gables and the all chicks from the Judy Blume books. I can't remember who else... Nancy Drew was pretty neat.

I should probably go get my laundry out of the dryer now.