The Hollywood Premier of Premonition
Last night I went to the Hollywood premier of Premonition, the new thriller starring Sandra Bullock. You've probably seen the ads. Time is out of joint. Bullock is told her husband is dead, but the next morning she wakes up and he’s alive. She tries to deal with her feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and grief, while she fights to make sense out of what's happening to her. Emotionally, the movie is thoroughly satisfying and beautifully directed. Logically, some strings are left untied. Like the best modern art you’ll be left with things unsaid, things to puzzle over, a chance to bring your own perceptions into the experience. Most films are so logical, so wrapped up, you have nothing to discuss afterwards with friends over dinner. The brilliance of Premonition is you'll have lots to discuss. The film and questions about the film will haunt you for days.
We were invited to the premier by the director, Mennan Yapo. His is a real rags- to-riches story. A successful movie executive in Europe, Mennan put everything he had into writing and directing his and first feature, the German film, Soundless. It was accepted at the Los Angeles Film Festival, but by that time Mennan had no money to stay here for meetings with production companies, so he stayed with us. It was an exciting time, that magical moment when a star is born. Every day messengers dropped off dozens of scripts, most of them he turned down. A true artist and totally focused, he went back to Germany without finding a project he could put his heart into. Then the script for Premonition arrived and the rest is history.
What's a real Hollywood premiere like? The sidewalk on fabled Sunset Boulevard is cordoned off. Fans press against the ropes. The paparazzi are there en masse. The director and his entourage step out of a limo. Cameras flash. Guards are stationed everywhere to make sure that only the favored few get into the theater. So what goes on inside the lobby of the theater? Not much. Friends greet one another. A few, very few, scantily-clad, aspiring actresses parade around hoping to be seen, but for the most part it looks like the crowd at your Saturday night Cineplex. The after party was down the block in a beautiful old Hollywood building with period chandeliers and winding staircases. Four bars served free drinks on three floors. Loud music was piped through all the rooms. But like big parties from Shreveport to Sacramento it can be intimidating or fun. It's all about who you know.
Author Loraine Despres will give you short takes on love, life's little ironies, and the world as she moves through it, with detours including how to attract men and keep them happy. That's easy. Writing, that's harder. The writer's life, that one is the hardest of all.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Thursday, November 16, 2006
A Literary Feast
WORDS AND MUSIC
My husband and I went to New Orleans to take part in The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society’s annual Words and Music—A Literary Feast—and feast it was with great food and even better conversation with authors from all around the United States.
But first, the day after Halloween, I had a signing at the charming Octavia Books, which not only survived Hurricane Katrina; it was the first bookstore to reopen. They had so little damage that even the goldfish in their fountain were alive and anxiously waiting for Tom Lowenburg and his wife’s return. (That’s because the hurricane didn’t hit New Orleans full on. The damage was man made. The levees broke and flooded the city. The flood waters from those particular levees didn’t reach that part of Octavia Street so those houses and businesses suffered only a little wind damage.) Rather than post my pictures of the event, I’ll send you to their website http://www.octaviabooks.com/
The next day Words and Music began with parties and discussions of the impact of Hispanic Cultures on U.S. Life and Literature. On Friday, I led a panel on Late Bloomers, women who’d had successful careers in other fields and then after forty published best-selling and prize winning novels. Maria Arana, was and is the editor of The Washington Post Book World. Her memoir American Chica was a finalist for the National Book Award and her new novel, Cellophane has received rave reviews. Julia Glass was an accomplished painter before winning the National Book Award for her novel, Three Junes. Her new novel The Whole World Over, has also received rave review. Pamela Binnings Ewen—which sounded much too much like Pam Ewing to an old DALLAS writer—was a successful international lawyer before penning Faith on Trial and Walk the Black Cat. We all agreed that our life experiences gave us insights we never had when we were younger and made our writing so much richer. I wrote perfectly terrible novel earlier in my career which I threw away after becoming a screenwriter. Before forty my literary efforts were not ready for prime time. All my indoor photos all took on a sepia sheen giving them an antique aura.
My husband and I went to New Orleans to take part in The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society’s annual Words and Music—A Literary Feast—and feast it was with great food and even better conversation with authors from all around the United States.
But first, the day after Halloween, I had a signing at the charming Octavia Books, which not only survived Hurricane Katrina; it was the first bookstore to reopen. They had so little damage that even the goldfish in their fountain were alive and anxiously waiting for Tom Lowenburg and his wife’s return. (That’s because the hurricane didn’t hit New Orleans full on. The damage was man made. The levees broke and flooded the city. The flood waters from those particular levees didn’t reach that part of Octavia Street so those houses and businesses suffered only a little wind damage.) Rather than post my pictures of the event, I’ll send you to their website http://www.octaviabooks.com/
The next day Words and Music began with parties and discussions of the impact of Hispanic Cultures on U.S. Life and Literature. On Friday, I led a panel on Late Bloomers, women who’d had successful careers in other fields and then after forty published best-selling and prize winning novels. Maria Arana, was and is the editor of The Washington Post Book World. Her memoir American Chica was a finalist for the National Book Award and her new novel, Cellophane has received rave reviews. Julia Glass was an accomplished painter before winning the National Book Award for her novel, Three Junes. Her new novel The Whole World Over, has also received rave review. Pamela Binnings Ewen—which sounded much too much like Pam Ewing to an old DALLAS writer—was a successful international lawyer before penning Faith on Trial and Walk the Black Cat. We all agreed that our life experiences gave us insights we never had when we were younger and made our writing so much richer. I wrote perfectly terrible novel earlier in my career which I threw away after becoming a screenwriter. Before forty my literary efforts were not ready for prime time. All my indoor photos all took on a sepia sheen giving them an antique aura.
Monday, November 13, 2006
new Halloween in New Orleans 2006
THE CITY THAT CARE AND A LOT OF OTHERS FORGOT
Ok, it’s obvious to me that I’m not cut out for blogging. I just can’t get the hang of publishing pictures in the right order. Here’s a second try at describing Halloween in a devastated New Orleans. The last photo with the bent cross is punch line. Why is it smaller than the rest? Another mystery wrapped up in the skeins of the web.
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Talk about living fearlessly, that’s what everyone who lives in New Orleans is doing right now. The food is wonderful. The drinks are amazing. The French Quarter never looked so good. Everything’s been spruced up and renovated. Well not everything, but you get the idea.
We arrived in time for the Halloween parade in the French Quarter. Anyone could put on a costume and join in. The parade was supposed to start at 5:30, but it actually started a little after 6:30pm. That’s New Orleans time. Around midnight masked revelers were still going strong in the Faubourg Marigny, and even at the courtyard restaurant the following weekend.
But drive out a little way and you’ll see block after block, mile after mile of empty houses. The schools are trying to come back. As you can see from the sign, Holy Cross is accepting applications, but the cross on the top of the school is emblematic.
Ok, it’s obvious to me that I’m not cut out for blogging. I just can’t get the hang of publishing pictures in the right order. Here’s a second try at describing Halloween in a devastated New Orleans. The last photo with the bent cross is punch line. Why is it smaller than the rest? Another mystery wrapped up in the skeins of the web.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talk about living fearlessly, that’s what everyone who lives in New Orleans is doing right now. The food is wonderful. The drinks are amazing. The French Quarter never looked so good. Everything’s been spruced up and renovated. Well not everything, but you get the idea.
We arrived in time for the Halloween parade in the French Quarter. Anyone could put on a costume and join in. The parade was supposed to start at 5:30, but it actually started a little after 6:30pm. That’s New Orleans time. Around midnight masked revelers were still going strong in the Faubourg Marigny, and even at the courtyard restaurant the following weekend.
But drive out a little way and you’ll see block after block, mile after mile of empty houses. The schools are trying to come back. As you can see from the sign, Holy Cross is accepting applications, but the cross on the top of the school is emblematic.
Halloween in New Orleans 2006 redo
THE CITY THAT CARE AND A LOT OF OTHERS FORGOT
Ok, it’s obvious to me that I’m not cut out for blogging. I just can’t get the hang of publishing pictures in the right order. Here’s a second try at describing Halloween in a devastated New Orleans. The last photo with the bent cross is punch line. Why is it smaller than the rest? Another mystery wrapped up in the skeins of the web.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talk about living fearlessly, that’s what everyone who lives in New Orleans is doing right now. The food is wonderful. The drinks are amazing. The French Quarter never looked so good. Everything’s been spruced up and renovated. Well not everything, but you get the idea.
We arrived in time for the Halloween parade in the French Quarter. Anyone could put on a costume and join in. The parade was supposed to start at 5:30, but it actually started a little after 6:30pm. That’s New Orleans time. Around midnight masked revelers were still going strong in the Faubourg Marigny, and even at the courtyard restaurant the following weekend.
But drive out a little way and you’ll see block after block, mile after mile of empty houses. The schools are trying to come back. As you can see from the sign, Holy Cross is accepting applications, but the cross on the top of the school is emblematic.
Ok, it’s obvious to me that I’m not cut out for blogging. I just can’t get the hang of publishing pictures in the right order. Here’s a second try at describing Halloween in a devastated New Orleans. The last photo with the bent cross is punch line. Why is it smaller than the rest? Another mystery wrapped up in the skeins of the web.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talk about living fearlessly, that’s what everyone who lives in New Orleans is doing right now. The food is wonderful. The drinks are amazing. The French Quarter never looked so good. Everything’s been spruced up and renovated. Well not everything, but you get the idea.
We arrived in time for the Halloween parade in the French Quarter. Anyone could put on a costume and join in. The parade was supposed to start at 5:30, but it actually started a little after 6:30pm. That’s New Orleans time. Around midnight masked revelers were still going strong in the Faubourg Marigny, and even at the courtyard restaurant the following weekend.
But drive out a little way and you’ll see block after block, mile after mile of empty houses. The schools are trying to come back. As you can see from the sign, Holy Cross is accepting applications, but the cross on the top of the school is emblematic.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Correction
CORRECTION
I don’t pretend to be a computer genius. I stayed up until after midnight trying to figure out how to post photos. Now I get it, the last post goes on top of the page and sometimes photos you think haven’t loaded are and when you try again you sometimes post them twice. My bad.
So my latest posting Halloween in New Orleans 2006: THE CITY THAT CARE AND A LOT OF OTHERS FORGOT is backwards. I meant for you to read the text first, see the photos of all the revelers, and finally view the school sign and see the broken cross. What can I say, except I’ll know better next time.
I don’t pretend to be a computer genius. I stayed up until after midnight trying to figure out how to post photos. Now I get it, the last post goes on top of the page and sometimes photos you think haven’t loaded are and when you try again you sometimes post them twice. My bad.
So my latest posting Halloween in New Orleans 2006: THE CITY THAT CARE AND A LOT OF OTHERS FORGOT is backwards. I meant for you to read the text first, see the photos of all the revelers, and finally view the school sign and see the broken cross. What can I say, except I’ll know better next time.
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