Soft humid breeze makes
hand grenades on long threads swing.
Guacamole time.

LitQuake!

So LitQuake 2009 is underway and I am going to be at Joe’s Barbershop tonight for Be Afraid!  Evil Queens, Menacing Dykes, and Secret Gay Agendas, a special edition of the hit reading series.

I’ll also be attending Thursday’s 22nd edition of Literary Death Match:

Since launching in SF in July 2007, the Literary Death Match has spanned the globe—London, Paris, Beijing—but no question, the most epic episodes of the series have happened at Litquake. Join us for the third Litquake LDM: SF, Ep. 22, as we bring together a cast like never before, with an uber-talented trio of judges: actress/poet Amber Tamblyn, artist extraordinaire Paul Madonna and SF Chronicle cultural scribe David Wiegand, who will pass judgment on a downright stellar literary lineup featuring Tod Goldberg (Other Resort Cities), Frances Dinkelspiel (Towers of Gold), Lynka Adams (A Skeleton at the Feast), and James Nestor (Get High Now (Without Drugs)).
Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

I’m in a fantastic literary mood right now – due in perhaps unequal parts to reading Oscar Wilde for the first time (amazing!) as well as the inspiration of Julie and Julia and a breakthrough in plot and character motivation for a work in progress. We’ll see what progress I make!

Me, Julie & Julia

Eggplant parmesan - inside out version. Olive oil and mozzarella, not two sticks of butter!

Call me behind the times.  I just watched Julie & Julia.  An enjoyable story with a few surprisingly moving scenes.  I think its that both Julia and Julie were both such likable people that their ups and downs were very affecting.  I have to admit I cried in the middle of the film when the original editor who brought out “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” for Alfred Knopf canceled her dinner at Julie’s because of the rain.  And that wasn’t the only time!   But it was also a very inspiring story – in parallel for both women.  To see  Julia Child – who we only really know from her TV appearances – get her start against tough odds (Mme Brassard!)  and not knowing anything about French cuisine until rather late in life – well, we saw how driven she was to do something – something.

As for Julie – it was disappointing that Julia Child considered her not serious (or whatever – it wasn’t spelled out) – she was no Julia Child, but the leap she took was to experience Julia by actually doing her book.  And the cookbook is created to do and to teach – but how many owners or borrowers of that cookbook have ever done every recipe?  From the film, one gets the distinct impression that the “Trois Gourmands” and particularly Julia and Simone Beck actually tested every one.  As contrasted with Irma Rombauer.

I learned more than about Julie and Julia from the film.   I also learned that the Kabuki advertises their ticket price as $8.5o but actually charges $10.25 – your receipt explains there is a $1.75 “amenity fee”.  Makes we want to go watch Michael Moore’s new film – in a different theatre!

Finally I learned that my copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” was “borrowed” by a friend now living on the other coast of the country – something she admitted as we discussed the film.  So educational!