Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Stephen Hawking and Alex Colville - lucky husbands

A marvellous girl child exhorts us all about the importance of the Little Free Library and books. She made me cry.

http://qz.com/304932/this-8-year-olds-passionate-speech-about-books-is-the-best-thing-on-the-internet-today/

Catch-up time: days have gone by, whole days! Where do they go? A brief overview:

- "The Theory of Everything" - a stunning bio-pic about Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane. Of course, I rushed home to check Google about how much was true and how much was invented for the film. Beware the second wife - if only Paul McCartney had known the truth about Stephen's #2 who apparently abused and assaulted him, which isn't shown in the film. But overall, it's gorgeous - fantastic acting, script, beautifully moving. The man was given 2 years to live and more than 50 years later is still going strong. If that isn't heartening, I don't know what is. Highly recommended.

- The Alex Colville exhibit at AGO - wonderful. I knew too little about this first-rate Canadian artist, such as that his pictures appear four times in the background of Kubrick's "The Shining," and have inspired other filmmakers, including the Coen Brothers and Wes Anderson. What's most moving is that - just like the Hawking film - this exhibit about a brilliant man becomes the story of a sustaining marriage. Alex and Rhoda were married more than 70 years; she raised four children and was his muse, often nude, which she did not enjoy. (Of one painting of her stark naked looking in the fridge, she says, "I would never go into the kitchen with no clothes on.")

But the incredible story I didn't know is that when she was nine, in the Twenties, her father, siblings and other relatives were in a car which was struck by a train, and all were killed. And Colville himself was a war artist who was there when Bergen-Belsen was liberated, and saw sights that haunted him forever. Suddenly, Colville's horse running straight at a train - his sense of drama, foreboding, evil and danger - guns, hidden faces, murky darkness - all make sense.

Colville is quoted as saying, "The difference between a person who's an artist and one who's not is that the artist is always gnawing away at this stuff." Love that, as someone who has spent a lifetime gnawing away. Highly recommended.

- "Page Eight", the first part of the fantastic BBC series written by David Hare starring Bill Nighy - as always, riveting television. At one point, Nighy's character is asked about his faith. "Faith?" he replies. "I have faith the sun will rise in the morning and I'll have a drink at six. That's my faith."

To which I said, Mine too! Only my drink is at five. Great writing. My friend Debra told me the brilliant play "Starlight," by Hare, starring Nighy and Carey Mulligan, is going to open on Broadway in April. Worth a trip to NYC.

And - a PBS special on Peter, Paul and Mary. Many tears. In the early morning rain, Oh Stewball was a racehorse, How many seas must the white dove sail ... My nylon string guitar and I knew them all. Such idealism and heart. A history of their times, too - 58,000 soldiers killed in Vietnam. The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The wind is still blowin', Bob, and I ain't heard no answers yet.

It's cold.

1 comment:

  1. HOW I GOT MY MAN BACK
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    HOW I GOT MY MAN BACK
    i just want to start this way by giving a huge thanks to this man DR. UGO ANDREW for what he has just done in my life and my family . At first i thought it won,t work because many has failed me before but on a second thought i said let me just try and to my best surprise Harris my husband that said and insist he has nothing to do with me and my family again called me immediately this great man DR. UGO ANDREW of generalspelltemple@gmail.com cast a love spell on him and started begging for forgiveness. Well i love him so much and at once i accepted him back and today we are both living in pace and harmony, all the glory is to this man DR. UGO ANDREW of generalspelltemple@gmail.com DOC I THANK YOU once again for you are worthy of all the praise and thanks. forever am grateful and shall ever be to you . i also want to say if you are out there passing through any relationship issues you can contact him today and i strongle believe he will also help you out. once again you can contact him through the following way

    Email Address: generalspelltemple@gmail.com

    WhatsApp Number: +1 (518)855-8371

    Facebook page: www.facebook.com/generalspelltemple

    ReplyDelete