Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
The Tony Awards provide solace
I don't want to read the papers or listen to the news. How many more murders? How much lunacy and self-destruction is one great nation capable of?
No, don't answer that question. We see the answer playing itself out every day.
I watched the Tony Awards last night, which turned out to be extraordinary comfort and solace on a hideous day. From the very first moment, when charming host James Corden eloquently addressed the television audience about what happened in Orlando, the evening transformed from a night of cosy mutual congratulations to a celebration of creativity, artistry, generosity, talent and skill - and especially, diversity and tolerance - from an industry filled not only with people of all kinds of sexualities but increasingly of all races, colours and creeds.
I am now seriously in love with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the mega-hit "Hamilton" - not only brilliant and gorgeous but humble, open and funny. He goes on my Best Men list. A thrill for him, I'm sure, not matched by the innumerable Tonys he won last night.
I was very proud of have been a theatre artist last night. Am still one in a very small way, I guess, producing my reading event and the Christmas pageant, teaching. The folks we watched at the Tonys are at the top of their game. Last night was about everything the Americans do better than anyone - all that unbelievable energy, honesty, cheer. How is it possible that powerful well of positivity has been so utterly poisoned?
Ah well. Speaking of great artistry, I went to see Nettie's film Koneline again on Saturday night, and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Beautiful, powerful and vital. May she win an Oscar.
Yesterday, sheer exhaustion - I took my two grandsons to High Park, the first time I've been out with them both. 3 1/2 hours, walking, playing, having a picnic on the grass, and, mostly, hunting for the elusive capybaras that escaped from the zoo there and have been roaming free. We almost saw one. Glamma barely made it home, however, from fatigue. That's a lot of little boy energy right there.
Today, Ben is teething and has a cold, so Eli is coming for a sleepover. I'm taking a few days off after mailing the ms. to the editors, to enjoy the summer days, the roses bursting out. As the fabulous star of "The Colour Purple" sang last night, "I'm beautiful. And I'm here." And so are you.
"Love is love is love is love is love," said my new bff Lin-Manuel in one of his acceptance speeches. "Cannot be killed or swept aside." Today, I'm going to take time for love.
No, don't answer that question. We see the answer playing itself out every day.
I watched the Tony Awards last night, which turned out to be extraordinary comfort and solace on a hideous day. From the very first moment, when charming host James Corden eloquently addressed the television audience about what happened in Orlando, the evening transformed from a night of cosy mutual congratulations to a celebration of creativity, artistry, generosity, talent and skill - and especially, diversity and tolerance - from an industry filled not only with people of all kinds of sexualities but increasingly of all races, colours and creeds.
I am now seriously in love with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the mega-hit "Hamilton" - not only brilliant and gorgeous but humble, open and funny. He goes on my Best Men list. A thrill for him, I'm sure, not matched by the innumerable Tonys he won last night.
I was very proud of have been a theatre artist last night. Am still one in a very small way, I guess, producing my reading event and the Christmas pageant, teaching. The folks we watched at the Tonys are at the top of their game. Last night was about everything the Americans do better than anyone - all that unbelievable energy, honesty, cheer. How is it possible that powerful well of positivity has been so utterly poisoned?
Ah well. Speaking of great artistry, I went to see Nettie's film Koneline again on Saturday night, and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Beautiful, powerful and vital. May she win an Oscar.
Yesterday, sheer exhaustion - I took my two grandsons to High Park, the first time I've been out with them both. 3 1/2 hours, walking, playing, having a picnic on the grass, and, mostly, hunting for the elusive capybaras that escaped from the zoo there and have been roaming free. We almost saw one. Glamma barely made it home, however, from fatigue. That's a lot of little boy energy right there.
Today, Ben is teething and has a cold, so Eli is coming for a sleepover. I'm taking a few days off after mailing the ms. to the editors, to enjoy the summer days, the roses bursting out. As the fabulous star of "The Colour Purple" sang last night, "I'm beautiful. And I'm here." And so are you.
"Love is love is love is love is love," said my new bff Lin-Manuel in one of his acceptance speeches. "Cannot be killed or swept aside." Today, I'm going to take time for love.
Friday, June 10, 2016
Toronto Beatles fest in August and Joan Baez
In the wouldntcha know department: I've never rented a summer cottage before, but this year I did, through the friend of a friend, a week in Haliburton for Anna, the kids and me. I took one of the two weeks they had left, thinking - mid-August, what happens in mid-August? Nothing!
Wrong. The city is producing a celebration of the Beatles in the Sixties and the fact that Toronto is the only city they visited 3 times. There will be activities for months, but especially one full week of concerts and other major events. Guess which week? Yes, I, super fan who would also like to promote my fine Beatles book, will be floating in a lake in Haliburton for that one entire special Beatles week.
Ah well. Such is life. For those of you who will be in town - enjoy.
http://www.toronto.ca/beatles50
Friend Nettie's film Koneline opens at the Bloor tonight; it has been getting incredibly positive reviews, and I hope the place is packed. Go Nettie! I am inspired by her energy and commitment, and also by what I watched on PBS last night - Joan Baez's 75th birthday party, a fundraiser for Amnesty. Joan looks and sounds fantastic, not to mention Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins and others - what an example of aging those women are, beautiful, socially active and gloriously musical to the end. No, not the end, to a mere 75.
And soon, on June 18, my Macca, another ageless musician and exemplary world citizen, will be 74. I wish he'd let his hair turn silver, as those women have. But no, a lustrous brunette he remains.
Grace was here again today, teaching me about Facebook, setting up in Events page and an Album of my books. This old dog is learning new tricks. Or not - if Grace weren't there, not sure what I'd be able to do on my own. But it's exciting. And while she worked, my friend Dan the housepainter was also working, painting deck, porch, walls. He's the best and nicest painter in the business; let me know if you need his number, I'd be happy to give it to you and recommend him without reservation.
Now - Nettie is at the Bloor, Grace and Dan have gone, my deck is spotless, my glass of rosé freshly poured. Time to read and think. I wish you a wonderful June weekend, my friends. It doesn't get better than this.
And ... just have to slip this in. Playschool graduation! Big brother Eli and his little brother Ben on the right, friends Finn and Marcus on the left. Bravo, boys. Harvard is next.
Wrong. The city is producing a celebration of the Beatles in the Sixties and the fact that Toronto is the only city they visited 3 times. There will be activities for months, but especially one full week of concerts and other major events. Guess which week? Yes, I, super fan who would also like to promote my fine Beatles book, will be floating in a lake in Haliburton for that one entire special Beatles week.
Ah well. Such is life. For those of you who will be in town - enjoy.
http://www.toronto.ca/beatles50
Friend Nettie's film Koneline opens at the Bloor tonight; it has been getting incredibly positive reviews, and I hope the place is packed. Go Nettie! I am inspired by her energy and commitment, and also by what I watched on PBS last night - Joan Baez's 75th birthday party, a fundraiser for Amnesty. Joan looks and sounds fantastic, not to mention Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins and others - what an example of aging those women are, beautiful, socially active and gloriously musical to the end. No, not the end, to a mere 75.
And soon, on June 18, my Macca, another ageless musician and exemplary world citizen, will be 74. I wish he'd let his hair turn silver, as those women have. But no, a lustrous brunette he remains.
Grace was here again today, teaching me about Facebook, setting up in Events page and an Album of my books. This old dog is learning new tricks. Or not - if Grace weren't there, not sure what I'd be able to do on my own. But it's exciting. And while she worked, my friend Dan the housepainter was also working, painting deck, porch, walls. He's the best and nicest painter in the business; let me know if you need his number, I'd be happy to give it to you and recommend him without reservation.
Now - Nettie is at the Bloor, Grace and Dan have gone, my deck is spotless, my glass of rosé freshly poured. Time to read and think. I wish you a wonderful June weekend, my friends. It doesn't get better than this.
And ... just have to slip this in. Playschool graduation! Big brother Eli and his little brother Ben on the right, friends Finn and Marcus on the left. Bravo, boys. Harvard is next.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Paul McCartney the life, by Philip Norman
It's cold! What happened? It was sweltering and then it wasn't. I was riding home from U of T at 9.15 last night when I got so cold, I parked my bike at the Y and took a nice warm cab the rest of the way, looking out at people shivering in shirtsleeves and shorts.
Friends have been making good use of my garden: a stunning butterfly, Wayson and his Little Prince colouring book, my son who barbecued us a wonderful meal, and now Nettie, who has made an office and is promoting her film on the chilly deck.
I'm proud to say that this morning, I finished the new Macca biography, Paul McCartney the Life, by Philip Norman, which is over 800 pages long! I did skim many parts, not that interested in the convoluted business disasters of Apple. What comes through most clearly is that this decent, flawed man never stops making music, even when his life is falling apart. After losing Linda, in the midst of his vicious divorce proceedings from wife #2, he wrote and recorded CD's, not to mention his classical compositions, his investment in the Liverpool school of the arts where he teaches songwriting every year, his other charities, his warm family relations.
What you do not see, after the demise of the Beatles, is men friends. This is a man who loves and needs a woman, as he says, to be backstage every night when the show ends, saying, "That was wonderful, darling." He had this with Linda because she was on stage too. Hope it's working out with Nancy. It can't be easy being married to a workaholic, driven, tireless, brilliant, world-renowned icon.
The book has just received an embarrassingly snarky, mean-spirited review in the NYT, which should know better. It's a pop biography, not Proust, but it's thorough and well written, and for those of us who need our Macca fix, it shows the trajectory of this storied life from beginning to last year. Time to get out the CD's and listen again, now knowing more about how and when they were made. A phenomenon, a genius, the most successful songwriter in history. But to me he's just Paul, my great love since February 1964, when I was 13 and he a grand old 21.
Friends have been making good use of my garden: a stunning butterfly, Wayson and his Little Prince colouring book, my son who barbecued us a wonderful meal, and now Nettie, who has made an office and is promoting her film on the chilly deck.
What you do not see, after the demise of the Beatles, is men friends. This is a man who loves and needs a woman, as he says, to be backstage every night when the show ends, saying, "That was wonderful, darling." He had this with Linda because she was on stage too. Hope it's working out with Nancy. It can't be easy being married to a workaholic, driven, tireless, brilliant, world-renowned icon.
The book has just received an embarrassingly snarky, mean-spirited review in the NYT, which should know better. It's a pop biography, not Proust, but it's thorough and well written, and for those of us who need our Macca fix, it shows the trajectory of this storied life from beginning to last year. Time to get out the CD's and listen again, now knowing more about how and when they were made. A phenomenon, a genius, the most successful songwriter in history. But to me he's just Paul, my great love since February 1964, when I was 13 and he a grand old 21.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Koneline: must see
My friend Nettie's stunning film Koneline: our land beautiful received a rave review in the Globe the other day. But more importantly, Nettie told me, it was also given a great review in a magazine called The Northern Miner. Showing just how balanced and fair the film is.
It's opening Friday for a week's run at the Bloor. Please do yourselves a favour and go to see this film. You'll see an incredibly beautiful part of northern Canada and enter the lives of its people. Unforgettable.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/koneline-and-into-the-forest-are-two-women-driven-stories-of-survival/article30249533/
The schedule at the Bloor:
http://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/websales/pages/list.aspx?epguid=a1a41036-cbe1-4f35-bc34-1ed13d4bd525&
It's opening Friday for a week's run at the Bloor. Please do yourselves a favour and go to see this film. You'll see an incredibly beautiful part of northern Canada and enter the lives of its people. Unforgettable.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/koneline-and-into-the-forest-are-two-women-driven-stories-of-survival/article30249533/
The schedule at the Bloor:
http://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/websales/pages/list.aspx?epguid=a1a41036-cbe1-4f35-bc34-1ed13d4bd525&
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