Little Talks

Warning: if you haven't seen this, there may be spoilers. You've been warned. In a surprisingly serious role, Melissa McCarthy plays a newly divorced single mother, who moves in next door to the rough-edged, miserly Vincent (played by Bill Murray). Vincent is not a nice guy, and he doesn't appear to be a very kind or friendly person. Unfortunately Maggie (McCarthy) has to work off shifts as a nurse at the hospital, so she occasionally has to leave her son, Oliver, in the care of Vincent. They have some odd experiences, as Vincent exposes Oliver to things that a child probably shouldn't know or see. However, Oliver also realizes that Vincent is not such a terrible man. He is actually a kind man in his own right, but he doesn't seem to want people to know that. Oliver, however, does see it. He meets Daka, a prostitute (or "lady of the night") whom Vincent has taken a liking to. But Daka is pregnant, and it is unclear whether it is Vincent's child, althou...

Today's quote is a little late and I apologize for that. For some reason, this weekend I keep forgetting what day I am living in. Still, better late than never. This is a quote I am surprised to say I have never heard before. I discovered it while pleading with Siri to answer a question which it refused to answer and when I asked "why not?" It told me this: It seems so quotable that it should be one of those famous lines that everyone knows. If you're like me and you've never heard it before, take note. I think it has a really great message.

So this weekend I went camping with my sister and my two best friends, whom I've known for over 10 years. It was rainy, then it was hot and sticky. But I loved every minute of it. It was our first time camping on our own, but it didn't feel like it. I had such a good time even though it was just a short weekend in the woods. So here are two quotations to aum up my weekend and encourage you all to find a few good friends and just get away for a while. Now I would like to share a revelation I had this weekend. First let me say that I love camping. But I realized that we third world humans think that a good vacation is going into the woods and getting eaten by bugs with no real shelter, just a tent. Why is that? I love it and I just can't tell you. I guess it's just being in nature. And it helps to have great company.

Maus: A Survivor's Tale  by Art Spiegleman This post discusses both Maus I: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began This is yet another unique non-fiction book I discovered through school. It is the story of Vladek Spieglman, a Polish Jew during his life leading up to and in the midst of World War II. The author and artist is Art Spirgleman, his son. The narrative being told is only part of the vision that Art had because his mother passed away a while before he decided to write the book, an his father was so upset by everything that he had burned her journals. For this reason, the story is completely from Vladek's perspective, so when Art's parents get separated, he doesn't always know what happened to his mother in that time. Through it all, it was so amazing to see just how much Art's family survived, despite all odds being against them. The retelling is framed by the discussions between Art and his father, the story jumping betwe...

How's is everyone's weekend going? Do you think if I ask that some of you will actually answer? So many questions, so little time. Anyways, I went to a wedding reception/garden party last night so I'm a little tired, but I am still taking the time to ensure that I do my weekly post for you guys. In the spirit of marriage, here is a quotation about love:

Army of Lovers: A Community History of Will Munro I know that it seems like I thoroughly enjoy everything I read and watch, but that's not true. The main reason is that I watch and read things I know or think that I will be interested in. This, however, was another of the books I was assigned in my non-fiction course. I am uncertain how I feel about this book, less because of the style and more because of the story being told. This books is the story of Will Munro being told through excerpts from interviews with friends, family, and aquaintances of the youn man who became a figurehead and celebrity in his little (but growing) community. He was an artist, a gay rights activist, a volunteer youth helpline worker, etc. He was the figurehead for a small, previously unrepresented community.  From the stories, he seemed to be the strangest party animal, a really unique artist type, but also a completely self-sacrificial giver. He brought people together. The part of the book th...

Today is national sister's day, so I wanted to share a quote about sisters (since I've got one of those).