Short Story Wedneday' GOOD EVENING, MRS CRAVEN: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes

 

Mollie Panter-Downes wrote (150) letters and 21 stories for the NEW YORKER about her wartime experiences in England. All 21 appeared in the magazine, about one every three months. They remind me of the novels of Barbara Pym or Anita Brooks or Elizabeth Taylor. They are humorous, sad and short. I don't know where I got this collection from but it's terrific for anyone who wants to be reminded of wartime Britain. 

George Kelley 

Jerry House 

TracyK 

Kevin Tipple 

Monday, Monday

I hope they will film more Broadway shows and show them on movie screens. They have been doing this with operas for some time. This was a wonderful show. Really terrific music. They are extending the run so look for it at your local theaters. Also watched THE BLUE HERON on Criterion, which was sad but so well done for a first film.

On TV watching ANDOR (Disney) Anne with an E (Netflix), TRYING (Apple). There must be more but I can't think of what. I watch a lot of LANDSCAPE PAINTER OF THE YEAR. 

I went to my friend, Rose's 90th birthday party today. Her whole family was there as well as her friends. They held it at the Polish Cultural Center, which was fun. The food was terrific.

Still reading ASYMMETRY by Lisa Halliday.  

Lovely weather although we could use some rain--but not as much as half the world.

How are things there?  

 

FFB-DIE AGAIN, MACREADY, Jack Livingston

 I read several books by Jack Livingston in 1987. He had a deaf series detective, Joe Binney, who caught my interest. In this book, he tracks missing money for a client, a TV actor, who turns up dead. Jack Livingston worked for years as a merchant seaman before writing mysteries. He was nominated for a Shamus for Best P.I. novel for this one. 

Short Story Wednesday

 I got nothing today. How about you?

 

George Kelley 

TracyK 

Jerry House 

Monday, Monday

 

I saw THE ODYSSEY and wow, what a knockout. The three hours flew by. Only wish I could have seen it on an IMAX screen. And certainly don't wait to see it steaming. It will lose so much of its power. 

Not much on TV right now. I might have to rewatch some classic shows. I watched the first LUCKY and didn't think much of it. I didn't like SUGAR either. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE is about the best thing on. 

Reading  SYMMETRY by Lisa Halliday.

Saw a play today.  ATHENA about two teenage girl fencers. Great acting but the play seemed geared to a younger audience. 

We have had some of the worst air in the country this week. It is reeking havoc with my sinues and anyone with lung problems can't breathe very well.  

Hope you are breathing well where you are. 

FFB: SPIES, Michael Frayn

 An elderly man returns to the scene of his childhood and remembers the games he played with a friend during the World War II. This book follows HEADLONG by Frayn, a brilliant novel about art forgery and the delicious play COPENHAGEN. I have a weakness for books where children get it all wrong, perhaps because I always did. And this book concerns two boys, overly caught up in the war, and inventing a role for one's mother during wartime England-spying on her and coming to the wrong conclusions. One boy convinces the other that his mother is a German spy and they are both to ready to accept this, following her, taking notes, making this pursuit their preoccupation. The plot eventually turns everything they believe on its ear.  

Frayn perfectly captures the voice of children of that time: their ability to focus on behavior that is perhaps lost to modern kids. I wonder if kids today would bother to put down their cellphones and Ipods. I also wonder if adults have lost their allure. It did remind me of THE GO-BETWEEN, another wonderful British book by L.P. Hartley. You can't go wrong with either of these choices.