For Once, the Movie is Better Then the Book

     The Incredible Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera contains the story of three Czechs caught up in the Prague Spring of 1968 and its aftermath. They form a love triangle, although the male member of it is what we would call today a sex addict. 

     Kundera was so displeased with the 1988 film version that he decided not to allow any of his books to be filmed.  In the novel, he digresses into philosophical discourse from ancient Greek and Nietzsche. There is also a section on fecal matter. Rather hard to film that, I would think. It has a fantastic cast: Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, and Daniel Day-Lewis

     It is not that I regret having read the book. I gave it four stars. The film shows the struggle against a totalitarian system and how it impacts lives. The choices we make do have consequences. 

    

My books: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=67a4ca9d-d97c-436c-9409-827b215a8174

My novel:

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county

 

Thoughts on "The McCartney Legacy Part One" by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair

   There is an astounding amount of detail here in this unauthorized book. Sometimes this makes for slow reading, especially in the recording sessions, since Paul wanted so many overdubs. However, readers are going to appreciate the background and insights here, so this first of two volumes is worth their time. the legal problems that sank the Beatles are spelled out, along with Paul's reaction to the Fab fdour's dissolution, Linda's role in bringing him out of it, and this solo work to the formation of Wings.

     I've said before that my personality is more like John's than the other Beatles. But like Paul, I am a Gemini, and I get the creativity. Not that I am anywhere close to his ability, and certainly not in music or drawing., Writing is my thing. But I keep a snippet or two of something that I will turn into a poem or a story. Seeing Paul incubate something for later on was fascinating. 

    Eventually, I will get the second part, but now I need to write some things myself and I have a few things untouched on my Kindle. But I will close with something I heard from a friend that shows how generous Paul is.

   I taught for a few years at the Hazleton Area High School. One of the nurses grew up near Denny Seiwell, Wings' first drummer. Around the year 2000, Paul came to Philly for a concert. The nure (whom I trust) said that Denny wrote him, saying that he has visa issues in the UK as a US citizen and had to leave the band. (From the book, I learned that given the low pay, Deny had to do session work in NYC.

   Paul wrote back to Denny, saying he understood. Along with the letter were tickets and backstage passes for the Philly show, and a check for $243,000. Paul added that that was all he could get his hands on at the time, but he would send a few more of them.

   Obviously, Paul did not have to do any of this. that he speaks to who he is. 

   Enjoy the book and the music again! My go-to channel on SiriusXM is the Beatles.

    

 

     

My books: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=67a4ca9d-d97c-436c-9409-827b215a8174

My novel:

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county

As A Fiction/Poetry Reader/Reviewer, Here Is What I Look For

 

    I am honored to be a Fiction Reader for the Northern Appalachia Review, where I was born, a Poetry Editor for the Eleventh Hour Literary Review from Binghamton University, one of the places I went to grad school, an Editorial Assistant for The Petigru Review of the South Carolina Writers Association, and a book reviewer for and through The Tupelo Press and published in the Midwest Book Review. 

    Right now, I am in the middle of reading submissions for two of these publications, and other books appear announced or unannounced.  The GIF below is my reaction to things I do not expect.

https://tenor.com/view/god-father-generosity-deserve-gif-14015070

    Fiction:  For the NAR, we have a specific geographic location. Submitters need not have been born or lived there, or live there currently. When I see something that is not set in the region or has no discernible identification with the region, I stop reading. Below is the map from the website. I think "If you'uns can't read a map, I can't help you 'uns!"

    Outside of that, I want to see more than endless dialogue or a narrator rambling on and on. I want to know what people look like, what the locations look like, and some details about what they eat, drink, smoke, wear, etc. In other words, I want a picture.

 Poetry: I shudder when I see two or three-word lines, 20 or so lines all jammed together, or prose poetry. Yes, I know about the latter. Poet friends and I have discussed this. To me, such things resemble someone going on and on about something. "Prose Poetry" is an oxymoron in my book. Prose is often poetic; think of Updike, Faulkner, and others. 

     If prose is put into some poetic format, that turns me off. I want to see poetic features- not necessarily rhyme- but metaphor, simile, inversion of words, and the like. If there is rhyme, I do not want to see words hammered into place. 

    An example: I recently saw "your desires" paired with "truth's transpires". I shuddered! Not only hammering in rhymes, but a complete misunderstanding of vocabulary. 

    Am I the Final Authbority on writing? By no means am I open about what I like and what I do not like. If there are three of us reviewing what is submitted, I realize that I can be outvoted. And sometimes I like what I read regardless of the form. 

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My books: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=67a4ca9d-d97c-436c-9409-827b215a8174

My novel:

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county