Feldman's Faves: March 28, 2022

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

And the OSCAR goes to CODA, which I will definitely watch it at some point…….It is shocking to me how few of the OSCAR nominated movies I watched this year, particularly given how much home time and screen time I had. I must admit that while I enjoyed Power of the Dog (the only nominated film I actually saw) it was extremely slow moving and took me about three weeks of 15 minute intervals of watching to get through it. It is a great movie and I highly recommend it, but my attention span was not designed for one sitting of this one (I am pretty sure I would have walked out of this movie had I been in a theatre – but I am happy I finished it). Also, I am so thrilled for Coach K - what an amazing way for him to end his career, getting to the Final Four with a squad that is certainly not even close to the best team he ever put together – and so fun that Duke will be playing North Carolina for the first time ever in the tournament– you can’t make this stuff up. If Duke wins the championship I have to think the movie of Coach K’s life story eventually becomes an Oscar winning film (and one I would actually want to watch, with few or no breaks)….

No theme this week just two random topics of interest.

LESS By: Andrew Sean Greer – Greer’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize winning novel is a “coming of age” story for a 50 year old, Arthur less, a semi-successful middle aged author, who is about to turn 50 and it is not an easy pill for him to swallow (yes I can relate). For those of us who are members of “this very special club”, there is something metaphysical about crossing the 50 barrier that is hard to explain until you have been there. But like most things in life, it is the anticipation of it happening as opposed to it actually happening that causes the greatest level of anxiety and consternation. Once you get there, you get dressed, you have your coffee and you keep doing what you are doing. This is one of the themes that this book emphasizes quite strongly and is actually a real comfort (at least to me). But there is also a fun side to this book. LESS is one of those really funny stories where I often found myself laughing out loud as I was reading it. There is some 13 year old boy humour (that my wife thinks suits me) that may not be for everyone. While me and Arthur Less could not be more different (e.g., he is a single and unattached free spirit artist and I am a corporate lawyer…) there were many instances in this book to which I could relate, including feeling like a fish out of water in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and the comedy that ensues as a result. Here is a good plot summary from literary giant Wikipedia: “Arthur Less is a 49-year-old gay writer of middling success from San Francisco, known primarily for having once been in a relationship with an older man, Robert Brownburn, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. He first experienced moderate success with his debut novel, but in the decades since has struggled to garner the same success. His most recent novel, Swift, has recently been rejected by his publisher. Arthur, who is dreading his 50th birthday, is suddenly invited to the wedding of his ex-lover, Freddy Pelu. In attempt to avoid the wedding, Arthur goes on an extensive overseas trip after accepting invitations to the numerous literary engagements which he typically declines. He first travels to New York City to interview writer H.H.H. Mandern, and then to Mexico City for a conference about Robert. In Turin, Arthur attends an award ceremony where, to his surprise, he wins. He later accepts a teaching offer for a creative writing seminar in Berlin. After a layover in Paris where he meets an old friend, Arthur travels to Morocco to celebrate his 50th birthday in the Sahara. He eventually arrives in India, where he accepts a writer-in-residence at a Christian retreat community in Kerala. Finally, he travels to Japan to write as a food critic. After hearing that Robert has suffered a stroke, Arthur returns home to San Francisco where he finds Freddy there waiting for him.” This book is very much the gay man’s version of Eat, Pray Love…. The best part of the novel is the language that Greer uses throughout. For example the “line of the book” is when Arthur Less is described as a “magniloquent spoony” in a review of his work - I had to look up both words…. Here is the excerpt: “Arthur Less’s first novel, Kalipso, was his most successful but only a “moderate success.” When none other than the esteemed critic Richard Champion reviews Kalipso for The New York Times, Brownburn says, “it was a good review.” “But every author can taste the poison another has slipped into the punch, and Champion ended by calling the author himself a ‘magniloquent [meaning grandiose or ostentatious] spoony’ [meaning unduly emotional or sentimental].” Arthur wonders if Champion is “sending a message to the enemy.” Brownburn affirms, telling Arthur “he’s just calling you a faggot,” which is the world of this novel, as it should be in life, is not an insult. Nonetheless, from then on Arthur Less wears the sobriquet “magniloquent spoony” as a badge of insecurity. Every badge has two sides. The opposite side of Arthur Less’s badge of fear is, as he’s told by his current lover, Freddy Pelu, bravery.” This is the best example of the type of writing you will encounter if you choose to read this book, which I highly recommend. Here is a good review from Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39927096-less

Throughline - Ukraine's Dangerous Independence – Putin is doing what he is doing based on, among other things, his misconceived notion, that there is no such thing as an “independent Ukraine” or “independent Ukrainian people” and that the territory that calls itself Ukraine belongs under his/Russian control. It is also an outward manifestation of his insecurity about being surrounded by enemies. This PODCAST provides a longer term perspective on the history of the land known as Ukraine and shows why and how the Ukrainian people, while identifying closely with their Russian cousins, are a distinct and fiercely independent people. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself: “To understand the current conflict in Ukraine, you have to understand how Ukraine's national identity formed. A conversation with Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhii”: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/throughline/id1451109634?i=1000553517227

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon