After Hours – Page 61 – She was easy to look at and easy to be with most of the time, but she was in no sense of the word an easy person. Harper Lee

Posted on September 1, 2005August 3, 2006 by Amanda Brooks

the devastation of New Orleans

At this point my hopes for a quick recovery are gone. The news from the south coast, especially New Orleans, is as bad as the news from southern Asia this past winter (minus the terrible body count).

What has happened to New Orleans is affecting me a lot more than what happened in Asia. Iâ€™ve been to New Orleans twice for two short weekends; once in the summer and once in the winter. The first time was enough for me to become enchanted with the smelly, historic city. The second time convinced me I had to go for at least a week to really enjoy it. I never made time for New Orleans again. I regret that decision.

Posted on August 25, 2005August 3, 2006 by Amanda Brooks

racist movies?

Two recent movies have managed to make waves in Newsweek and elsewhere as somewhat racist movies. The controversial culprits? Hitch and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Yes, these two movies are indeed exposing the deep, dark underbelly of racism in this country. (Never mind that Charlie was actually written by an Englishman.)

Posted on August 24, 2005August 3, 2006 by Amanda Brooks

my everlasting book project part I

The new flurry of activity around writing my book comes mostly from the inspired suggestion of my lover that I self-publish it as a series. While Iâ€™ve already strongly considered the self-publishing route (itâ€™s said to be ideal for prickly, independent cusses), the serialization idea means I can get my work out much faster than writing the whole thing in one fell swoop.

Posted on August 21, 2005October 15, 2020 by Amanda Brooks

behind every memory there are traces of tears

I was able to see 2046 this weekend. I’ve never seen one of Kar Wai Wong’s films before (the director/writer). It was incredible. I will be renting his other movies.

Posted on August 12, 2005August 3, 2006 by Amanda Brooks

Two Classic Movies about the Classic Career

Butterfield 8 and Klute are interesting parallel movies. They both won Oscars for their leadings ladies, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda. Both films have a bit of a reputation for focusing on call-girls. Both films star kind-of-clunky men as the romantic leads. Each movie takes a different view of sexually liberated women.

Iâ€™d come across knowing references to both movies since childhood, which fueled my curiosity about certain things. Some of the references were in the oddest places, like a magazine article on lipstick (featuring that famous shot from Butterfield 8), or hair (featuring that shot of Jane Fonda striding down the sidewalk). I finally got to see both movies this summer.