Lessons From a New Book About Old Vinyl

The up-front part: I have been an acquaintance of author Christopher Long for many years. We met somehow when he published the original version of his book "A Shot of Poison." We bonded over our connections to the band, and since then, I have read early drafts of several of his books and provided feedback and corrections when necessary. He gifted me his new book Garage Sale Vinyl. I made no promises for a review or for this blog post. But, as always, I keep it honest. These are my thoughts and feelings about this book. Some of my opinions may hurt his soul, but as he points out in this book, music, and taste in music is individual. With that said, let's get this review blog post in gear.....

My collection of books by Christopher Long. I
have a digital copy of his books
Shout it Out Loud and Superstar.

Whenever I am asked about my favorite music, I tell the inquirer that my musical taste is as eclectic as their weird uncle Frank. I range from Jim Croce to Metallica, from Ronnie Millsap to Pantera, and most recently, New Kids on the Block (that song Remix is slappin'!!) to the White Stripes. You can't pin me down. But I think I have met my match. 

Christopher Long, in his new book, Garage Sale Vinyl, shares personal stories and opinions relating to 50 of his favorite records of all time. They are not in order from least favorite to favorite, or vice-versa, nor are they published in the order of release date. Long presents them in alphabetical order by artist and tells many good stories. His musical taste may range even deeper and wider than mine. Toward the end of the book, Long writes, "I simply hear music as my personal iGadget shuffles randomly from Carly Simon and Motorhead to Loretta Lynn and Buddy Guy to King Crimson and Debbie Gibson." (260) Of that list, he only reviews an album by one of those artists in this book.

If I were to read this book again, I would go much slower. Instead of digesting chapter after chapter, I would read one chapter and then listen to the album before I read the next chapter. Instead, I finished the book and started listening to the albums about 3 days before I finished reading. So far, I am on the 14th album (John Denver's Poems, Prayers and Promises. And in those 14 albums so far, I have only skipped one album after listening to the first 3 tracks (not my cup of coffee), and one song that got long and boring half way through its 11-minute run time. The rest of them, I have either known and loved (Aerosmith and Cinderella), or listened to for the first time because of this book. Some artists (specifically Janis Ian), I had never heard of. Some albums (Alice Cooper's Killer) made me completely stop whatever I was doing at the time and pay close attention to a lyric, a drum beat, or a bass line. It was also the first time I actually listened to an entire Beatles album. With 37 albums left to listen to, I'm excited to see what other gems Long is about to treat me to. I'll probably keep the book with me as a quick reference as I work through the rest of the list.

My collection of 33 rpm LPs.

Another unexpected cause and effect situation that came about because of this book (and the blog by the same name from which this book was spawned) is that I have modestly increased the size of my record collection. I used to collect CDs. Before that, I had cassettes. Before that, I had a sizeable record collection that stayed at my parents. Most of that record collection consisted of children's records from Sesame Street, the Electric Company, Halloween sound effects, and Little Golden Books. I took possession of that collection when my parents moved about 3 years ago. Some of their collection (like Seals and Crofts and my favorite, Jim Croce's Life and Times, complete with news stories about the plane crash that took his life taped to the inside of the gatefold) disappeared. I would have loved to have gotten that Croce album just because of the memories and having my hands on those stories that I read a hundred times as a child.

My garage sale vinyl

Sometime in the last 25 years, I began collecting other albums, like 3 copies of Poison's Open Up and Say ... Ahh, and many of their singles on both 33 and 45 formats. But after Long started his Garage Sale Vinyl blog, I started paying more attention to the used records at my favorite coffee shop. On two different occasions, as I walked in the back door and worked my way to the front to get may favorite beverage (called a Pooh Bear, with cinnamon, honey and two shots of espresso), I saw two albums on the racks that I absolutely had to snatch up. The first was a copy of Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth in excellent, which was just fun. The second was Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Greatest Hits. I'm usually not a fan of greatest hits albums because if I'm a fan of the band, I already have the songs on other records. But I bought this one because my parents had it and I knew all the words from beginning to end on both sides. I had to have it. 

Through the years, I have also picked up a couple of Jim Croce records (including a copy of Life and Times), and a second mint condition copy of John Denver and the Muppets A Christmas Together.

This weekend, I had some time to kill, so I stopped into the newest vinyl shop in my area that opened about two months ago. There I discovered that Long's tip that he shares in his book is true: the bottom bins are the dollar bins. There, I discovered a copy of Frampton Comes Alive (which Long writes about), and a copy of a record I never knew existed. When I found it, I let out an audible gasp. I was so thrilled.

Me with my newly-acquired LP of 
Surfin' USA, along with my original
(vintage) cassette from 1982

As a child of about 8 in 1982, my parents got me an album called Surfin' USA on cassette. This album consisted of poppy, happy surfer tunes, mostly from the likes of the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean, with the instrumentals Wipeout and Pipeline thrown in for good measure. I still have the cassette, but I had forgotten about it, as it was buried away with my other memories of childhood. A couple of weeks ago, someone posted on Facebook asking what the first rap song was that I ever heard. It reminded me of a long-destroyed cassette I had in the early 1980s that was called Electric Breakdance. It was a compilation album, and it was a lot of fun. I remembered enough that I was able to search the Google machine and find a track list. I recreated the album as a Spotify playlist. That got me thinking about the Surfin USA cassette, so I found it, built another playlist with all of the songs, and have listened to it several times in the last two weeks. So when I found it in record format in the first bottom bin I searched (for $1 no less), I had to have it. I brought it home yesterday, got out my cheap briefcase record player, and introduced my 15-year-old son (who has his own wildly ranging taste in music) to the world of records. 

At the end of the day, I have discovered that we don't know what we don't know until someone tells us about it. I am ever grateful to Christopher Long for introducing me to a whole body of work by Alice Cooper that is amazing. Before this book, I only knew his albums Trash and Hey Stoopid. The only other Alice I knew were the overplayed classic rockers that you can hear on any rock radio station. I'm here for the deep cuts. I am grateful to Christopher Long for doing that for me, and I have discovered that I need to do that for my kids, as well.

My Collection Part 13 - Zuzu Bailey's It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook

As part of my blog, I like to feature parts of my collection. It's a strange thing. It feels like bragging, but it's not....it's blog fodder.

Here I present my copy of Zuzu Bailey's It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook. It was written by Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey in the film. I bought a copy for myself and a copy for my mother when I met Karolyn at Borders in Cleveland in 1997. She signed both copies. That was the same trip/visit when I sat down with Karolyn and Chris and we had a fantastic chat over coffee. I've blogged about that visit many times before, but this is the book that brought it all together.

This book includes recipes with names based on people and scenes in the film, as well as a brief history of the film and some memories.

I am not going to review the book because I have not read it. Cookbooks don't lend themselves to easy reading. But here are some photos of my book, and my mother's:

My copy of Zuzu Bailey's It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook 

The inscription inside my copy of Zuzu Bailey's It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook

The inscription inside my mom's copy of Zuzu Bailey's It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook

Book Review - It's a Wonderful Life: A Memory Book

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

 It's a Wonderful Life: A Memory Book, by Stephen Cox. 2005.

This book is fantastic. It includes rarely-seen photos, still photos and bits of script from scenes that were cut for the film, and interviews with all of the Bailey children. There are interviews with descriptions of several of the other actors, as well.

This book is worth the investment, effort and look. It's a fast read, but it's full of new information....at least it was new in 2005.

4.5 stars out of 5.

A new book about It's a Wonderful Life

I'm a little excited and a little nervous about the prospect of there being a new book on the way about It's a Wonderful Life.

That's right...a new book. I learned about it from the one and only Richard Goodson, who seems to have an inside track about all things Wonderful Life. It's uncanny. And I am so very grateful to be under the umbrella of his sharing tree.

Last week, he told me about a new book coming out in May. It's called "Zuzu's Petals," and is by a high school AP English teacher named Jeff Jarot. This book doesn't examine the film (like my book), and it doesn't retell the story of It's a Wonderful Life if something had changed, like The Last Temptation of Clarence Oddbody by John Jughead Pierson.

Instead, this book looks at a modern family in which the father has a bit of an unhealthy obsession with It's a Wonderful Life. It hits a little close to home. In fact, I joked with Goodson when he told me about it. My response was, "Sooooooo......Is this book about you or about me? And is that an honor or is that offensive?"

But all ego aside, this book looks to be a great examination of obsession and love. Where does interest cross the line of hobby? Where does hobby cross the line of obsession? When does obsession cross the line to insanity?

You can read more about the book and about the author here.

You can get a feel for what his book will feel like by downloading his thesis and dissertation here.

I'm really looking forward to the book. What do you think?

My Collection Part 12 - It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook

Here is a book in my collection called It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook, by Sarah Key.

There is no fanfare here...just a few stills from the film, a few quotes, and several (but not a lot) of recipes with clever names related to the film.

And that's about it.

My copy of It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook

Book Review: American Vision: The Films of Frank Capra

I'm back. I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional. I have been ill. Perhaps one day, I will blog about my experience. For now, suffice it to say that migraine headaches suck and attempting to hunt down the cause and make them stop leads you to places you never knew you would go. I assure you that my passion for this film and dedication to this blog has not waned. I was just laid up in bed for a week. That's all. Now, two IV's, one spinal tap, a blood patch, and lots of Percocet, headaches and back pain later, I have returned.

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

Review of American Vision: The Films of Frank Capra by Ray Carney.

I have one confession to make: I didn't read this entire book. I only read about the films that impacted my research. Specifically, I read the portions about American Madness, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Meet John Doe, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, You Can't Take it With You, and It's a Wonderful Life.

The thing about this book is that the research and the insights are fantastic. There are considerations here that I have never thought of before. The problem is that there were several simple errors. For example, Carney:

• Talks about Henry C. Potter (pg. 379). His name is actually Henry F. Potter.
• Repeatedly refers to Violet Bicks (pg. 384 and many others). Her name is Violet Bick.
• Repeatedly refers to one of the characters in American Madness as Dixon. (pg. 117). His name is spelled Dickson.
• Misquotes George Bailey as saying "sounds of trains, anchor chains, and boat whistles" (pg. 422). George's actual quote is "anchor chains, plane motors, train whistles."
• Incorrectly states that after the phone scene, there is a "following scene showing George and Mary leaving the church after their wedding." This is wrong. They may or may not have been married in a church. We have no proof of this. However, they leave the Bailey home, not a church, as they climb into Ernie's taxi. The proof is the picture of Annie the maid hanging below the steps as George and Mary run down them.

These missed facts do not take away from the scholarship and depth that this book goes into. The research and dedication to studying the facts of the films instead of the dreams and metaphors is admirable.

American Vision: The Films of Frank Capra is dense. It's thick and scholarly, and requires patience and a great degree of concentration. That being said, it is also required reading for fans of Capra and his films.

Book Review - It's a Wonderful Life for Kids!

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

It's a Wonderful Life for Kids was written in celebration the film's 65th anniversary.

The author, Jimmy Hawkins, played the youngest Bailey child, Tommy. So naturally, the story focuses on his character.

Hawkins says in the Author's Note that, "I wanted to show young readers that everyone's life, no matter how old he or she may be, makes a difference."

It's a great message. Tommy gets his own story, pulling in characters we know and love like Mr. Gower, George Bailey, Clarence and Zuzu. There also are characters who are mentioned in the film but never make an appearance until this book. Mrs. Welch is one of those characters. Mrs. Carter, the wife of the bank examiner, is another. Also, one of Tommy's childhood friends is named Nick, like the bartender. Only fans of the film would pick up on these names.

While Tommy gets his own unique story, other sections, like scenes in Heaven, and scenes involving Tommy's guardian angel, Arthur, borrow entire sections of dialogue ... sometimes word for word ... from the film. A small part of me says this is lazy writing. Another part of me says it's a great way to introduce a new generation to the film and build recognition for the first time they watch it with mom and dad.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

Book Review - The It's a Wonderful Life Book

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

My copy of The It's a Wonderful Life Book with
bookmarks at each of the scenes. Don't let the condition
fool you. I have used this book extensively.  I just take
really good care of my books.

In The It's a Wonderful Life Book, Jeanine Basinger has put together the definitive collection of primary source information available about the film It's a Wonderful Life.

Anybody who considers him or herself a "Lifer" (a fan of the movie, usually an extreme fan such as myself) needs to purchase this book.

Almost everything you want to know is in here, from the complete text of the original story the film was based on, to interviews with Stewart, an introduction by Capra, pictures galore, the final script, script revisions, notes about suggested censorship, and much, much more.

There is even information in here you wouldn't even think about asking. An example is the name of the "stars in charge." One is named Joseph. What is the name of the other galaxy? (Hint: The answer isn't God.)

I used to get e-mails asking me questions about the film. Now those discussions usually happen on Facebook. If I don't have the answer, this is the first book I pick up. Of the many times I've been asked questions, I have always found the answer in this book.
This is the ultimate IAWL reference. 

In fact, I have written my own book about It's a Wonderful Life, and I am currently looking for a publisher. While writing this book, I kept looking at my copy of Basinger's book. I didn't look at it because I wanted to take information from it. Instead, I stared at it to remind me that my goal was to write a book about It's a Wonderful Life that is as good and as useful as this.

I give Basinger's book 5 stars out of 5.

Book Review - 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life by Bob Welch.

My copy of 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life.

This is a well-thought-out book that does exactly what it says it does: It looks at 52 life lessons that can be learned from It's a Wonderful Life. The book is broken up into 52 chapters, and can be read as a weekly devotional (or not), one chapter per week.

I devoured this book in a matter of days.

There are moments when Welch gets a little overwrought, spending too much time thinking about/describing/explaining certain aspects of the film and its characters. There are other days when he is spot-on and you can't help but jump up and scream "EXACTLY!!!"

There are religious overtones in this book. That's a fact. If that offends you, don't buy or read this book. Or maybe you should. If you like It's a Wonderful Life, the Christian aspect is already there, so you might as well learn more about it.

What makes it even more fun is that the author's name is Bob Welch. Welch was the name of the man who punched George in the mouth at Martini's bar....the teacher's husband. I don't know if HIS name was Bob, but that is the name of the author of this book. It means absolutely nothing, but it's a fun observation nonetheless.

I purchased the hardcover copy of this book a couple of years ago. The ebook was available on iTunes, Kindle and Nook for 99 cents on Nov. 30, 2015. It might still be on sale today.

Book Review - Jimmy Stewart and His Poems

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

Jimmy Stewart and His Poems, by Jimmy Stewart. 1989.

Jimmy Stewart wrote some verse
That made my English professor curse
He said it was not poetry, but worse
It was an assignment that I turned in ... my first.

Years later I know he was right
The book it really stunk
And yet I keep it next to Plath and Ginsberg
Tucked inside a trunk

Two copies of Stewart's poetry that I have in my collection.

Okay, I'm done.

I know the poetry above is not in any consistent meter. I know the rhymes are not in a consistent pattern. Neither are Stewarts. So not only are my verses above acceptable for this review, they are intentionally bad.

Don't expect anything high-minded here. You won't find Stewart's poetry in any classrooms...at any level. But that's okay. They don't beg analysis. They don't beg interpretation. They are intended to be entertaining and gain a few laughs.

There are only four poems in this book. All of them are preceded by a short explanation of their creation. Of the four poems, three of them are about Stewart's travels to foreign countries:

• The Top Step in the Hotel Junin
• The Aberdares!
• I'm a Movie Camera

I found this letter to Dear Abby in my copy with the cartoon dust jacket. I had forgotten
I had put it there. To be honest, I don't even remember it. But it gives you an idea of
how Stewart wrote.

A fourth poem, titled "Beau" is about the family dog.

Sadly, Stewart believes that in order to be poetry, the lines must rhyme. I strongly disagree with him, but who am I to argue with Jimmy Stewart?

3 out of 5 starts, but only for cuteness, not for quality of the poetry!

My Collection Part 3 - Research Paper Abstract

When I was a college sophomore, I already knew what I wanted my junior/senior research paper to be about. I was a double-major in both English and Communication, so I could choose either of those to focus on. They were offered on opposite years, with English being offered my freshman and junior years, and communication offered my sophomore or senior years.

I couldn't fathom researching an English topic. That just sounded boring to me. But the option of communication seemed wide open and offered more opportunities. I told some friends of mine that I was going to complete my communication research project as a senior, and that I was going to write about It's a Wonderful Life.

Add a year and a half of interceding college effort, drama, and hijinks, my senior year finally came around....and I forgot the plan. So I spent a week or two writing up notes about how I was going to compare print journalism reporting of the Civil War to coverage of the Gulf War. I was only half-feeling it and kind of dreading the project.

Part of the requirement was to present your proposal in front of the class. As I sat in the classroom that night waiting for the professor to arrive, we were sharing our topics in broad terms. I told about my news reporting idea, and one of my friends, Jay, spoke up: "I thought you were going to do this about It's a Wonderful Life."

I was shell-shocked. How could I have forgotten????!!!!! I uttered a short, vulgar phrase that shows surprise and the realization that I wasn't prepared to present on that. I thanked him profusely, turned around in my seat, grabbed a piece of paper and proceeded to ignore the first two or three presenters and I madly brainstormed and framed out my idea.

I present to you, that page:

I got up in front of the class that night, presented this as if I had planned it all along, and got some excited and encouraging feedback from my professor. I took that back to my dorm, started the film on my VCR (this was before DVD, let alone Blu-Ray), and wrote the full abstract, dated March 3, 1997:

This paper has gone through many versions, including the 46-page college paper that I turned in for a grade, a hastily-written book version that wasn't much more than a slightly expanded version of the college paper. I recently finished my 7th draft of a greatly-expanded, carefully-considered 250 (or so) page book. It has been declined by one publishing house with promising feedback about how it didn't quite fit their publishing vision, but was well-written, and a book proposal is currently with another publishing house under review and consideration.

And even though the book is complete, it's so tempting to go back and re-write it an eighth time. I have made a habit of it for the last 18 years. Old habits are hard to break, not to mention how much fun I have doing it!

Book Review - Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success

Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success, by Joseph McBride, 2000.

Joseph McBride
Source: http://goo.gl/caMblS

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

This book affirmed what I suspected in my review of The Name Above the Title (see Monday's blog entry). 

McBride seems to take pleasure in and take pains to identify every false bit of information that can be found in The Name Above the Title. 

I read this book because it came highly recommended to me. When it arrived in the mail (I purchased it online), I read the back cover, and read some online reviews, and I wondered to myself, “why write a book about someone you hate?” 

This book isn’t like that, despite my first impression. This is a careful examination of Capra the man and Capra the myth. It is a very, very long book, but Stephen King has written longer. If you are going to read The Name Above the Title, then you MUST read The Catastrophe of Success, and they really ought to be read in that order.

My copy of this book.

Book Review - Frank Capra: The Name Above the Title

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

Frank Capra: The Name Above the Title, by Frank Capra, 1971.

Frank Capra Commemorative Stamp
Source: http://goo.gl/2aWrKI

I have mixed feelings about this book, and I’m going to lay them open here.

The bad news is that Capra’s ego is so huge, it smacks you in the face on darn near every page. Half of what I read, I found myself shaking my head literally not believing what he was telling me.

Even Jeanine Basinger, a Capra scholar, who wrote an introduction to the edition I read (printed in 1997) tells readers that Capra combines conversations and punches up his actions and speeches, along with the reactions of others in order to make himself look better. Capra goes on to admit it himself.

My copy of this book.

The good news is that if just half of what Capra is telling us is true, he not only is a pompous jerk, he also was a genius. There are lessons to be learned here about how to chase your dream, how to stand up for yourself, and how to work your way through a sewer tank and come out smelling like roses (sorry about the cliché).

Not only that, but Capra tells a heck of an entertaining story. It was written before the modern push for political correctness, so it reflects his honest opinions.

He calls a spade a spade (and an Italian a Dago). He does it in a disarming way that won’t get you all huffy if you’re a believer in all that is PC. That is, unless he uses that language to invoke pity for himself. After all, he does have a complex and a need to be noticed, and to be the center of attention, and to have his name precede the names of the actors in his films, the names of his films, and even the title of his book).

Just keep that in mind and read it with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Book Review - Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life, by Frank Sanello. 1997.

This book seems to have been finished in a rush following Stewart's death in July, 1997. 

Stewart's life from 1908-1969 spans 271 pages. The years 1970 to his death are covered in just 9 pages, including his own death and that of his wife. Those last nine pages also quote heavily from the barely more than one-page afterword by Stewart's daughter. 

I found at least three errors in this book, including a misspelled word, a repeated word. Sanello also is very repetitious, constantly repeating the same old stories, such as when Stewart was awarded for failing during a WWII bombing mission, which saved some historically significant items. 

The book also touches only briefly on the friendship between Stewart and Ronald Reagan. Save your money and your time. Invest them instead on another Stewart biography...ANY OTHER Stewart biography.

Book Review - Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life, by Jonathan Coe, 1994.

I am not a happy man. I had used this book for research when I wrote a lengthy college paper about the portrayal of capitalism in the film It’s a Wonderful Life. I did not read it all at that time, and upon reading it now, I am very angry with Coe.

It's a Wonderful Life, along with several other Stewart films, such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and You Can’t Take it With You, are distinctly American films portraying distinctly American ideals, so it is preposterous (yet intriguing and enlightening) to see Coe, who lives in England, review Stewart and his films. 

This book is a quick run-through of Stewart's films, telling few anecdotes about the films, and ignoring most of the rest of his life. The birth of his twin daughters received only a sentence or two. Coe brings up a few good points arguing that the main argument of It's a Wonderful Life and other Stewart-Capra films are flawed. However, I can refute these claims and show how these films DO work under an American ideology. 

Coe pans most of Stewart’s films and tosses them off generally as just more half-hearted films that fail in their sentimentality and half-baked scripts. Coe apparently only liked a handful of Stewart’s films, according to what he wrote in his book. A sample sentence on page 188, offering a summary of Stewart’s film career, states “It’s a long time now since he (Stewart) made a film, and an even longer time since he made a really good one.” 

My question to Coe is: Wouldn’t it have been more fun for you to write a book about someone who’s work you overall enjoyed, as opposed to someone who’s work you have a hard time finding much good to talk about? This book is worth reading for die-hard Stewart fans, only to get a non-American perspective of Stewart and his films. 

Fair warning: Prepare to be angry.

My Collection Part 1 - Harvey

Last week, I posted three different blog entries about Harvey. I continue that posting today.

One of the best parts of living in Bowling Green Ohio is the fact that we have Bowling Green State University nearby. While the college kids can be reasonably obnoxious on move-in-day, graduation day, and just about every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, they have also helped to foster a home-grown, local coffee shop and used book store called Grounds for Thought.

My copy of Harvey: Acting Edition

It's such a great place that I have picked up a lot of stuff there over the years, including more books than I can count, more coffee than I dare to measure, some shirts, coffee beans, and a wife. Yes, I met my wife there in 2006.

Part of their used book section includes a section for stage plays. And it was there that I found my copy of Harvey, the Acting Edition script by Mary Chase. It's a very cool find and a rarity in Bowling Green.

So now that I've shared another part of my collection, please allow me to gush just a little bit longer about Grounds for Thought.

There is a reason that the store was recently named the Best Coffee Shop in Ohio.

Check out the awesome feature the local PBS station put together about Grounds for Thought by clicking here.

Book Review - It's a Wonderful Life: The Fiftieth Anniversary Scrapbook

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

It's a Wonderful Life: The Fiftieth Anniversary Scrapbook by Jimmy Hawkins. 1996.

Source: http://goo.gl/zkVBTn

This book is written by Jimmy Hawkins. He played Tommy Bailey, the youngest of the Bailey children. He has written several books about It's a Wonderful Life. This one may be the best.

What makes this book interesting are the interviews with most of the cast and crew of It's a Wonderful Life. It provides their stories, their insights and their memories of the film. Some of the information can be found in a variety of other sources, but the interview format is a fresh take on these ideas.

The other nice aspect is the collection of very large photos found throughout the book.

4 of 5 stars.

Book Review - The Man Who Killed Lincoln

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. I could go into detail about what the book is about, but a lot of people have already done that. You can read their descriptions of the book, plus the official description on Amazon.

The Man Who Killed Lincoln, by Philip Van Doren Stern, 1939.

Philip Van Doren Stern
Source: http://goo.gl/zRaxHg

I bought this book several years ago due to my interest in the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln, along with my love of the feel, smell and look of old books. 

I also love the movie, It's a Wonderful Life, so it was a wonderful surprise for me when I realized that the book was written by Philip Van Doren Stern. He also who wrote "The Greatest Gift," which was the short story that eventually was made into It's a Wonderful Life. 

The Man Who Killed Lincoln is a very fast read, covering days leading up to the murder of Abraham Lincoln, the actual murder, and Booth's attempt to escape to the south. It is historical fiction, but all of Booths movements and activities have historical reference and are accurate.

Stern created the discussions in order to write this book, but otherwise it is an accurate account of historical fiction.

Stern was born on this day (Sept. 10) in 1900. If he was alive today, he would be 115.

My copy of The Man Who Killed Lincoln, by Philip Van Doren Stern, dated 1939.
I purchased this book because of the Lincoln connection and my interest in
the Civil War. It wasn't until years later that I realized it was written by Stern.

Book Review - Go Set a Watchman

In my book reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I read. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. You can read plot descriptions on Amazon.


Since I established in my last blog entry that To Kill a Mockingbird is connected to It's a Wonderful Life, it stands to reason then, that the prequel to Mockingbird is naturally connected as well.

The title of Go Set a Watchman is taken from Isaiah 21:6, which says, "For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth."

That's what the King James version of the Bible says, anyway. The New Living Translation is more accessible, saying "Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, 'Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees.'"

Originally, I was surprised that there is no sign of Boo Radley anywhere. in Watchman. Originally, I thought that maybe that was because the books were written out of order and Boo hadn't been created yet. However, I soon realized that this idea was wrong, because after Boo's heroism in Mockingbird, Scout walked him home and said she never saw him again.

Some facts have changed from the original story, especially concerning the outcome of Tom Robinson's trial. There has been a lot of talk about how Atticus is a different person than he was in To Kill a Mockingbird. And to some degree, that has merit. On the other hand, however, this perceived change in Atticus is the entire driving force behind the story.

Watchman is a book about childhood perceptions, reality and getting a dose of said reality. It's about grappling with what appears to be a change from what you thought you knew in childhood. In many ways, this is a story about growing up, just as much as Mockingbird was. And Scout is still growing up.

It helps to keep in mind that even though this book is a sequel, it was written prior to Mockingbird. That means that the Atticus we have known and loved until this book came out was written with the author's full knowledge of how he "really is." For me, that is a game changer. Atticus hasn't changed. There has just been more about him that has now been revealed, and his character has simply become more complex and deeper because of this new/old book. That's a good thing.

Readers who give Watchman one star on Amazon and Goodreads all seem to be freaking out that Atticus isn't who they thought he was. What they tend to forget is that it isn't about them. Both books are told from Scout's point of view. It is her perception that counts. Atticus didn't change. Scout's awareness of the world, and her ability to read people and understand her surroundings changed. It matured. It became more nuanced.

It makes complete sense that Atticus Finch can defend Tom Robinson in Mockingbird, but is a member of a racist group in Watchman. Public defenders do it all the time in 2015 - they defend the accused because it's their job, not because they believe in the goodness in the heart of a murderer caught in the act on a security camera. "Your honor, I don't know this man, but I sincerely believe he is a loving, caring, kind, thoughtful man who wouldn't hurt another human being. This surveillance video of him hacking away at his wife with a  meat cleaver is clearly a Hollywood production designed to falsely incriminate my client."

Bologna. Atticus Finch took Robinson's case because he was ASSIGNED to take it. He didn't volunteer for it. He wasn't approached by the family. He was assigned the task by a public official who had manners and disguised the assignment as a request. That's what good leaders do. My boss asks me, "could you please complete this report for me," and that empowers me because I feel like I am in control. He could just as easily tell me "complete this report for me." Either way, the exact same job gets done. The difference is that one is a polite, respectful request. The other is a heavy-handed command designed to put someone in their place. Atticus did not choose the Tom Robinson case. He was assigned to it. And even then, the outcomes are different, depending on which book you read.

Go Set a Watchman challenges everything we know. It challenges my northern perception of southerners. It asks questions that are difficult to answer, and it looks at issues I didn't even know existed in the south at that time. There are many, many quotable moments. It is definitely a book I will reread in short order.

Just do yourself a favor and when it gets offensive (and it does), don't forget to stop looking at it through politically-correct, hyper-sensitive 2015 glasses. Take a step back, remember that this book was written in the 1950s ABOUT the 1950s, and keep some perspective.

For me, Mockingbird gets 5 stars. Watchman gets 4, mainly because throughout the book, Lee would switch from first person to third person and back again in the same paragraph. That was distracting.

  

Book and Movie Review - To Kill a Mockingbird

In my movie reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I watched. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. You can read plot descriptions on Internet Movie Database or on Amazon.

To Kill a Mockingbird. Starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham. 1962

Source: https://goo.gl/RQK538

There really is a connection to It's a Wonderful Life here, even though To Kill a Mockingbird was released 15 years later. Follow me.....

To Kill a Mockingbird won Oscars for:

• Best Actor in a Leading Role (Gregory Peck)
• Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Horton Foote)
• Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White

It was also nominated for: 

• Best Picture (Alan J. Pakula)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Mary Badham)
• Best Director (Robert Mulligan)
• Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Russell Harlan)
• Best Music, Score - Substantially Original (Elmer Bernstein)

It's a Wonderful Life, while it did not win any Oscars, was nominated for:

• Best Picture
• Best Sound Recording
• Best Picture Editing
• Best Actor (Jimmy Stewart)
• Best Director (Frank Capra)

Both films are about people with power trying to hurt people who don't have power...and a single man who is brave enough to stand up for the "little people," or the oppressed. Atticus Finch does it. George Bailey does it. Both of them teach their children what it means to do it, and why it is so important to do.

Both of them meet my definition of "film." They both are existential and deal with issues of equality and fairness. Both strive to do more than entertain. They strive to educate, inform, elucidate, and to question the norm.

The first time I read To Kill a Mockingbird about 7 years ago, I struggled with it in the beginning. But once I got a feel for the language, I fell in love with it. I watched the film several times since then and enjoyed that, as well. I often address my youngest son as "Hey, Boo" because of this book and film.

But my second time reading this book (April, 2015) was an entirely new experience. The comparison between Jews and African-Americans, and the comparison of Hitler to some racist white Americans was chilling, and sadly, true. It struck me the second time through in a way that didn't affect me the first time I read it.

In a world where the rights of the LBGTQ community is an increasingly debated topic, and when race relations appear to be getting worse in some areas of America instead of getting better, it is a good reminder to read this book for a childlike perspective about what equality means and what it should look like. Because sometimes as adults, we are just too jaded to see it ourselves.