Network TV?

Caught the premier episode of the new NBC series, Kings, the other day and I'm glad I did. The promos had intrigued me, but I somehow had missed it. That's why I was excited to find it on IMDB.

A contemporary retelling of the biblical story of David & Goliath, Kings felt more like Shakespeare than mythology. Brilliant villains, noble heroes, romance, war, history, all rolled up into a knuckle biting pastiche of viewing pleasure, quite unlike anything I have witnessed before on network television.

Unfortunately, the ratings were weak, and some critics and viewers have called it uneven and boring. Kings was uneven only if you prefer your television bland and predictable, boring, only if you are third-grader with ADD. The reason Kings did not do well in the ratings, or fare well with all the critics, was that it was on NBC rather than HBO. Network television, except for those brave souls at NBC and a few others, is not about quality or niche programming, it is about ratings and homogenization. But don't get me started. Instead, check out Kings for yourself. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts.

An Old Favorite

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do. Brings up questions like: What is art? Who is the artist? What does art express? Who is art for? No answers here for me, only wonder.

Justine by Lawrence Durrell

I'm only about 50 years behind on this one, but glad that I have discovered Lawrence Durrell. Found Justine while browsing around Barnes & Noble several weeks ago. The story takes place in Alexandria, Egypt in the late 1930s. Whether Durrell depicts his locale as an exotic old world port or as a decaying and decadent vestige of the worst parts of antiquity, he paints with a pallet of words and expressions beyond the skills and vocabularies of most 21st Century writers. (my that was a mouthful...i must be inspired.) Justine is the first of four books which make up The Alexandria Quartet. While I have read only a quarter of it, I am hooked. His descriptions of feelings and thoughts, places and people are expansive, honest, sympathetic and often heart-wrenching. I can't wait to read more. Here is a brief idea of what I am talking about:

"I do not know," she said with a savage, obstinate, desperate expression of humility upon her face, "I do not know;" and she pressed herself upon me like someone pressing upon a bruise. It was as if she wished to expunge the very thought of me, and yet in the fragile quivering context of every kiss found a sort of painful surcease--like cold water on a sprain. How well I recognized her now as a child of the city, which decrees that its women shall be the voluptuaries not of pleasure but of pain, doomed to hunt for what they least dare to find!

And so I am spending my spare moments these days with Lawrence Durrell, a namesake of sorts. I cannot image a better way to spend a winter's day. If you enjoy writing that challenges, be sure to check out Justine and other works from Durrell on Amazon.

30 Rock

Only in the last month have I discovered this gem. Yes, Tina Fey has been winning awards for years. And Yes, Alec Baldwin is priceless. But somehow I missed the boat. Don't be left behind. Watch 30 Rock today:

March 5th Episode

This episode features brilliant cameo performances from Patti Lupone and John Lithgow.

KIVA

Face it, we're all in this together. Women and men, rich and poor, old and young. None of us are immune to pain, and none of is without a dream. I have been lucky enough to be afforded the opportunity of pursuing my dreams of late, but many in this world are not so fortunate. That is where KIVA comes in. They facilitate loans between those who are lucky enough to pursue their dreams and those not so lucky. It's painless, it's easy and doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. You can make a difference! Check out KIVA at:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php

The Fall

Worth a first look if you missed it, or second look if you were lucky enough to see it on the big screen, this film by Tarsem Singh, was overlooked last year when it played briefly in the theaters. A colorful and thoughtful meditation on innocence and perception, the performance by Catinca Untaru is a delight. The preview does not do the film justice.