11 posts tagged “nyt”
At some point during the day I like to log on to the New York Times web site to check out their "Pictures of the Day". Since I don't own a television by choice, it's a great way to kind of get the visual images of the day's news events. I was very intrigued and pleased by this picture today.
Sometimes I just really love picking up my morning New York Times and finding articles that are so right on with where I am in my head. Today was one such day.
When I worked at Shaman Drum bookshop in Ann Arbor, MI I had the great privlege of introducing several notable authors who visited the store to do readings and signings. Included among these were Manning Marable, Michael Eric Dyson, Walter Mosley, and the Haitian author Edwidge Danticat among others. Today on the front cover of the New York Times Arts page was a two part review written by the literature and book critic of the NYT, Michiko Kakutani. The first book that Kakutani reviews is from Edwidge Danticat entitled Brother, I'm Dying. The second book is from the Dominican-American author Junot Diaz entitled The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
I have been a fan of Edwidge Danticat ever since I read Krik Krak and was able to meet her at Shaman Drum. I've been following her career from the pages of her subsequent books and through the media. I've only read short stories from Junot Diaz in The New Yorker and really should get around to reading his oft-mentioned book of short stories Drown. I love "homeboy's" style. I look forward to reading both of these novels from the ever connected Danticat and Diaz, the beautiful sister with the Haitian roots and the hip brother bringing mad knowledge from his Dominican-American perspective.
For more on these two, please check out The New Yorker's "Out Loud" podcast in which Danticat discusses Díaz’s 1995 short story “How to Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie)” with The New Yorker’s fiction editor, Deborah Treisman.
Alright we are approaching being in ABQ for a complete year. I love this place. Nice to see this in the New York Times ...
One of the greats has passed on into eternity ... Ousmane Sembene. This pioneering fimmaker from Senegal leaves behind both films and books that will endure as products of one of Africa's greatest minds. I have only seen two of his films (Ceddo and Guelwaar ) but they both effected me profoundly. Farewell old man and many thanks for your legacy as the "Father of African Film".
I am very impressed with the film criticism and writing of A.O. Scott of the New York Times. One may find a fitting article about Ousmane Sembene by Scott in the NYT here.
OK ... I saw the trailer for this movie back in January and I was left with the vivid image of Samuel L. Jackson pulling a scantily clad Christina Ricci with a metal chain. I was like whoa! I can't wait to see this film. I like the review A.O. Scott gave it in the NYT ... I really trust Scott's taste and I think his writing about film is very creative. I love Samuel L. Jackson as an actor and I must admit that I enjoy watching Ricci in whatever roles she is in. She's had quite a career no matter how uneven her acting performances have been.
I gave up watching most awards shows many years ago. Occasionally I'll catch The Golden Globes or The Academy Awards but given the contemporary state of popular music in America, I stopped watching The Grammy Awards many years ago. However I wish that I could have caught last night's Grammy awards just for the reunion performance of one of my favorite all time bands ... The Police. I read in the NYT that they pretty much blew everyone away with a rocking performance of "Roxanne". I guess I'll go searching now for any Internet video clips that have the performance recorded.
From the pictures that I've seen, everyone looks in good shape. Especially Stewart Copeland who was always my favorite. Hats off to The Police for giving fans something to remember.
Last Sunday as usual I grabbed the paper off of my porch and headed to Flying Star (I'm mainly there on only Sundays these days) for breakfast/brunch and began to devour the Sunday NYT. I always turn to the magazine first for the "Questions For" section. To my great and pleasant surprise last week's paper featured Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico in that section.
As I have been thinking about the presidential election of 2008, I was first drawn to the candidacy of John Edwards from the Carolinas. I admire Edwards populist appeal and grassroots approach. While at home for the Xmas holidays I attended a town hall meeting with my mother featuring Edwards that was interesting and compelling. Nonetheless I believe I will throw my support to Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Barack Obama is to be admired for his galvanizing and idealistic campaign. Hillary Clinton is a viable candidate as well. However Hillary is too polarizing and a bit too self serving and could not win the general election in my opinion. If the key issues for the 2008 campaign include sustainable energy, diplomacy in the war on Iraq , resolution to the conflict in the Sudan, national security and immigration, then there is no better candidate than Bill Richardson.
It will be interesting to see how the campaign unfolds and what the debates and currents will bring. For now Bill Richardson is my main man. Look for more analysis of the presidential campaign for 2008 in my blog in the very near future. I think that I will find a way to work in the Richardson campaign while here in New Mexico. Conversely, I don't know why any sane or intelligent human being would want to follow in the footsteps of the lunancy and idiocy we have had with the Bush adminstration during the past few years. These are interesting times indeed.
I do not like starting my day by reading news like this but this was the first thing that caught my eye when hitting the NYT web site tihs morning. Hopefully the world will begin to take care of Africa sooner or later.
