Transformers - movie

This was actually a kind of fun (although not at all serious) nostalgia piece. The familiarity of someone of my age group with the characters made it interesting to watch. The plot, of course, was incredibly obvious but the action sequences were OK. The actual graphics of transforming were stupendous.

Season of the Witch - Griffin

This book was recommended by a member of my book club who had Griffin as a teacher @ Kalamazoo college. I thought it was slightly dull and certainly a soapbox collection of essays. Some of her observations on race and teaching "ethnic" literature to a predominantly white classroom were interesting. It IS important to make people realize that what they consider "normal" is actually 'whiteness'. Of course, I don't think that necessarily comes from innate racism, but just the nature of being in the majority. It's incredibly important for the majority to be exposed to alternate ideas and perspectives. It's just as important for minority students to be exposed to not only their own cultural heritage, but majority and other minority cultures as well. It seems that only through exposure and acceptance of diversity can people truly start to understand one another.

Invisible Monsters - Chuck Palahniuk

This is our book club book for the month of Dec. Chosen by a boy, of course. A total waste of my time. How incredibly extreme - the only way to lead a real life is to either get a sex change or blow your face off. And in telling the story from a woman's perspective - she was totally unbelievable. This book is basically a ludicrous fairytale circling around the idea that you have to step outside of reality - outside of something you can even conceive - in order to truly live. Very much like Journey to Ixtlan. Although it was a fast read, the plot "twists" were predictable as well in their lack of reality. Definitely avoid this one.

Journey to Ixtlan - carlos castaneda

This was defintiely an interesting book. Given to me by a friend, it isn't the type of thing I'd normally read. The title says it all - it's a personal journey book. Although it doesn't have any good and hard recommendations, it suggests that the way to become a "warrior" is to find a way (either though hallucination or drugs or some other means) to step outside of the view of "reality" that society places on you at birth ('stop the world'). Very Nietzsche. When you're a warrior, you never regret your actions because you know you made every choice for the right reasons, even if it didn't turn out the way you like. Another main point is that you are constantly being followed around by your death - which is with you always and you have to come to terms with it. It gives no suggestions about what happens outside of this life, and the suggestion that you can never go back to where you came from is slightly frightening. As is the claim that it's not allegorical but a straight-up "true" story from an anthropologist. An OK read - but maybe would be better after having read the other 2 books by this author.

Pericles - Shakespeare

So I've started focusing on my complete works again (almost done). I really liked Pericles - very Greek tragedy-like (of course). A bunch of unnecessary plot twists and acts of God to tie everything together, but you feel the pain of the characters. I have to admit, after so many tragedies at sea, I'd probably not want to sail anymore. The most ludicrous part was when Marina was taken to the brothel and her maidenhead was sold and she somehow managed to make people feel morally bad about wanting to take it. That's definitely an English take on things - I don't think Greeks would have had any compunction at all.

Julius Caesar - Handel

So last Tues I went with Kyrie to see Julius Caesar at the Lyric. The one time I don't read the synopsis beforehand b/c, of course, I KNOW JC, I'm totally wrong. Brutus didn't even make a showing. That being said, it was a pretty good story (and fit rather nicely with my recent reading of Anthony and Cleopatra). Caesar was a counter-tenor - not my favorite although I remember liking him in Orpheus last year. Cleopatra could wail, and Ptolemy was awesome (I actually thought he was a woman for a while). Of course, the total show time was just under 5 h - which is a bit long for me in my knocked up state - but I made it through without napping. The entire second act was unnecessary for plot development, but I enjoyed the music. The most interesting thing about this performance, however, was the production. Think Monty Python meets Laugh In. The curtains in Cleopatra's chambers just screamed for a 'sock it to me' and the hand of God came down during the kid's vengence aria. I guess you have to lighten it up when the show's so long (and it's not Wagner). Anyway, definitely worth the tix.

Anthony and Cleopatra - Shakespeare

Ah, classic Shakespeare misogyny. Guy is driven from all that is good by girl. Guy feels no problem at all marrying someone else while still in love with/sleeping with girl. Guy then behaves badly because of girl (not really her fault). Girl tries to be forgiven by pretending to commit suicide. Guy commits suicide because he realizes he was wrong about girl. Despondent girl then commits suicide as well. I mean, honestly, one of the most powerful female figures in hisotry is treated like a harlot. Which maybe she was, but still... Men are allowed plenty of sexual freedom in these stories. Usually I can get around this kind of stuff in Shakespeare, but this one just rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. Must be especially crabby now or something.