The Trial by Franz Kafka

Is crazy absurdist. Reminds me of all those 20th century Russian novels about the secret police. I don't understand the ending...it makes sense that he was accidentally killed, but none of the other stuff is consistent with the rest of the book. Who was Fraulin Burstner?

Christmas Shopping

If I had a house, I'd buy this.

It's only $26. Shopping for presents today was not fun. Everything I want to buy is in New York and I'm too cheap to pay for shipping. Connecticut stores essentially have nothing

Russians

What there is an unfinished Nabokov novel? It's called The Original of Laura.

My Movie Schedule

I watched three films this week: Synecdoche, NY and two films by Wong Kar Wai, Chunking Express and In the Mood for Love. I liked Synecdoche, NY enough, but I loved Chunking Express and In the Mood for Love.

Synecdoche, NY was a little too jumbled for me. I thought Charlie Kauffman, who wrote and directed the film, took Shakespeare's words (All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players) a little too literally. What I didn't understand is why some ideas were driven so forcefully (we get it, Caden's life falls apart after Adele and Olive leaves and maybe even a little before but it really becomes tragic after they leave and everything he does afterwards is really to fill their void, hence he marries Claire and they conceive another child, but it doesn't work and the play he writes becomes his life until he and the play are intrinsic with one another, defining and defined by each other.), but why are some of the details left so open ended and abstract? Why does Hazel live in a burning house? What does Olive mean to the entire film? Where does his homosexuality come from? Overall, I thought that it was a meaningful film.

Chunking Express and In the Mood for Love were amazing. I won't overwhelm you with a bunch of non-descriptive extolments, but I will tell you that when I watch these two films, I want to weep. I want to weep with sadness, beauty, appreciation, and love. Appreciation that works like these exist in the world and that such beauty, pain, and love can be captured. His video montages make me uncomfortable, but happy at the same time -it is such a strange and wonderful feeling. I want to be like each of his characters - strong and courageous. I am going to watch 2046 next week.

When Greg gets the time I really want him to download some Andy Warhol films for me. I feel so dumb and wasteful for watching these films now, at the age of 23. So behind everyone else, but my growth and rebellions have always come a little later than the rest of my peers.

Great Film

I just watched Chunking Express and it was beautiful. I wish that I saw this when I was younger and then maybe I wouldn't be so dumb.

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

A colleague recently brought my attention to a collection of epistles between Rainer Maria Rilke and a young student named Franz Kappus. In these letters, Rilke gives advice to the young poet Kappus, but it is truly Rilke who shines. I really want to read it.

Here is a forward from the collection:

All of us who labor in the arts know that it can be a lonely existence. We often find ourselves living a life of solitary dreams, disconnected from others, and driven by a vision that no one else seems to value or share. On some days, this can be overwhelming. We then thirst for a single voice of understanding that will reach into our solitary lives and reassure us that the path we have chosen is worthy, and that the rewards it offers are worth the loneliness it entails.

That voice is Rainer Maria Rilke.

by Kent Nerburn

While I don't completely agree with Nerburn, I believe that he has most of it right. We don't choose to write, it chooses us.

My thoughts about The Grapes of Wrath

Oh it's a dust bowl.

No water or life,

The earth like dried skin

On a crocodile back.