My First Opera Blog

Hi There.

Just sharing my first 1 page blog for SF Opera here and what I've been up to:

http://sfopera.com/About/Backstage-at-San-Francisco-Opera/June-2012/Don-t-Drop-Nixon.aspx

Long time no see and possible picture links

BOOKS:

WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING:

Hi, as they say in Norwegian, Lengen siden siste .  Basically the equivalent of ‘Long time no See’, but literally, I think it’s Long time since… I’ve been gone for a good reason.  Honest.  I’ve been researching, literally folding my sleeves up at the elbows for my third novel.  And good things are a happening!  Please visit my Facebook author page Tess Uriza Holthe for clues and pictures.  They’re actually fun, well for me they were, ha ha ha. 

WHAT I’M READING NOW: 

THE TIGER’S WIFE by Tea Obrecht

Okay, she got me.  I’m hooked.  Everyone’s reading this on the bus right now and I got sucked in.  This story unfolds like a mystery.  There’s a luxury to her writing that’s lovely to revel in, reminiscent of the classics. 

This is from the jacket flap:  It’s about a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her—the legend of the tiger’s wife.
I’m at the part (spoiler coming) where the tiger has been learning to hunt on his own. 

FEAST FOR CROWS – R.R. Martin

I have to confess I cheated on this one because I love Arya’s storyline so much, I skipped the other chapters while keeping an eye on Jamie Lannister.  He does seem to be growing on me.  Aside from the (spoiler) shoving Bran down the tower.  His character is building.  So did I read the book to the end, yes, in a way.  Were the other parts boring?  Not by any means, I’m planning on going back, but it’s just that the Arya storyline is so good!  Valar Morghulis.  And if you don’t know what that means, you’re going to have to cheat and read ahead like me.  So now what I want to know (spoiler coming) is the god of many faces Jaqen H’gar or not?  Was he in fact her waterdance teacher, Syrio to begin with?  And lastly (BIG SPOILER SO CLOSE YOUR EYES) is she really BLIND?????!!!!!  Argh!  NO!!!! 

More SPOILER musings:  Curioser and curioser…..so…um, is Danerys going to join kingdoms with Jon Snow?  Is Jon really Ned Stark’s sister’s child.  Did he bring King Robert Baratheon’s son with his sister back?  Is Jon not really a bastard, but the rightful heir to the throne? 

WHAT I’M TOLD I SHOULD BE READING: 

Okay, it’s on my book list.  Everyone’s loving Cheryl Strand’s memoir, WILD.  About the 22 year old author’s decision to do an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike  after her mother’s death and other life-throws-you-a-curve-catastrophes.  The book, I’m told, started up/rebooted Oprah’s Book Club. 

Strand made the most ‘impulsive decision of her life’, to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—alone.  With no experience as a long-distance hiker, she took on the daunting task with less than a “vague and outlandish” idea.  And yet, it was a way to piece back the jigsaw puzzle that had become her life.

Needless to say, it sounds like an amazing journey both internal and external.  But next in queue for me is

SISTER’S BROTHERS by Patrick deWitt.  A western about two (bickering it seems) brothers, hired guns.  I flipped open the pages at a Copperfield’s book in Napa and the dark family humor immediately drew me in.   It reads like a Cormac McCarthy tragic-comedy.  This sounds right up the Coen Brother’s alley.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d already optioned it.  I’ve already bought the book so it’s in queue and I will not by R.R Martin’s next book only to cheat and read Arya’s parts until I’m done with this book.  So there.

GQ’s article on the actor Michael Fassbender.  Because, I just like him so much.  Can’t wait to see him in Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS.  The character he plays is sort of a cross between THE SERVANT and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. 

VANITY FAIR’S true crime story by Mark Bowden on a case gone so cold ‘it was blue’.  Infuriating in the length of time it took, but amazing at how the detectives brought it back to life.

BRANDO: 

***The documentary – FIRST POSITION on ballet.  These people are like professional athletes.  It’s amazing what they can do with their bodies.  Their dreams, their perseverance, their sacrifice.  And for once, it seems like something the children want to do.  The one young girl, Miko I think that’s her name, just puts on a stunning performance.  And her cute little brother, the reluctant ballet dancer, just makes you grin.  The young boy Aran, is just perfection.  You can see in their eyes that these kids have got their futures planned.  They’re pushing themselves.  The way they speak of their plans and progress is so methodical and reasonable.  They’re going to make it happen.  I loved the young man, John Sebastian Zamora’s story.  Gosh, all the stories were amazing, the strong young girl who was adopted with her sister and her wonderful parents.  It’s really worth seeing, if even just for their athleticism.  But don’t just listen to me…have a look:  http://www.balletdocumentary.com/ 

Ryan Gosling in DRIVE….Michael Mann stylistically.  Noir.  Based on the book by Salles of the same title.  It has a bit of homage to Tom Cruise in Collateral. 

Ryan Gosling plays stunt car driver, mechanic who runs heists by night.  Liked how the opening establishes who he is, and rather than the crazy explosive chase scene it was something more subtle.    

I loved the stylistic Michael Mann look and soundtrack to it.  Gory though in three parts, but if you’re okay with that.  I loved it.  Carey Mulligan is always great.  Nice choice in the things they left out like Driver’s past, because then you fill it in for yourself.

RENTALS:

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN with Michelle Williams.  Stunning performance. 

BURGERS:

AND BASEBALL:  (friendly rivalry, comments, heckling welcome).  Yeay Cain!  I always wanted to know what a Perfect Game looked like.  Yeay, Belt.  Coming along there kiddo.  Yeay Milkman…100^th hit?  Is that right?  Timmy…Come back to us.   I know you’re in there.  We’re all still Freak Fans.  And hey, the last time you were like this we won the World Series…

X-MEN FIRST CLASS – Starring Michael Fassbender (love him!), James McAvoy (love him too and he acted his heart out), Jennifer Lawrence (you already know I love her and can’t wait for her star turn in THE HUNGER GAMES).  Director Matthew Vaughn, Written by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz

You may recognize the actor, Nicholas Hoult, who plays the young Hank McCoy aka Beast.  He was the kid in ABOUT A BOY.  I thought he played the part well and made a strong case for a young ‘superman’.  A very sincere Clark Kent!

This newest installation of the X-Men frachise is great.  It moves fast.  Ultimately, it went on about 15 minutes too long for me (not that I’m complaining, I love all things X-Men I used to read Uncanny as a child), but the cast is great.  Fassbender’s (Magneto) acting and backstory was so sharp and reminiscent of Schindler’s List.  The young Professor X as a ladies man?  With come on lines, who would’ve thunk?  Great.  Just great to know their origins. 

And I don’t know if the kid playing Scott Summers brother is a new character…I used to read Uncanny X-Men and don’t recognize him but he’s a welcome addition.  Oh, okay, I see, he’s HAVOK.  The actor in particular, Lucas Til, has a lot of IT factor magnetism.  He had that Goodwill Hunting type background and I would have loved to see more of it.  In fact, that’s my other critique, that I would have rather had two less characters and more on the Summers guy and Hank McCoy. 

I like the evil Azazel, as a prequel of things to come with Nightcrawler.

Not to spoil it spoiler, but the cameo by Wolverine is priceless.  How does he do that?  Turn on that character just like that? 

You know…some of this I may have already written.  But I’m going with the post!