Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2010

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is in its fifteenth year this April 2010. I have been attending this book festival since its eighth year in 2003 when I went to four panels on Saturday 26 April 2003, including “Celebrating the Paris Review and the New York Review of Books”, and one panel – “Women in Hollywood” - on Sunday 27 April 2003 at the University of California at Los Angeles. Since 2004 I have volunteered for one shift during the festival’s annual April weekend and this year I worked the B shift – 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – on Saturday 24 April 2010 at Young 50 and I was in charge of the stand-by line.

For the first two panels – “Biography: 20th Century Lives” and “Fiction: Behind Closed Doors” – there was no problem with getting all the stand-by people into the auditorium. The panel “Carolyn See & Lisa See in Conversation with Barbara Isenberg” was a different story. One man arrived two hours before the scheduled start of the panel to begin the stand-by waiting. An incredible number of people wanted to go to this panel and unfortunately about twenty stand-by people had to be turned away, although the majority of the people in the stand-by line were able to see the Sees.

Usually after my shift I go and check out the exhibitor booths. However, since I did a later shift than normal, I had walked in the exhibitor area prior to choosing my assignment. Picked up a Granta postcard and stayed with my tradition and bought a magnet as a festival souvenir. Last year they didn’t have the acrylic magnet, but they brought it back this year. Hurray! So, as I had already picked up my lunch when I checked in at the volunteer area, I left the campus right after my shift and walked into Westwood to catch a bus home. Despite the mass of humanity at the last panel I worked, it had been another pleasant day at the festival.

Besides author panels and exhibitors, the festival offers book signings, musical entertainment, readings, and children’s activities. The Festival of Books is a wonderful opportunity to meet an author you’ve always admired or to discover some writers previously unknown to you. And best of all, it’s free!




Images:
Left: Festival of Books logo from the website events.latimes.com
Center: Volunteer Map of the Festival of Books

Right: Acrylic magnet with 2010 Festival of Books illustration

Reel Rewind: “Gardiens De L’ordre”

French title – “Gardiens De L’ordre” / English title – “Sphinx”
This is not a direct translation of the French title into English, which would be “Guardians Of The Order”. I actually like the English title better – more in line with the film. Gardiens De L’ordre brings images of vigilantes, storm troopers, and knights templar to my mind. Sphinx actually is specific to the film, although Sphinx might bring to mind Egypt. In any case I would make “Le Sphinx” the French title and have “The Sphinx” be the English title.

It’s small. It’s round. It’s yellow. It glows in the dark. And it fires your brain into craziness. Sphinx is the newest platinum standard street drug that Julie and Simon need to find in order to dissolve the department cover up, which if it sticks, will cost them their police careers. They are on their own in pursuit of the drug suppliers and go undercover as drug dealers while performing desk duty at the police station. Still working at the police station gives them access to information and materials useful in catching the suppliers. Of course they are vindicated in the end and there were no real surprises in “Gardiens De L’ordre” – same situations seen in other films of this type.



Film Facts: Director: Nicolas Boukhrief, Writers: Dan Sasson, Nicolas Boukhrief, Cinematographer: Dominique Colin, Editor: Lydia Decobert, Musician: Nicolas Baby, Producer: Sylvie Pialat, Production Companies: Les Films du Worso, Gaumont, Entre Chien et Loup
Film Type: Crime/Thriller/Drama, Cast: Cécile De France (Julie), Fred Testot (Simon), Julien Boisselier (Marc), Nicolas Mane (le commissaire principal), Stéphan Wojtowicz (Gilbert), Nanou Garcia (Sandrine), Stéphane Jobert (Roland), Jean-Michel Noirey (Rudy), Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus (Christian), Foued Nassah (Joseph), Anthony Decadi (Stan), Length: 105’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 2010.
Film trailer
No United States release date set as of this post.



Images:
Left: Front side of the ticket for “Gardiens De L’ordre” (“Sphinx”)
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Gardiens De L’ordre” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: Fred Testot as Simon and Cécile De France as Julie from the website ecranlarge.com

Reel Rewind: “Pierrot Le Fou”

French title – “Pierrot Le Fou” / English title – none
There is no actual English title of this French film to rate. I would go for the direct translation (of course!) and title it “Pierrot The Fool”. And a non-direct translation could be – “Ferdinand’s Folly”.

Here is my major French film confession – “Pierrot Le Fou” is only the second film by Jean-Luc Godard that I have seen. The other being “À Bout De Souffle” which translate as “At The End Of Breath”, but its actual English title is “Breathless”. Though they both deal with being on the run, the structures of the two films are different – “A Bout De Souffle” is a straight forward narrative that stays in chronological sequence, whereas “Pierrot Le Fou” is disjointed and without a linear chronology. The film is very much like the poem Marianne wrote about Ferdinand (or Pierrot as she calls him) – ‘tender and cruel, real and surreal, terrifying and funny…’ – a film that requires paying close attention due to everything that is thrown at the viewer. My assessment would be “artistic and ballistic”. Even though the setting is beautiful, being on the run is unsettling.




Film Facts: Director/Writer: Jean-Luc Godard, Novelist: Lionel White, Cinematographer: Raoul Coutard, Editor: Françoise Collin, Musician: Antoine Duhamel, Producers: Georges de Beauregard, Dino de Laurentiis, Production Companies: Films Georges de Beauregard, Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Rome Paris Films, SNC
Film Type: Crime/Drama/Romance, Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo (Ferdinand Griffon), Anna Karina (Marianne Renoir), Graziella Galvani (Ferdinand’s wife), Samuel Fuller (Himself), Raymond Devos (The man on the pier), Dirk Sanders (Fred, Marianne’s brother), Jean-Pierre Léaud (The young man in the movie theatre), László Szabó (the political exile), Length: 110’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 1965
Film trailer
United States release date Wednesday 8 January 1969



Shown before the film - the short “Allons-y! Alonzo!”
Director/Writer: Camille Moulin-Dupré, Producer: Vivement lundi!, Film Type: Animation, Length: 7’52, Language: French, Year: 2009
“A tribute to French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.”



Images:
Left: Front side of the ticket for “Pierrot Le Fou”
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Pierot Le Fou” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: Jean-Paul Belmondo as Ferdinand Griffon and Anna Karina as Marianne Renoir from the website colcoa.org

Reel Rewind: “Mères Et Filles”

French title – “Mères Et Filles” / English title – “Hidden Diary”
This is not a direct translation of the French title into English. Although the hidden diary (title “Lost Diary” would be better) is the central element of the story, the overall driving aspect of the plot is the relationship between mothers and daughters. Therefore, I rate the actual English title used as Poor and I would use “Mothers And Daughters” as the English title.

Loss and discovery appears to be the theme of “Mères Et Filles”. Loss and discovery of life. Loss and discovery of relationship. Loss and discovery of truth. It is Louise’s (Grandmother) accidently lost and unexpectedly rediscovered diary that holds the key to the flawed relationship between Martine (Mother) and Audrey (Daughter) and Martine’s memories of Louise. The plot advances through the showing of Louise’s life as written in the diary and the impact the diary has on those who read it. When Martine finally learns her mother’s story, she realizes how mistaken she was in the thoughts she had about Louise and how this lifetime error affected her relationship with Audrey. The lost diary reveals the grandmother and returns her to her daughter. Now Martine and Audrey can reestablish a relationship built on the truth. Loss has turned into a life found.



Film Facts: Director: Julie Lopes-Curval, Writers: Julie Lopes-Curval, Sophie Hiet, Cinematographer: Philippe Guilbert, Editor: Anne Weil, Musician: Patrick Watson, Producers: Alain Benguigul, Thomas Verhaeghe, Production Companies: Sombrero Films, France 3 Cinéma
Film Type: Drama, Cast: Catherine Deneuve (Martine), Marina Hands (Audrey), Marie-Josée Cross (Louise), Michel Duchaussoy (Michel), Jean-Philippe Écoffey (Gérard), Carole Franck (Evelyne), Eléonore Hirt (Suzanne), Gérard Watkins (Gilles), Romano Orzan (Tom), Nans Laborde (Pierre), Meriem Serbah (Samira), Louison Bergman (Martine as a child), Arthur Lurcin (Gérard as a child), Manon Percept (Audrey as a child), Length: 105’, Language: French, Countries: France, Canada, Year: 2009
Film trailer
No United States release date set as of this post


Images:
Left: Front side of the ticket for “Mères Et Filles” (“Hidden Diary”)
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Mères Et Filles” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: Marina Hand as Audrey from the website colcoa.org

Reel Rewind: “La Petite Voleuse”

French title – “La Petite Voleuse” / English title – “The Little Thief”
This is an almost perfect translation of the French title into English. However, since the French title indicts the thief is a female and the English title doesn’t and there is no easy way to do so without having a somewhat awkward/inaccurate/inappropriate title – ‘The Little Girl Thief” (is she under thirteen?), “The Little Woman Thief” (is she a wife?), “The Little Female Thief” (best of the three suggestions) – I rate the actual English title as Good.

As the film’s source material is from an unfinished script by François Truffaut, it has been suggested that “La Petite Voleuse” is the female version of “Les Quatre Cent Coups”. Although it has been years since the last time I saw “Les Quatre Cent Coups”, I can see similarities that “La Petite Voleuse” has with that earlier film. The theme of adolescent alienation acting out with anti-social behavior is the overarching one in both films – though there are differences in the presentation of the idea, they are more alike than unlike. And although “La Petite Voleuse” has a more involved plot with a chance for Janine to change the direction of her life, she does end up incarcerated as Antoine does in “Les Quatre Cent Coups”.


Film Facts: Director: Claude Miller, Writers: François Truffaut, Claude de Givray, Adapters: Luc Béraud, Annie Miller, Claude Miller, Cinematographer: Dominique Chapuis, Editor: Albert Jurgenson, Musician: Alain Jorny, Producers: Claude Berri, Daniel Chevalier, Jean-Louis Livi, Alain Vannier, Production Companies: Orly Films, Renn Productions, Cine Cinq, Lee Films du Carrosse, Sédif Productions
Film Type: Drama/Crime/Romance, Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg (Janine Castang), Didier Bezace (Michel Davenne), Simon de La Brosse (Raoul), Clotilde de Bayser (Séverine Longuet), Raoul Billerey (Uncle André Rouleau), Chantal Banlier (Aunt Léa), Nathalie Cardonne (Mauricette), Renée Faure (Mother Busato), Catherine Arditi (School Principal), Gilbert Bahon (Police officer), Clothilde Baudon (Bonnin), Joëlle Bruyas (Sister Marie-Odile), Denise Chiabaut (Doctor), Philippe Deplanche (Jacques Longuet), Erick Deshors (Raymond), Length: 103’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 1988
Film scene
United States release date Friday 25 August 1989



Images:
Left: Front side of the ticket for “La Petite Voleuse” (The Little Thief)
Center: Graphic comparison of “La Petite Voleuse” and “Les Quatre Cent Coups” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: Simon de La Brosse as Raoul and Charlotte Gainsbourg as Janine Castang from the website colcoa.org

Happy Anniversary Earth Day!!!

Earth Day was “born” on Wednesday 22 April 1970 and is forty years old today. Take a moment to reflect on the beauty of our home planet and the ways you can help to keep her living. Enjoy and take care of our Earth today and every day!

Image is of a button from the late Twentieth century

Reel Rewind: “Deux De La Vague”

French title – “Deux De La Vague” / English title – “Two In The Wave”
This is an almost perfect direct translation of the French title into English, which would be “Two Of The Wave”. I give the actual English title used a rating of Excellent.

Of the two filmmakers, I am more familiar with the works of François Truffaut than of Jean-Luc Godard. The first Truffaut film I saw was “Tirez Sur Le Pianiste” one Sunday night at college in a roomful of other foreign film loving students. The film is an early example of La Nouvelle Vague as put forth by him and Jean-Luc Godard. As I have never really known the background of the New Wave film era in France, I was happy to see the documentary “Deux De La Vague”. Over the course of the film you learn how Truffaut and Godard worked together on each other’s films and promoted their new way of filmmaking. Other contributors to the New Wave movement are mentioned including André Bazin, Claude Charbol, Éric Rohmer. Eventually Truffaut and Godard had a falling out and the French New Wave does a slow fade.



Film Facts: Director/Producer: Emmanuel Laurent, Writer: Antoine de Baecque, Cinematographers: Etienne de Grammont, Nick de Pencier, Editor: Marie-France Cuénot, Production Company: Films à Trois
Film Type: Documentary, Subject: French New Wave, François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Length: 91’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 2010
United States release date Wednesday 19 May 2010


Images:
Left: Front side of the ticket for “Deux De La Vague” (“Two In The Wave”)
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Deux De La Vague” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut from the website colcoa.org

Reel Rewind: “Ma Vie En L’air”

French title – “Ma Vie En L’air” / English title – “Love Is In The Air”
This is not a direct translation of the French title into English, which would be “My Life In The Air”. Although the actual English title used conveys the romance aspect of the film, I prefer the French title with its irony surrounding the main character. So only a rating of Fair for the title “Love Is In The Air” and I would use “My Life In The Air” as the English title.

I first saw “Ma Vie En L’air” at the tenth year of ColCoa on Saturday 8 April 2006 and I still like it. I think it is an inspired idea to have the main character, due to the circumstances of his birth, able to fly for free for life, but is afraid of flying and is a flight simulator instructor. Love it! Basic plot – boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, girl goes to Australia, boy unable to overcome flying fear to visit girl, boy and girl breakup. Ten years pass and now the fun begins – boy and two girls. As the current relationship saying states, “it’s complicated” and in the film, comedic. But the question is, would you still be with the person who threw away your comic books (insert own objects)? To me, at that point, “it’s not complicated” and not comedic.



Film Facts: Director/Writer: Rémi Bezançon, Cinematographer: Antoine Monod, Editor: Sophie Reine, Musician: Sinclair, Producers: Éric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer, Isabella Grellat, Production Companies: Mandarin Films, M6 Films
Film Type: Comedy/Romance, Cast: Vincent Elbaz (Yann Kerbec), Marion Cotillard (Alice), Gilles Lellouche (Ludo), Elsa Kikoïne (Charlotte), Didier Bezace (Castelot), Tom Novembre (Yann’s Father), Cécile Cassel (Clémence), Philippe Nahon (Ludo’s Father), Vincent Winterhalter (Eddy), François Levantal (Passenger going to Sydney), Length: 103’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 2005
Film trailer
Not released in the United States



Shown before the film - the short “Vinyl”
Director/Writer: Julien Hallard, Producer: Les Films Velvet, Film Type: Comedy, Length: 18’, Language: French, Year: 2009
“It is an almost ordinary day in the strangest record shop in Paris.”



Images:
Left: Front side of the ticket for “Ma Vie En L’air” (“Love Is In The Air”)
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Ma Vie En L’air” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: Marion Cotillard as Alice and Vincent Elbaz as Yann Kerbec from the website colcoa.org

Reel Rewind: “Une Exécution Ordinaire”

French title – “Une Exécution Ordinaire” / English title – “An Ordinary Execution”
Since I like direct translations of French film titles into English, the English title of the film is perfect.

“Une Exécution Ordinaire” is the first French film I’ve seen that takes place in Moscow. The use of the music in the opening of the film effectively establishes that the setting is not France. Unfortunately I had no idea what the image was that was been shown while the opening music played, and I still don’t. However, throughout the film I had to keep reminding myself that the story was taking place in Moscow, as there were no Russian sounds, visuals, or language cues to keep me from thinking France. That’s a definite defect in the film experience. The story is of a doctor, her husband, their dictator and the impact of tyranny on individual lives. Anna suffers tyranny at work from her supervisor who is sexually harassing her and threatens to report her unless she submits to him. Anna successfully avoids becoming the supervisor’s victim, but when Stalin learns of her healing gift there is no escape from his demands. Although Stalin tears her husband from her and has him, her mother, and her uncle put in prison to keep her under control, Anna comes through the ordeal and regains her family and a renewed life.



Film Facts: Director/Writer/Novelist: Marc Dugan, Cinematographer: Yves Angelo, Editor: Fabrice Rouaud, Producer: Jean-Louis Livi, Production Companies: F Comme Film, France 3 Cinéma, StudioCanal
Film Type: Drama/Historical, Cast: André Dussollier (Joseph Stalin), Marina Hands (Anna), Edouard Baer (Vassilli), Denis Podalydés (The Concierge), Tom Novembre (The Hospital Chief), Grégory Gadebois (Department Director), Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus (Beria), Anne Benoit (Alexandra, Anna’s mother), Gilles Ségal (Uncle Anton), Length: 105’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
No United States release date set as of this post.



Images:
Left: Edouard Baer as Vassilli and Marina Hands as Anna from the website uneexecutionordinaire-lefilm.com
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Une Exécution Ordinaire” created by Adrean Darce Brent

Right: André Dussolier as Joseph Stalin and Marina Hands as Anna from the website uneexecutionordinaire-lefilm.com

City Of Lights, City Of Angels

The City of Lights, City of Angels: A Week Of French Film Premiers In Hollywood is in its fourteenth year this April 2010. I have been attending this festival since its seventh year in 2003 when I saw just two films – “Se Souvenir des Belles Choses” and “Aime Ton Père” – at the Directors Guild of America. Yes it can be admitted, I am a Francophile and any chance to see French films is one I try to take; which is why, beginning today, I am seeing seven French films this week. The films are:

"Une Exécution Ordinaire" ("An Ordinary Execution")

"Ma Vie En L’air" ("Love Is In The Air")

"Deux De La Vague" ("Two In The Wave")

"La Petite Voleuse" ("The Little Thief")

"Mères Et Filles" ("Hidden Diary")

"Perrot Le Fou"

"Gardiens De L’ordre" ("Sphinx")

In addition to feature films, ColCoa offers Happy Hour Talks, wine and cheese receptions, Morning Reruns, French shorts and trailers. And if you are fortunate, you might meet a native French speaker with whom you can practice La Belle Langue. It’s a little slice of French culture to tide you over until that next trip to France.



Images:
Left: Front cover of the ColCoa 2010 program guide
Center: Directors Guild Of America from the website colcoa.org

Right: Back cover of the ColCoa 2010 program guide

Surprise! It's Spree Day!

Greetings Clark University Alumni, we thought you would like to know today is...SPREE DAY

We hope you take a moment to reflect on your Spree Day memories and all the good times you had at Clark.


The above was in an e-mail I received today from my undergraduate university. To be frank, the nature of Spree Day is such that actually remembering all that happens over the course of about sixteen hours is not a realistic expectation. However, I did write down my first Spree Day experience in my journal. The following are entry excerpts – from morning to morning, from person to person, from event to event.

“Went to Statistical Methods at 8:20 a.m. A few minutes after the class began, Shelly Parrish, Bob Deakin + 2 other people came in + yelled that it was Spree Day. So we all got up and left.”

“Then I went to breakfast + sat with David R. + Larry S.”

“Then I went over to Little Commons to see what was going on. After awhile I decided I should take some pictures, so I went back + got my camera. I finished…taking a picture of Jeff as Batman with 1 foot on Stewart.” (See photo above left)

“Sometime during the morning I met Pam + Rene. Later on Pam + Rene were in an egg tossing contest + Pam got egg in her hair + on her sweater.” (See photo above center)

“Around noon we went over to Jefferson to get the box lunches. Then we ate lunch in Bonnie + Kathy’s room. Afterwards we went to play tennis. I was really bad.”

“We went back to Little for a while. Marianne came over + then we went to look for her roommate. Later she went off with Andy + I went back to Hughes.”

“Afterwards I went to dinner with Pam + Rene + sat with Marianne. Later Jim N. came over + talked to us. After dinner, he later came to Hughes. Jim + Marianne went out + brought back the wine I asked for. Then we sat around + talked. Later we went to Jim’s room + listened to music + some of his friends came in. Then we went to the Commander Cody concert.”

“Left the concert around 12:15 a.m. + went to Hughes. I decided to see in what shape Wright was in + I took my camera. There wasn’t anything going on, so I left. As I was going back to Hughes, Joel F., Leon + John W. were walking behind me + I was asked to take their picture.” (See photo above right). “Afterwards I went to Hughes.”

- personal journal
24 April 19__

Images:
Left: “Batman” Jeff, “Scoundrel” Stewart, and “Damsel” Bonnie. Photo is © An Adrean Darce Brent Image
Center: Pam and the Egg Tossing Result. Photo is © An Adrean Darce Brent Image

Right: Spree Day’s End – Still Standing! Photo is © An Adrean Darce Brent Image

Around The Center Of Getty

After taking a roundabout route (stuck traffic on the 405 and a surface street detour), Robert (Event Coordinator for the outing), his good friend Tamara, and I eventually arrived at the Getty Center. The afternoon began with the tram ride up the hillside to the art complex. The last time I was here was on Sunday 23 November 2003, which was for a then LAPC event led by Ingrid. Today, when we exited the tram at the Arrival Plaza, I took a photo of the sculpture titled “That Profile” by Martin Puryear. We took the stairway from the Arrival Plaza to the Plaza Level and the three of us began the Getty afternoon with the exploration of the Garden Terrace and the Central Garden.

Tamara, who had recently assisted in a Biology class that was studying Botany, was especially excited to see all the plant life and flowers in the garden. We slowly wandered our way down the terrace and I snapped shots of the small waterfall that outlined our path to the garden. We went around and down into the Central Garden, admiring the different flowers and the unobtainable plant maze at its core. Shot a number of the plants and flowers as we walked inside the garden. Such a variety of colors and forms to please the eye and to inspire an artist’s palette. However, the needs of a different type of palate required attention, so after making our way back to where we began, nourishment was next on the day’s agenda.

First we checked out the menu and prices at the Restaurant on the Plaza Level, but as tempting as the lunch menu was (the prices weren’t), we opted for the Café on the Lower Level. Our gastronomic fuel choices were a sandwich for Tamara and salads for Robert and me. I had an antipasto salad and orange juice which were good and a welcomed change from my usual fare. Guess the walking up and down stairs (some of the time) put me in a healthier frame of mind.

After the prelude of flowers and food, it was time to discover what framed and free-standing art the Getty Center had to offer us. We made the obligatory stop at the Information desk to pick up materials to help us during our visit. At the conclusion of a short discussion on our possibilities of where to begin, we headed towards the East, as in the East Pavilion.

We entered the East Pavilion on the Plaza Level and on this level of the pavilion Sculpture and Decorative Arts are displayed. Two of the pieces here I really liked were – “Basin with Scenes from the Life of Cleopatra”, designed by Bernardo Strozzi and sculpted by Francesco Fanelli and “Side Table”, designed by Johann Paul Shor. Both pieces are from the Seventeenth century, but appeal to different aspects of what moves me artistically. While slowly walking through the exhibits, Tamara had moved faster and had headed to the Upper Level of this pavilion which displays Seventeenth century European paintings. When Robert and I met up with her, Tamara expressed a desire to see Impressionist paintings. And surprise, that’s when I found out we both like Claude Monet! Tamara asked a guide and he said that the Impressionists were in the West Pavilion. We headed out West.

Monet and other Impressionist painters are on the Upper Level of the West Pavilion. Of the four works of Monet’s that the Getty has, I like “Still Life with Flowers and Fruit” and “Sunrise (Marine)” - the former because it is not a type of painting usually associated with Monet and the later because it reminds me of “Impression, soleil levant” which is in the Marmottan Museum in Paris. It is also on this floor that Vincent van Gogh’s “Irises” is located. Tamara was happy that she had seen the Impressionists, so we proceeded to the South Pavilion by going outside and walking on the connecting terrace between pavilions. Great views of Los Angeles from the Getty’s hillside position; however, there was a distant haze that prevented complete clarity of the sights.

Arrived at the Upper Level of the South Pavilion which displays Eighteenth century paintings. After walking around the floor, Robert mentioned a painting he had seen on a previous visit that had been displayed in a small dark room with just three spotlights illuminating the portrait. Of course he wanted to see it again and after he described it to one of the museum guides, Robert was told the painting was in the East Pavilion. So we went back East, traveling once again on the outside terrace and I took some shots of one of the statues there. The work that Robert wanted to see was the “Portrait of Agostino Pallavicino” by Anthony van Dyck. The portrait is now in a large exhibition room with general lighting. Glad we were able to find Robert’s painting.

The final stop of the day was the Museum Store. Of course I bought postcards – of the museum and of Monet’s and van Gogh’s paintings mentioned above. As we waited on the platform for the tram to arrive, I took one final shot of the sculpture “That Profile” across the tracks. Robert was kind enough to drop me off near my home, saving me a bus trip. I enjoyed the visit to the Getty and I hope it won’t be long until I return.


Images:
Left: Central Garden from the website getty.edu
Central: Side Table from the website getty.edu
Right: Still Life with Flowers and Fruit from the website getty.edu

Remembering Nora On Opening Night

It is Opening Night and the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are playing the first game of the 2010 Major League Baseball season. For the past several years, I have watched the Red Sox opener at Sonny McLean’s and tonight is no different. However, the bar has a new ownership and it has gone through some physical and aesthetic changes. What hasn’t changed is the passion for New England sports exhibited by the people who frequent Sonny’s. One such person was Nora O’Brien.

On Wednesday 29 April 2009, Nora unexpectedly succumbed to a brain aneurysm. It was a shock to learn of her death a few days later. How can life be so fleeting? Although today is not the anniversary of her passing, Hammy (one of her close friends) wanted to have a remembrance of Nora on this baseball night and in this sports place. So, in Nora’s memory, a number of us are gathered around a table in the bar she would still have recognized as “home”.

I am not exactly sure when I first met Nora. I know it was through her great friend Lisa and sometime during the 2004 baseball season. Perhaps on a Sunday morning at Sonny’s watching a Red Sox game or on a bus trip to see them play the Angels. No matter, we met over the love of the Boston Red Sox and that’s all that counts. And that love of team came to fruition on Wednesday 27 October 2004 when the Boston Red Sox became World Series Champions and we were among the numerous people at Sonny McLean’s going absolutely wild with joy.

Nora’s enthusiasm for the Red Sox was evident in an e-mail I received from her a few years later.

“Watching the MLB.COM home opener right now -- when Johnny Pesky said "Play Ball", I got the chills! So great to see them playing again!!” – Tuesday 10 April 2007

Of course Boston went on to win another World Championship six months later. And we were at Sonny’s celebrating that victory as well. It is indeed fitting to remember Nora at this time and place. Thank you Hammy for your idea.

On Sunday 3 May 2009, I wrote in my Red Sox Box blog the following - “I found out early this morning that a woman, who had also patronized this New England bar and with whom I had watched a number of Red Sox games over the past five years, had unexpectedly died on Wednesday. The sorrow of this tragic end to Nora’s life is felt by all who knew her in this place. May Nora’s soul find rest and peace.”

Here’s a toast to Nora O’Brien! And by the way, on this Opening Night, the Red Sox beat the Yankees by a score of 9 to 7. Wherever she is, Nora is surely smiling.


Photo is of Nora and the 2004 World Series Championship trophy taken at Sonny McLean’s