NaNoWriMo Did Me In?

I attempted National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time this year.  Last year, I just did random writing every day I could manage, but this year I actually wrote the draft of a novel—50,000 words plus.  And I started from scratch (I had previously written about 400 words on the idea, but I didn’t use them) – I had an idea, that’s all.
 

Three weeks in, I had to stop to work on some financial reports I do as treasurer of our writing group—lost four or five days of writing; but I made that up.

Still, the month rather “did me in.”  I have not been here.  I missed you, blog!  And I missed the sense of sharing something with my friends.  But I’m back, with new ideas—just in time for the holidays!

Meanwhile, I have been reading:  Finished Felice Picano’s book Ambidextrous.  Now I’m rereading The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath; and a biography of Plath to learn more about her.

Both books quite interesting—and I’ll be saying more about them!  Also watched the film A Good Year, with Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, and Albert Finney.

Also saw Kill Your Darlings, in the theater.  This experience was reminiscent of a year ago when I saw (finally!) the film of On The Road.  But more of these later.

Listening to music, as always; mostly, the four-CD collection “Bebop Spoken Here.”  But then, for some reason, I decided it was time to catch up on Rock—so grabbed “Bon Jovi’s Greatest Hits” at the Sunnyvale library.  Not to abandon Jazz, though—I picked up “Tommy Dorsey’s Greatest Hits” at the same time.  Now I’m back on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.  It’s been an incredibly busy December—nine meetings/events in eighteen days! 

But now, some peace and quiet, hopefully:  I’m taking time off work.  Today is my last work day until Monday, January 6, 2014!

On The Road – After. Short Answers

So nine days ago, I finally saw the film of On The Road.  I had posted a list of things I would be looking for in the film.  I’m ready to talk.  First—my short answers on what I saw.  Second—in another post, my long questions about the film.  Here’s my original list, and the short answers about what I saw.

How much of the film is based on the scroll version rather than the finished book?  Some.  The scroll version is closer to the actual events—and so is the film.

An overall theme.  In the book, Sal and friends sense someone walking towards them.  At the end of the book, an old man with long white hair walks past Kerouac in a parking lot and says, “Go moan for man.”  Is anything like this included in the movie?  No.  The theme of the film seems to be Dean’s irresponsibility.

Is Dean Moriarty presented as a new American saint, an irresponsible sociopath, or…?  In keeping with what I just said, Dean is presented as almost completely irresponsible.  At a poetry reading last Thursday, in the wake of the film, I heard one poet sharply denounce Neal Cassady (ie. Dean).

The relationship between Mary Lou and Camille.  Kristen Stewart has suggested that her character (Mary Lou) is the pivot of the film.  But the novel exists in a tension between the two.  I can see why Kristen Stewart (“Luann”) felt she was the pivotal character; she appeared as Dean’s soul mate while Kirsten Dunst (“Camille”) was relegated to a minor role.

What is the role of Carlo Marx?   One film reviewer has said:  “Lose Carlo!”  Is Carlo a true prophet?  A true poet?  A bore?  Pretentious?  Carlo was portrayed as doting and clingy, following Dean around.  His prophetic voice has been removed.

How do they handle that brothel scene in Mexico…?  Superficially, like much else.

Speaking of Mexico—How does the film portray minorities in general?  More specifically, Mexicans and Blacks?  We seem impersonal, societal references:  A sign on a gas station that says “We serve whites only”—and a sign at a roadside grocery that says “We do not sell alcohol to Indians.”  That’s it.  Neither of those signs are in the book.

What about sexism?  Do men utterly run the show?  Pretty much, although Camille does seems pretty independent.  We see the women scrubbing Bull Lee’s floors.

How are the 1940s presented?  How well does the film represent the 1940s, and does it matter?  Though the book is set in 1947-51, most people associate it with the mid-to-late 1950s, when the book first appeared.   We hear bop and see weird jazz musicians.  We hear passing remarks about President Truman.  That’s it.

How homo- or bi-sexual is the book?  How sexual is the relationship between Sal and Dean?  Not very.  Can’t tell how Dean feels about Carlo.  Dean does try to get money out of a gay man by offering sex (That scene is in the scroll version).

 How does Old Bull Lee and family come across?  Funny??  Disturbing?  Simply weird?  Weird—but not nearly weird enough(!).

Does the film include Sal’s vision, in San Francisco, of reincarnation and nonlinear time?  Nope.

How does the film deal with Sal’s relationship to his mother?  Significant, but not significant enough.  But the family is French-Canadian, as in real life.

How is America presented?  America??

Does Dean care about anything besides sex and kicks?  He cares about his children, apparently.  Maybe.

How many people and events are cut out of the movie??  Oh…lots.  But then, the novel includes a lot of characters in very minor roles.

So.  Those are the short answers.  Stay tuned for the long questions!

"On The Road" – Film – Questions Before

So tonight, hopefully, is the night.  I finally see the film version of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road.  Afterwards, I suspect, I’ll feel extremely silly about all the postings I’ve done in anticipation of seeing it.  For, after all, how many people care the slightest bit about it?  Though some folks have been waiting fifty-plus years for this.

For the record, here are some of the things I’ll be watching for in the film.  If you’re a Kerouac fan, you might care too.

Watching for:

How much of the film is based on the scroll version rather than the finished book?

An overall theme.  In the book, Sal and friends sense someone walking towards them.  At the end of the book, an old man with long white hair walks past Kerouac in a parking lot and says, “Go moan for man.”  Is anything like this included in the movie?

Is Dean Moriarty presented as a new American saint, an irresponsible sociopath, or…?

The relationship between Mary Lou and Camille.  Kristen Stewart has suggested that her character (Mary Lou) is the pivot of the film.  But the novel exists in a tension between the two.

What is the role of Carlo Marx?   One film reviewer has said:  “Lose Carlo!”  Is Carlo a true prophet?  A true poet?  A bore?  Pretentious?

How do they handle that brothel scene in Mexico…?

Speaking of Mexico—How does the film portray minorities in general?  More specifically, Mexicans and Blacks?

What about sexism?  Do men utterly run the show?

How are the 1940s presented?  How well does the film represent the 1940s, and does it matter?  Though the book is set in 1947-51, most people associate it with the mid-to-late 1950s, when the book first appeared. 

How homo- or bi-sexual is the book?  How sexual is the relationship between Sal and Dean?

How does Old Bull Lee and family come across?  Funny??  Disturbing?  Simply weird?

Does the film include Sal’s vision, in San Francisco, of reincarnation and nonlinear time?

How does the film deal with Sal’s relationship to his mother?

How is America presented?

Does Dean care about anything besides sex and kicks?

How many people and events are cut out of the movie??

That’s it for now—we’ll see how I feel afterwards.

On The Road: Prelude to the Film

Well, the day is finally coming -- The film of On The Road is arriving in Palo Alto on Friday.

By now, I've resigned myself to the fact that the whole thing has been botched. In two days, I'll be able to talk about it (well, if I can stand to).

That's something. So far, I've spent most of a year wondering why it was being released the way it was: At Cannes, then everywhere else but the U.S. Then in LA, with what seemed like a startling lack of publicity. And now, three months later, it arrives in the Bay Area at four (count them!) theaters: One in San Francisco, one in San Rafael, one in Berkeley, and one in Palo Alto -- the publicity consisting (as far as I know) of one short interview in the San Francisco Chronicle.

But I love Kerouac. I'd even like to see the (by all accounts lamentable) 1960 film of The Subterraneans (with George Peppard and Leslie Caron).

Friday night, late, we'll see if I "wanna talk about it." After all the buildup, I could (after all) be wrong.

Stand by for another post on "what I'll be looking for" in the movie.

Anticipation: On The Road, The Film (2)

Still mad about the whole business of On The Road coming out everywhere else first—and then in the United States!  This quintessential American film comes to the United States last of all.  Well, technically not “last”—it will come out next year in Spain, Hungary, Argentina, and Hong Kong.  But it’s come out in twenty-one other countries first (and one more, if it really showed at the Marin Film Festival in October, which I can’t confirm.  Hey, my friends in Marin—Did any of you see it then??)

So all these “anticipations” of the film as we move up to the December 21^st U.S. release date probably seem pretty silly to folks in areas that have already gotten the film, months ago.  I know it premiered at Cannes in May, with a lengthy press conference.  I know it was in the running for awards there—but won nothing major.

I also see that it has now been trimmed a bit.  According to the IMDB (International Movie Database) it originally ran 2 hours and 17 minutes.  It now has been cut to 2 hours and 4 minutes.  Well, The Business does what it must.  Until I get to see both versions, I’ll be missing those additional thirteen minutes.

But that was always an issue with Kerouac, as with some others.  Whereas my other favorite writer, Christopher Isherwood, asks himself “Why am I telling them this?” Kerouac simply tells.  In his first published novel, The Town and the City (which I still have not read), Kerouac edited and rewrote extensively.  But after that he held to the ideal of “no revisions.”  I can see why some people would prefer to trim On The Road.  It can seem rambling and even pointless to some.

I notice, incidentally, that the film is described as “Action/Adventure/Drama.”  Well, PR has got to call it something.  I just hope that people new to Kerouac don’t come expecting something like Indiana Jones!

Oh, I feel a train wreck coming, but hope I’m wrong.  Just read a review on the IMDB that was not encouraging.  But of course I have to see the film just to find out.  I often disagree with reviewers.  And so we plunge on, towards finding out the truth.

It will be interesting in some way, no doubt.  I see opinions about sociology and demographics.  Hm.  Guess I’ll hang on for the ride!