I saw Asghar Farhadi’s film, A Separation, the week before it won best foreign film at the Oscars. Shot in a very intimate fashion—no panoramic shots of city or country—this film…
Asghar Farhadi’s Film, A Separation – A Universal Film and Story
Storytelling In THE ARTIST and THE DESCENDANTS
I started off the new year by seeing THE ARTIST, superbly directed and written by Michel Hazanavicius. It’s a curious film, since it’s mostly silent—except for the musical score and a…
The Help: Black and White and Red All Over
The 60s was a time when the relationships between the Blacks and the Whites grew embarrassingly red for many. The shame of it all is brilliantly captured in Kathryn Stockett’s…
Hemingway, A Master of Less Is More, More or Less
Ernest Hemingway was the master of saying a lot with less. Everything I read suggests novice writers—and some published writers—use too many words to get their point across. They use…
The Many Paths of Inspiration
I’ve written about inspiration before, but I gave it short shrift. The Encarta dictionary defines inspiration as: “stimulation for the human mind to creative thought or the making of art”.…
Hereafter, Heaven, and Afterlife
Afterlife As this year draws to a close, I’m reflecting on other endings, chiefly the afterlife. With my mother’s passing, I’ve become preoccupied with questions about death and heaven, if…
Partying With The Deceased At Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Who knew when my husband and I set out on our trip to Los Angeles, we’d be partying with the deceased. Our mission was to drop off our fifteen year…
Cipher at Tulsa International Film Festival
CIPHER, a short film my grandson, Michael Stevantoni, directed, shot and edited has just been selected for the Tulsa International Film Festival Sept. 22-25, 2011. As a writer with aspirations…
The Battle Over Words
Awhile ago, I wrote about Stieg Larsson’s books, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and his sequels and how impressed I was with his ability to write a page turning…
The Theatre Illuminates Life and Vice Versa
My husband and I spent a glorious week in Toronto, visiting family and seeing four plays, all put on by Soulpepper Theatre Company. What struck me was how much the…