It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

No Northstar after all: it wound up being a blustery, snow-flurrying kind of day with 4WD + snow tires required.

We came back home in time for some tea and A Tale of Despereaux. With a star-studded vocal cast, this charming film adaption is out just in time for Christmas vacation. For those who haven't yet read Kate Di Camillo's Newbury winner, you can keep reading, as there are no spoilers below...

It's always hard to condense an excellent book into as good a movie, with some notable exceptions--which springs from the differences between the two media. Speaking very generally, what makes a book spectacular--beyond memorable, engaging characters, a plot with some kind of hook, and an interesting setting--involves sticky subplots, delightful details, and virtuosic verbiage (okay, that's a bit of alliterative hyperbole..but it was hard to resist). Because films move their stories via a series of images instead of words on a page, they can be visually dense but must be less dense a medium than books in other ways. And even though Despereaux is a fun, well-done movie--especially in terms of its enticing visual detail, talented vocal acting, and marvelous soundtrack--it also feels thinned out compared to the book.

So see the movie, but do read the book, too. (While you're at it, read a couple of di Camillo's other wonderful children's books, Because of Winn Dixie and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.)

In other news, today we started decorating our Christmas tree...a super-round, butterball of a Tannenbaum that lists a bit to the left--but it's still beautiful and makes the family smile.....

Happy Holidays to everyone!

What I'm listening to:
1. On the way home, I started in on a Beginning Arabic CD--once I was past the chains-required section of the road. It was a fun way to while away the drive. Learned how to say a few simple things, including "I want falafel," "Are you a doctor?" "I'm thirsty," and so forth. Wonder if any of it will stick?

2. Christmas music, natch! Actually, KDFC has been playing non-stop Christmas music: some chestnuts, some lesser-known favorites, and many obscure pieces and adaptations. Some are a bit cheesy, some are uneven in quality, but overall it's a welcome change from the regular seasonal Muzak.

What I'm reading:
See previous note about reading while driving...As a result, I'm going slowly with The Calder Game.

What I'm working on: Micaela, audition arias, Christmas music for a church service next week...

Board Games & Valse swing-musette

I just read Joshua Kosman's excellent Board Games Issue in Sunday's pink section of the Chron (Dec. 14). Well-written and discerning, as always. Didn't really have anything on my Christmas list before, but now I do. Here's hoping that the family Santas are paying attention ;)...

Winter has blasted into the Bay Area. After a couple of weeks of beautiful, dry, sunny skies and near-60 degree temperatures, a wet cold front blew in on Sunday. And what a cold front...I even had to pull my ski jacket back out a couple of days earlier than planned. Good news for the Tahoe snow situation. Brrrr... Brrr...

What I'm reading: Finished The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Auden's translation of the Brecht). I plan to watch the DVD of Kurt Weill's setting next. While the text has lost much of its original power to shock, its biting commentary on the nihilistic push for profits is--sad to say--still relevant. A bitter tale for a jaded, post-modern society.

What I'm listening to: When I was in Paris (doesn't that sound so cool to say, except I was only in Paris for a day and a half, which isn't so cool after all?), a colleague invited me to join his family (his gracious wife and amazingly well-behaved young daughter) for a very interesting one-woman performance by cellist Cecile Girard. Working at times with a pre-recorded accompaniment, Girard played some of her own compositions and arrangements--including a setting based on Pink Floyd--plus a couple of traditional cello solos, and also sang a few songs in a charming chanteuse style. It was great. But what really wowed me was the valse swing-musette. Tres cool. She has a CD that I plan to get. Check out the fourth cut, Mysterieuse.

What I'm working on: same as before, plus Weill's I'm a stranger here myself .