Literary Movies (book adaptations)

Posted: December 3, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: .miscellaneous. | Leave a comment

After coming across an interesting list online someone compiled of what they thought were the best literary movies, I started listing off in my head the ones I have seen, including ones that were not in the list. I’ve decided to materialize this list for fun in the wonderful world of word laundry. Here tumbles:

(not in any particular order of preference)

  1. Little Women (Too sweet and cozy. But it’s based on actual events, which was interesting. I have not read the book, and now I don’t want to.)
  2. Everything is Illuminated (JSF is one of my favorite authors but the movie didn’t do anything for me. I kept thinking of Frodo the whole time and it was distracting. IMO it was trying too hard to be quirky and indie and it was more of a book “inspired” movie than an adaptation.)
  3. Wuthering Heights ’92 (love the book, like the movie)
  4. Pride and Prejudice (My roommate wants to kill me because I’m not hot for either the book or the movie, and I am not in love with Colin Firth. Why does everyone think he’s so hot? Boring!)
  5. Peter Pan (the new movie? I love it. And I’m sad it wasn’t a hit. There was some kind of scandal involving people getting upset over the “lustful” moments between Wendy and Peter. I really don’t think the commotion was warranted. It’s a lovely, visually rich film. Hook gets stomped by this one. I think J Sumpter is the ultimate Peter. I prefer his portrayal over the others I’ve seen, including the Disney version)
  6. Lord of the Rings (I haven’t finished the book series. But I went through the obligatory high school geek obsession with LOTR because of the movies.)
  7. Harry Potter (I like the soundtrack. Liked the books when I was younger. The movies are comforting.)
  8. Persuasion (Like I said, I’m not into Jane Austen. This was ok.)
  9. Anne of Green Gables (Nostalgia.)
  10. The Notebook (Noooooo way. I will never watch this movie again. The last 15 minutes were okay… when they died. I don’t like “chick flicks”)
  11. The Chronicles of Narnia (I like magical creatures. I think I will go back to the series at some point.)
  12. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (I didn’t even realize this was a book adaptation until today. It was pretty good. I can see why so many guys have a crush on Audrey.)
  13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I’ve only seen the Johnny Depp version and while it’s visually striking, the movie seemed to be missing something. The oompa loompas were terrible.)
  14. The English Patient (The poetic elements of the book I feel were not translated into the film.)
  15. The Godfather (could not finish the movie or the book.)
  16. Sin City (Amazing. Made me want to be an artist… ok graphic novels shouldn’t be on the list, but it’s here anyway.)
  17. Clockwork Orange (I can see why it’s an important film, but I did not enjoy it on any level. I could not get past the first page of the book either.)
  18. Trainspotting (worth watching.)
  19. Bridget Jones’s Diary (One of a handful of “girly” movies I can bear to watch.)
  20. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The book was better, but the movie was fun to watch. Very colorful.)
  21. Gone with the Wind (My mother loved this movie even though she hardly speaks english.)
  22. 2001: a Space Odyssey (I think this was ruined for me because it is such a cultural icon, I’ve seen the whole movie in parody before I ever saw the film itself… and it didn’t work.)
  23. War of the Worlds (I would watch this up to 3 times)
  24. The Wizard of Oz (Yay!)
  25. The Princess Bride (Again, my roommate wants to kill me.)

Comfort in Ink

Posted: November 24, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: .bookstores., .miscellaneous. | Leave a comment

I don’t know about you, but I could probably spend my entire day at a bookstore. One entire day surrounded by that wonderful almond smell of paper and fresh ink. It would begin at the opening time, probably around 8 am, as I opened the doors. I would feel the rush of warm air as I walked in from the cold winter morning. Then I would hear the quiet murmurs and the shrill beeps of the scanners, reminding me that I could take any of these books home (yes!). I would then feast my eyes on the bright, gleaming book covers only a glance away from the front doors as they shone their spotlights onto me, beckoning me to come and look at them.

And, obviously, I would listen, and rush over to the new releases table, breathing in every shining cover, flipping through the first couple of pages of some to judge my level of interest. Now wait a second. Let me make a side note about interest. Don’t you think it’s completely illogical that while we are taught as tiny, innocent children that we should “never judge a book by its cover,” this is precisely what we proceed to do from that moment forward? Think about it. When you are looking for a new book to read, you don’t take each book and examine its insides; on the contrary, you skim over the covers and the titles, and if one catches your eye by its color combination, font decorum, or title appeal, you retrieve it from the shelf to learn more about it. Only after you have determined that its cover has impressed you enough do you venture to open it. Weird, right? Ok, back into it then.

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Publishing Your Work: Don’t Submit That Yet!

Posted: November 23, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: .miscellaneous., .the writing craft. | Leave a comment

You have it in your hand, and you’re about to mail it. Or, it’s in your email, and you’re about to send it. But please, don’t submit it yet!

            When submitting your work to be published, there are some things you should know . . .

  • The Right Publisher

–          If you have written a serious memoir of your life, don’t send it to a Science Fiction/Fantasy publisher. Find the right avenue for your piece of writing.

  • Cover Letter

–          If you have met an editor before, remind that person of where you met and what you had discussed at the time.

–          Include something that stands out about your piece. Why is it a good sell for the current reading market?

  • Don’t Exaggerate

–          People who are looking at submissions can tell a boast before their eyes have finished scanning the page. Don’t compare your writing to bestselling works. You will only induce whoever’s looking to roll their eyes and sigh.

  • Don’t Cheat

–          Submitting your piece to multiple publishing houses or venues at the same time is a bad idea. Why should one editor take the time to look at your work when another editor has already accepted you?

  • Enquire

–          If it has been some time since you have submitted something, you may politely enquire as to the status of your work. But, keep in mind that editors receive multiple, unrequested submissions every day. They can’t drop what they’re doing in order to immediately satisfy you. You are not their first priority.

  • Formatting

–          Generally, whoever you’re sending your work to should have information on how they want you to submit. Always look at these guidelines first.

–           A publisher will usually ask for a physical manuscript if it’s a longer piece. Printing is expensive and just adds one more step to getting your writing published.

–          When you send a manuscript, it should be double-spaced, 12 pt. standard font, on white paper, unbound, and anything meant to be in italics should be underlined instead.         

–          Don’t forget to add a running head with your name, the title of the piece, and the page number!

–          Include a short summary of your manuscript (less than four pages).

  • Be Professional

–          Check, and recheck for grammatical errors, especially in your cover letter. Don’t use an informal tone. An editor won’t take you seriously.

  • Contact Information

–          If you are currently at a temporary address, make sure to include permanent contact information, if only an email address. Your work may lay unread for some time. If some intern finally picks it up, loves it, and wants to contact you but your information is outdated, you’ve missed your shot!

Only after you have checked off all of these things may you even consider pushing that button or stamping that package. Don’t send writing that you’ll just get back!

What Is the What

Posted: November 17, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: .events., .miscellaneous. | Leave a comment

Usually, when I go to a reading of a notable author, I don’t expect to be shoved and pushed aside by my fellow literature lovers. However, as I arrived only ten minutes early to the wildly popular reading of Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng, I shouldn’t have expected anything less. Every seat filled and every step crammed with at least three excited students’ Bascom-trained butts, the room grudgingly admitted me into its jam-packed 10×10 space in the back of the Elvehjem lecture hall. And though I didn’t actually get a glimpse of the two speakers until an hour into the lecture after some wimpy students left because of their tired legs, I still completely enjoyed the reading.

Valentino Achak Deng was born in Southern Sudan, in the village of Marial Bai. Growing up in refugee camps because of the Sudanese civil war, Valentino decided he would make a difference in other Sudanese lives when he grew up. Consequently, when that time came, he looked for a writer to document his life and his accomplishments and randomly found Dave Eggers. Dave and Valentino hit it off immediately, Valentino’s hilarious miscommunications and Dave’s easygoing attitude carrying them through the US, Sudan, and other parts of Africa.

Valentino spoke of his creation of the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, which has a main purpose to educate people around the world, including the Sudanese, about the conflict in Sudan. His goal is cultural awareness; additionally, the Foundation just opened a secondary school in Marial Bai, which includes a library and housing for teachers. The school was built in less than a year, and up and running soon after that. And now it’s actually in progress! I was completely astounded by this seemingly quick achievement since usually, advancement is difficult to achieve in such a short time.

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what kind of laundry is this?

Posted: October 29, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: .miscellaneous. | Leave a comment

Greetings!

I am Mona, one of the four bloggers of this wordpress (tentatively called “Word Laundry”, on the premise that our website will contain a diverse mix of writing) which will provide writers in Madison with resources about the literary community and personal articles about the process of writing. A kind of machine, if you will, in which we dump our thoughts and get them tumbling in the warm, comforting rush of laundry water. The laundry water of the internet. This is where we’ll be “coming clean” about our fugitive lives as creative writers. Where do we poets and authors hide? What do we do, exactly? What goes on within those convoluted little brains of ours?

You can get to know a person pretty well by looking through their laundry and observing their laundry habits.

Word Laundry will not have a rigid purpose or focus, because we want our individual voices to show though.  You may, however, check out the “about” page once it’s been updated for a more succinct statement and more detailed personal profiles. We feel that our intended audience, (all you writers and literary junkies) would benefit from this blog as there are no other blogs of this nature based in Madison.

Who are we? We are four creative writers living in Madison, Wisconsin, who, in addition to the usual concerns with writing processes and books, are interested in the perfect creative setting and the eccentricities of the writing personality. Hence, we will be blogging reviews of writing locations around the downtown area (coffeeshops, libraries, etc.), and our general existential thoughts about writerly ideas such as THE MEANING OF LIFE. All with a writerly bent, of course.

The following is a small sample of potential upcoming entries (keyword: potential. our whims may change):

  • Undergraduate Writing Workshops (an opinion piece about the need for more structured workshops)
  • Innisfree
  • Writer’s Block: one writer’s experience and how she overcame it
  • Fair Trade: Best coffeeshop to write in Madison?
  • Coffee: Does coffee improve creativity?
  • Inspiration: is it a myth?
  • The Art of Revision
  • Lazy Jane’s has the most amazing scones ever
  • Writer Stereotypes
  • Silencing the Inner Critic
  • Writers’ Discipline
  • Brigit Pegeen Kelly came to Madison!
  • Must-Read books: a personal list