Thursday, January 29, 2009
Novel Ideas
Words Leigh Rastivo
Thursday, January 29th, 2009 at 11:41 am
At the beginning of many residencies at the Bennington Writing Seminars, the late Liam Rector would screen this clip from Glengarry GlenRoss, leaving at least some of the new students squinting and wondering exactly what he meant by its display. It’s the “Always Be Closing” scene, with Alec Baldwin aggressively berating the sales staff to get in the game. But during one of my residencies, Liam also played this clip from The Devil Wears Prada — the one wherein Meryl Streep’s character scolds Anne Hathaway’s ingénue for believing that her purposefully unfashionable wardrobe choices have nothing to do with the big name, snobbish designers.
No one escapes culture.
Kate Winslet stars in The Reader.
Maybe high brow and low brow aren’t the separate categories that we like to think they are when we label the accomplished “snobs,” or look down on those less fortunate. And just as watered-down versions of haute couture end up in the department store sale bins, so too do the ideas of literary fiction trickle into the popular arena. Don’t think so? Check out this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is loosely based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Frost/Nixon is Ron Howard’s film adaptation of Peter Morgan’s play.
The Reader is based on the award-winning novel by Bernhard Schlink.
Slumdog Millionaire is based on the award-winning novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup.
Only Milk started and ended as a screenplay.
That’s four out of five.
© Copyright 2009 Leigh Rastivo. All Rights Reserved. Material may not be reproduced in any manner without prior permission of Leigh Rastivo.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Raised in the suburbs of Long Island, Leigh moved 14 times to other suburbs before she finally found her rural home on a few acres in the woods of Virginia. She has two sons, one daughter, one son-in-law, and one amazing grandson. (Danger REALLY is his middle name.) Leigh holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington, and writes fiction, nonfiction and poetry. She works as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and a Grant Writer at Old Dominion University. She also teaches at TCC and at The Writer's Studio of Virginia Beach. And she occasionally shows up at http://leighrastivo.com.
Other posts by Leigh Rastivo.
Other posts by Leigh Rastivo.
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As I read your blog, I realize two things,
1 – All you other bloggers are some much more intelligent that I am. I mean I rally need to broadin my vocabulary. You guys write so pretty. LOL
2- I need to read books that don’t involve Calvin and Hobbes, Zombies, Comic Books Heros, or right leading talk show pundints.
Thanks for gving me a good starting place with the four you mentioned.
Calvin and Hobbes is GREAT. I don’t know Zombies . . . but never underestimate Calvin and Hobbes.
alfredo, i think this post demonstrates that no, you do not have to read literature. hollywood has us covered with its unblemished history of adaptations which faithfully preserve all the depth of theme and character from the best literature, leaving the books unnecessary.
maybe not, but i like moving pictures and sound and 80-200 minute running times.
I love “the picture shows” myself, but the reality is that I love to read. I just don’t like to read what everyone says I should. I have never read a book by Stephen King except the ghost written ones that I really can’t remember what they were about. I read John Grishim and Tom Clanesy or however you spell their last names, before they became famous. I just don’t like to read what everyone says I should read. should read them just to be able to be in the conversation.
I know this is totally un related to the post, but how to you get a profile picture up on word press.
Comic books have great literary possibilities! And to the note of making movies from literary works, don’t forget all the block busters that Marvel has put out over the past few years! I don’t think we need to list!
Leigh,
I ditto Torres’ comment about your writing!
Hey Jen – Thanks for your comment. If you create your avatar – your picture will magically appear!
George – Yeah, so true: Hollywood doesn’t exactly give us what the books do — hence my “watered down” comment, although it might have been more correct to say “totally mauled.” One of my favorite writing ventures: book to movie comparisons. I get sarcastic in those – have to rewrite them like ten times just so I don’t sound like a complete bitch.