Richard Lawson is divine on Stonewall:
Stonewall insists, with its hokey story about Danny’s personal growth and struggles with his family back home in Indiana, that what actually happened isn’t good enough. That no one will care unless there’s a beautiful young white man at the center of the story. Because who is more wonderful, compelling, appealing than that? Which may sadly be the opinion of certain corners of the market, but who cares about those people. They have plenty of movies made for them. Meanwhile, there are plenty other recent movies that aren’t catered to their narrow tastes but that have done just fine.
What this really is, I think, is the filmmakers tending to their personal preferences and prejudices, and then blaming the system. Darn it, this is how it has to be, because that’s how the world is. We have to literally see a black character hand Danny a brick so Danny can be the first to throw it and the first to cheer “Gay power!” (This is the moment my screening audience, of professional critics, was lost to groans and laughter for the rest of the movie.) We simply must redirect as much history as possible through a white, bizarrely heteronormative lens, or else, the thinking goes, no one will care. People like Emmerich throw up their hands at this supposed inevitability and say, “That’s just the way it is.”
Roxane’s “Not Here To Make Friends” is going to be in The Best American Essays 2015, not under an Asian penname:
As a writer and a person who has struggled with likability — being likable, wanting to be liked, wanting to belong — I have spent a great deal of time thinking about likability in the stories I read and those I write. I am often drawn to unlikable characters, to those who behave in socially unacceptable ways and say whatever is on their mind and do what they want with varying levels of regard for the consequences. I want characters to do bad things and get away with their misdeeds. I want characters to think ugly thoughts and make ugly decisions. I want characters to make mistakes and put themselves first without apologizing for it.
Masquerade sold two million copies in the first few years, and readers went mad—sometimes literally—trying to suss out the location of the golden hare. Based on hunches, resonances, illusory references, coincidental results from imagined codes, and genuine mistakes, “Masqueraders” dug up acres of countryside, traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, wrote tens of thousands of letters to Williams, and occasionally got stuck halfway up cliffs or were apprehended by police while trespassing on historic properties. Masquerade’s simple, elegant puzzle was couched in a lush landscape of visual symbolism and wordplay, and as it turns out, there’s no better way to distract people from a genuine plan than by concealing it inside a bunch of random noise. Given enough unrelated, unnecessary information, human brains will construct the decoy patterns all by themselves.
Michelle Dean on Vera Caspary:
In a recent piece about the book “Women Crime Writers: Eight Suspense Novels of the 1940s and 50s,” edited by Sarah Weinman and published this month by the Library of America, Megan Abbott, a woman crime writer of the 2000s, pointed out that “women are the primary readers of crime fiction.” There is, Abbott noted, a popular theory about this: “that women savor the victim role,” that they “are masochists, unable to rise above the roles assigned them by the patriarchy.”
Abbott rightly refuted this theory, in part by detailing the virtues of the suspense novels that the collection reprints, which do not, in fact, gives us female characters who are mere “victims or corpses.” She might also have pointed to the women who wrote them—Vera Caspary, for instance, who does not, for one moment in her long, unusual life, seem to have imagined herself a victim of anyone or anything.
I participated in The Hairpin’s One Big Question feature again!
How to pester someone appropriately (personally, I respond very well to people playing dumb, so YMMV):
Don’t play dumb. Sometimes the follow-up comes across as clueless. “Oh I don’t really know how this works and I’m new to this, so I hope I’m not totally screwing up. I want to know if you think I should write this blog post,” like you’re their agent already. It shows that you don’t know this process, which is good reason to say no to you. People think they will disarm you but it doesn’t work.
Renée Elise Goldsberry, the BEST part of Hamilton, was the last actress to play Mimi in Rent and she was rad:
ugh i wants it i wants my precious
My friend Carrie’s new puppy loves her slanket:
I told my dad about the Jesus thing, so we can speak openly about it again. He took it pretty well! He did suggest it wouldn’t be the worst idea to get a full blood work-up done, in case there was a medical explanation for my conversion to Christianity, and he still has hopes that I might pivot in my loyalty:
I’m trying to hold out for the 6 or 6s until I’m upgrade-eligible on December 15, but my current phone is SO BUSTED and that rose gold is SO PRETTY.
IT COMES IN ROSE GOLD? *pterodactyl screech*
I am so excited for the rose gold, but also saddened because I drop my phone all the time so there’s no way I can get away with not having a case for it. But I’ll still know it’s rose gold underneath!
Two words: clear case
There are both clear AND ROSE GOLD case options
*helpless delighted flailing about*
From the Jordan Peele horror movie story:
“Get Out takes on the task of exploring race in America, something that hasn’t really been done within the genre since Night of the Living Dead 47 years ago.”
Whoah, whoah, whoah, SOMEONE is forgetting The People Under the Stairs
(this is a joke, The People Under the Stairs was not really very good, and also I am ABSOLUTELY here for horror movies that treat with racism in America, especially from the perspective of black people)
Shut your mouth! The People Under the Stairs is a classic of B-Horror!
it’s a classic wholly because of Wes Craven’s innovative choice to represent class struggles so explicitly; it’s not a good example of even his idiosyncratic approach to craft!
Yes, but you’re forgetting this outfit…
All right, look, there is a WAY in which People Under the Stairs is good.
There is no way to make the “jesus giving someone a brain tumor so that they’ll believe in him” joke that’s tasteful, is there?
Link seems to be missing from the “how to pester” clip…
Who wants to discuss TNC writing The Black Panther?
(I confess I don’t have much to say, other than I’m excited, but I do want to hear about what the rest of you have to say)
I will second everything that you just said,
So, so excited.
Also, this may be the right space to ask: which Black Panther run would people recommend? I’ve only read the one where he takes over for Daredevil for a while, and I have a Marvel Unlimited subscription, so I’m eager to discover more!
I’m going to take TNC’s advice and try to find “Hickman’s run up to Secret Wars.” https://twitter.com/tanehisicoates/status/6463816…
Oooh, thanks! I follow TNC, but I don’t generally read back (for my sanity) so I’d missed that one.
Christopher Priest’s run on the book. (Please note: this is not the Christopher Priest who wrote The Prestige; it’s a writer formerly known as Jim Owsley.)
Marvel has been increasing the diversity of their characters, without correspondingly increasing the diversity of their creators, so this is a good sign. Between this and the new Hulk (Amadeus Cho) written by Greg Pak, I am cautiously optimistic at comics improving their diversity. Lots more to be done, but it is nice to see.
Yes! It’s almost like they’re finally listening to that particular criticism!
*Ten minutes of joyous, silent dancing.*
I’m super-curious what he does with the title. My own tiny quiver of concern is that he is someone I know for his nonfiction writing and he’s moving into a super-different medium, but ON THE OTHER HAND he’s a huge comics nerd, and also one smart dude, sooooooo, rock it, TNC.
I would be excited about anything TNC is doing, but knowing he’s such a huge comic nerd (from following him on twitter) makes me hopeful. He seems to really get what makes a good comic book story work.
it’s going to be awesome!!
I’m excited for a horror movie by Jordan Peele. The girlfriend loves horror movies, but I do not, so this will be a great reason for us to go together. I can absolutely put aside my dislike of horror movies to support Jordan Peele.
Also, I’m unreasonably excited for Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther. This variant cover is so so good. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/books/ta-nehisi…
OMG I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS!!
I can’t imagine my parents taking my conversion to Christianity at all well (I don’t think it’s at all likely to happen, but if it did things would be extremely strained), so I am glad your dad is taking it well! (And I find the plug for Manwe and Elbereth endearing.)
When I asked my father why on earth he thought it was a good idea to send me and my brother to Catholic schools, he said that “there’s no better way to ensure that your child will become an atheist.” And it seems to have worked! But in the unlikely event that one of us re-converts… well, I think they’d be confused, but they would also know that they have only themselves to blame.
My dad was brought up as a Catholic, with very unpleasant parents. Unsurprisingly, he is now a vehement atheist with a deep distrust of religion in general.
My dad is sort of the same way– his parents were wonderful, but their version of Catholicism was very strict. He is now a pretty open atheist, but he is still more or less culturally catholic.
My mom, on the other hand, was raised by the type of dysfunctional Irish Catholic family where her father refused to have her baptized out of sheer spite towards his very devout mother. She went through RCIA to marry my dad, but she’s not serious about it.
In other words yeah, I can see how their feelings towards a religious kid might be, let’s say, complicated.
My dad isn’t culturally Catholic at all – I find it hard to remember that it’s how he was brought up, because there’s no indication of it at all unless you ask. Religion was never part of my home life at all growing up.
That does sound like a complex situation.
Amusingly, at the Catholic high school I attended, the “best way to ensure your kid becomes an atheist” thing was actually a running joke within the student body. Worked for me too!
The Masquerade piece is everything I love. The psychology behind conspiracy theories– the interface of literature and reality– puzzles leading to treasure– an affable Brit who is magically good at illustration, puzzles, goldsmithing, etc.– just the whole thing. Delightful. (Just noticed it’s by Jess Zimmerman– awesome as usual!)
Maybe when I retire and have gobs of money and free time, I’ll come up with something similar and release it to the world. Nothing wrong with injecting a little magic to the everyday; like the article says, “the treasure was meaning—the belief that, for a little while, within specific boundaries, everything could make sense.”
A New Mexico millionaire did just that!
Have you read PopCo? I think you would like it.
Toasts! Today is my last day at work before WeddingPalooza 2015, so I just want to say THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU ALL.
Congratulations and have fun!!
Congrats!! Everything will be lovely, and the day will be wonderful.
Are you sure? Because I am currently like:
I am sure! Even if lots of things are terrible, there’s still an undercurrent of wonderful, and your beloved will be there, and the two of you can conquer anything together.
Have fun! it is easier when you are off work (are you getting married on the Saturday? If so that’s a great run up!)
Sunday, actually! I am taking a FULL WEEK OFF WORK, for the first time in… oh my god such a long time. Years. I am so excited just for that.
Brilliant. Enjoy every second!
Wooohoooo! Enjoy it, and especially enjoy the aftermath. Everything will go swimmingly, I am sure!
I would like to see the link for pestering appropriately! This is always going to be a useful skill.
Oh gosh sorry is the link totally there and I am missing something here, etc.
Just whenever, anyway!
Is fine. I’m on your clock!
http://www.fastcompany.com/3051254/hit-the-ground…
Thank you!
I can’t tell if the omission of the link was a mistake or brilliant meta-commentary.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3051254/hit-the-ground…
Very much hope the former. Also I could have googled it so I could have done even more inappropriately pestering comments! Missed opportunity.
INDEPENDENCE GAY
(But really- and this is not my point, I stole it off someone on tumblr- given that Roland Emmerich is one of the highest-profile gay directors out there right now, it’s really depressing how all his movies seem to push the idea that wealthy white men are the only heroes we can have or want.)
There’s an interview with Emmerich about it on Buzzfeed, and it’s a disheartening and frustrating read. :/
I just read that and it was indeed disheartening and frustrating in so many ways I don’t know how to articulate right now.
“As a director you have to put yourself in your movies, and I’m white and gay,” he said.
[…] he felt compelled to shed light on the harrowing statistic that 40% of homeless youths in the U.S. identify as LGBT by focusing on small-town familial rejection.
All I can think reading lines like that is, “Maybe you should have just made that movie then?”
Also: “I kind of found out, in the testing process, that actually, for straight people, [Danny] is a very easy in. Danny’s very straight-acting. He gets mistreated because of that. [Straight audiences] can feel for him.”
I feel like once my brain untangles all the things I’m feeling about that quote, I could probably write an entire frustrated essay about my thoughts . . .
“You have to put yourself in your movies”
“You have to put yourself in your movies”
“You have to put yourself in your movies”
“You have to put yourself in your movies”
I seriously don’t know what to do with that statement because it’s so ridiculous. Not to mention that if any woman who directs/writes/whatever said this they would be deafened by shouts of “MARY SUE omg women are so unimaginativvvvvvveeee”.
I wanted for the briefest moment to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that maybe he’d been told that by someone who meant “you have to put your heart into the movies you make” and he just took it waaaay too literally.
Then again, I’m pretty sure he’s just outright stating the principle that a vast majority of white dude filmmakers/authors/etc are working under. Sadly. Unfortunately.
which is so so so frustrating. Pretty sure a lot of white dudes went to see Straight Outta Compton and Selma, both without white dudes to relate to. Emmerich is straight up wrong, though obviously some white dudes would be turned off by a movie that centered Martha P. Johnson, they probably aren’t going to see a movie called “Stonewall” any-fucking-ways.
I mean, he does legitimately seem that clueless, so maybe.
It’s depressing that Roland Emmerich is the one to make a major-release Stonewall movie. Like, really? We (in a metaphorical sense) trusted that to the guy who made the 1998 Godzilla and a Shakespeare-truther film? Not to mention, you know, the entire rest of his filmography. What makes anyone think he could do that?
I like Universal Soldier all right, but I’m willing to call that a fluke, especially since it was made so long ago (and Regeneration is better anyway).
Better for everyone to donate their money to the post-production process for Happy Birthday, Marsha!, made by a black trans woman (Reina Gossett, along with Sasha Wortzel), and rightfully centring Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
http://www.happybirthdaymarsha.com
Masqueraders! I heard about that because Emilie Autumn had a similar puzzle in her first album, “Enchant,” and she mentioned the book as a direct inspiration. (To my knowledge the Enchant puzzle was never solved.)
What? I’ve never heard about this! *googles*
I had and loved Masquerade when I was a small child and I did not give a shit about the answer to the riddles (and I didn’t know anything about the actual golden hare), I just wanted to look at how everything fit together. I remember it feeling magical and mysterious and that was enough for me.
I AM GOING TO SEE BREE EFFING NEWSOME SPEAK TOMORROW it’s great for a begrudgingly-from-Columbia-SC girl like myself
college is the best thing ever.
Also I cant get the Hamilton violins out of my head. You know the ones.
Hello fellow Carolinian! I was just in Cola on Saturday visiting my sister! (We’re from the upstate, but we all went to USC.)
I was really surprised at how developed (ahem, gentrified) downtown has become since I was there…
Ive only lived there 3 years, I wont be back from college in Atlanta until winter break and I dont feel too bad about it.
Oh gotcha, I’ve been gone for about 5 years, so belay my last!
It wasn’t … it’s not the best city that SC has to offer.
If we ever do an SC Toast meet-up though, count me in 🙂
so jealous! Tell us all how it goes!
My Hot Take: The live-on-roadway filming is the only RENT worth watching. Fuck Rosario Dawson, fuck the filming in San Francisco, fuck the autotune; RENT was made for a live audience, and half of Mimi’s schtick doesn’t work when she’s not beltiing her lungs out to an adoring crowd.
“RENT was made for a live audience”
AND also the family room with the CD player at my parents’ house circa 1998.
Before I figured out that the B was missing, I really wanted to know what roadway they had filmed a live production of RENT on.
RENEE ELISE GOLDSBERRY. For some reason I had it in my head that she played Joanne in the last cast of Rent. Damn, girl is versatile. I can’t imagine any other woman on Broadway snagging the featured actress Tony next June. She was also fucking great and underused on the The Good Wife, like that time she told Peter he has a race problem and it was awesome and true.
I’m still listening to Hamilton non-stop, so if anyone wants to obsess, I am HERE for you. Today’s obsessive thought: in “The Election of 1800” when the delegates keep pressing Hamilton about his endorsement and he keeps singing, “It’s quiet uptown…” it BREAKS MY FUCKING HEART like how fucking elegant is that, and the way that whole number builds and builds. I wish more people would write musicals about politics please and thank you.
PLEASE CAN WE OBSESS
one does not just kill Anthony Ramos. His hair is his life force and it is invincible.
ANTHONY RAMOS my god.
His name is Phillip. He is a poet.
I DIE.
un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf….
I AM DEAD I AM DECEASED I AM AN EX DAISY
Ughhhhh and he would always change the line. That’s where the tears start. Well, in that particular song.
I’m not in the US, let alone, NY, so I haven’t seen the musical, but I’ve already listened through once today and now made a playlist of favorite songs. I just love Jonathan Groff as King George – he’s hilarious. Love how the meaning of “I’m (not) throwing away my shot” morphs throughout the thing. Love the sly feminist bits (especially the part about putting women in the “sequel” – such a great rhyme for equal, too). And love how it’s structured with the three duels as anchor points, and with the recurring theme of how the story will be told.
Long story short: I get what all those people were raving about now.
Yes yes yes, there are so many meanings and phrases and lines that keep morphing throughout the show and more keep occurring to me (“just you wait/wait for it,” every possible variation of “shot”) and the last scene between Eliza and Alexander killed me with the repetition of “Come back to bed. That would be enough” and “Why do you write like you’re running out of time?”
I did not cry for most of it, although I got teary-eyed a lot, and then in the very last song when it got to Eliza Hamilton founding the first orphanage, I started bawling. I can’t stop thinking about the songs today.
you’ll be back
There is some part of me deep, deep down that would be thrilled if Hugh Laurie did a brief turn as King George in the show, like I don’t even know if he can sing but HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE.
Hugh Laurie has actually released two blues albums! He used to sing a fair bit on A Bit of Fry and Laurie, and on Jeeves & Wooster too for that matter. Dunno if he can *dance*, but it sure would be fun to see him put on that character.
So what you’re saying is, this is basically happening. Pretty sure that’s what I’m reading in this information you’ve provided. I’m not at all raising my own expectations.
I mean, before this musical happened, I never would have guessed the world was ready for it, much less that it would become the biggest Broadway smash hit in years. In a world where this can be true, we might as well dream big! (Besides, King George is the ideal role for a short-run celebrity appearance–he only has to learn one song and its reprises, and he barely needs to interact with the rest of the cast at all. Still, I’m not going to wish Jonathan Groff gone anytime soon. He looks like he’s having a ball up on stage, and he was brilliant comic relief.)
Oh man, now I’m ACTUALLY REALLY INVESTED in making this happen. The sky does seem to be the limit on this show. I wonder if down the road there will be any big names in rap making cameos? Doesn’t seem unlikely now.
Groff is so so great in the part, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s gone from it soon. Fabulous as he is, it’s really only fifth or sixth fiddle in a pretty stacked show, and Groff has a lot of other opportunities being thrown his way. And due to Broadway’s overwhelming whiteness, there’s about a zillion men who could step into the part and do something hilarious with it. Like, that list is endless. Brian D’Arcy James could come back for a bit. I know Raul Esparza is Latino which kind of ruins the “only white guy in the main cast” appeal but he would be SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. I can see Christian Borle stepping in for a bit, or David Hyde Pierce, or Andrew Rannells, or Michael Cerveris. Man, there are endless possibilities there!
What I’m currently dying over is in the very beginning when Anthony Ramos says “Me, I died for him”, I had always assumed he was saying that as John Laurens (who died at the very end of the war and that song is left out of the album). But then I realized that he’s actually probably saying that as his son Phillip and now I need to go curl up in a corner.
Also, I’m having a lot of feelings about Eliza.
I ALSO ASSUMED THAT UNTIL RIGHT THIS VERY MOMENT. Fuck. Can one take sick days for being too emotional about a musical to function? Because I need that right now. Also could have used that when I discovered Sunday in the Park with George and listened to “Children and Art” a million times in a row.
Okay ELIZA MOMENTS. The exact moments when “Burn” breaks me are: “You you you you” where she kind of snarls a little bit? Like you TELL HIM, Phillippa Soo! And “You forfeit all right to my heart / You forfeit all right to our bed / You’ll sleep in your office instead” because idk she’s just killing it.
Also in “Take a Break” when Phillip does his poem SHE IS BEATBOXING HOW CUTE IS THAT.
OH GOD ALL OF BURN. The fact that she has so much dignity in that song just kills me. The first time I saw the show I was sort of half-expecting half-dreading the show to turn on her even if it didn’t mean to, like the way that in Les Mis by the end of the show you can feel it sort of asking you to despise Cosette even though she does nothing wrong. But that moment of “Ugh, the wife, what a fucking drag, right?” just never came! The show realizes what a delight she is and loves and respects her the whole way through!
YES TO THAT I know exactly what you mean. Eliza’s incredible. I read some piece on it somewhere where the author sort of gives her shit for burning her letters, like why would she do that, it’s just so vindictive to erase her husband’s history, blah blah blah. But that moment is SO BAD ASS and like the perfect way to reclaim some of her own dignity while hitting him where it hurts: his legacy. “They won’t get to know what I said” is just — I could kiss that moment.
I don’t think this is ACTUALLY a reference, but the delivery of Eliza’s “you you you you” line makes me think of Cathy’s “you and you and nothing but you” early in The Last 5 Years, when she’s accusing Jamie of having girlfriends back in NYC. It’s possible I just think that because of the more obvious “Nobody Needs to Know” reference in “Say No To This.”
ALSO can we talk about how Jonathan Groff’s “EVERYBODY!” is from “Yellow Submarine”? It IS, right?
NO WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT AHHHH
Help, I share an office and can’t curl up in a corner, what am I supposed to do with these feelings you’ve just given me?
Oh man, all the double-cast actor lines have double meanings in that song. Like, “We fought with him” means that Lafayette and Mulligan fought by Hamilton’s side in the Revolution, but it also means that Jefferson and Madison fought against him in the first years of the new Republic. SO SMART.
last night I couldn’t stop thinking about all the times Hamilton says “helpless” in Say No To This, when Helpless is Eliza’s song about him. Like, how COULD YOU. Augh.
Right?? Like how DARE you call that back??
Also can we talk about how great Jasmine Cephas Jones is as Maria Reynolds? Her voice omggggggg. Especially compared to her as Peggy Schuyler, like she sounds completely vocally different.
YEAH. As far as seductions go, I can see why that one worked. & I’m really still not sure I believe that it’s the same actress in both those roles… guess I have to go see it IRL to make sure!
ALSO HERE’S A PRESENT FOR YOU GUYS:
21 Chump Street!
The musical that Lin wrote based on a This American Life story! Starring Anthony Ramos! It’s AMAZING.
My first and favorite Lin work, no question. Especially since the lyrics are almost verbatim from the original interview, which is a masterpiece in journalism on its own.
EVERYONE GO WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW IT’S AMAZING AND CHARMING. And Lin makes a fantastic Ira Glass.
Also the original This American Life story is pretty great and equal parts funny and sad and just really really interesting?
gah all you toasties AGREE with me and I LOVE it.
My acting class was cancelled so Im watching this and then HAMILTON AGAIN WOO
Are the fans on Hamilton call the Familton? or Hamiltonians?
I believe they’re called “faniltons”. At least, I think there’s a Twitter/Tumblr fan account called that
I think they’re called Faniltons? But I might have made that up?
Speaking of smart musical structures! The way “I am doing my job, I am doing it right” morphs and evolves over the course of that show is just GORGEOUS.
I watched that last night and ohhhh my god. <3
RENEE ELISE GOLDSBERY, I love her so much. I keep telling myself to at least move on and obsess about another song on the Hamilton soundtrack, but then I end up circling back to “Satisfied.” Every time I listen to it I catch my breath when she goes “So-so-so;” it’s such a small moment but so forceful and her delivery is so precise.
“The Election of 1800” is so heartbreaking and elegant, you’re right. The more I listen to it the more it sounds like an echo of the Lafayette rap, but I don’t think I can articulate where the parallels are yet. This show is so dense and complex, it’s taking awhile to wrap my mind around it.
Oh mannnn I will have to listen to that. There are so many musical callbacks in this show, it blows my mind. That’s not even including the musical references to other shows or songs, many of which have probably gone straight over head.
The other thing I was admiring today was the use of strings throughout the entire piece, including some of the harder hip hop moments. It fills out the sound in a really gorgeous way, but it also roots everything in the late 18th century in a very subtle, lovely way? Ugh, this show.
I’ve listened to “Dear Theodosia” approximately 20 times this morning.
Also, the musical makes me really empathize with Aaron Burr, which is nice. I’ve been listening to a lot of the Bowery Boys podcast and Burr pops up in it all the time, and he really seems like…not a great guy, so I’m glad the musical isn’t totally cold toward him.
I really love Burr! I mean, I really love Leslie Odom Jr. is probably more accurate, but Burr gives you so much to think about? In “Dear Theodosia” and in “The Room Where It Happens” and in the last duel — just agh, someone give this man a Tony already please.
I saw Sydney James Harcourt filling in for Leslie Odom Jr. this past Saturday, and he absolutely slayed it. I didn’t even get a chance to look at the playbill until the intermission and was startled to realize I was watching an understudy, he was so assured and gripping. There’s such depth of talent in that cast.
Something I never really realized until I started doing background reading for this show is that Aaron Burr’s life was . . . kind of an all-around tragedy. I mean, his wife died, one of their kids died in infancy, and then his remaining daughter (Theodosia) was lost in a presumed shipwreck, but they never found her body or the ship, so there were rumours for the rest of Burr’s life that she was still alive somewhere. (Apparently he refused to believe any of them and always maintained that she’d drowned.) I mean . . . ouch.
Which makes “Dear Theodosia” so much more poignant, I think. Both of those men’s children died before they did—Burr’s daughter in the shipwreck, Hamilton’s son in the duel. Knowing what’s come makes that song even worse.
Plus his second wife divorced him, and the divorce went through on the day he died.
oh also also, almost the first thing Hamilton says to Burr is “you’re an orphan- of course! I’m an orphan too!” and then at the duel Burr’s thinking “this man won’t make an orphan of my daughter” whyyyyyyyy
NOOOOO STOP THAT’S AMAZING
“Burr, you disgust me.”
“Oh, so you’ve discussed me? I’m a trust fund baby, you can trust me!”
I’m dead.
“Excuse me miss, I know it’s not funny, but your perfume smells like your daddy’s got money!”
Yesterday I had a job interview, and the entire time, I had “Helpless” repeating on a loop in my head. It was distracting, to say the least.
Also, “Helpless” is one of the best pop songs I’ve heard in a long, long time.
For some reason I had it in my head that I SAW Renee play Joanne in Rent, so I just went on a massive Google expedition to figure out if she ever did, and apparently I have lost my damn mind. I must have seen her as Mimi! I do remember that I first saw her onstage in Rent (three times in one summer *cough*) and have loved her work since then. Agreed about The Good Wife!
When Eliza starts talking to Philip on his death bed about how they used to goof around at the piano and she starts counting in Frecnh (I think but am not sure) into the silence.
Absolutely destroys me. I am dead.
The Encores! revival of 1776 is going to be multi-ethnic!!!!!
BEST THEATER TREND EVER
RIGHT?!?!?!?!?!
Hopefully it’s not just a trend….
There’s so much about this show to admire structurally! Like to take someone’s life story and give it that kind of compelling and graceful arc without sacrificing authenticity — that’s a serious achievement! On top of being funny and having killer tunes.
I have never hear of Masquerade before, but it is exactly everything I want, and I can already feel myself getting into it even the the article specifies that there’s no real hidden meaning.
Also, Nicole, are you going to write your conversion story?
I hate the idea that mystery novels are about masochism SO much. I think that they’re more about… not the opposite, but, in a society where things feel unknowable, scary, dangerous and out of individual control, they give the reader an escape where tthe mystery can be solved, the criminal doesn’t get away with things, and each death has a motive that goes away by the end of the novel, leaving everyone safe and the world explained. The novels are more about putting people back in control than taking it away from them, is what I’m saying.
I agree completely. I love the climax of a mystery when all the clues start to tumble into place. It’s so cathartic!
Manwë and Elbereth!
William Cliffe is now my Dad Paragon.
He’s pretty great.
Nicole! If you like Masquerade, you should look into The Secret (not that one) by Byron Preiss, a similar puzzle book published in 1982 that is still MOSTLY UNSOLVED. And the author died so he can’t even give out the solutions!
http://thesecret.pbworks.com/w/page/22148559/Fron…
Oh my GOSH. I’ve been staring at this for the last hour since you posted the link. There’s one (probably) in MY CITY.
Yess! I have it and I love it and I’ve wondered about it for decades. Also includes a fantastic assemblage of 1980s Fair Folk who have adapted to Modern Times, which should not be missed by anyone.
My grandparents sat shiva for my dad when he converted to Christianity, so, you know, your dad took it pretty great from my perspective. (But seriously, I am happy for you.)
Ouch. My (Catholic) grandparents tried to convince my dad not to marry my (atheist) mum the night before the wedding. (They got married anyway. My dad has been estranged from his parents for the last ten years.)
Orphan Black fans: console yourself on the Emmy loss by listening to Tatiana (and Kristian Bruun aka Donnie) on this week’s Comedy Bang! Bang!
Warning: Hardly any talk about the show and it’s for hardcore CBB fans, which she & Kristian definitely are as they constantly reference classic bits from the podcast and do some awesome character work. Paul Fucking Tompkins & Lauren Lapkus are reliably hysterical too, obviously.
http://www.earwolf.com/episode/good-night-in-the-…
Holy crap. I know nothing about CBB, but the two episodes that PFT was on With Special Guest are some of the funniest things I have ever heard. I have no idea how Lauren Lapkus can imbue ho ho with so much intrinsic comedy, but maaaan.
Add in Tatiana, and…I definitely need to look into this.
Do it! It’s a totally hilarious episode, Lauren & Paul should have a talk show by now.
I get a little wary when there are celebrity guests on CBB that aren’t necessarily known for comedy, but this was so good! They were obviously fans and they came ready to play, and it just made everything so fun. And Scarsdale was surprisingly coherent! I enjoyed him, even if I got a little anxious every time he spoke.
Yeah, non-comedian guests are pretty hit and miss. There are a lot of awkward strange episodes for that reason. I loved the times when Scarsdale talked too fast and they both broke.
I love Tatiana’s laugh, too. She’s such a goof.
THE POPE IS IN TOWN and even though I haven’t been to Mass in 5 years and openly abhor most of the church’s policies I am weirdly excited. I honestly thought about getting up super-early today to get a place at the parade until I got a stern email from work reminding us that we are expected to be at work on time regardless of papal activity.
I think part of it is the excitement of knowing that everybody in the whole city is focused on the same thing. That’s a rare and fascinating feeling.
I saw Benedict in Freiburg and then at his last xmas mass. it’s an indescribable feeling. the closest thing I can liken it to is a large con or something similar. Magic.
I know this isn’t quite the same, but a professor of mine (who taught Renaissance architecture) once described to me a time when she had taken a group of students to Rome and on the day they visited St. Peter’s, the funeral of a Cardinal was being held. This was under Benedict, who quite liked high ceremony, so there was a great deal of pomp and circumstance and the Basilica was lit only by candlelight and she said it was quite possibly the closest she was likely to come as a modern person to experiencing what it might have been like to be at St. Peter’s during the Renaissance. She described how, with only candlelight, it really seemed as though the ceilings were just impossibly high and the whole place just seemed to go on forever. It’s one of the most magical things anyone has ever told me about.
i am glad you are enjoying it!
over here in Philadelphia (Center City) I feel like I’m in lockdown, Fortress Philly — even the mail will not be delivered, grocery trucks will not get through, etc. My commute is lined with hundreds of portapotties (literally), and my workplace shut down due to “papal visit.” I am close enough to be within a block of the pope fence that’s being erected on the sidewalks, but far enough that my street just barely qualifies to not be designated “No Parking” for 5 days. It’s cool that Francis has worked the miracle of forcing hyper-accelerated modern life to slow down this Friday, but I feel a little bit under siege…
Nicole, are you going to write up your conversion story?
I’m also currently exploring Christianity (although for me it would be more returning to it, not converting), and
1. it is weird and hard and scary! I am surprised by how emotional all of this is! I went to church for the first time in years on Sunday and cried through a not inconsiderable amount of the service
2. I’m probably going to yell about this on the open thread in more detail, but there’s apparently a surprisingly extensive tradition of fine, upstanding, god-fearing Christian werewolves? Which, how do you get in on that? If there are any nice werewolf missionaries in Chicago you should hit me up because I am absolutely ready to hear the Good Word about literally traveling to hell to fight Satan in order to ensure a good harvest.
Hi! I didn’t even really stray that far off but man, going back to church after some time away was a long time of Feelings. Wishing you comfort and joy as you make this journey.
Christian werewolves? More information needed!
Seconded!
Theiss the Werewolf is THE BEST.
I think about going back to the Church all the time. On the one hand I really really want to, on the other hand I just can’t bring myself to. I suspect this will be a thing I think about basically forever, and will always be a tension for me, whether I am in the church or not.
In my high school yearbook there is a note from a girl who wrote, “I like you even though you are very mean.”
Oh, man. In 8th grade I met a girl I really liked. She was amazing. She was weird, loud, and liked punk music. When we moved to high school and finally had Real Yearbooks, I wrote in hers “To A Not-So-Nice Girl” and I thought that was the highest of compliments. She was hurt by that, and 14 year old me couldn’t understand why. We remained friends, but I don’t think the relationship fully recovered. We didn’t stay in touch after graduation. I miss you, Suzanne. You were awesome and I’m sorry I wasn’t mature enough to apologize for hurting your feelings.
In other words ALL THE YESES to Roxanne’s article.
Yes I really want to hear the full story behind Nicole + Jesus 4Eva. Conversion and deconversion stories are so fascinating to me. Particularly – do you actually think Christianity is true? Like yes you believe now but do you think the things in the Bible are things that happened?
I am always here for Vera Caspary talk! I am in the middle of a Vera Caspary book right at this moment!
Laura is my favorite from my Caspary phase last autumn and revolutionary for its time in many ways: I loved how it took a threefold approach to storytelling in a noir that included the POV of the woman herself; I loved how Laura was iffy on the whole American woman in the 1940s thing; I loved how one of the male characters actually mentally checks himself when he’s thinking about how many dates Laura went on and how it was not really different than what someone might say about him.
Also Caspary herself seemed awesome.
Oh hey, I had an idea for The Toast to make more money… mock up
*whistles softly, walks offstage*
ALL THE NICOLES
The new Stonewall film keeps making me think of the one that came out in the mid-nineties, when I was 17 and identified as straight and was going out with a guy who identified as mostly-gay, and therefore got to explain gay culture to me. And we both saw the Stonewall film, which, like this one, had a hot white butch gay man as its central character, who meets drag queens and characters who were maybe supposed to be trans women or were maybe supposed to be cross-dressed gay men when he goes to New York and has a relationship with one of them. And my then-boyfriend explained to me that the “cross-dressed men” were the “old” gay identity, and the straight-acting butch guy who “didn’t need to dress like a woman” was the future of gay identity.
I am so angry and sad that someone made a film that could be interpreted like that by young queer people, and I am so angry and sad that someone else has done it again twenty fucking years later.
“who meets drag queens and characters who were maybe supposed to be trans women or were maybe supposed to be cross-dressed gay men when he goes to New York”
Not to defend either “Stonewall,” neither of which I’ve seen, but I think this is something that is very hard for present-day young people to recover the sense of: there was a LOT of that kind of ambiguity in the 60s/70s. There wasn’t so clear a “trans” identity. You can see it in, e.g., a film like “Paris Is Burning,” where probably a number of the participants in the balls would now consider themselves to be trans, but others probably would not.
Oh yeah, I know. I was trying to find a wording that encompassed “given I was watching this as a 17-year-old who knew nothing about trains identity and ALSO I don’t trust that film to be an accurate representation of how anyone at the actual Stonewall riots presented themselves never mind how they actually identified, this is what I remember”. 🙂
But either way, the “feminine-identified / cross-dressed queers are the past, straight-acting macho guys a the future” is BOLLOCKS.
🙁
Carrie’s new puppy is me. And my cat.
I loved Masquerade as a kid! And I had no idea about the treasure and everything. I spent forever (an entire Sunday) trying to figure out where the stupid hare had lost the jewel. I feel happy that I know now!
Butt someone needs to make a movie about the hunt for the treasure because it would make a great one.
Okay, I started writing a comment on a completely other piece yesterday and decided against it (not much to add to the discussion) so I deleted the text rather than posting it and went my merry way. Today, every comments section I look at, the deleted, unposted comment is lurking there at the bottom of the page! Even after I deleted it again …. and again … and again! So I have deleted it and am writing this in the same space and posting it so maybe my boring, unconsidered thoughts will GO AWAY FOREVER, DAMN YOU INTENSEDEBATE!!!
it’s fun when half of a not particularly smart comment that you actually did hit “submit” on lives on at the bottom of the page.
That’s why I wanted to over-write it–I was afraid I would somehow accidentally hit submit and there it would be, for all eternity. Seems to have succeeded. Whew!
What the heck is a slanket?
Same as a snuggie, different brand. Blanket with sleeves!
Slankets for dogs! We’ll be millionaires
I just finished reading The Library at Mount Char, and it was heartwrenching. If you can stomach some violence (implied and actual) and cruelty and like stories where bookish women are the protagonists you may like it. Next I’m goign to read The Sage of Waterloo to clean my brain.
Is anyone a teacher and also an introvert? I am a GTA and today I led my first unassisted class discussion and it was terrifying and then I was waaaaay overstimulated and needed to flee to the comfort of home so I could decompress in peace. Would teaching be like that 100% of the time or does it get better?
I am an introvert who teaches so I have had this problem. It was much worse at first because the overstimulation was combined with teaching nerves, but as I got more sure of myself the need to hide after classes receded somewhat. Currently (about 8 years in) I need about an hour to myself or with people who won't bother me after each class but if I have teaching multiple days in a row then the time to recover goes back up to a whole evening at the end of the teaching set. You can do it!
My to read list just got longer 🙂 Thanks for the rec!