Author Archives: michaelulinedwards

AND THE SHOW WENT ON, Alan Riding

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This very readable book presents an excellent survey of art and performance in Paris during the German occupation, June 1940 to August, 1944.

Who were the artists? Who stayed and who left? What did they do, produce or perform? What were the contacts with the Germans, and the resistance? Who was arrested and had to be released through appeals to the Germans?

The book eventually breaks into specific medium, and each art is discussed. Of course of all the artists writers proved the most problematic. Painting and sculpture may be too avant-guards but what does it mean? Poetry can mean nothing, even to the poet. Music can be dissonant or advanced twelve-tone stuff, but what’s its meaning? Dance retained it classical roots; opera of the fantasy kind always drew German crowds; drama was widely performed but suffered by the departure of the best playwrights. But writing has to mean something.

The Germans were onto writers, and after the War writers were as harshly treated as anyone except politicians – more than Renault who made money assembling tanks for the Germans. Mostly the French were civilized. Afterwar declamations and stinks seemed not to last long. There was disgrace and discomfort but by 1950 most recriminations had fallen but the way side.

Two problems arise from this survey. First there are references to parody, analogy and metaphor within specific art forms revealing disapproval, nasty anti-German messages. Admittedly a more complete exposition of these points would lengthen the book. The bibliography and few end notes may help – they are arranged by chapter. [An example of this criticism: The American broadcaster William L. Shirer reported from completely censored reports from Berlin. The Germans were happy until they learned Shirer had changing the meaning with intonation, inflection and inference inherent in English but not German. Shirer was close to arrest when he left Germany in December 1940.]

Second, there is no exposition of the mindset of the French people to culture especially before the War – what the French considered and what they disregarded. An understanding of a nation’s acceptance of culture and entertainment goes a long way to explaining how the French survived and why the Germans failed in their attempts to reduce French culture. E.g. An example of a cultural expectancy in the United States today a primary component of culture and entertainment is expediency.

One misstatement of fact, p. 313, Chapter 15, the American Army was in Paris a day before the French Army marched in in August 1944. See Andy Rooney who wrote about it for Stars and Stripes, and discussed the fact on Sixty Minutes.

AfterWord, Dale Salwar, Ed.

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University of Iowa, 2011

The editor has collected articles of essays and fake interviews with various writers, each piece being a communication with a dead writer.

Various literary means convey the writings but usually by dialogue which is poorly written.

There are questionable assertions:

“Do you accept the view of Sinclair Lewis, F. Scott Fitzgerald, that you were the first indigenous American to write about American manners rather than European ones?”

EDITH WHARTON: “That’s probably quite true…”

WRONG. Mark Twain wrote about American manners when Edith was a girl. Perhaps the questioner was actually asking about the American Eastern pretense to manners, but other American writers also wrote about those before Edith.

EDITH WHARTON complains (p. 151) she had no formal education. Melville had no formal education. Twain went into the sixth grade. But I agree that WHARTON would have been a far superior author if she had taken the Creative Writing Classes at the University of Iowa.

Edith could have done that. Her family was filthy rich. Edith’s maiden name was Jones and because neighbors like the Rockerfellers and Whitneys always tried to keep up the pace, “Keeping up with the Jones,” became a cliche.  The Jones were the first family with electricity, telephones, flatscreen TVs, and iPads. They never saw an app they didn’t like.

In her interview Wharton complains that Pearl S. Buck got the Nobel Prize and she didn’t. Sour grapes. “Edith, Willa Cather didn’t get a Nobel Prize, either.”

There are statements in some chapters demonstrating an appalling lack of knowledge about the author: Joseph Conrad, who is not all Heart of Darkness. Conrad had no humor in his books. Anyone who hasn’t read Lord Jim should not be writing an essay for this compilation entitled, AfterWord. Anyone who doesn’t know the butterfly chapter in Lord Jim, God help them.

RADS, TOM BATES, 1993

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This excellent book recounts anti-War and anti-establishment activities at the University of Wisconsin (`1965-1971), including the bombing of the Army-Math building on campus causing one death and five severe injuries. They used a fertilizer bomb costing less than $100.00 packed into an Econoline Van. It was a smaller version of the Oklahoma City bomb in 1995. Divisions of various academic subjects were destroyed including decades of work in physics, mathematics and in other disciplines unrelated to Army Math. Army Math which dealt with a bunch of transitory subjects was inconvenienced.

An amazing fact was the location of Army Math in a building on campus. There had been protests and riots, some close to the building. Yet, there was no security, except a guard with a time clock. The building was a convenient open target.

The individuals made unrelated events the basis for the bombing in August 1970. The individuals and friends were moronic; no one broke any IQ records. Within 24 hours of the bombing law enforcement had the names and identities of the four suspect. The FBI’s arrogant attitude screwed up immediate arrests which led to manhunts which brought three bombers to trial. It is postulated the fourth bomber was a police informant who either did or did not alert anyone about the bombing. Either decision he made plus the bombing of the building was a death sentence for the fourth bomber.

The three remaining bombers were pleasant, not threatening, socially capable and able to light a joint, take a suitable toke and graciously pass on the remainder before it became a roach. That may have been their most admirable social quality. Intellectually, they knew Castro was in Cuba, Che was bleeding somewhere, Ho had something to do with Vietnam, and Mao was good on Sandwiches. These sorts of persons were par for the course in leftist, youth, culture and riots. No one else in their right mind would suck in that much tear gas and pepper fog emissions.

For good reason the book lacks discussion of a theoretical basis for the bombing. Instead it presents a robotic quality of the trio. These people did not read, ponder, conceptualize, intellectualize theory and discuss it. They heard a cliché and but it into action. These bombers were incapable of doing otherwise. Many Leftists like to supply the theoretical basis which never existed. No one could ever explain why it was reasonable to get the little people, ants, greasers, women and stooges to act.

On a personal note the book returned me to attitudes I once had. Exchange glances with someone, and have a gut reaction: Do I trust that person? NO. I would not trust any of this trio, and certainly none of the leaders who preached hatred, violence and death.

There are reactions to facts in the book. Page 101, “police provocateurs” in Chicago were dressed in “Al Capone suits.” Page 239, meal of “vegetables and brown rice.” In Berkeley add bean sprouts and wonder why more of the boomer generation did not die of arsenic poisoning (the rice) and salmonella poisoning (bean sprouts). Page 220, First Earth Day in Berkeley was set [and upset] on April 22(23?) 1970, not April 18, 1970.

Page 138, Fred Hampton, Black Panther killed in Chicago, December 1969, “denounced the Weathermen as ‘anti-people.'” Hampton agreed with SI Hiwakawa who said, “I can talk to the Black militants; they want to get something done.” It was the white radicals were wanted to destroy everything.

Page 131. “Affinity groups.” In a riot five to seven people would move and act as a unit; they would care and look out for one another. Later in Rads the cops began using “anti-affinity” groups.

My first year at Berkeley I was surrounded by 30 days of street rioting. Occasionally I participated, but usually I was just passing through – going to and from class or appointments. I saw friends and acquaintances in the action. Carrying a book meant I was a non-participant. I have never heard of an “affinity group” until reading Rads.

Page 407. “The visitors reminded [Tom] Hayden of his previous support for Karl [one of the bombers], and for a moment he weakened. “Don’t worry, in public I’ll back Karl to the hilt. I can’t let Jane say anything though.” The “Hanoi Jane” label had become a drag on them both.”

This realization was known to Jane Fonda in the autumn of 1973. Six months before, [Spring 1973] she was in her pride and glory, being quoted about North Vietnamese treatment of American prisoners of war: “Walking through the streets of Hanoi with their heads bowed in front of a woman with a bayonet might be torture.” Daily Californian, April 12, 1973, p. 1; Berkeley Barb, April 10, 1973 for more Jane Fonda statements on the torture of American POWs. See also Holzer, Henry, Mark and Erica, Aid and Comfort: Jane Fonda in North Vietnam, McFarland & Co; Hayden, Reunion, p. 455, “Either Tom Hayden or Jane Fonda said about the time of the 1973 Peace Treaty, ‘the POWS were liars, hypocrites and pawns in Nixon’s efforts to rewrite history.'”
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AfterWord, Dale Salwak, Editor., U. of Iowa

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Conjuring the literary dead is the subtitle of this book. The editor has assembled articles (essays) (stories) by various writers, each piece representing a communication with a dead writer.

Various literary means convey the writings, but there is usually dialogue throughout. It is poorly written dialogue.

There are many questionable points. For instance,

INTERVIEWER: “Do you accept the view of Sinclair Lewis, F. Scott Fitzgerald…that you were the first indigenous American to write about American manners rather than European ones?  EDITH WHARTON: “That’s probably quite true…”

WRONG. Mark Twain published books about American manners when Edith was a teenager.

Edith Wharton complains she had no formal education (p. 151). Melville had no college education; Mark Twain went through the sixth grade. However, in Edith’s case I agree that Wharton would have been a far superior author if she had taken the Creative Writing Course at the University of Iowa. I note that Edith could have done that because her family was filthy rich, unlike Twain or Melville’s families.

There are statements in some chapters demonstrating an appalling lack of knowledge about the dead authors: Joseph Conrad [who is not all Heart of Darkness].  Conrad had no humor in his books. Anyone who has not read Lord Jim should not be writing an article for this compilation entitled, AfterWord. Anyone who doesn’t know about the butterfly chapter in Lord Jim, God help them.

Lord Jim, God help them.

VARIOUS MOVIES

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A SINGLE SHOT – DON’T SEE. Appalachian man, Sam Rockwell, at the beginning of a divorce, goes hunting. He uses a rifle that looks like a shotgun. Aiming at a deer, he hits a woman in hiding. He’s shocked he killed the woman. He does not know who she is; he does not know she was living in his woods. There is no explanation about it in the movie. Sam is a moron mountaineer although he easily finds where she’s been staying and discovers a stash of cash which he appropriates. He conceals her body.

Next Sam Rockwell has to keep his cool, but he becomes a retard. He spends freely; he seems incredibly social, considering his house which looks like it hasn’t been cleaned since 1998. The boyfriend of the dead girl comes to town seeking revenge. He kills Sam’s dog’s. Since there are two strangers in the one-horse town Sam does not know who is the bad guy. Sam’s house is burgled. The body of the dead girlfriend is put into Sam’s freezer. Sam wonders who is plaguing him.

He wants to resume relations with his wife. Nope. A teenage daughter of a local diary farmer has the hots for Sam. There is a New Age scene where Sam shares a meal with her.

The film gets worse.

This movie need not be filmed in the backwoods, anywhere. It could be filmed in the front woods or along side a road. It might have been filmed in Frisco or in Westwood among the homeless. Sam Worthington would be noticeable by the sign hanging around his neck reading, I’m the biggest moronic, retard-fool on the planet.

The Canal (2013). The film is unnecessarily dark, with a poor story, mediocre dialogue and ill defined characters.

The International – Clive Owen, Naomi Watts. This is a predictable film with an excellent scene of dialogue (four minutes) between Owen and bad guy, Armin Mueller Stahl, which makes those opponents allies. At the end there are also good rooftop scenes of Istanbul.

After Hours – Griffin Dunne, Roseanne Arquette, Linda Floretino, Teri Garr, Martin Scorsese (Director). WATCH. This is as delightful and true a film as when I first saw it.

SUMMER INTERRUPTED

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I had a house sitting assignment out of town for three and one half months. I would be comfortable but isolated. No TV; internet was hard to come by. Good time to write. I finished a long novel and entered it into word processing.

I appreciate doing a handwritten draft following by a quick word processing draft. Sometimes I cannot read my own handwriting, but I replace the illegible words with something that makes sense, as though I were editing at that spot. I accomplish with the two drafts a better understanding of the novel, and what may need rewriting or reworking.

Housesitting allowed me to review a novel I wrote a long time ago and entered into word processing in 2014. I was delighted that spelling mistakes, word choices and grammar were the only editing that the novel needed. I was disappointed late last month when I discovered word choices, spelling mistakes and grammar were still needed in the novel. Stupid me, I keep forgetting I’m a fool.

I rolled through a novel, adding words and got it out to a reader, just as part of the summer’s work.

In the middle of June I began a murder mystery, police procedural story. It was short, 41,000 words with little chance that the manuscript would get appreciably longer. I finished the word processing on that novel by the middle of July. So the writing of it went well.

One benefit coming from the summer? I don’t watch as much TV.

HOWEVER, the homeowner came one seven weeks early, and I had to leave. I’ve returned to a secure roof, but I’m somewhat at a loss how to put my state of mind in order. It was pleasant being alone and writing. Since, there have been diverse activities,  people around and other demands. I’ve must adjust to write the third novel, which I intended to put into draft, this summer.

SABOTAGED

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Using Hitchcock’s title, Sabotage, but no hint of Hitchcock’s story, this is a usual Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. In the end he gets the bad guys.

This movie has a redeeming quality, a lot to see of Mireille Enos, part of Arnold’s law enforcement team who turns out to be a naughty, rotten woman. Near movie’s end in a car chase gun fight Arnold and Mireille exchange a few thousand shells and rounds, and miss. Finally, Arnold has to end the film. No matter what the role, it’s a living.

Beware that Joe Mangeniello is not Joe Mantegna, a mistake on my part.

STRAWMAN STUART

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THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, JOHN FORD

This revered John Ford movie makes James Stuart’s character a straw man – a fake and a phony. He ventures into the frontier and believes he can use only law (and law books) to resolve disputes. Someone who is that idealistic could not live during the time the movie was set (1865 – 1875). Stuart isn’t a Quaker so he doesn’t have that religion as support. Stuart mouths off while joining the community of Shinbone. It’s no wonder people beat him up or wonder about him.

Everyone in the American west knew that law was a casual thing. Adherence to laws found in books was isolated. The late nineteenth century in America was greatly affected by the Civil War. Violence frequently proceeded or accompanied law. Frequently there was a sense of community equity. Those lessons were not forgotten by the generation which fought the War, nor subsequent generations.

But the movie only makes sense if the audience forgets history and goes along with the  thinking of James Stuart’s character. Spoiler alert! I can only say, to make it a story, thank God John Wayne shot Liberty Valance. Spoiler alert!

GUY DE MAUPASSANT

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Collected Stories

I have read many complimentary opinions and laudatory paragraphs about these stories. I bought a fat book, 1000 plus pages, two columns per page. I began on page one “The Ball of Fat” about Prussians occupying a town. It seemed like a short story; the writer was practicing his descriptions so it was full of experimentation. Four columns on an open book is very daunting, like I was living in the nineteenth century reading a single story in a newspaper printed in eight columns per page. That type to retrocession is nothing nobody needs unless one reads the Bible.

My next thought about reading the story, “The Ball of Fat,” which I assumed does not eventually refer to a person but a cherished ingredient used for cooking. Both the Germans and French cook with fat. It was easy to stop reading because I don’t need my life influenced by this dietary heresy.

I wondered about the next story, “The Diamond Necklace,” but again was stuck on the four columns over two pages. I was suspicious, so a revelation came: I had bought the wrong book. Someone better than than I likely had put the best Maupassant short stories in one regularly columned book. If “The Diamond Necklace” appeared in a thinner volume with a normal format, it likely meant that story was worth reading.

So I stopped reading Maupassant in bulk. Perhaps I’ll reread Stephan Crane – “Blue Hotel” and “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” to relearn how short stores can be perfected.

Sky” to see how short stories can be perfected.

DISBELIEF

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LOVE ACTUALLY – movie review

This film has been around the block more than once. It’s supposed to be a big romantic thriller. Ha, ha!

A mostly British predictable production of an ensemble story about love and relationships, everything happens in the six weeks before Christmas. The British don’t celebrate Thanksgiving so no one has to climb through the Planes, Trains and Automobiles of that holiday.

Jerks showing up like the President of the United States (Billy Bob Thorton appearing as Bill Clinton) interfere with love. The first third of the movie pairs couples, one being the British Prime Minister. The next third is about the difficulties of life making love impossible. Nothing is very interesting about any of those episodes, most of which have been seen by American audiences on failing sit-coms lasting only a season because the laugh track has gone awry.

There is some interest when a couple removes their clothes to shoot a movie, an MTV piece or an ad for the Nude Olympics. They are the only naked people in the flick. It’s good the see Martin Freeman who plays Doctor Watson on Sherlock burst out of that role and get some action. Liam Neeson is a much better actor when he’s killing Albanians than in this movie (father trying to help his son’s romance along).

The final third of the movie is about couples coming together. Intimacy is swamped by the drive to love actually. There is a lot of coincidence and wow – this should have happened years ago! The most preposterous is Colin Ferrel who flies somewhere (Portugal?). He intends to propose. His intended is a waitress at work. Half her village follows wanting to see Colin pop the question and get an answer. The parade goes down the street; not everyone can fit into the restaurant. It’s a true waste of film showing the crowd and time, attempting to provoke a tear or two, before the whole thing becomes incredulous.

Don’t bother with this movie, either in 2005, 2015 or 2025.