Friends In High Places

Oops, an accidental 3 month hiatus. Summer happens :)

So a quick one to give props to three brilliant works:

My friend Carlene Bauer wrote a memoir called Not That Kind Of Girl. She's brilliant and witty in person, and a good writer, so although I haven't read the book yet, I am recommending it already. Here's what Elle had to say about it. And here's the official page from HarperCollins. Or just go to a bookstore on Tuesday or click over to Amazon.

Monday July 27 she's reading at Corner Bookstore (Madison-92nd) at 6 pm. I'll be there. And freeloaders can just seek out the free wine and cheese afterwards.

If you miss that one, Carlene will also be at the Brooklyn Court Street Barnes & Noble on August 6 at 7 pm.


And while I'm praising friends, a shout out for Chris Kornmann who designed the amazing new Tori Amos cover.



Finally, I don't really count Kim Longinotto as a friend (hey, we had a friendly phone conversation once) but I HAVE to recommend that everyone check out her amazing documentary Hold Me Tight Let Me Go on POV on Tuesday night (check local listings). This film - about a school near Oxford for kids with behavioral problems - really blew me away when I saw it - mindblowing access to her subjects and a reminder that being a freelance writer is actually a pretty easy job compared to what these incredible teachers do every day. A must-DVR.

The Eclipse

After a whirlwind tour of London to try to see all my old pals in 3 days, I’m now in Cannes as the festival kicks off tonight. Screen’s office has moved to the Majestic this year for anyone looking for us! I’ll be working non-stop for Screen during the days but hoping to see old friends. And who knows, maybe even a film or two eventually.

Anyway, before Cannes kicks off I wanted to blog about the Tribeca highlight for me this year, Conor McPherson’s The Eclipse. I heard pre-fest from the programmers that this one was a key film to watch out for, and I interviewed McPherson a few weeks before TFF started and I could tell that he was very passionately proud of the film and hearing him describe the unusual tone of the piece had me further intrigued. So when I did see it, it proved to be a slow dramatic thriller punctuated by some genre (horror) elements. Some audience members hated those I guess, but for me they somehow drew one further into the depths of grief that this character was struggling with. Ciaran Hinds was fantastic. Days, even weeks later, this film has still stuck with me. Magnolia picked it up for the US so keep an eye out for the theatrical release.

Other highlights of Tribeca for me were Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience and Ianucci’s In The Loop. Overall, I thought it was a great year for TFF.

Not so Obscure

I meant to blog about the amazing Camera Obscura gig last month at Bell House in Brooklyn. It was the first time I’d been to Bell House, and was very impressed with the sound, the sightlines (important for a short gal) and the grown up, non-Williamsburg crowd. Yes, Gowanus isn’t the most convenient place but this venue is definitely worth a visit. They've got a great lineup.

I was in perfect company -- Neil was over from London and then we ran into the Bauer Sisters (the three of us share such a love of Scottish pop that we trekked to the Bowlie Weekender together and then stalked B&S around Glasgow in 1999).

I always thought of Camera Obscura as something of a downer band but the live show was less downer than expected. And the new album is half happiness, half heartbreak (just like real life?). Plus I have to mention that at the Brooklyn show they had some amazing screenprinted posters, customized with the date and venue, for free for the fans. What a nice idea.

Their new album My Maudlin Career is out this week and highlights of it so far include Swans and French Navy. Or check out If Looks Could Kill from the last album. Go stream some songs at MySpace.

And on a tangent, I’ll also mention that this summer Neil and I visited the world’s largest Camera Obscura in Aberystwyth, Wales. One of those faded-glory seaside attractions -- rundown in a lovely way that typifies British seaside towns. Worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood (not likely in most cases).

And while I’m finally blogging, just a quick word to recommend State Of Play -- a very sharp thriller. Someone start lobbying for Jason Bateman for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar (highly unlikely but he was a scene stealer even with other great cast).

Manhattans. in Brooklyns.

The old Siberia stalwarts gathered on Friday night for the opening of Tracy Westmoreland's new bar Manhattans (NYmag blogged about it here). It's in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn despite the name. Had a very red-light vibe full of interesting folks drinking heavily. So in that respect, it was like Siberia. I went with Andy and Eamon and caught up with old Siberians like Gurley, Christian, Carla and Jim. Did Fallon show up in the very wee hours?

Anyway, it was a great night out and funny to bartend for about 5 mins. I know Prospect Heights has gotten trendy since my old Vanderbilt Avenue days at the Hot Bird, but this bar might come in handy for locals or Tracy's many fans. Check it out - 769 Washington Ave.

Pics on Facebook.

Siberia Flashbacks

Siberia wasn't just a bar, it was a way of life (go buy my book to read the details) but I've probably been better behaved now that it's closed. I saw Tracy soon after I moved back and he told had some Brooklyn plans cooking. And it sounds like his new bar is taking shape. I am bracing myself for opening night.

"Moms Are Good"

So I’ve been taking a blog break for real life but I'm getting back to New York now. Today’s cheerfulness comes because I was able to return from North Carolina breathing a sigh of relief. My mom had unexpected open heart surgery about two weeks ago and she’s doing remarkably well. It seems icky blogging about family health issues but I’ll just say she’s well on the road to recovery, which is the best news possible. As one colleague of mine said when I told him to cover my work, “Moms are more important. Moms are good.” Amen to that.

In addition to being a tough lady, she’s also popular. It seemed like mom & dad’s house was filled with flowers, cards and several casseroles a day thanks to her golf buddies, gin rummy partners, neighbors, church friends, knitting partners, old friends from Winston Salem, Stitch & Bitch ladies, my aunts and cousins and so on and on and on and on. I’m endlessly amazed that Southern women seem to have never met an animal, vegetable or fruit that couldn’t be enhanced with the addition of some combination of Ritz crackers, butter, cheese and/or cream of chicken soup. Seriously -- someone brought a casserole comprised of pineapple, Ritz crackers, butter and cheese. I generally think that pineapple is amazingly delicious on its own -- foodie friends look away now -- yet this concoction actually tasted pretty good. So did the frozen tub of Cool Whip and cherry pie filling. Just re-reading that makes my insides hurt. Now I’m determined to eat nothing but miso soup for a few days.

Anyway, thanks to my friends and mom’s friends for all the well wishes. Mom if you’re reading this get off the computer and go rest and watch your Netflix DVDs!

The Fisher Landau Center For Art

Yesterday, Andy and Eamon and I took an impromptu driving tour of Queens, including such non-scenic vistas as Costco and the car wash in Long Island City. But the focal point of the trip was a visit to The Fisher Landau Center for Art, in LIC. I'd never even heard of it but it was a very cool space (a former parachute harness factory) with an impressive collection and a particularly impressive exhibit running through March 31, Imagination Noir, including works by Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe, and my personal favorites - prints by Gregory Crewdson.
There was also an entire floor of Jasper Johns work.

The place is worth a look if you are in Long Island City. Or even for a special trip because it's very close several subway lines.

We capped the evening off with some very good Indian food from Five Star, a favorite of both local cabbies and Saveur magazine.