I’m a sucker for a book like this. Thirty writers tell about that “special something” that most influenced them. For example, Joyce Carol Oates writes about the impact Nabokov, Donald Barthelme, John Gardner, Lewis Carroll, and Poe had on her writing. Jay Cantor remembers taking a class at Harvard with Bernard Malamud who inspired him to write. For Denis Johnson, it was reading Leonard Gardner’s cult classic Fat City that ignited Johnson’s passion to write. Each of the writers in this volume describe the person or book or place or an event that changed their writing lives forever. I loved reading their insightful essays and I bet you will, too. GRADE: A
MENTORS, MUSES & MONSTERS: 30 WRITERS ON THE PEOPLE WHO CHANGED THEIR LIVES
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Peter Gabriel is one of my favorite artists. I first followed him when he was with Genesis. During his solo recording career, Gabriel recorded one of my favorite songs, “”Solsbury Hill.” I enjoyed Gabriel’s Top 40 singles “Sledgehammer” and “In Your Eyes.” When I first heard that Gabriel was recording an album of cover songs, I was excited. But then I heard rumors that there would be no guitars, no drums, only an orchestra backing up Gabriel’s vocals. That gave me pause. Scratch My Back was released last week and I’ve listened to it a couple of times. Both experiences were painful. I have never listened to more mournful music. Every song sounds like a dirge. This is sad, sad music totally lacking in joy. The only album I can think of that is about equally depressing is Joni Mitchell’s Blue. GRADE: D (for dismal and dull)
Diane and I have seen Natalie MacMaster in concert three or four times and Donnell Leahy in concert a couple of times. MacMaster and Leahy are brilliant fiddlers who ended up getting married. They are now touring together so this was a new experience for us. Backed up by two pianists, Natalie and Donnell played jigs, reels, waltzes, strathspeys, marches, and traditional folk songs. If this kind of music appeals to you, and the Master of the Fiddle tour comes to your area, check them out. Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy are two of the best fiddlers on this planet. GRADE: A
My Oscar Picks aren’t going to be earth-shaking or reveal any special insights. These are simply my best guesses of who the Academy will award with Oscars. However, with 10 movies nominated for BEST PICTURE, anything can happen with a fragmented vote in that category.
Back in the late 1960s, NBC introduced what would become a historical TV program: I, SPY. It featured Robert Culp as a tennis player who was actually a spy. Bill Cosby played his trainer. Together, they battled Bad Guys in exotic locales. When I first watched I, SPY, I was struck by the camaraderie and comic banter between Culp and Cosby. It was natural, not forced. Back in the Sixties, friendships between white men and black men were a novel idea on national television networks. AMAZON wants $15.49 for each set of 5 DVDs (the sets list for $19.99 each). I bought my sets at BJ’s Warehouse for $9.99 each. Another nostalgia purchase, granted, but the price was right. 
Ed McBain wrote 54 87th Precinct novels and I’ve read 40 of them. I’m slowly working my way through the last handful. Eighty Million Eyes was first published in 1966, the 21st book in the series. Some of the early 87th Precinct novels are dated, but Eighty Million Eyes only has a few jarring dated references. A comedian collapses during his show on prime-time TV. Forty million viewers (with 80 million eyes) witness what is later discovered to be a murder. The comedian was poisoned. And, as readers of this series know, a second case about a psycho stalker intersects the primary case. McBain slyly includes a producer talking to a director about changing a script. There’s plenty of mocking of writers in cynical Hollywood fashion. Very funny and very true based on McBain’s own dealings with movie and TV producers. If you haven’t read any 87th Precinct books, Eighty Million Eyes is a good place to jump in. No previous knowledge of the series is necessary to follow the action in this fine police procedural.
Bernard Cornwell adds another volume to the saga of Uhtred, the reluctant ally of King Alfred of Wessex. Set in the Ninth Century, Uhtred battles against the forces of savage Dane, Harald Bloodhair. He’s called “Bloodhair” because before a battle, he kills horse, slices open its stomach, and plunges his head into the bloody mess. This ritual tends to demoralize “Bloodhair’s” opponents. Warfare tended to be a brutal affair, but Uhtred is such a successful warrior because he has mastered the strategies of this type of fighting. The Burning Land is the 5th volume in Cornwell’s Saxon series. I’ve read and enjoyed all of these books. If you enjoy great historical adventures, I highly recommend this series. GRADE: A-
Roger Ebert appeared on OPRAH and showed us what real courage is. For those of you who just beamed down from Saturn, Ebert had thyroid cancer which spread. After numerous surgeries, Ebert now is cancer-free, but the price was enormous: Ebert can’t eat, drink, or talk. However, a computer firm in Scotland is working on a voice system that will reproduce Roger Ebert’s original voice based on Ebert’s recorded commentary on famous movies. Ebert demonstrated this new/old voice by typing words into his laptop and the speech program faithfully produced Ebert’s voice. Yes, it was a bit crude, but I was amazed the technology had come that far. Ebert’s wife, Chaz, impressed me with her dedication and love for husband. What a caring spouse! Ebert announced his OSCAR picks: BEST ACTOR, Jeff Bridges; BEST ACTRESS, Sandra Bullock; BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, Mo’Nique; BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, Christoph Waltz; BEST PICTURE, The Hurt Locker; BEST DIRECTOR, Kathyrn Bigelow.
The reclusive Romanian-born pianist, Radu Lupu, played a brilliant program for an enthusiastic audience at the Ramsi Tick Concert Series. Lupu opened with Janacek’s “In the Mist.” Very atmospheric. Then Lupu tackled the stormy “Appassionata” Sonata by Beethoven. After the Intermission, Lupu closed with Schubert’s sublime Sonata in B-flat, D. 960. If Radu Lupu is performing in your area, you should go listen to his wonderful piano playing! Or pick up one of Lupu’s fine recordings.