Burning Bright: Four Chanukah Love Stories Book Review

Every story in every genre has to have it’s “a-ha” moment. The “a-ha” moment is the moment within the narrative that the audience or reader becomes hooked. In the romance genre, that moment usually takes place when the audience begins to see the potential of the main character’s coupling or re-coupling if they have been separated.

Burning Bright: Four Chanukah Love Stories, is an anthology of four love stories set around the Jewish holiday of Chanukah.

Ben just moved into Amanda’s building. Amanda is immediately attracted to Ben, but they get off on the wrong foot, partially due to Ben’s past.

Shari and Evan have been dating for nearly a year. All is perfect in their relationship, until pressure from Evan’s family gets in the way and Evan pushes Shari away. Evan may have to do something drastic to win her back.

Molly impulsively wakes up her neighbor, Jon to plan their building’s Chanukah party. What starts out as a friendship becomes something more, but not before a few obstacles get in the way.

Tamar is in Israel on vacation. She didn’t expect to meet Avi, a handsome soldier waiting at the same bus stop, but she did. The question is, will the relationship last beyond her vacation?

The key to any romance is the heat, the chemistry and quickening of the pulse that must be felt by the reader or the audience. There is the anticipation, the anxiety of the potential relationship that keeps the audience or reader wanting more. Unfortunately, I didn’t want more and frankly, I was bored.

While I very much appreciate seeing a diversity of characters and narrative within the modern romance genre, it was not enough to hold me.

Do I recommend it? No.

Secrets of The Six Wives Review

It has been said that history is written by the victors. History has also been written by men.

Henry VIII was the second King in the Tudor dynasty, ruling from 1509-1547. During his lifetime, he said “I do” to six different women. Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr all wore the Queen’s coronet at one point or another during Henry’s reign. Catherine Parr, his widow, was the only wife to be spared the fate of either divorce or death at the king’s hands.

In the new PBS miniseries, Secrets Of The Six Wives, historian Lucy Worsley takes the audience through the reign of Henry VIII through the eyes of his wives. Telling the story both in character (and in the background of Henry’s court) and in modern dress, Ms. Worsley allows the audience to see that world through the point of view of the six different women who were referred to as the Queen of England in the first half of the 16th century.

As a feminist and a history buff, this series is absolutely fascinating. To see this man’s world through a woman’s eyes, is still a concept that while it should not be radical in 2017, feels radical. Despite the fact that these women were Queens, their status was no different from any other woman in England at this time. Their job (especially at the higher levels of society) was to bring legitimate male heirs into the world. That was their only responsibility. Five of these women failed at this task. Jane Seymour (wife #3) was the only one who bore her husband a male heir. Unfortunately, the boy who would briefly reign as Edward VI died young. I’d like to think that history has a sense of humor. While Henry VIII married six women in an effort to bring a male heir in the world, his daughter Elizabeth I (by wife #2 Anne Boleyn) is remembered as one of the greatest rulers, male or female in the history of the human race.

I recommend it.

The Secret Of The Six Wives airs on PBS on Sunday night at 10PM.

Carrie Fisher Was There

When we lost Carrie Fisher in December, we lost more than an actress and a writer. We lost an icon. We lost a hero. We lost a woman who, both on and off-screen, was not afraid to step forward and call out the bullsh*t in the world.

Yesterday, the image above became an icon not just for the modern feminist movement, but for the millions of women who marched around the world who made their voices heard.

I can’t help but think that if she survived, she would have been there. She would have been there marching with us, calling out Donald Trump on his bullsh*t and reminding him who is in charge.

But she is not and it is in her memory that we must continue to fight for our hard-won freedoms. A woman’s place is not in the home, it is in the resistance.

RIP Carrie. Your memory is a blessing to us all.

Today I Marched

Today I marched in solidarity with 300,000 other New Yorkers to send a message to the new administration in Washington DC.

It was glorious. Women and men of all faiths, nationalities and backgrounds came together to make the voices heard. We are the people and we will not let this administration drag us back to the dark ages.

It reminded me of the power of the voice of the ordinary citizen. It also reminded me that it took Donald Trump to be elected to light the fire under the behinds of Americans who normally stay silent.

This is our mission for the next four years: to remind our government who is in charge. I heard today a statement that summed up the rally: the constitution start with we, the people, not I, the President.

I have a feeling that this is not the first, nor will this be the last rally that I will be attending over the next four years.

Why I March

Today I will be joining millions of people around the world to send a message to Donald Trump.

He claims that he will be making America great again. There are many (myself included) of us who beg to differ.

Though his term is not even a day old, he has already proposed major cuts to different departments within the government. One of the departments he is proposing major cuts to is the The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

No, no and no.

The arts is the backbone of our country. Music, art, dancing, drawing, theater, etc not only keep this country together, but keep us moving forward. When hate and prejudice tear us apartment, a mutual appreciation for art brings us together. It expands our world and broadens our children’s education. There are millions of Americans who derive their livelihood from the arts. When we de-value the arts, we lose a part of our collective souls.

Another reason I will be marching is Betsy DeVos. Trump’s nominee for Secretary Of Education, to be Frank, is scaring me.

This woman has no experience in the field of public education as either a student, educator or parent. Her children were among the lucky few who did not graduate from college with thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars of student debt hanging over their heads. She has no business running this country’s public school system and I fear for future generations if this women is confirmed as Secretary Of Education.

These are two of the many reasons I will be marching today. See you on the picket line.

Flashback Friday-Overboard (1987)

It’s amazing how life can throw us a curve ball that we may actually need.

In the 1987 movie, Overboard, Joana (Goldie Hawn) is a very spoiled woman. She hires Dean (Kurt Russell) to build a closet on her yacht. Not impressed with the final product, she sails away, leaving Dean unpaid for his work. After falling overboard, Joana is found by Dean. Not remembering who she is or what she did to Dean, she told that she is Dean’s wife Annie. It turns out that Dean is a widower and sees an opportunity for payback. Annie/Joana turns into the happy housewife, but how long will the charade last before her memory returns?

It’s always interesting to see IRL couples playing opposite each other in films that have some sort of romance. Not that it hurts the film, but to know that the screen kisses had a hint of reality adds a new layer to the experience of watching the film. As a romantic comedy, it’s not bad, but it’s not one of the greats either.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Star Wars Character Review: Luke Skywalker

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the original Stars Wars trilogy. Read at your own risk if you are just now discovering the original trilogy.

There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using the characters from the original Star Wars trilogy to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.

When the audience is introduced to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), at the beginning of A New Hope, he introduced as the average boy next door. On the cusp of manhood, he lives with his aunt and uncle on their moisture farm on Tatooine. Like most boys his age, he would rather do anything but work on the farm. A chance encounter with the droids C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2 -D2 (Kenny Baker) will forever change his destiny.

R2-D2 is looking for Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). Princess Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher) has been captured by the empire and seeking Obi-Wan’s help in rescuing her.

They hire space pirate Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to help them rescue Leia.  The rest is movie history. Over the course of the three original films (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi), Luke grows from a boy to a man. He is a Jedi, the son of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and Queen Of Naboo/Republic Senator  Padme Amidala and the twin brother of Princess Leia. In A New Hope, he discovers his fate. In Empire Strikes Back, as he begins to seriously learn the ways of the Jedi, he is tested time and again. In Return of the Jedi, Luke must face not only his own darkness, but the darkness that turned his father into Darth Vader.

In the fantastical world of Star Wars, Luke is the every man going on the hero’s journey. The young man who at the beginning of adulthood who doesn’t expect much at the outset of the story will become the hero. But not before overcoming multiple obstacles and facing his own demons. Luke is interesting because even in a galaxy far far away, his journey feels very human and normal.

To sum it up: The audience needs a focal point. They need a character who they can root for and who they can see themselves in. Luke’s journey is about growth and change, while dealing with the sometimes painful reality that is life. In creating an every man or woman character who goes on a hero’s journey, the writer is reflecting ordinary life and ordinary struggles that we all face everyday. When these characters are created successfully, the writer is engaging the audience with the every day humanity that hooks the audience and keeps them coming back for more.

 

Throwback Thursday-The Very Thought Of You (1998)

There is nothing like friendship. Outside of our immediate families, our friends are the most important people in our lives.

That is until an attractive member of the opposite sex (or the same-sex, if you are so inclined) enters the picture.

In the 1998 movie, The Very Thought Of You, Frank (Rufus Sewell), Daniel (Tom Hollander) and Laurence (Joseph Fiennes) have been best friends since they were kids. Nothing has torn them apart. That is until they all meet and fall in love with Martha (Monica Potter) an American woman looking for a new life in London. Martha has no idea that these men are friends and neither Frank, Tom or Laurence have any idea that they have fallen for the same women.

This movie could have been the typical rom-com. But it’s not. The unique narrative stands out among the genre and proves that a rom-com can be entertaining without being predictable.

I recommend it.

Happy Birthday, Betty White

There is an old Jewish saying:

“May you live until 120”

Betty White may not be 120, but she comes pretty close today, on her 95th birthday. Her career has lasted nearly a century. Starting her career in radio in the 1940’s, she made the transition to television in the 1950’s. Generations of television fans have grown up with her, laughed with her and adored her.

For my part, I remember watching The Golden Girls as a kid. Rose Nylund was not the sharpest tack in the box, but there was something endearing about. Maybe it was those crazy St. Olaf stories.

Before Golden Girls, there was Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Sue Ann was sweet as apple pie, when she needed or wanted to be. But behind the sweetness was the barbs.

Someone once said that age is nothing but number. Betty White proved that when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 2010, holding her own against performers decades younger than she.

She continues to inspire fans and fellow performers with her humor, her commitments to animals rights causes and proof that old age, especially in women is not a reason to sit back and let someone else enjoy life.

Happy Birthday, Betty White. May you actually live to 120.

The Brit List

There are many voices on the internet. We are clamoring for a piece of the internet pie.

A friend of mine recently started a podcast. The Brit List, started by my good friend, Brittany, is a podcast focusing on music, sports and entertainment.

Without a further a due, I give you The Brit List.

Enjoy.