Picks for January 2005

Book: two books this month."The Five People You Meet In Heaven": I avoided this for awhile as it seemed too gooey for my taste, but a friend gave it to me so I gave it a shot.  Some of it is a bit treacly, yes, but overall, I love the premise:  there are five people you meet in heaven who intersected your life in a significant way, and they show you what your life really meant. It’s a good starting place for a deeper conversation, I think. The other book is fascinating:  "The Tipping Point".  About the phenomenon of trends, both material and emotional… and spiritual as well, I guess.  There is a ‘tipping point’ in any idea that becomes popular, a critical mass, when, once acheived, the idea natuarally sweeps group conciousness.  I’m in the midst of reading this now.  Curious how I can use this concept to influence my husband in matters of home renovation and outings to broadway musicals.

    Film: I haven’t seen one single movie this month in the theaters.  I did see a rerun of "Anne of The Thousand Days" on television. I absolutely love this movie, always have.  Makes me want to re-read Antonia Fraser’s biography of the six wives of Henry V111, which, by the way, is a wonderful book.

Music: oh boy.  My book husband (aka editor) Rick Kot, who is apparently devoted to my further musical education, since he yanks me up periodically and takes me to hear something I would never think of going to on my own, took me to see Nellie McKay at the Allen Room. Wow. What a revelation. She is clearly nuts, in the best possible way, and clearly a prodigy, given her tender age. I have never felt more Old School in my life. She may be too clever for her own good, and I would hate to see her cleverness preempt her Feeling, which is always a danger when you’re that clever, but this girl is really, really interesting, and a phenomenal musician. She is so young you have to guess that she is still just discovering her potential, so it’ll be fascinating to see how she unfolds. I really enjoyed her performance, just Nellie at a grand piano in a pretty flowered dress, with the wall of glass overlooking Columbus Circle as her backdrop. An aural AND visual delight.

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