Hype and hoopla…

Monday, February 16th, 2015

William Shakespeare, b.23 April 1564 Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England (observed) d.23 April 1616. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Playwright, poet, actor.
The Bard
Amidst all the hype and hoopla about the newest trashy novel and blockbuster movie, it has become obvious, once again, that it is not self-publishing or the independent author who destroys literature, nor is it the traditional publishing industry as a whole. It is those in the business who cater to the lowest common denominator and set out to appeal to our base instincts who diminish literature and art. And it is above all consumers with questionable taste who support this kind of industry. But only for a limited time. Quality books and movies may not bring in the big bucks–at least not all at once–but as history has shown again and again: the best of them will be around for a long time–long after 50 Piles of Garbage have sunk into oblivion and, fortunately, disappeared from our consciousness.

Virginia Woolf in 1902, photo taken by George Charles Beresford. #virginiawoolf
Virginia Woolf

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (1924)

Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California, with the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015

I fell in love with the small town of El Segundo, a community with plenty of free street parking (hard to find anywhere in California) with a great choice of restaurants, bars, small stores. This town invites you to take a leisurely stroll, stop for a cup of coffee, a meal, a drink, or, visit the cultural treasure, called Old Town Music Hall!

The Old Town Music Hall celebrates the classic period of American cinema and music. The manager and other talented musicians play the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe organ. The theater itself is lovingly decorated in the old style with beautiful chandeliers, tapestry, and all kinds of memorability.

After a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant, my friends and I went to listen to old cinema music and watched the classic black-and-white film 42nd Street. It was a blast!

In case you’re in the neighborhood, drop by and let yourself be transported into the Roaring Twenties with old-fashioned popcorn and delicious coconut muffins from a nearby bakery!

More information and pictures here:
http://www.oldtownmusichall.org/index.html