Movie Review: Ender's Game

I play Lexulous (an online scrabble game) with two of my elementary school friends. We have been doing this since 2009. In the game's little chat box we get to rib each other, exclaim over moves and exchange sci-fi reads. When Steve proposed seeing Ender's Game together, Natalie and I gave a hearty "YES!"

The movie did not get great reviews. It was a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, just scraping on by a tomato skin to make the "fresh category." However, I have learned a trick when it comes to genre flicks—never trust the critics! I call it the Genre Bias. Examples of this for me are 1) Super Mario Bros. (1993) RT score of 16%. 2) Cat Woman (2004) RT score of 9%,Aeon Flux (2005) a stunning 10%, and all the Twilight Movies. Yes, ALL the Twilight Movies. I think they are great flicks. Yet they all got panned. And, true to the Genre Bias, this was a really good movie, and I thought pretty faithful to the spirit of the book.  Asa Butterfield was outstanding as Ender, and Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley didn't hurt things any.

Ender's Game is a book I read over 20 years ago, yet I still remember it vividly. I passed it on to my husband who refers to it probably once every three days. I also read the rest of the original quartet of books, though have not kept up with the later quintet. In preparation for our viewing, Natalie read a collection of essays on the book by noted writers and scientists and military strategists—Ender's World: Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic Ender's Game —and she said the essays had a lot to offer.

The Orson Scott Card books are great. Forget about the fact that Orson Scott Card has completely disgraced himself with his shameful political views in recent news, the books are still great. And there are more Ender books on the way, according to a video posted 6 days ago in the LA Times, (and hopefully no more political rants embarrassing to his readers).

As a sidenote, I actually met Orson Scott Card when I won the Phobos Book award for my short story, "The 22 Buttons," in a short story anthology edited by Card and Olexa, called Empire of Dreams and Miracles.
I had a perfectly nice and normal conversation with him at the authors' party following the ceremony. I recall him saying that people should switch jobs or careers every 10 years, something I have often thought about since that seems to be what I do. Perhaps he should not switch careers but stick to writing after all.

Natalie and Steve also liked the movie, so it is safe to say we will continue to play Lexulous together!

Exhibit Review: James Nares' "STREET"— A Night out at the Reinberger Galleries

The Cleveland Institute of Art's (CIA) Reinberger Gallery has seasonal exhibitions that we've come to enjoy over the last few years, especially since our oldest son began studying there. What particularly motivated us to go down to the exhibit opening was that James Nares, whose film STREET is featured, is the partner of a friend of ours, a lovely woman we've gotten to know over the past two summers in Vermont.  It always gives one a stronger connection to and interest in an exhibition if there is a personal connection to the artist.

STREET was beautiful and well worth the visit—mesmerizing and evocative. (Thankfully—because otherwise what do you tell your friend!?) We lived in NYC for 6 years and we still think of it as an alternate home so it was enjoyable to have that kind of immersive return and see it in such a broad yet focused way. Also technically very impressive! 



And of course we did that thing which I'm sure anyone who has spent time in NY has done - Oh, that's the Path corner, oh, that's right by X's apartment, Oh, isn't that where there used to be that bodega where I picked up flowers on the way home? But the real stars are the thousands of faces. Everyone looks so beautiful and interesting in the HD slow-mo—I imagine that reflects the artist's own loving feelings about humanity.

Here is the explanatory blurb from the CIA webiste: British-born artist James Nares spent one week in September 2011 filming 16 hours of footage from a moving car traveling the streets of Manhattan. He used the kind of high-definition camera usually reserved for capturing speeding bullets ripping through apples, then edited the footage down to one hour of super-slow-motion street activity put to music. The result is a trippy, dreamlike experience that played at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this past spring and will air on a loop in CIA’s Black Box Projection Room.

And we did get to say hello to James!

Other things you will see at the  exhibit are recent works by Richard Anuszkiewicz, that play with our perceptions of color and seem to swim before the eyes in huge vivid paintings that come off the walls.

 

 Photo from CIA site, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Mardi Gras. Image courtesy of Loretta Howard Gallery, New York, NY.

 

  

Also there, Intricately detailed print work by Suzanne Treister, in a show called Hexen 2.0 and looks at the history of scientific research. I like the use of Tarot Cards as the organizing principle.

From CIA site: Suzanne Treister, Queen of Chalices- Ada Lovelace. Image courtesy of the artist and P.P.O.W Gallery, NYC.

And a third and also very different exhibition of paintings by Arpita Singh, called Men in Turmoil. Less visually appealing to me than the other artists.

 From CIA Site: Arpita Singh, Women in Blue Men in Black. Image Courtesy Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, India and DC Moore Gallery, New York.

The great thing about going to Reinberger exhibitions is that they are a manageable amount of gallery space to get through in one evening, and still have time for dinner in Little Italy!

Movie Review: Gravity

Yes yes yes.

This is as close to being in space as most of us and certainly I will ever get—one jaunt on the Mission: Space ride at Epcot center followed by two days of motion sickness was proof positive that I am not cut out to be an astronaut. But in another sense I have always been an astronaut since discovering Science Fiction in middle school, this was a most gratifying experience.

OK, so maybe it is a little low on plot, and who knows if the science really checks out, not to mention the plausibility of all those odds stacking up so wrong and so many miraculous last minute saves and near misses— Murphy's Law meets a perfect storm—but who cares!? This is totally my kind of movie.

But if you are interested in hearing from someone with a little more experience with space walking, here is what astronaut Chris Hadfield told NPR about Gravity and actual space-walking: Chris Hadfield

 Theatrical Release Poster from Wikipedia

We saw it in 3D. Not as intense as the IMAX version, I am sure, but lush and immersive and plain old beautiful, nonetheless. The acting was pitch perfect, I mean, how could any movie go wrong with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock? Bullock is on screen the entire movie and was absolutely amazing. Acting locked in a suit amidst all those cameras and green screens and special effect techniques and motorized rigs is a technical tour de force, and she created a seamlessly wonderful performance.

 photo from Entertainment

90 minutes went by in a flash—the suspense was unrelenting but not tiresome.  It was a stunning, moving and entertaining experience and sets a new benchmark fro what can be accomplished with digital filming and special effects. And in the end the movie is a tribute to human survival, resilience and genius and sets a high bar for what a great director, cinematographer and actress can accomplish.

On Singing: Divas on the Bima

 

Last night I had the privilege of singing with four of my colleagues, Cantors Elizabeth Shammash, Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, Magda Fishman and Jen Cohen, in a concert put on my by my good friend and colleague, Cantor Stephen Stein, accompanied by the talented Scott Stein.

I have been singing professionally in one form or another since my early 20's. Though my life is not focused on having a "career" in singing the way it was in my 20's, it is still a great source of joy to me to have a performance. 

I would divide that joy into three phases:

The first is having a specific goal to work towards. It is very hard to sustain oneself as a performer in a vacuum. To continue the daily work of practice and study that it takes to really maintain the skills that were so hard won earlier in life, and to continue the journey of always striving to be better takes incredible discipline and commitment, and I freely confess it is much easier to come by when there is a date on the calendar. Then there is a clear routine of practice and preparation in which I engage that gives some kind of shape to my work as a singer. I am also very fortunate to have a wonderful teacher—the reality of singing is that everything hinges on the teacher—but that is another post for another day.

The second part is the actual performance. (I will skip the day of the performance which is kind of a black hole). There is always a different audience and a different chemistry to the performance. With a good accompanist, there is a wonderful collaboration that happens on a stage. And best of all for me are the concerts with other singers—with time I have come to really value and crave the opportunity to make music with others. Last night was an exceptional group of performers and I enjoyed watching them shine as much or more than singing myself. It is an amazing miracle that each and every person has their own unique voice and talent and I got to know these super talented women better through their remarkable talents and signature styles— which spanned the jazz, pop, stage, cantorial and classical repertoire.

 finale

 

 curtain call

Then the third part is the day after, when I find myself invigorated and super-charged with energy. It is the same me, the same body, but there is more energy. I always marvel at this phenomenon—we haven't eaten some new super food or ingested some mood altering drug, yet everything is different based on some experience we've had. Our own brains release this extra boost. If only it were possible to always access this, without needing to go through a performance or other forms of extreme sports.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Nothing could be simpler than roasting brussel sprouts.

1 lb brussel sprouts
1 Tbs olive oil
Kosher salt (sea salt, Himalayan salt—a coarse grinding salt.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prep brussel sprouts by trimming stem off and slicing in half. Lay them out single layer on a jelly roll pan. Sprinkle the olive oil on to the pan and shake and roll them around to coat them and the pan. Grind salt over the top.
Put in heated oven for 10 minutes. Open oven and grab pan (with pot holder!) and shake them around, or flip them with a spatula. Heat another 10 minutes.
Serve immediately. I often lay these out right as kids get home from school and are hungry for snacking and… they disappear.

For more vegan recipes, got to my vegan blog.

Beet Bonanza: Apple Walnut Salad AND Bonus Borscht

This is a salad I learned to make in Israel. Most recipes from Israel are either eastern European in origin, or middle eastern, and this belongs to the former. In Israel there are hundreds of ways to prepare beets, and thousands of ways to prepare eggplant. This salad lands on the sweet side of the spectrum.
6 good sized beets
2 apples
1 Cup walnuts
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh lemon
salt to taste

Cook beets in the skin. Remove beets from pan and reserve cooking water for borscht. Run beets under cold water and slip skins off. Chop beets into cubes on cutting board - plastic cutting board is good because a lot of red beet juice will soak into your wooden cutting board. (It can be removed with a good scrub.)
Cube apples and chop walnuts. Mix together with beets, add lemon juice, olive oil and salt (lemon and olive oil and salt is the ubiquitous middle eastern dressing). Chill and serve!

BONUS RECIPE: Borscht



In Israel, Borscht is served as a cold drink, not just a soup.

Take the reserved cooking water from your beets, mix in juice of 2 lemons and 1/4 cup of sugar. The juice will take on a bright red color. Chill and serve as refreshing drink.

Garnish: Often sour cream is added to this. I like it as is, but it is possible to add a vegan tofu sour cream and whip in with whisk.

For more recipes go to my vegan blog, Tofu Crossing

I Love Fall

A day of dog-walking from park to park, and taking in the beautiful fall weather. I do like having seasons.

Please remind me of that in February.

Happy Dog!

Ode the Cleveland Museum of Art: II

Every first Friday of the month, the museum has something called Mix at CMA. The atrium of the museum is filled with special booths and exhibits, there is live music, or silent films screened on the walls, and a bar. The museum restaurant and cafe are open and all the galleries are open until 9 pm.

 

This month we went to see the Halloween weekend MIX.

There were many great costumes running around, and masks available for all.

On the wall above the gallery entrances was the silent film, Nesferatu, the first vampire flick ever (1922)

 

and Phantom of the Opera (1925).

A group of local artists called Rust Belt Monster Collective was creating a mural through something they call Live Art, "large, unscripted murals created collaboratively in front of an audience."

But the most interesting display of all was a large demonstration set up by Hermès, in which they demonstrated silk screening a scarf.

 It takes 24 months to screen a single scarf. They brought with them not just the enormous set of 46 screens used to create the scarf below, but very authentic french accents. Below is the actual scarf.

Secrets of the Hermès Carré: A Demonstration of Silk Printing

 

Detail from Hermes Scarf

 To learn more about Hermes Scarves:

We finished the evening with dinner at Provenance, the museum'a year old fine dining restaurant by Chef Doug Katz. One of the interesting features of Provenance is a prix fixe menu that is themed according to whatever special exhibit the museum is putting on. Last night's menu was based on the current exhibition on the ancient art of Sicily:





Menu:
SICILIAN PRIX FIXE MENU celebrating the sicilian exhibition opening september 29th 
selection of one first course, entrée & dessert 

FIRST COURSE
 sicilian salad 
 radicchio, endive & frisée with oranges, shaved fennel, sicilian olives & lemon vinaigrette
arancine
risotto ball stuffed with mozzarella & pecorino, on braised lamb & tomato ragu
 
ENTRÉE
 pasta 
alla norma spaghetti with eggplant, tomato, basil & ricotta salata
 
tuna caponata
olive oil braised tuna with caponata, arugula & roasted red pepper sauce
 
chicken marsala
pan-seared chicken in marsala wine sauce with cauliflower fritters & sautéed greens
 
DESSERT 
sicilian cassata cake 
ricotta cheese & shaved chocolate
 
chocolate pâte
macerated raspberries & whipped almond cream


Really delicious evening all around!

Ode to the Cleveland Museum of Art: I

My connection with CMA goes back to childhood: first my mother taking me to the museum, then  trips by bus with Jackie, my best friend in high school, and then attending AP Art History at the museum as a senior in high school—one of the best classes I have ever taken, anywhere, and one which to this day informs how I see the world.

Since moving back to Cleveland in 2001 with my family we have been members of CMA. All our children have taken art courses at the museum. My oldest son's portfolio for his application to Cleveland Institute of Art, where he is now a student, was composed of many pieces he had created in CMA courses.

The first thing I do when I go to the museum is drag my kids to see the weekly flower arrangement. Several times I have asked a museum official, "Who does these amazing arrangements?" 

And the response is always, "Womens Council."

"Yes, but who is their florist?" I would then ask, convinced that there was some great artist, a master-florist tucked away in a dusty shop somewhere, most likely Little Italy, who had held this commission from the Womens Council for the past 50 years.

I finally understood that women from the council actually do the arranging!

This revelation was followed by the happy happenstance of catching a women's council member red-handed in the act of arranging, and questioning her on the spot about this mysterious council. Fortunately she generously answered all my questions. When I learned the variety of activities in which the Council participates, I immediately became interested in joining, and this same woman has graciously offered to sponsor my membership. A week later I had lunch with her and a friend of hers who would be the one to second my membership. It was a great lunch with wonderful food and conversation and I feel like I have landed among future friends. 

The most exciting thing about being a prospective new member of this council is the orientation I would participate in next year: 4 full days spent at the museum learning everything from the guard's rotation, through the storage and archival facilities, to gallery lectures with each of the curators. I will finally be able to continue the love affair with the museum that I began as an AP art history student back in the day.

Original Entrance

Water color class

my work table today

For the longest time I have been wanting to water color. Especially botanicals. I imagined it as the perfect way to meld together my admiration for all things flora with some way of studying and enjoying. And, if you have read my Rio post, you know that I am fascinated by botanical drawing. This past summer I vowed to my family that I was going to try my hand at botanical drawing. I signed up for a class in water color drawing at Cleveland Botanical Gardens, despite the fact that it overlaps with after school pick-up and snack time, which I usually hold sacrosanct.  Last week classes began.

I learned in class today that traditional botanical drawing is really a scientific art from, with some very strict rules. It must be exact, taken from life and not photographs, include either entire specimen or detail from specimen, often includes the roots... If you think about it, before cameras, botanical illustration was the only way for naturalist to depict, catalog and classify their finds.

Let me quickly assert that this is nothing like what I am trying to do! I just want to take time to think about what I see. To search for the right color, try to recreate the forms before my eyes. There is something about it that I find very satisfying!

So above are my first and second week water colors.  I noticed when I left the class this afternoon that I was really, really happy.