THE PAM NEWSLETTER

THE PAM NEWSLETTER 2003

Volume 13, Page 4

40 is the New 30

MY CHOICES FOR 2003:

Movies: Talk to Her (Hable con ella) written and directed by Pedro Almodovar. It won an Oscar for screenplay and a nomination for directing and it was completely brilliant. We saw it in a small theater but it was full and everyone sat through the credits and even when the lights came up we all sat there, blinking in the light, we didn't even want to talk because it would break the spell. Of course I loved The Two Towers all 4 or 5 times I saw it on big screen. I will have seen Return of the King by the time you read this. Rabbit Proof Fence: excellent movie about the indigenous people of Australia. I bought Bend it Like Beckham, the minute it was out on DVD: soccer chick flick, could there be a more perfect Pam movie? Matrix Reloaded: What happened? Does anyone even understand this movie? Holes: excellent movie and book. About a Boy, why didn't everyone go see this movie? Hugh Grant is so charming. Whale Rider completes my indigenous trilogy that started with Fast Runner and Rabbit Proof Fence. I bought this the minute it came out on DVD and I can't even talk about it w/o crying. Winged Migration is 98 minutes of birds and the most amazing thing you've ever seen. This should be mandatory viewing for people waiting at the bank, DMV and airports. One step closer to world peace. My expectations for Elf were SNL movie low and it was so cute. I love Will Farrell. Online Addendum: I can't believe I left out Lost In Translation which is one of my favorite movies I saw last year.

Books: Not only am I reading less, but I read some really crappy stuff like a Sue Grafton (I think it was "P") and a Patricia Cornwell (it was like a werewolf thing, it sounded promising.) Good reading: Booneville by John Mailer Anderson. We went to see him at Powell's after reading the ad in the Oregonian. It said he came from a small town in N. California with hippies and pot farmers so I had to check him out. He turned out in this slick suit and sang country songs with his reading. I liked the book, too. I read three mighty books back to back: Empire Falls, Richard Russo (Pulitzer 02), Atonement, Ian McEwan (Nat'l Book Critics Award 02) Life of Pi, Yann Martel (Booker 02) ‹ all super fantastic. I would say more but don't want to even hint spoilers. After sitting on a hardcover copy for almost a year, I just finished The Little Friend, Donna Tartt. I expect a lot more when I read 556 pages.

TV: I'm winning the war by attrition. My only shows left are Friends, Ebert & Roeper, Simpsons, Alias, and Angel.

A FEW LAST THINGS:

The New Crack: TV shows on DVD. We got the first season of 24 for xmas last year and 6 days later and a big dent in the sofa ... how can you stop? It took me more like 10 days to get through the first season of Felicity, a show I thought I wouldn't like. Hug an Introvert: Jonathan Rauch, (Atlantic Monthly, Mar 03) totally validated my inner introvert. "Science has learned a good deal in recent years about the habits and requirements of introverts. It has even learned, by means of brain scans, that introverts process information differently from other people ... Introverts are not necessarily shy. ... introverts are people who find other people tiring." Grow more flowers: I'm a new dahlia farmer. I bought a box of bulbs, didn't follow the directions, but still spent most of June and July running out to the yard to see what had blossomed. It is the perfect plant.

Merry Solstice and Happy New Year.

Love you, Pamela

Collect them all: 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | Debut | pampage

PHOTOGRAPH: Bob testing cellphone at Camp Kimtu. Photographer: Me

This page was made on December 17, 2003. Featured artist: Husker Du, Zen Arcade. Featured beverage: Mulled Wine.

Posted: 12.17.03
http://www.pamrentz.com/pampage/xmas/v13/p4.html