I know you've had the experience of getting a song in your head and having it play over and over, till something else displaces it. For writers the same thing happens with words. We play conversations or descriptions over and over, relishing the flow of words. If they're your own words, you try different combinations, and my characters like playing different roles to see what works best for them and the book. And photographers, don't get me started. Sometimes we see a photo, and we're just struck by the brilliance of it.
One photographer in particular has been hitting the brilliance button so often for me that I can't say enough about him. In case you can't read the print, the photo book is by Neil Zeller, taken during the first wave of the COVID pandemic.
It's a big book, full of socially distant portraits. They are everything under the sun, funny, moving, improvised, posed, with and without props, mostly on the front steps. Not famous people, though one of the photos has an extremely famous Calgarian. It's ordinary people, struggling through an extraordinary time, most of them telling a little bit of their stories. Some will make you cry, most will move you to all sorts of emotions.
I'd seen some of the photos on display during his show at the Glenbow Museum, and had chatted to Neil about some of the adventures along the way. The book has some of his own adventures along the way too. Last I heard there are still some copies available. Buy it here.
One of the fun things about the library is putting things on hold. I tend to go in spurts, putting a bunch of things on hold, and gradually have them trickle in. Some people are obsessed with seeing a show or movie as soon as it comes out. My response is the library is free. We don't mind waiting. We like to try before we buy.
It's actually kind of fun to watch the number of people in line gradually dwindle, and the anticipation begins. One of the longer waits was for both seasons of American Gods, and so well worth it! Once the last season is released on blue ray I'll probably get the whole set.
Good Omens has been ticking down for months. I think I put a hold on it shortly after it was released, and there were several hundred people in line in front of me. No surprise. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are both brilliant writers, and the translation to the screen is superb! If you haven't seen it, set aside 6 hours for total enjoyment. It's fun, funny, witty, profound, and the actors are all at least good, and the leads are amazing.
(Oh, and now with the new COVID restrictions coming in, you'll have lots of time again. We're planning a run to the library to pick up a big stack of books. Don't get me started on the wretched UCP response to the pandemic.)
But just now I've got the theme song running through my brain. It's kind of a wonky waltz, with lots going on in the title credits. The show and the music suit each other perfectly, and then to have the running Queen joke was a cherry on top.
We watched it in two long sessions, utterly in thrall. There was no question about watching the next episode. I almost want to put it on and watch it again. Except, work. This is a busy week, with people shovelling frantically to get stuff done before they go on vacation. I think my entire team is off starting Friday, which means then I'll be able to chug away peacefully, transforming, massaging, organizing, and migrating data. They will love the results.
Even after reading the book a really long time ago, the show felt fresh and natural, an unfolding story going new and strange places. And it's a long complicated story, much like life. Obscure in most places, more complicated than seems possible, and shit happens. No matter how much you think you have a plan, you aren't in charge. Things will change. Your choices are to deal with it, or go under.
Of the Day
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