Reading and Roaming
RECENT FILMS Free Solo This is a breathtaking and stunning National Geographic documentary about free soloing on Yosemite’s El Capitan. That is, climbing its 3,000 foot rock wall without any ropes. The first person to ever do that was Alex Hannold in June 2017, and this is the story and the backstory of that …
Continue reading “Manhattan Diversions: Movies, Art, etc.”
TIMELY FILM—The Wife I read Meg Wolitzer’s novel of the same name, but I think the film version of The Wife is better. Glenn Close gives a stellar performance as Joan Castleman, the dutiful, somewhat subservient wife of literary rockstar and new Nobelist, Joe Castleman. With just the slightest change in expression, Close portrays a …
Continue reading “The Literary Life”
SAN FRANCISCO OLD HOME WEEK AT THE ACADEMY The Chief Penguin and I had the great pleasure of returning to San Francisco and the California Academy of Sciences for the 10th anniversary celebration of its new building. Ten years ago, when he was the Chief Penguin of this wonderful museum, we sat on the …
Continue reading “San Francisco Interlude”
MAUI We were fortunate that our friends on Maui who were hosting us had no ill effects from Tropical Storm Olivia, not even any rain. We delayed our arrival there by a day (the airport had been affected) and the flight the day after the storm was a bit bumpy. We ate lots of good …
Continue reading “Maui: Around the Island”
