This is the story about Lizet Ramirez, and young Cuban-American who leaves Miami to attend a prestigious college in the northeast. During her first semester, a young boy, Arial Hernandez, arrives on the shore of Miami in an inner tube after a harrowing trip from Cuba. (Arial is heavily based on Elián Gonzalez.) At the end of the book is an interview with the author and she describes the book as being "about people landing in places and having no clue who they are as a result." That's a good description.
There are parts of the book I really liked a lot...Lizet's fish-out-of-water story and her troubled relationship with her family. There were other parts that left me a little flat, particular that of Lizet's mother, Lourdes, and her obsession with Arial. I wish the author had delved more into where that was coming from, but then that would probably be a completely different book, wouldn't it? I couldn't relate to Lourdes and was left guessing about her motives.
Of course I'll never forget that photo of young Elián with a military rifle in his face. But I didn't remember a lot of details about the situation. I did some googling after I finished the book and saw it was a 5-month ordeal. There are videos of vigils and protests being held outside the home where Elián was staying, and the author did a great job of describing those scenes in the book.
Ms. Crucet is a good writer and I look forward to more from her.
I'm watching the Emmy awards and realized I hadn't figured out my fall TV schedule yet. I just finished going through my Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Preview issue, and I gotta say, this issue wasn't very helpful and has really deteriorated from fall TV issues in the past. They're missing the TV grid for each night. They didn't discuss all the new shows. It was quite lacking. I think I'm going let my subscription run out when that time comes.
Nevertheless...between the magazine and a listing from the Vulture website, here's what I came up with. New shows are in bold italics. Some are already in progress.
Sunday
8:00pm - Ray Donovan (starts 11/17), Showtime
8:30pm - God Friended Me (starts 9/29), CBS
8:30pm - Back to Life (10/6), Showtime
9:00pm - Shameless (11/3), Showtime
10:00pm - The Rookie (starts 9/29), ABC
10:00pm - Godfather of Harlem (9/29), Epix
10:00pm - Silicon Valley (10/27), HBO
10:30pm - Mrs. Fletcher (10/27), HBO
Godfather of Harlem looks really good and stars Forest Whitaker. I don't have the Epix channel, though, and I'll decide this week whether to add it to my cable lineup. I'm reluctant to add anything because my bill is already high enough.
9:00pm - Prodigal Son (9/23), FOX
9:00pm - The Deuce (started 9/9), HBO
Not a whole lot going on on Mondays. I'm giving the Prodigal Son a try because of Michael Sheen who I loved on Masters of Sex.
Tuesday
8:00pm - The Resident (9/24), FOX
9:00pm - This Is Us (9/24), NBC
9:00pm - Mixed-ish (9/24), ABC
9:30pm - Black-ish (9/24), ABC
10:00pm - New Amsterdam (9/24), NBC
Mixed-ish is a spinoff from Black-ish about Rainbow's childhood. It could be fun. We'll see. (I watch the other spin-off, Grown-ish, and it's decent enough.) (Can you sense that I don't have a whole lot of enthusiasm? Maybe this one will take me by surprise.)
Wednesday
8:00pm - The Goldbergs (9/25), ABC
8:30pm - Schooled (9/25), ABC
9:00pm - Modern Family (9/25), ABC
9:00pm - Almost Family (10/2), FOX
9:30pm - Single Parents (9/25), ABC
10:00pm - Stumptown (9/25), ABC
Looks like it'll be another big ABC night in my household.
Stumptown is the show I'm most looking forward to this season. It stars Cobie Smulders from How I Met Your Mother, and also stars Jake Johnson from The New Girl and Michael Ealy. In the commercials, I also saw Camryn Manheim from The Practice. Seems like a really good cast.
I added Almost Familybecause it's based on an Australian show I watched on Netflix called, Sisters. I enjoyed Sisters a lot...I'm curious to see how the American version turns out. I don't have high hopes though.
Thursday
8:00pm - Grey's Anatomy (9/26), ABC
8:00pm - Young Sheldon (9/26), CBS
8:00pm - Superstore (9/26), NBC
8:30pm - Perfect Harmony (9/26), CBS
8:30pm - The Unicorn (9/26), CBS
9:00pm - The Good Place (9/26), NBC
9:00pm - A Million Little Things (9/26), ABC
9:30pm - Carol's Second Act (9/26), CBS
9:30pm - Sunnyside (9/26), NBC
10:00pm - Evil (9/26), CBS
10:00pm - Mr. Inbetween (started 9/12), FX
The Unicorn and Evil are on Entertainment Weekly's "must watch" list. The Unicorn is about a widowed dad getting back into the dating scene. Evil is about, "Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a lapsed Catholic and financially struggling forensic psychologist who gets hired by a priest-in-training to help investigate alleged religious and supernatural phenomena." I don't know, we'll see about that one. Lapsed Catholics are up my alley, but supernatural phenomena, not so much.
I only put Carol's Second Act on the list because I love Patricia Heaton. If I hear a laugh track, I'll probably turn it right off. CBS comedies and me don't often mix well. I love Young Sheldon, and guess what? No laugh track.
I don't even know what Sunnyside is about, but it stars Kal Penn, so that's good enough for me.
Oh, and I added Perfect Harmony strictly because of Bradley Whitford.
I'm so glad Mr. Inbetween is back for another season. It was my favorite new show last year.
Friday
10:00pm - Couples Therapy(started 9/6), Showtime
10:00pm - Murder in the Bayou (started 9/13), Showtime
Couples Therapy is fascinating. It's a view into real couples' therapy sessions with a marriage counselor. You also see the marriage counselor's sessions with her therapist. It's really interesting.
Streaming
I just looked at the list of streaming shows I said I was going to watch next year and realize I only watched 1 out of 8 of them, so I don't even know if this is worth it. But, here's what looks good:
Unbelievable (started 9/13), Netflix
The Politician (9/27), Netflix
Raising Dion (10/4), Netflix
Modern Love (10/18), Amazon
Living with Yourself (10/18), Netflix (Paul Rudd!!)
The Morning Show (11/1), Apple TV+
I have another decision to make regarding Apple TV+. Yet another subscription to pay for. I probably will go for this one because I really want to see The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. We'll see.
So that's it. Nothing too exciting this year, to be honest.
The best words to describe this graphic novel are: "very cute."
I wouldn't even call it a graphic novel--more like a graphic short story. It's a quick read and the art is great. I didn't get a lot of "the feels" with the story like I usually do with Rainbow Rowell's work but this was still an enjoyable read. It would probably be even more enjoyable to read it while sipping hot apple cider in cooler weather.
I've been thinking about this for the past few weeks and finally decided to sit down and type it up. My obsession, right now, is..........
BILLY PORTER!
He stars in a show on FX called POSE. (Before that, he starred in Kinky Boots on Broadway.) I remember seeing previews for Pose last year and set a season pass on my Tivo. Or so I thought. It wasn't until there were only two episodes left that I realized it hadn't been recording. Boo. I was disappointed.
Then Billy showed up to the Oscars in that gorgeous tuxedo gown and that's when I learned that he was on this show. (I really didn't know much about the show, other than it looked cool and dancing was involved.)
Pose was renewed for a second season and before it started back on FX, they put Season One on Netflix. I started seeing previews for it while watching Fosse/Verdon and then a friend of mine posted about the show on Facebook, so I decided to dig in. I now know that the show is about the LGBTQ ball culture in the late 80s/early 90s. You can do your own research on what "ball culture" is, but just know that it's where Madonna learned how to "Vogue." (This features prominently in Season 2.) Billy Porter plays Pray Tell, the emcee at the balls, and he is just wonderful. The show takes place during the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and he handles scenes around that subject with such grace. He's a fantastic actor. (Now, sometimes--I admit--the show doesn't have the best acting you've ever seen, BUT, the stories are heartfelt and Billy Porter makes up for it all. Kudos to the show for hiring transgender actors to play transgender roles.)
Toward the end of the first season, Pray Tell goes to sing at the ward where his boyfriend is dying of AIDS. I rewound and watched this five times with tears streaming down my face. The description on the video says, "Set in the 80's, in this scene, Pray Tell (Billy Porter) arranged a cabaret to cheer the patients in the AIDS Ward where his boyfriend is in treatment. His dear friend, Blanca (transgender actress MJ Rodriguez) agrees to sing. Both characters have also recently been diagnosed. This is so beautiful."
Oh man. That gets me every time.
When I searched for that video, I also came across this fantastic scene that happened during the commercial break at the Tony awards. This made me a fan forever.
And then just the other day, I caught his serious side in an interview with other Emmy-nominated actors. He touched my heart. The interview is long, but here's his response to the question, "I knew I had made it in Hollywood, when.....?" (From YouTube, I can set where the video starts, but I can't set where it stops, so you can hit pause after you see Billy speak. I do encourage everyone to watch the whole roundtable because it was kind of interesting. Especially Hugh Grant...I can't tell if he's just self-deprecating, or if he really is a monster to work with. I'm going with self-deprecation. I digress.....)
I hate to admit, but that's really when I first noticed him too. And then it was just like, look at all that fabulousness! I could just hear Christian Siriano (the gown's designer) saying, "Fierce!"
Here's another moment from the interview that I liked where he's discussing his role on Pose:
I really hope he gets that Emmy award.
So, that's it for my Billy Porter fan post. I'll leave you with this, Billy Porter, in all his Pray Tell glory!
It's difficult to put into words how I feel about this book, so I'll start with two cheesy statements--first, believe the hype! It's being called the Most Anticipated Book of 2020, and that is so well deserved. Second, you can judge this book by its cover. Honestly, I think this is the most beautiful cover I've ever seen, and the story inside is equally beautiful. And harrowing, and heartbreaking, and hopeful, and ever-so-timely. It's about a mother and her eight-year-old son who escape to the United States after 16 members of their family are murdered by a cartel. The book details their treacherous journey and helps you understand the utter desperation of people who will risk that trip because their lives at home are even more dangerous. The author's note at the end was also especially poignant. I wish there was a way to make every American read this book. It's so important. Congratulations to Jeanine Cummins for such a wonderful accomplishment.
This book contains the journal entries of a British junior doctor's six-year career in England. It was interesting to read his perspective on England's National Health Service as compared to the American system. Adam Kay worked as an OB/GYN and his writings about all that happens (or could happen) during childbirth confirmed for me that my decision to not have kids was the right one (for me). This book also confirmed that I could never, ever, be doctor. The book is at turns funny, heartbreaking, educational, and cringe-inducing, and I enjoyed it.
Beyoncé dropped a new album the other day, Homecoming. It's a live album and I just heard her cover of Frankie Beverly and Maze's "Before I Let Go." (This is a song that my sister and I dubbed the Black People's Anthem. It's always played when black people get together. I saw many comments on YouTube saying this is cookout approved.) I'm really annoyed at how much I love her version. Not only is she doing Maze's song, it's also got Cameo's "Candy" mixed in and it's so fun to dance to.
Here's the thing. I'm not a big Beyoncé fan. But every once in a while, she comes out with something that I can't stop listening to. My prior fave of hers was "Love On Top. " I've never tired of that song--it makes me happy.
Anyway, she's done it again. This makes me happy too!
I'll go ahead and throw in Love on Top too, for good measure:
I was listening to Dax Shepherd's podcast, Armchair Expert, and before the interview got started, he played a song by Sister called, "Love Me Right." I came home and went searching for it, and Sister has a new fan. I love this song.
Here it is:
I also came across this video and I swooned. I love To Sir, with Love (song and movie). (I think I've mentioned it before. Oh yes! Here it is.) And she does such a beautiful job with it. What a clear, beautiful voice.
I've now followed her channel on YouTube and can't wait to hear more.
3.5 stars. I read this in anticipation of the Hulu series inspired by it. There are some essays I'd give 5 stars to, and other I didn't like as much, so for me it averaged out to 3.5 stars. She's a great writer and offers many thought-provoking points of view on various topics. The chapters about her exchange with Dan Savage and then her experience with stand-up comedy were most interesting (and troubling and infuriating). I had to admire how she persevered through it all.
I just finished the Hulu series, which I really enjoyed. There were only six episodes. The last episode about the troll that she talked to in person was better handled in the book, but it still drove home a point.
RENT Live! aired on FOX on January 27. I think we were out that night seeing our favorite local band, so I recorded it and told my sister we could get together and watch it later. We finally did that this weekend, along with two other friends. This review a little late to the game, but here we are.
As it turns out, Brennin Hunt, the guy playing Roger, broke his ankle during the dress rehearsal. As a result, most of the RENT Live! was actually a pre-recorded version of the dress rehearsal. That was unfortunate. They did the final scene live, and they included the original Broadway cast members, so that was exciting. Everyone looked and sounded great. Poor Brennin. During that last scene, he sat on the table with his foot in a huge cast and propped on a chair, but he still sang the heck out of Your Eyes. Way to persevere!
Overall, I thought the casting of Brennin as Roger and Vanessa Hudgens as Maureen was perfect. The other cast members were good too, but these two stood out for me. Both of them did so well in their roles. Brennin is quite easy on the eyes and his voice was great. (Incidentally, I just looked him up on IMDb, and he was a contestant on The Voice.)
There was some pitchy-ness in some of the songs, and some of the supporting cast members were off in pivotal songs like Will I? and Seasons of Love. I had to keep in mind that this was a dress rehearsal and perhaps if they had really done it live, they would have been pitch perfect.
I noticed early on that some lyrics were changed, mostly due to cursing, so I figured that they'd probably change a lot in La Vie Boheme, and I wondered if they'd do the sex song (Contact). In La Vie Boheme, Maureen did not moon the businessmen and they changed "dildos," but left in everything else including, "mucho masturbation," "to sodomy," "to marijuana!" and, "to S&M!" --that surprised me! And they did do Contact, but it was condensed and didn't have all of the sexually suggestive choreography that the stage show has.
I've lost count of how many times we've seen RENT (maybe 20?!), but I'll add this one to the list. Overall, I thought it was enjoyable. I was glad to hear the music again, and I've been listening to the original soundtrack all week. As we were watching the show, I told my friends that I was having a hard time controlling myself and not singing all the songs to them. Now I sing away!
Make Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capo Crucet
