Monthly Archives: November 2013

Reds (1981)

Posted on November 28, 2013 by tom

There’s something about the historical epic that allows movie fans to forgive them being incredibly long. “Gandhi” was three hours, eleven minutes long. “Lawrence of Arabia” clocked in at a bladder-busting three-and-a-half hours. “Gone With the Wind” is four years … Continue reading →

Posted in Academy Award Nominees, Academy Award Winners, Based on a True Story, Films, Period Picture ("Costume Drama") | 2 Comments

The Kennedy Half-Century, by Larry J. Sabato

Posted on November 26, 2013 by tom

It was fifty years ago that John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The inevitable conspiracy theorists have argued yet again their notions of how Kennedy was killed—who and how many shooters shot from where, and who was behind the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Non Fiction and/or Commentary | Tagged | Leave a comment

Not in Your Lifetime: The Defining Book on the J.F.K. Assassination, by Anthony Summers (2013)

Posted on November 23, 2013 by tom

The other night, I was chatting online with my friend, Amanda. She asked what I was doing, and I told her I was reading a book about the JFK Assassination. There was a long pause while she thought and typed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Non Fiction and/or Commentary | Leave a comment

Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK, by Gerald Posner (rev. ed. 2013)

Posted on November 22, 2013 by tom

I wasn’t alive when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on 22nd November, 1963—my parents hadn’t even met. But soon they did, and there in the mid-1960’s, I came wailing into the world. Growing up, I heard about … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Non Fiction and/or Commentary | Leave a comment

JFK in Dallas: Fifty Years Later

Posted on November 21, 2013 by tom

My friend, Amanda, is twenty-five, and she asked me the other night why John F. Kennedy’s Assassination is still such a big deal, why Abraham Lincoln doesn’t garner the same idol-worship as JFK. To a young woman who was born … Continue reading →

Posted in et ordure | Tagged | Leave a comment

And Everything is Going Fine (2010)

Posted on November 10, 2013 by tom

I don’t think anyone who saw Spalding Gray ever forgets the first time. For me, it was watching “Swimming to Cambodia” on HBO, of all places. It was my last year of college. It was late. The apartment was quiet … Continue reading →

Posted in Documentaries, Films | Leave a comment

JFK: Fifty Years Later

Posted on November 4, 2013 by tom

November 22nd, 2013–a little less than three weeks from today–will mark the fiftieth anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas. We all know the story. He and Jackie made the short flight from Fort Worth to Dallas via … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, et ordure, Films | Leave a comment

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell (2013)

Posted on November 4, 2013 by tom

Eighteen-year-old Cather has a lot going on in her life. She’s beginning her freshman year in college, and young wizard, Simon, and his vampire roommate, Baz, are taking up all of her time. Cather’s a student at that special school … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General Fiction, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Vatican Waltz, by Roland Merullo

Posted on November 3, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) Cynthia Piantedosi has always been different from her peers. In high school, when other girls were obsessed with boys and parties, Cynthia found her fulfillment in prayer. She was … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General Fiction, Mysteries/Thrillers, Religion/Spirituality | 1 Comment