Donna Freitas: October 2009 Archives

There's a new software program out called Freedom and it's the answer to my prayers: it blocks your computer from any and all internet use for upwards of eight hours per day. You may be thinking: but that's crazy! If you are like me, though, and checking email and looking up things on the web is the downfall of your professional and writing life, not to mention feels like a black hole pulling you into an endless spiral you can't wind your way out of (I know, sounds bad, right?), then you are saying to yourself: thank God! How can I get this?

Freedom is free! (ha) Though, so far it's only for Mac users (sorry PC people).

I've written a lot about the need for a weekly internet sabbath of sorts, and a few years ago I even gave up surfing the web and checking email for Lent. But I feel like I'm to the point where I need a retreat of sorts from the web on a daily basis--time set aside when I am focused and working and just being offline that becomes a part of my daily ritual. And I'm not alone.

Do you love Edward Cullen? Can you not get enough of Robert Pattinson's channeling of this vampire heartthrob? Or are you Team Jacob (boo!) and dream of Taylor Lautner at night?

Well, lucky you: to gear up for the November 20th release of 'New Moon,' the second movie in the Twilight Saga, the cast of New Moon is going on tour and may be coming soon to a mall near you. MTV just announced the following: "The "New Moon" cast will spread out nationwide from November 6 through 15, appearing at various malls in a move that echoes the crowd-pleasing festivities that accompanied spring's DVD release of the first film. In fact, the tour kicks off at Los Angeles' Hollywood & Highland complex, where hundreds of screaming fans greeted Ashley Greene in March."

And, since we all know that Stephenie Meyers loves her mood music, the tour will include spots with musicians and bands on the soundtrack, including "Death Cab for Cutie, Anya Marina, Sea Wolf and Band of Skulls."

Woohoo! I think I might see if I can make it to the last stop on the tour in NYC--I had a blast at the book release-concert party for "Breaking Dawn" so I'm guessing this might be even more fun. Nothing like even more Twilight mania to help everyone get excited for 'New Moon'! See the tour dates below:

» 11/6 Los Angeles @ Hollywood & Highland Center
» 11/8 Denver @ Park Meadows
» 11/9 Boston @ Natick Collection
» 11/9 Chicago @ Mall Location TBD
» 11/9 Washington, DC @ Fair Oaks Mall
» 11/10 Houston @ Houston Galleria
» 11/11 Minneapolis @ Mall of America
» 11/11 Philadelphia @ Cherry Hill Mall
» 11/11 San Francisco @ Stonestown Galleria
» 11/12 Atlanta @ Mall of Georgia
» 11/12 Seattle @ Westfield Southcenter
» 11/13 Miami @ Dadeland Mall
» 11/13 Phoenix @ Scottsdale Fashion Square
» 11/14 Salt Lake City @ Fashion Place
» 11/19 New York City @ Times Square

I can count way too many JJ Abrams television shows in my repertoire of TV addictions both past and present, but with Felicity as his only exception (unless you count Noel as a guru of sorts--he was an RA after all), JJ Abrams loves to introduce a Yoda-like guru of sorts (or several) to guide his characters through all sorts of trials. On "Alias" there was Milo Rambaldi, who reached out from the grave, sparking many an obsessive man and woman to travel to the far corners of the earth and risk their lives on many an occasion for some Rambaldi inspired enlightenment. On Lost, Abrams' gurus are more explicit, obvious, and many in number: everyone from Mr. Eko to John Locke and even the elusive Jacob have taken a turn at playing guru for the islanders.

Now on the second season of Fringe (a show I love and am completely addicted to), Abrams has introduced yet another guru--I shouldn't be surprised since this is classic Abrams, but I had to roll my eyes when I realized it was happening again. Special Agent Olivia Dunham is the winner of this new accessory! Dunham's work requires her to "delve ever deeper into the dangerous world of fringe science...to realize that science and technology have already advanced beyond our dreams...and nightmares," and as anyone who has grappled with fringe science knows, life can get pretty tough, and sometimes you need a little offbeat, vague wisdom to help you through it all.

The widely anticipated "Book of Genesis Illustrated" penned by R. Crumb, the famous comic book artist and graphic novelist released yesterday and the backlash from Christian groups and churches has already begun.

I first heard about R. Crumb's foray into turning Genesis into a graphic novel last spring at Book Expo America, the largest annual book fair in the US, where Norton (his publisher) was pushing it hard. The visual depictions they had available were stunning and made me pretty excited to see what the rest would be like. Then yesterday, I came across a very balanced, positive review of "Book of Genesis Illustrated" on Religion Dispatches. Gabriel Mckee writes not only about Crumb's interpretive decisions with the text, but about how he was not playing around with this sacred book by any sense of the term:

"Far from the sharp satire that one might expect from the creator of Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural, Genesis is a remarkably straight, even reverent, adaptation. In his introduction, Crumb explains that he avoided adding interpretation or clearing up confusing passages, leaving the Bible as is "rather than monkey around with such a venerable text... I approached this as a straight illustration job, with no intention to ridicule or make visual jokes." He notes the irony that devout, didactic Bible comics creators are more willing to play around with scripture by inserting "completely made up narrative and dialogue," while he, a non-believer, lets the text speak for itself."

Mckee goes on to add that, "The design of the book's jacket belies the seriousness of its contents."

I know that Spike Jonze's screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved picture book, 'Where the Wild Things Are' is getting fantastic reviews. I've seen the raves on the news and in newspapers, too, and listened to a Talk of the Nation special about monsters yesterday on NPR inspired by Sendak, called "Maurice Sendak's Monster Makeover" which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also write children's novels and am a devoted reader of the genre.

But I'm not going to see the movie. No matter how good the reviews. No matter how nostalgic it makes people. And no matter how many awards it wins.

My mother was a nursery school teacher--this means that she was a fantastic reader of picture books. Growing up I had my own personal maker of all things magical, as my mother read to me in voices and with gestures that would make any children's librarian proud. Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" was one of my favorite books as a child, and one of her favorites to read to me. As I got older and I'd visit her classroom, I'd watch in the back as she read to her kids, who sat rapt, listening to her rendition of this story, complete with commentary and helpful interpretation when there weren't words, just pictures.

Madonna, is of course, perpetually associated with religious controversy. My particular favorite in her repertoire was her live performance of a woman on the cross from her 2006 Confessions Tour, while she sang "Live to Tell." I even did a...

Since I know that Idol Chatter readers are BIG fans of all things Twilight and Stephenie Meyer, I can't resist pointing you to a podcast/radio show I did for the Penguin Classics series, "Vampires on Paper: The Enduring Appeal...

Oh let me count the ways that 'The Good Wife' is the best new show on television! Julianna Margulies is stunning in the role of Alicia Florrick, the wife of fallen politician Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), caught on video...