[NOTE: This is *hopelessly* out of date... I have a couple of years worth of show stubs and movie rental receipts to sort through and enter. And I'll just have to rely on memory for books. This page is going to take a bunch of time and energy to bring current, so be patient please!]

Okay, so this is a diary of the books; movies; art exhibits; talks & panels; plays, operas, & shows; concerts I see. For now, I've decided to organize this bibliography hierarchically by medium, year, and alphabetically by title. There is a section in each medium on specific authors/artists. That section is listed alphabetically by last name and includes notes about my favorite authors, artists, directors, etc. for your further edification. I started this list in June, and I'm going to attempt to construct the list from video rental receipts, movie stubs, library due-date printouts (yes, I save everything) as far back as possible.

books
Format: title, author, year published; next line: description. Each description ends with the month and year I completed the title. In this list, if the author is marked with an asterisk (*), it means that there is additional information on that person in the accompanying author notes section.

1996

Fiction

A Big Storm Knocked It Over. Laurie Colwin (1993).

Elizabeth handed me the book and said: "Read everything she ever wrote." I didn't like this one that much though. I found it to be rather bland, and there was lots of what seemed like foreshadowing for events that never happened. I felt like it was missing something. Maybe I'll give her another chance... Apr-96

The Immoralist. André Gide* (translation 1921, orig. 1902).

The first Gide I read was his autobiography, If It Die (1920). I found this book to be a mediocre fiction of his real life depicted in his autobiography twenty years later. It's interesting to compare the books after the writer had twenty years to mature his voice. Feb-96

Interview With The Vampire (Book I in The Vampire Chronicle series) Anne Rice (1976).

This was recommended by Asya while I was searching for fiction set in New Orleans to get me in the mood for my trip there in a couple of months. I expected to hate it (even though I liked the movie a lot) but I tore right through it and proceeded into the next book in the series! May-96

Life After God. Douglas Coupland* (1994).

Short stories, sort of. Just started this one--so far, it's good.

Queen of the Damned (Book III in The Vampire Chronicle series) Anne Rice (orig. 1976).

I'm just starting this one.

The Vampire Lestat (Book II in The Vampire Chronicle series) Anne Rice (1977).

Even better than book one of the series! Jun-96

Non-fiction

Prozac Nation. Elizabeth Wurzel* (1995).

The first book from a very promising young writer! She chronicles her lifelong bout with depression in a very moving, often amusing, and sometimes shocking manner. A MUST READ. Jan-96

On Photography. Susan Sontag (1971).

A collection of essays, some of which I've read before (and worth several re-reads). 16-Jul-96

Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values. Robert Adams (1981).

A collection of essays all relating to his stated purpose of photography: discovering and reveling meaning from within the confusing details of life. 16-Jul-96

How to Look at Photographs: Reflections on the Art of Seeing. David Finn (1994).

A couple of pages of interesting ideas, but overall, not impressive. I've never heard of Mr. Finn anyway...7-Jul-96

1995 and before (those that I remember!)

Fiction

American Psycho. Brett Easton Ellis (1988).

One of the most controversial and best book of the decade. A MUST READ.

Non-fiction

If It Die. André Gide* (translation 1935, orig. 1920).

A MUST READ.

*author notes

Coupland, Douglas

Coupland was born on a Canadian NATO base in Germany in 1961. He grew up and lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Gide, André

Gide was born in Paris in 1869 and died there in 1951. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947.

Wurzel, Elizabeth

movies
Chronological order, format: title, year made, and maybe the director or some other significant point; next line: description/comments and the date I saw it. For additional info about any of these movies, check the The Internet Movie Database.

Smoke, 1995

Really good!11-Jul-96/video

Clueless, 1995

Okay.11-Jul-96/video

Mission: Impossible, 1996

Fun, but the plot doesn't work for me.21-Jul-96/theatre

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994

Excellent! Kind of an Australlian Torch Song Trilogy19-Jul-96/video

Ed Wood, 1994

What an interesting guy. Makes you want to see Glen or Glenda and Plan 9 from Outer Space. Do a double/triple feature with Ed Wood and one or both of these if you have the opportunity. 13-Jul-96/video

Showgirls, 1995

Some good sex scenes involving Kyle McLachlan. Weak plot and uninteresting characters. 29-Jun-96/video

Johnny Stecchino (Johnny Toothpick), 1991, Italian, subtitled

A silly movie that our neighbor gave us since they had another day left on the rental. It was quite fun. 22-Jun-96/video

Dolores Claiborne, 1994

I didn't realize this was a Stephen King. Kathy Bates was great. 16-Jun-96/video

Go Fish, 1994

An endearing, black & white, documentary style "romantic comedy" about a circle of lesbian friends. 15-Jun-96/video

Last Action Hero, 1993

An Ah-nuld spoof that got horrible reviews. I guess people didn't expect or appreciate Arnold's wacky sense of humor. Fun, and worth seeing. 14-Jun-96/video

The Rock, 1996

The last line is my favorite part! Jun-96/theater

Twister, 1996

Remember to check your suspension-of-disbelief at the door. Jun-96/theater

Communion, 1989

Dull. 2-Jun-96/video

Flirting With Disaster, 1996

Kinda funny. 18-May-96/theater

Se7en, 1996

Pride was great, lust was lame, envy and rage didn't fit the formula. May-96/video

The Usual Suspects, 1996

Kevin Spacey is one of the finest actors of the decade. A MUST SEE. May-96/video

The Truth About Cats & Dogs, 1996

Very funny, except Janeane Garofalo is a babe, and Uma Thurman, in this movie, is not, so the premise is a bit weak for me. May-96/theater

art shows
Format: artist, show title, place, date I saw it; next line: description/comments, and then the dates which it can be seen.

Alfred Stieglitz at Lake George, SFMOMA, 19-Jun-96

"This exhibition of approximately one hundred works investigates the late work of this American master photographer, with special attention to the elegiac images he produced at this family home in Lake George, New York."

On view June 20-September 22, 1996.

*artists notes

Abbott, Berenice

American photographer. Born in Springfield, Ohio on 17-Jul-1898 and died in Monson, Maine in 1991.

Holtzer, Jenny

She has extended her truisms to the web, (check it out)!

performances
Plays, concerts, operas, comedy, shows, acts, talks, etc. Format: artist, show title, place, date I saw it; next line: description/comments, and then the dates which it can be seen.

The Moody Blues with the San Francisco Symphany Orchestra. Concert: 22-May-96. Shoreline Ampitheatre, Mountain View, CA.

Nostalgic. Asya says: retire.

The Diary of Anne Frank. Play: 17-May-96. ArtRise Theatre, South San Francisco

Very good production. An aquaintence (Brian) played Anne's father, and there are pictures of the performance at his web site.

Don Geovani. Opera: xx-Jan-96. San Francisco War Memorial Opera House

A rehersal performance featuring Samuel Ramie.

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Last updated: 17-May-00 23:46.
© 1996 Jeanne Dusseault, all rights reserved.