Letters from the Inside, Michael Swango, #12

Hi KK---

I ran across this article on Mickey Rourke and his recent brilliant role in the "Wrestler"; plus I saw it was going to be released on DVD tomorrow. So thought I would send it along to you. As you pointed out a few week ago: the contrast between the Cary Grant-like image on p. 1 vs. the stunning transformation on p. 2 is simply astounding.

As I wrote in the margin: Curious if you saw the 07 film: "Before the Devil Know You're Dead." Directed by the "venerable" Sidney Lumet, it starred Philip Seymour Hoffman & Ethan Hawke, as brothers who decide to rob a jewelry store for some easy money to pay their debts. I believe the store is run by their parents... Naturally things go from bad to worse. I did not see the film, but it looked and sounded pretty good at the time.

Today--as I'm sure the whole world knows from the media-is the tenth anniversary of Columbine. Still another U.S. place name whose mere mention conjures up violence. [Oklahoma City, Virginia Tech, Waco, ad infinitum]. It remains a huge story in Colorado. Apparently a new book by Dave Cullen shatters many of the stories that were accepted as truth for years: i.e. "trenchcoat mafia" never happened; the girl shot for saying she believed in God--never happened.

Besides the Mickey Rourke article, thought of you as well when I saw a story on the first new medication for migraines in over then years. They of course mentioned Imitrex as their current best option. Anyway---the new medication [phonetic spelling] is "TELL-CAJ-I-PAN."

According to the report, on one of the evening newscast, the new medication has shown great promise, and it attacks the root cause of migraines--believed to be a neurochemical imbalances that causes the blood vessel changes that result in migraines.

I'm sure you can google and find out more. I will tell you I have great empathy for anyone who suffers from migraines. I had a girlfriend who had them---and it was excruciating to watch her totally shut down periodically when they would hit.

TV NOTE: On last week's "LOST", I counted five different time frames: the 1) Now of the current story line which is 1977 on the island 2) Ben Linus stealing Rousseau's baby Alex in 1988/3) Ben with the growing Alex sometime in the early 90s/4) In LA before the return to 1977, which of course was = 07/5) F/B to 1974-when Sawyer & Juliette , et al began wkg for Dharma.

No one who hasn't followed the series could possibly understand these intricacies without an outline!

I ran across this film review reprinted from the Times:

"FORBIDDEN LIE$" "Cool-headed, lighthearted and outrageously entertaining, "Forbidden Lie$" is documentary-as-striptease, a careful peeling of claim & counterclaim to reveal one of the most complex literary scandals of our time.

Performing this dance of the seven veils is Norma Khouri, the Jordanian-born writer whose popular 03 memoir: Forbidden Love (known in the United States as Honor Lost), purported to recount the honor killing of her best friend, Dalia, but when the Australian journalist Malcolm Knox publicly accused Ms. Khouri of fabricating her inflammatory story--and concealing her identity as a Chicago real estate agent under investigation by the F.B.I.-she abandoned her children to a neighbor and went into hiding.

Crossing continents and genres, director Anna Broinowski's distinctively styled movie blends candid interviews and tongue-in-cheek re-enactments into what can only be described as a literary Whydunit. Brilliantly edited...for suspense rather than chronology, the movie is a she-said-they-said puzzle whose particulars pale besides Ms. Khouri's devastating charisma and resilient intellect. Cooperating fully and flirtatiously bobbing & weaving her way around every factual trap laid for her, the writer refuses to cave. Were her lies pathological or, as she claims, necessary for her family's safety? AT times even her filmmaker seems unsure."
--Jeannette Catsoulis

I seem to recall reading about this at the time. It reminds me a bit of the whole brouhaha over James Frey, who I recall you mentioned in one of your first letters. In fact, you know him personally, don't you?

Anyway---"FORBIDDEN LIE$" sounded intriguing, plus I wondered if you had any additional info on Ms. Khouri?

Word today of the death of J.G. Ballard author extraordinaire. Because of the powerful influence of Hollywood, he was mentioned as the author of the book that was adapted into the film "Empire of the Sun", Steven Spielberg director.

But as an enormous science-fiction fan, I know him for his prolific & bizarre & strange & thought-provoking novels & short stories. He is one of those British authors I got to know well from those bookstores in Africa.

If you have the time - can you send me any "appreciations" or Ballard analyses that you can find on the web? Thank you!

Must get this in the mail, but a couple more things:

>Also out of the DVD now is the Kate Winslet film "The Reader". Curious if you saw that film. Supposed to have had lots of heavy breathing & nudity, but also an outstanding story & plot & characterizations. Actually, I want to read the two novels on which Winslet's two films were based: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD: Yates THE READER: Bernard Schlink (sp?)

>Finally--ran across this "Doonesbury" & "Dilbert". They seemed to illustrate the dating scene that you so aptly write about in some of your columns & blogs!

Take care & hope to hear from you soon. Stay safe.

Yours
Michael

P.S. Just received your letter written last weekend=SUN 12 APRIL--with an India article & lots of good stuff. / Looks like I'll be writing more this evening & tomorrow.

Take care

[Ed.: included in this envelope were the mentioned Rourke article and two comic strips. Oddly, the Doonesbury one features a woman and man on a subway. The man is wearing an EYE PATCH(!) and the woman asks him out. He seems hesitant and she is very eager. He then tells her no b/c she is worried (stuttering) that she is too hot for him. So she points out that she isn't because she has a big nose. I find this interesting because I just bought an eyepatch to wear to have some pictures of myself taken while wearing it. I have been noticing people wearing eyepatches lately. Obviously for medical reasons, but I thought it'd make a cool picture.]