Autumn Leaves

My Blog in a Cloud

2006-02-13T14:27:00.000-05:00

This is cool.

Snap Shirts will create a "Word Cloud" of your blog and create a T-Shirt for you.

Here is the cloud for this blog:

To see my other Word Clouds click here, here, and here.

(Thanks for this MJ and Sharon)

Playing a Different Tune

2005-08-11T08:22:00.000-04:00

Nineteen female musicians who played on the Mona Lisa Smile movie score have won $3,500 each in a legal settlement, after proving they were paid less than their male counterparts. According to IMDB news the musicians won their case but Revolution Studios and Smile Productions LLC "failed to admit they had unfairly paid their male musicians more than women for the same work."

Come on guys, admit you were wrong. It was unfair to pay the male musicians more for the same work . Adding insult to injury, this happened while making a movie that tries to address female repression. Shame on you.

See what Georgie Binks has to say when she asks, " Is music any different when a woman plays it?"

Girls Just Wanna' Have Fun

2005-08-08T13:27:00.000-04:00

After watching Night of the Comet I thought it was appropriate to call it a B Movie - B for Big Hair and Big Fun. What an excellent way to end our look at post-apocalyptic literature and film. NOTC is a hoot. Valley girls, shopping, zombies, mad scientists, funky clothes and great one-liners, what else could you ask for?

Thom Eberhardt takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the end of the world scenario and plays it for big laughs. A fun film that pays homage to post-apocalyptic stories such as Dawn of the Dead, The Omega Man, and Day of the Triffids. Although played for laughs, the film has moments worth noting. Credit has to be given to Eberhardt for some of the images of a barren Los Angeles, especially the shot of the overturned bicycle in the school yard with its front wheel turning. Also kudos to the many one-liners. My personal favorite is when Samantha says to her nasty step-mother, "You were born with an asshole, Doris, you don't need Chuck."

Robert Beltran (Hector) found a new frontier after his end of world experience in NOTC. Love that dimple in his chin.

If this movie makes you nostalgic for the 80's then you should check this out.

60th Anniversary

2005-08-06T12:10:00.000-04:00

Today marks the 60th anniversay of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.

On August 6, 1945 the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb that exploded over Hiroshima, obliterating the centre of the city and killing at least 140,000 people. Three days later, Bock's Car dropped a bomb on Nagaski, killing another 80,000. This year peace activists have collected 8.5 million signatures for a nuclear ban. Will our world leaders listen? If they do not, then we may be living the post-apocalypic story instead of studying it.

The Middle and High School students of Hiroshima International School have created a project "in hopes to enlighten people about the damage caused by the atomic bomb and Hiroshima's feelings about peace. By passing on understanding of what events led up to the dropping of the atomic bomb and the subsequent pain and suffering that ensued they hope to help others understand the "Spirit of Hiroshima" - its appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of lasting peace."

Coupland's W5

2005-07-26T20:11:00.000-04:00

What to say about Girlfriend in a Coma? After reading this book I found I had no real answers or advice on how to improve the chances of having a better future. In previous readings and films there was always a clear message. Coupland's answer seems to be questions; no real answers, just keep questioning. Maybe there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer and as Coupland points out, to get the answer we want we "need to question and question and question and never stop questioning until the world stops spinning."

The characters in Girlfriend seem to be indifferent to the future and at the same time they know that something is missing. They each take their own journey to find a purpose in life and each fail to find it. Does this mean there is no reason for these characters to be existing? Does Coupland just use these characters to point out some of the unpleasant truths of today's world? As Karen notes when she awakens, people seem to be less happy even though there have been many scientific and technological changes that should make life easier. Why is this? Has everyone become so career driven and materialistic that they have forgotten how to enjoy themselves? Maybe Coupland wants everyone to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. At the same time I think he wants us to be aware of what is going on globally and not accept everything at face value. Maybe it is time that we start thinking as a reporter and insist on finding out the who, what, where, when. and especially the why.

This book has me feeling a bit uneasy. I find it difficult to articulate how it makes me feel. I know that I enjoyed reading it and there are several passages that I found very beautifully done but I still feel there is something missing. Why do I feel this way? I'm not sure. Is it because I found myself remembering my own teenage years, the sights, the sounds and even the smells (yes, I wore Charlie perfume) that the characters experieinced? Am I afraid I will be unable to fulfill my future dreams?

Damn you Douglas Coupland, you have gotten under my skin and you can bet I will always be questioning.

Kubrick's Timeless Classic

2005-07-26T08:06:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Showtime will be airing A Clockwork Orange and I wanted to give the class a heads up. This controversial film was originally rated X when it was released in 1971. With the tagline, "Being the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are rape, ultra-violence and Beethovan," it is easy to see why this film caused a stir.

In Tim Dirk's review of the film he calls it a "terrifying, gaudy film adaptation of Anthony Burgess' 1962 satiric, futuristic novel" that is unforgettable.

Kubrick's film truly is an unforgettable vision of a near future and is worth checking out.

(Photo source http://www.dpchallenge.com/ )

28 Days Later - Hello

2005-07-21T11:50:00.000-04:00

This movie was surprisingly well done. I say surprisingly because there is only so much one can do with a zombie movie. George Romero set the bar with Night of the Living Dead and many have been clothes-lined by that bar. Not so with 28 Days Later. Using Digital Video, Danny Boyle creates a surreal London where all semblance of normalcy has been eradicated by the "infected." The shots of Jim (Cillian Murphy) wandering the empty streets of London are beautifully shot. The charcoal cityscape and muted colors make a visual statement of the life that was washed away from this formerly vibrant city.

Calling the zombies, the infected, is a nice touch. It makes them seem almost more human, after all, anyone can become infected by a virus. These living dead are not being called ghouls, monsters, or even zombies, they are just people that are infected - "it's in the blood." Is this done to make us question whether anyone has the potential to become so enraged that they will become extremely violent and out of control? By the end of the film it seems evident Jim has become infected with rage and it is not the "Rage" virus.

Having the infected filled with "Rage" adds a new dimension to the zombie genre. These zombies are not only hungry, they are pissed off. Their adrenalin is pumping like crazy through their veins and they can move very quickly. These fast movements are captured wonderfully on DV. By having quick moving zombies, there is more of an urgency when trying to evade them and it makes them more of a threat than the shuffling undead from previous movies.

The character of Selena, fantasically portrayed by Naomie Harris, delivers some interesting lines that makes me wonder what her life was like 28 days before. When she says to Jim, "Do you want us to find a cure and save the world or just fall in love and fuck," I wonder if she is so cynical about relationships because of her past experiences or is she just being practical. Has she been in a relationship where she had plans for the future but her partner only had a sexual relationship in mind? I feel she has been hurt in a relationship before because of something she says later in the film, "Plans are pointless. Staying alive's as good as it gets." When she said this I couldn't help thinking of Martin in The Last Woman on Earth telling Ev all they could hope for was to live in as little pain as possible. Finally, I wonder if it is the voice of experieince that says to Hannah (Megan Burns) to take the pills, "so you won't care as much." Selena is a great character and one that I am sure has a very interesting back story.

The use of the word "hello" in the film intriqued me. At the first of the film, every time Jim yelled "hello" it led to a confrontation with the infected. Hello is just a greeting to us in our everyday lives but in the film hello became a warning that something was about to happen. Hello preceeded Jim's first encounter with the infected, it proceeded his first encounter with other survivors, it proceeded Jim's first kill, and so on. Then by the end of the film the word hello was used as a way to signal the plane flying over. It was as if the survivors wanted to reclaim this word and turn it back into a friendly greeting instead of a signal to something foreboding. It would have been easier for Selena to sew together material to make SOS, the universal sign of people needing help. Why use the word hello? Perhaps it could be looked at as another way of saying, Hell, oh, but then again I could be stretching it a bit there.

As for stretching it a bit, did anyone else think of the Wizard of Oz while watching this movie? There are monkeys in both; in Oz they fly with wings, in Days they fly with Rage. There is a girl with three traveling companions going down a road looking for answers in both. Please bear with me as I do this comparison:
Hannah (cute, optimistic) - Dorothy
Selena (strong, heartless at first) - Tin Man
Jim (scatter brained at first) - Scarecrow
Frank (looks scary but a lovable softy) - Cowardly Lion
Maj. Henry West (pretends to have answers) - The Great Oz
I know that the characters in the movie do not have all the characteristics as the ones in Oz but they are close. The beginning of Days uses muted colors then moves into a colorful country side and we even see our group drive by a spectacular technocolor field of flowers. Anyone who has seen the Wizard of Oz will remember the film begins in black and white and then changes to color once Dorothy arrives in Oz in a field of flowers. Maj. West has created a world that is almost as fake as the one created by The Great Oz.

Now for the endings. I feel the theatrical ending was a bit too hollywood and didn't suit the originality of the film. Good triumphant. Boy and girl living happily ever after. Too cookie cutter for my liking. I know there are problems with the ending that Frank (Brendan Gleeson) is saved by Jim's blood but I think I would have preferred that ending. It shows the viewer there is hope for someone who is filled with rage but it isn't an easy thing to change. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in order for changes to occur.

But no little green men

2005-07-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

Today is a lunar anniversary and Google has created a site "in honor of the first manned Moon landing, which took place on July 20, 1969."

But, alas, I couldn't find any little green men.

Everyone's doing it . . .

2005-07-19T20:08:00.000-04:00

BLOGGING that is (well, according to the good folks at PC World they are).

This article has some fun links.

Rumor Has It . . .

2005-07-18T19:42:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in class, there is a rumor of a movie adaptation of Y: The Last Man in the works. According to the E. Favata's Comic Book Movies site, New Line Cinemas is going to be the distributor.

News and Rumors (from site):
April 28, 2004: Comic creator Brian Vaughn indicated he would like to see Topher Grace for the main role for the film adaptation of his just optioned property.

The Birthday Boy

2005-07-15T22:51:00.000-04:00

Today is my sweetie's birthday. He is not too pleased to be entering his fifth decade. I tell him that age is just a number. He's still as cute as these pics by the way.

Awww...isn't he precious? Look at those chubby cheeks and those cute curls.

In training to be a Sears catalogue model.

Happy Birthday. I Love You.

The Last English Major On Earth

2005-07-15T19:08:00.000-04:00

Graphic novels are a new reading experience for me and I am enjoying them immensely. As a child I enjoyed comic books but did not move on to the graphic novels (something I am regarding now). I did go through a phase where I read horror comics/magazines such as the slighty risque Vampirella and the oft times scary, Marvel Monster Comics. Check out these great Monster covers and Monster Blog. I have also discovered Harris comics has plans to publish a "specially priced 25-cent issue" of the Vampirella epic "that redefines Vampirella for a new generation while paying tribute to her past."

And now onto something that is relative to our course . .

It seems so cliche that Yorick is an unemployed English Major but it looks like he may have a future with the Grammar Police (see above panel). Maybe he can become Captain Syntax or perhaps, Linguistics Man; saving the world from bad grammar, slang words, and dangling participles. Any suggestions for a trusty side kick or super power?

Nuclear Entertainment

2005-07-14T12:21:00.000-04:00

Found this interesting website, CONELRAD, that is dedicated to "recalling America's postwar mentality" and thought I would share it with you. CONELRAD is an acronym for the Emergency Broadcast System at 640 and 1240 AM on the radio, short for Control of Electromagnetic Radiation. On the Mission Statement page it states:

CONELRAD is the creation of writers who grew up in the shadow of the BOMB and all its attendant pop culture fallout. We wish to share our collected interest, experience and obsession with this strange era and thereby provide as much information as possible to the public.

On the site you can read about a Miami couple who spent their honeymoon in a fallout shelter, see Mia Farrow in the Duck and Cover films along side Bert The Turtle or learn more about the films, music, television, and printed materials of the era. It is interesting to note that even with the threat of nuclear disaster, America comes up with a way to make a buck.

Corman's Legacy

2005-07-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

After the presentation on The Last Woman on Earth, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to learn more about the director. My apologies to Jacqui if I am repeating her research.

Roger Corman, king of B movies, is admired and respected by people in the movie industry because of his vast body of work. He is credited for giving big name directors their start. Directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Jonathan Demme, received on-the-job-training from Corman. These film directing icons were greatly influenced by Corman. A 1994 Rolling Stone interview reflects some of the influence Corman had on Jonathan Demme:

Rolling Stone: You started out making films with Roger Corman. What are some of the things you learned from him?
Demme: Roger used to refer to himself - and we heard this endlessly - as being 40 percent artist and 60 percent businessman. That was soooo Roger - to have a formula, even for that. But I'll be damned, 20-some-odd years later, boy, he's right. You'd better be 60 percent businessmen, because if you don't have an eye, a passionate eye, on getting the picture done at the right cost, you just ain't going to get to make a whole lot more of them. So, the terror of going over budget remains happily with me to this day. It's a healthy aesthetic.
Rolling Stone:Corman also stressed that movies should contain an element of social critique, something that's obviously stayed with you. Even in a jail-girl titillation like Caged Heat, you had a plot about the medical exploitation of prisoners.
Demme:This is before Cuckoo's Nest came out. I thought [laughs], "It may only be showing in drive-ins, but it shows what's going on in prisons: We are lobotomizing patients to make them non-violent." It's true, that's Roger's formula: Your picture must have action, nudity, humor - and a little bit of social statement, preferably from a liberal perspective. I'd love to get in deeper with Roger, as to "Is the social statement there because audiences like it? Or, finally, is that a little bit of you getting in there?" [Laughs.]

Corman's films often featured unknown actors that would go on to make big names for themselves. His movie The Intruder featured a young Bill Shatner long before he was Captain James T. Kirk. What was Robert Vaughn doing before his role in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.? Starring in Teenage Caveman for Corman. After doing the film, The Day the World Ended, a young Touch Connors would change his name to Mike Connors and become private detective Joe Mannix. Years before he would become simply known as Jack, a fresh-faced Jack Nicholson played Wilbur Force in Corman's Little Shop of Horrors. It is easy to see why Corman is considered a great influence on the world of entertainment.

Many of the actors and directors influenced by Corman's work felt they learned a lot from him but Corman himself wasn't quite as sure: "I wonder if it's because they learned a lot by working with me or they figured that if I could do it anyone could?"*

The entertainment value of Corman's work is immeasureable. Just the taglines for his movies are entertaining:

"The screen's new high in NAKED SHRIEKING TERROR!"*

"A beautiful woman by day - a lusting queen wasp by night."*

"Some Have to Dance... Some Have to Kill!"*

"Naked violence... with a gun or a knife she was a match for any man!"*

In a 1999 interview for the Onion A. V. Club, Corman stated his favorite tagline came from his movie, Bloody Mama; "The family that slays together, stays together." Now, doesn't that pull on your heart strings?

A summer harvest

2005-07-11T20:41:00.000-04:00

The movie, The Island, is opening July 22nd. It may be of interest to the class.

What's The Story? In an underground facility in the not-too-distant future, Lincoln Six-Echo is one of the many inhabitants hoping for a ticket to "The Island" -- what they're told is the last pristine place on the planet. When he learns that he is really a clone being raised for organ harvesting, he and a female captive try to escape their fate.

Be nice now Ron

2005-07-11T18:26:00.000-04:00

Ron Charles of The Christian Science Monitor had this to say about Peggy's novel:

". . . as a novel, "Oryx and Crake" is like one of those genetically enhanced tomatoes in the grocery store: impressive-looking but not very satisfying."

Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Language and culture in a dystopian society

2005-07-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

In Oryx and Crake, Atwood's warnings to the dangers of science and technology getting out of control are made very clear to the reader. Communities being controlled by high-tech companies and kept in compounds as if they were rats in a lab. "Skin-related biotechnologies," genetic-engineering, and the growing of human organs for transplants are all part of the world Atwood describes. These are warnings we have heard before and must certainly heed but the warning that hits home for me is the heads-up on our lose of language and culture.

Once Jimmy/Snowman finds himself in a wasteland left after a fast-acting super-virus consumes humanity in just a few weeks, he has plenty of time to contemplate on the lose of language and reading. His passion for language began when he was in college where he starts compiling lists of words no longer used: "He'd developed a strangely tender feeling toward such words, as if they were children abandoned in the woods and it was his duty to rescue them." He wants to "Hang on to the words, . . .the odd words, the old words, the rare ones. Valance. Norn. Serendipity. Pibroch. Lubricious." Snowman knows how easy they words can disappear, "When they're gone out of his head, these words, they'll be gone, everywhere, forever. As if they had never been." The words, like the people from Snowman's earlier life, will be lost forever if he does not hold on to them. He holds onto these words as if they were his very soul. He even thinks of keeping a journal but who would be able to read it, ""Any reader he can possibly imagine is in the past."

Snowman bemoans the separation of body, mind, and soul:

"When did the body first set out on its own adventures? . . .after having ditched its old traveling companions, the mind and the soul, for whom it had once been considered a mere corrupt vessel or else a puppet acting out their dramas for them, or else bad company, leading the other two astray. It must have got tired of the soul's constant nagging and whining and the anxiety-driven intellectual web-spinning of the mind, distracting it whenever it was getting its teeth into something juicy or its fingers into something good. It had dumped the other two back there somewhere, leaving them stranded in some damp sanctuary or stuffy lecture hall while it made a beeline for the topless bars, and it had dumped culture along with them: music and painting and poetry and plays. Sublimation, all of it; nothing but sublimation, according to the body. Why not cut to the chase?"

The "chase" being instant gratification through sexual exploitation and violence perhaps? It seems Snowman and Crake spent all their leisure time satisfying their bodily urges and ignoring their souls and minds. They strive to create a culture of their own by taking pieces from the past (using words such as "bogus" and "awesome") but are unable to truly create a culture that satisfies body, mind and soul. Similar to Vic in A Boy and His Dog, Snowman and Crake have embraced a body culture: "But the body had its own cultural forms. It had its own art. Executions were its tragedies, pornography was its romance."

Can technology lead to a loss of individuality and culture and create humans that are so ruled by their bodily urges? Will our obsession with technology lead to the lose of own language or will it create a new one? In George Orwell's, 1984, some believed "the destruction of language [was] a beautiful thing," when in reality the destruction of language represents a loss of our ability to communicate, and a loss of our humanity.

Man's Best Friend

2005-07-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

After reading Harlan Ellison's, A Boy and his Dog, I couldn't help but think it was an episode from some R-rated Twilight Zone. The whole thing seemed so surreal. I found the banter between Vic and Blood quite humorous but then their attitudes toward women and the violence in the story left me feeling disturbed and uneasy. Why had Ellison created a world where women were equated to food: something to be hunted and consumed? Should I be reading this as a cautionary tale about what the future may hold? How could this happen?

After watching the film, I felt the changes made by L. Q. Jones hinted at one of the ways women of the future could be viewed as a commodity; through their depiction in the media. In the film the only culture left is old pornography. These old movies show woman being used by men for their own pleasure. These movies are valued by this new society and considered entertainment. If one believes the old adage 'life imitates art' then it is conceivable the world portrayed in A Boy and his Dog could happen. If this is true, then A Boy and his Dog should be considered a cautionary tale.

Where Jones goes overboard with the changes to Ellison's short story is in the depiction of the world down under. The painted on smiles are too distracting and grotesque. Jones' attempt at satire on the conformist tendencies of small- town America is too "in your face." Everything from the perpetual celebration in the park (I couldn't help thinking of the musical, The Music Man ) to the committee broadcasting mundane instructons to the masses, was overkill. Jones' representation of the world down under almost made the violent world on top seem like a better place to live, well, for the men and dogs at least.

Photo source: http://www.moviemarket.co.uk/

I scream, you scream, we all scream for . . .

2005-07-04T20:55:00.000-04:00

Source http://www.neon-signs.com

For those of you that actually need an excuse to eat ice cream I thought you would like to be reminded that July is National Ice Cream Month

If you would like to find out what flavor ice cream you are then take this quiz. I did and here are my results:

You Are Rocky Road Ice Cream

Unpredictable and wild, you know how to have fun.
You're also a trendsetter who takes risks with new things.
You know about the latest and greatest - and may have invented it.
You are most compatible with vanilla ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Pass the sprinkles please.

She not only acts, she writes too

2005-07-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

Source: http://adorocinema.cidadeinternet.com.br/personalidades/atores/ava-gardner/

Interesting comments from On the Beach actors can be read on a website about Nevil Shute. I found what Ava Gardner had to say about the movie very moving:

Though I'd read the book, Stanley's script made me weep. You couldn't say it was marvelous - that was the wrong word. It was compelling, tragic, moving, chilling . . . I don't know what expression you can use about the end of the world. Stanley liked to call it "the biggest story of our time," and who could disagree? It was a fictional scenario, but my God, everyone in the cast and crew knew it could happen. And that added a dimension of reality to the unreal world of film making that none of us had experienced before. (Quoted from "Ava, My Story" by Ava Gardner)

Knowing "it could happen" is what makes a story such as On the Beach so powerful. By the end of the film there is nothing left to say and it leaves one in silent mourning because of the "what if" factor.

You won't believe this one

2005-07-02T22:52:00.000-04:00

An 8-year-old elementary-school student from Southern California was sent home after reciting a Star Trek-inspired version of the Pledge of Allegiance in his classroom, according to a post on his mother's blog.

Any SF Thespians Out There?

2005-07-02T22:29:00.000-04:00

Have you ever noticed that if you are studying a certain literary genre it seems to pop up everywhere you go? I received an email from the Saint John Theatre Company about upcoming auditions and here is one that I thought might be of interest to the class:

AUDITIONS FOR ‘THEATRE ON THE EDGE

Monday, July 4 and Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 7 pm SJTC Loft, 86 Prince William Street, 4th Floor
Audition materials will be provided. No previous stage experience necessary.

‘Theatre on the Edge’ will be staged at the Mary H. Oland Theatre, New Brunswick Museum from August 11 to August 13, 2005

"For Ever and Ever" by Gary J. Langguth (1 woman, 1 man)

A female scientist awakens to discover she is the last living human being left in the universe, and her only company is a robotic voice whose programming becomes suspect. This locally written play is a clever twist on some familiar sci-fi concepts.

So what do you think guys? Any budding Bill Shatners out there?

Source: http://www.sergioleone.net/dontv.html

The Last Post . . . well sort of

2005-07-02T22:12:00.000-04:00

Just posted my last (long) posting on Earth Abides. I had it in a draft form for the past few days so it is dated June 26th and called Making Connections. I have encluded a link to Jack London's novella, Scarlet Plague. It is an etext so you will be able to read the whole thing if you wish and I think you will enjoy it.

And now for something totally unrelated:

Party as if it were the "End of Days," eh!

2005-07-01T10:18:00.000-04:00

And now for something totally different . . .

2005-06-30T23:34:00.000-04:00

You can all thank Glen McCoy, creator of The Duplex for this little diddy:

Source: http://www.uclick.com/client/zzz/dp

Maybe this will be the inspiration for all you intrepid bloggers out there.

Revealing The Covers

2005-06-30T12:07:00.000-04:00

Finally . . . I have posted the information on the various covers for Earth Abides. If you are interested, the info can be found on my Cover Evolution post.

Making Connections

2005-06-26T19:19:00.000-04:00

It is often hard to find a a definitive definition for a science fiction novel. On the NCF Guide to Canadian SF there are several attempts at defining what places a novel in the science fiction genre. For Stewart's, Earth Abides, Judith Merril's definition seems appropriate:

So called "science fiction" is speculative or extrapolative literature (or sometimes visual art or music) dealing in some way with the idea of change - most often changing human responses to the altered, or shifting of some alternative reality, most often, simply, "future fiction."

In Earth Abides the protagonist is "dealing" with the changes in his world and learning to respond to a "shifting" reality. Stewart's "future fiction" follows a common theme in post-apocalyptic novels, one of renewal and survival. In order to survive, and inevitably for a renewal to occur, "human responses" are altered. This battle for survival and renewal is a theme often used is used by SF writers.

It is a theme Stephen King uses in his best selling novel, The Stand where the survivors are preparing for the ultimate battle between good and evil. King has stated that Earth Abides was the inspiration for his popular novel. In King's, On Writing, he acknowledges the influence science fiction has had on his writing and humorously points out why he enjoyed reading and watching SF:

[King] was a child who dug Yvette Vickers from Attack of the Giant Leeches, not Sandra Dee. "I wanted monsters that ate whole cities, radioactive corpses that came out of the ocean and ate surfers, and girls in black bras who looked like trailer trash."(Stephen King, On Writing, 2000)

Just as King was influenced by Stewart, some critics feel Stewart was influenced by Jack London, who in turn may have been influenced by the last surviving Yahi tribe member, Ishi. In David Pringle's, Apologies to Ishi, he calls London "the father of California sf." In June, 1912, one year after the "discovery" of Ishi, London's novella, The Scarlet Plague, was published in England by the London Magazine. London's story tells the tale of an old man in 21st century San Francisco (the year 2073) trying to explain "the days of automobiles and airplanes" to his "tribal" grandchildren who are living off the land of a now forested California (sound familiar class?).

The de-evolution of society, following a catastrophic event, provides much fodder for the sf writer and gives readers plenty to think about. Hmmm . . .what if ?

"I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." Albert Einstein

Writing in 1940's

2005-06-26T19:18:00.000-04:00

George R. Stewart's, Earth Abides, was published in 1949 at the end of a decade dominated by World War II. Following the war there were many changes in society. Blacks were looking for more acceptance as equals, the GI Bill created an opportunity for more men to receive a college education, woman had a taste of the work force while the men were at war and they liked it, and of course, world power was dominated by the United States and the USSR.

As the Cold War begins many people become concerned about the "what if." What would happen if there was a nuclear war? How would humankind survive? Would it lead to an apocalypse? Stewart took these concerns and responded to them in Earth Abides. In his novel Stewart shows his readers that survival is possible.

John Clute and Peter Nicholls, authors of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, feel the desire to prove one can survive is one of the reasons post-apocalytic stories are popular:

John Clute and Peter Nicholls feel that post-apocalyptic or disaster stories are so popular because they appeal to secret desires we all share: a depopulated world, escape from the constraints of a highly organized industrial society, and the opportunity to prove one's ability to survive.
D. D. Shade (1998)

Even though Earth Abides was written in 1949 it is still popular today. Berkeley has included it in its summer reading list for students. It has been published in 27 languages and has received much praise:

If I should be naming five novels out of the last ten years most worthwhile, most worth reading, I would certainly include a book titled, Earth Abides. It reads as a good story and has profound meanings. I thank Brother Stewart for writing it. (Carl Sandburg, 1950's)

The novel is written with great conviction and emotional intensity. It moved me to tears when I first read it.(David Pringle, Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels)

Stewart's optimistic vision of 1949 is one that is still appreciated today.

George Rippey Stewart (1895-1980)

2005-06-26T19:17:00.000-04:00

George R. Stewart, author, toponymist, and professor of English, was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvannia on May 31, 1895. At the age of 12 his family moved to California, an area that Stewart would use as the setting for his 1949 novel, Earth Abides.

Stewart had a keen interest in US history, name places, and ecology. In 1951 he became the founding member of the American Name Society. Stewart believed American toppnymists put a greater emphasis to "the motivation of the namer" and to "the human activity of naming." This belief is evident in Earth Abides when Ish and Em decide to name each year after an activity or event from that year (Year of the Baby, Year of the Fires, etc.). The naming of the year, and the chiseling of the number into stone, became a tradition and ritual for Ish and the tribe. The naming of each year became important to the tribe, just as the names of places were important to Stewart.

It is Stewart's keen interest and knowledge of names that leads one to examine his choice of name for his protagonist in Earth Abides. Georges T. Dodds, in a 2000 review of Earth Abides, draws a comparison between Ish and Ishi, the last of the Yahi tribe "discovered" by Dr. Alfred Louis Kroeber* and his associates at The University of California in Berkeley. Stewart, who received his MA from there and also returned to teach English at Berkeley in 1922, would have known the story of Ishi.

First of all, Ishi simply means "a man." In Earth Abides, Ish is representative of [hu]mankind. Both Ishi and Ish emerge from the mountains or woods, hence the name Isherwood. Ishi enters a new world of industry and science, while in contrast, Ish enters a world where industry and science are things of the past. Interestingly, both men have difficulty coming to terms with their new worlds and being the centre of attention. Both men are curiosities to the people they encounter as Ishi is the last of his tribe and Ish is "the last American." It is interesting to note another parallel Stewart draws, both men teach those around them how to make a bow and arrow. Stewart's comparison may be lost on some of his readers but to those in the know it is a clear message that "man" can survive.

Just as this comparison may not be as well know to some, George R. Stewart himself is relatively unknown to most readers. It is his influences influences and accomplishments that are more well known. His 1941 novel, Storm, featuring a Pacific storm called "Maria" as the protagonist, inspired the National Weather Service to use personal names to designate storms. This same book was made into a Disney movie, and became the inspiration for the song, "They Call The Wind Maria" for the sound track of the movie, "Paint Your Wagon."

Though not among the list of top authors in popular culture, Stewart is much respected by his peers. His friend, Wallace Stegner descripes Stewart as a "poet and precisionist." In Donald M. Scott's 1996 biography on he explains how Stewart loved travelling by "foot or road" and how he had "spent a lifetime, wandering and wondering." It is Stewart's "wonder" that created his only science fiction work, Earth Abides. It is through his work that he has been able to accomplish what his protagonist Ish was unable to do, pass on his knowledge to a new generation.

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*Interesting tid bit, this is Ursula K. Le Guin's father!

Cover evolution

2005-06-26T18:16:00.000-04:00

While preparing for my Earth Abides presentation, I noticed how the book jacket art changed significantly with each printing. I feel the artwork found on a novel cover speaks volumes. It often reflects what is popular or accepted by its targeted audience. On one of the earlier covers, created by Robert Abbett for ACE Paperbacks, the art work is a depiction of Ish and Em. In the painting, Ish resembles a movie action hero and Em looks like a 50's suburban housewife dressed for a dinner party. The body positioning on the cover is interesting as well. Ish is clearly depicted as the leader and Em as a follower that needs to hold on to him for support. An alternative cover had been created by the artist which depicted Em in front of Ish, although at a lower level than him, dressed in a low-cut, form-fitting dress which created a much more sexual image of Em. The final cover used ignores Em's race and sexuality and places her in a subordinate position, an image of woman that was marketable at the time.

The original book cover art did not focus on the characters. The dustjacket cover from 1949 shows a city that is bleak and dark.

It is interesting to note the original book cover has no indication of human survival even though the book is very much about how humankind can survive.

The art on a 1971 Fawcett Crest cover has a science fiction "look." The figure in the picture seems to be going down a road that leads to a domed city. The color choice is interesting to note. Shades of blue, purple, and red are often associated with space. Even though Earth Abides is not a story about space, the cover gives it a "traditional" science fiction look.

A 1983 Ballentine Books cover uses art similar to the Fawcett Crest cover. The Ballentine art has a more optimistic feel. The colors are brighter and the figure in the picture is walking down a road with light, perhaps the road to enlightenment.

The 1986 Fawcett cover (the edition we are currently using) returns to a darker style as seen in the original jacket cover. Even the wording on the cover is dark, "the world ravaged by plague and struggling for hope." Why is there a return to the darker cover? Does it have something to do the images of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant which would be on everyone's mind in 1986?

The 2004 cover on an audio version of Earth Abides by eBook Publisher: Paperback Digital, Inc., features the Golden Gate Bridge, a prominent symbol in the novel. Although still a dark cover, it more acurately depicts the book as Ish is always making reference to the structure.

The covers on this post do not represent all of the cover adaptations of Earth Abides but they clearly illustrate how covers evolve over time. I do have one more I would like to share - it is a cover from the publisher, Minotauro and I feel it is one of the best I have seen. It features the Golden Gate Bridge, a car ( Ish spent a considerable amount of time traveling in a car in the first part of the book), and a sense that things are breaking down and falling apart. I like the brightness of the cover. It makes me feel there is hope and all is not lost.

Heads up on my presentation

2005-06-26T14:10:00.000-04:00

Greetings! I am fine tuning my presentation and plan on posting it later this evening. This is my first "blog" presentation so I hope you find it enjoyable. While preparing for this assignment I found several good sites on Earth Abides, George R. Stewart and other SF info. I have included some of these links within my presentation and the others I will include on the handout.

As for the presentation itself, I will be making three or four posts to cover the material I wish to discuss in class. At the end of the presentation I will be giving everyone a Points to Ponder sheet which I hope will kick off a great discussion.

Thank you for your patience. I will be making my first post soon.

Please note: My first post is now below this one.

Earth Abides, An Overview

2005-06-25T20:29:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of Emily LeBlanc

George R. Stewart's 1949 novel, Earth Abides, tells the story of the de-evolution of America following a plague that wipes out most of the earth's population. The story is told through the eyes of Isherwood Williams, a graduate student working on his thesis, who emerges from the mountains after surviving a rattlesnake bite. Isherwood, or Ish, discovers a new and different world than the one he left behind. His world of books and science has been replaced with one of emptiness and abandonment. Since he had survived, he wondered if there would be others. At the same time, he questioned whether a few survivors would be able to rebuild the world.

Isherwood's quest for survivors and eventual attempt at rebuilding civilization is wonderfully told by George R. Stewart in Earth Abides. This is the only science fiction book written by Stewart but one that has stood the test of time. Georges Dodd states, "What makes Earth Abides vault far above just an excellent science fiction novel is its cross-over with the actual history of California and the issues of humanity it raises." Issues such as ecology, the environment, social structures, and race are all addressed in Stewart's novel. In a 1998 Lost Books review by D. D. Shade he observes, "Although following the traditional post-apocalyptic formula, that of the earth being cleansed by some means and leaving a few to rebuild civilization, Earth Abides offers some interesting commentary on some central moral questions of our/that time. One of those is racial unrest."

Considering the time, it was very forward thinking of Stewart to have his protagonist, Ish, develop a strong, loving relationship with Em, an African American woman. Em is out-spoken, strong willed and very capable, all characteristics one would desire in a mate to re-build the world with. In his review, Shade states this relationship demonstrates "that black and white can live together," something that is very obvious today but not as evident in 1949.

We see a similar, though not as long lasting, relationship in The Omega Man between Neville and Lisa. In both situations the women are stronger when they first meet their respective mates. Em and Lisa lead in the initial mating dance and lay the ground rules for their relationships. Once the women are secure in their relationships, they demonstrate more stereotypical characteristics of women found in books and movies. In The Omega Man, Lisa is seen out shopping and looking for pretty things as Neville is arming himself for the final conflict with The Family. While in Earth Abides, Em becomes the mother figure for the Tribe and takes on the role of child-bearer and care-giver.

Another parallel between Earth Abides and The Omega Man is the "leaving [of] a few to rebuild civilization." What is done to prepare the "few" is where the stories differ. Ish prepares the Tribe for the future by teaching them traditional ways of survival; hunting and gathering, and making bows and arrows from what is found in nature, while Neville develops a serum through scientific experimentation to ensure the "few" will survive to carry on. Even though one protagonist abandons science, while the other embraces it, they are both using the past to prepare for the future.

Stewart explores the importance of the relationship between our past and the future throughout Earth Abides with the symbolic use of a four-pound, single-jack hammer. When Ish first discovers the hammer he notes its link to the past, "[Ish] had been extraordinarily pleased when he found the hammer, appreciating that actual link with the past" (7). The hammer, though often used as a practical tool, becomes a part of the Tribe's rituals and traditions. It is this hammer that is used to chisel the number of each passing year on the big rock in the hills. The hammer also sits in a place of honor on the mantel in Ish's home and is viewed by the children of the tribe as something sacred and not to be touched, "The hammer - all the children associated it vaguely with something strange and mystical in the far past! It was used on state occasions; it stood on the mantel by itself. Generally speaking, no one touched it except Ish" (201). When Ish nears the end of his days, he passes the hammer on to Jack to indicate he is the new leader of the Tribe. A tribe that has come full circle, from industrialized to almost stone age. One could argue that, like W. B. Yeats observed in The Second Coming, the end of one cycle in the history of humankind has ended and a new one approaches.

Tired of the everyday routine? May I offer you an escape?

2005-06-24T19:24:00.000-04:00

And now a little something for the auditory learner . . .

The above picture is from a website that sells CD's of old time radio shows. On this site they have samples of some of the programs they are selling. I was pleasantly surprised to find a radio dramitization of Earth Abides. It is on a CD set from the radio program called Escape. This program ran from 1947 to 1954 and was very popular. It boasts having many celebrity guests and producing only quality work. In fact, on the web site, they are proud to state, "There are no clunkers."

This web site is a great look into the world of old time radio shows. The language of the period is at times hilarious:

"Bugaboos and Killer Roos! These horrifying and suspenseful tales will click your teeth and turn your hair white. So grab an extra pair of pants, settle yourself on the edge of your chair and let the spoooooooooks begin!"

Other times, the language reflects the patriarchal society of the time, "And it is wonderful adventure radio for the whole family, especially Dad."

The Escape radio program introduces Earth Abides as one of the most "unusual and terrifying stories of recent years. It is a story of such scope that the producers of Escape, in order to dramatize its full impact, present it in two episodes."

So now kiddies, if you have "an extra pair of pants," tune into the first episode of Earth Abides.

Visual Interpretation of Earth Abiding

2005-06-24T16:43:00.000-04:00

While researching for my presentation on Monday, I found an interesting and beautiful site called FILE.

FILE's tag line states it is " a collection of unexpected photography." Anyone with an interest in photography (Joe, I'm thinking you would enjoy this one) or anyone who finds "unconventional observations" fascinating, should check this out. For everyone else, it is a nice break from the written word (Dr. Jones and other visual learners will be in their element).

The photo above is one of eleven by Beerzie Boy in his on-line gallery entitled "Earth Abides." Beerzie created this gallery in response to his reading of Stewart's novel. In an introduction to his work found on the home page of File magazine, Beerzie states:

"The title refers to George Stewart's novel Earth Abides, in which most of the world's population is destroyed by a virus. The subsequent reclaimation of the planet by the natural world always facinated me, and it has seemed to me that no matter how hard people try to control nature, it ultimately battles back. These are images that illustrate this battle."

I enjoyed these photos and feel Beerzie has created a fitting tribute to Stewart's work.

And now for some green cheese . . .

2005-06-23T15:54:00.000-04:00

Another Heston SF classic the class may be interested in.

FYI - Heston appears twice on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U. S. Movies.
He sits at #66 with "Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape," from
Planet of the Apes, 1968 and at #77 with the mind blowing, "Soylent Green is people!" from Soylent Green, 1973 (pictured above).

More Cheese Please!

2005-06-22T17:08:00.000-04:00

Enjoyed watching The Omega Man yesterday and thought it was a great kick-off to our end of days film list. Several critics call this movie cheesy and contrived but I think it puts a lot out there for people to talk about. By looking at the various images and symbols found in the film, viewers will see there is much more to this SF classic than over-the-top acting and tacky costumes. As discussed in class, there are the various religious themes and social and cultural issues being addressed. An interesting article, Prophet of the Plague, written in 1998 by Terry Diggs, notes many of the things brought up class. I found it fascinating that Mr. Diggs chose The Omega Man as a point of reference when writing on Mr. Heston but then again he is writing about the NRA and a gun is never too far away from Neville's hands in the film. Whether viewed as a total cheesefest or a SF classic, The Omega Man, has stood the test of time and has not seen the end of its days. For those of you who would enjoy just a little more cheese, here is a link to the script. http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/i_am_legend_6_26_70.html

Just for Fun

2005-06-20T07:38:00.000-04:00

Stumbled across a neat trivia site last night, Fun Trivia, that is jam-packed with quizzes on most anything of interest.

There is one quiz that will be of interest to the students in English 3722 - especially question three.

Have fun at the trivia site but don't neglect your readings!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

2005-06-15T11:51:00.000-04:00

In Earth Abides, George R. Stewart has his protagonist, Isherwood Williams, face his greatest fears; the degeneration of civilization and a loss of knowledge. Ish tries on several occasions to enlighten the children of The Tribe with the written word but does not seem able to keep their interest. Could this lack of interest be due to a lack of exposure to the written word? These children did not grow up around books, in fact the library was kept locked and boarded up. Books were as alien to the children as the "shiny white balls" in their ceilings that at one time had emitted light. The children did not have the opportunity to explore books or see them being used by anyone in the community besides Ish. Books were not a source of learning for the children, instead, they modelled the behaviour of the adults around them. They sang the same songs, played the same games, and held the same superstitions as the elders in the community. It seemed odd to Ish how these traditions and superstitutions appealed to the children while formal education did not. Stewart does cause one to ponder the possibility that all the traditions, skills, social structures, and manisfestations of our civilization could be lost in a single generation. Ish is right to be concerned. The tribe seems to live for the moment and has no concern for the future or interest in the past. Speaking of the past, Mr. Rogers, the soft- spoken-cardigan-wearing icon of children's television, also believes it is important to learn from past experiences. In his book, The World According to Mr. Rogers, Fred Rogers states:

The study of history helps keep traditions alive. When we study how our ancestors dealt with challenges, we can (hopefully) learn from their success and failures, and fashion our responses to challenges in even more naturally human ways.

Hmmm...Maybe Fred Rogers and George R. Stewart are trying to tell us something. It can be a "beautiful day in the neighbourhood" if we only take the time to learn from our past mistakes and celebrate our successes.

Mr. Rogers, I think I would have "like[d] to be your neighbour".

2005-06-14T21:45:00.000-04:00

Newbery Award Winning Author, Jack Gantos

An Appetite For Books

2005-06-14T19:34:00.000-04:00

I must confess I have been neglecting "Autumn Leaves" because of my obsession with books. It seems I can't get enough of them. I have been devouring everything from Dr. Seuss to Beowulf. There are some books I am only taking a little nibble from, a sample, a taste; just enough to sate my appetite or to remind me of the pleasure I received from the words found within. Other books I have been feasting on the words, the structure, and the stories between the covers. It is strange how reading and eating can be described in the same way. Maybe the expression, "Food for thought," came from this - I must remember to look that up someday. While on the topic of books/food, I am reminded of something I read recently that made me stop and pause for a moment, "reading junk books is the same as having to eat someone else's leftovers." I wish I could remember which book it was in but I believe I read it in a book written by a wonderful children's author Jack Gantos. Gantos believes he is very fortunate "to have the most voracious readers and the most critical readers in the country - children." I agree with Mr. Gantos, children are very critical readers. If they do not like it, they tell you, either in words or their refusal to read the book. By surrounding children with quality books and creating a literary environment, they become the "voracious readers" of which Mr. Gantos speaks. Voracious readers often become voracious writers. By encouraging children to write daily in journals, diaries or blogs, we are providing a safe avenue for creativity. These places become an outlet, a keeper of ideas and sometimes the beginning of a book. In these places spelling doesn't matter, grammar isn't checked, and no one fails. Children enjoy the plain pleasure of words.

Remember what the good doctor said:
The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
Dr. Seuss

Earth Abides - Thank Goodness!

2005-06-11T15:33:00.000-04:00

Just returned from the NBTA Middle Level Language Arts Conference in Fredericton and I feel energized and ready to get down to business.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Jackie Seidel from the University of Alberta. Jackie was a literacy instructor for the Education Department at UNBSJ last year. She is very passionate about children's literature and has a love of language. Her other passion is studying the ecology and economics of education.

During Jackie's keynote address, she asked us to reflect on many things; the lose of languages, the focus of our current curriculum on preparing students for the workforce, the diversity of learners, various forms of literacy, and the loss of peoples, animals, flora and fauna that is prevelant in today's world. Her words made me think of something I had read in Earth Abides and when I got home I had to look it up.

Sure enough it was there. The same message that Jackie was passing along at the conference.

The people who live in any generation do much, [Ish] realized, either to create or to solve the problems for the people who come in the generations later. ( Earth Abides, Page 137)

We have all heard it before - if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. George R. Stewart was making the same observations in 1949 that Jackie is making in 2005; man has created a big mess that has to be dealt with for earth to abide.

Education can be the foundation for the solution. Sharing, discussing, learning and taking action. If we do not collectively work on a solution, what will be left behind for the future? Ish observed "the community was still dependent upon the leavings of the past" (138). What will our 'leavings' be? Toxic waste dumps? Polluted waterways? War torn lands? All of these are possibilities but we still have hope and that hope lies in the future vision of the children we are educating today, ". . .each year children are born in millions, now and then the infinitesimal chance will happen, and there will be greatness and vision" (142).

As educators, we must nurture the greatness found in all children. Allowing students to take ownership of their learning, through their personal literacy, and providing a safe learning environment leads to vision. When children are given the opportunity to learn and succeed greatness occurs naturally. When nature is allowed to run its own course, Earth Abides!

Books and Intelligence

2005-06-11T14:46:00.000-04:00

As an educator I know the value of books. In fact, I am a bookaholic.

I cannot go pass a bookstore without hearing the luring call from within the freshly pressed tomes; hold me, peruse me, devour me, love me. My pulse quickens and a feeling of bless overcomes my very soul when I discover the latest book I have coveted. Once I have my beloved acquisition nestled in my hands, I slowly savour our first encounter. I explore the cover, the jacket blurbs, and author notes in preparation of the feast that awaits me. My appetite for knowledge, entertainment, or enlightenment will be sated once more - sated at least until my next encounter with the written word.

This is my guilty pleasure. I am a true bibliophile. Buying, borrowing, collecting, I do it all. My passion for books does not cloud my vision of intelligence, in fact, reading has taught me to value other forms of intelligence. Howard Gardner has written extensively on multiple intelligences and it is through my readings of Gardner's work that I have learned to value intelligence found outside of books.

Gardner argues one must work with their own strengths to learn effectively. For some people, books are not the answer. Knowledge can be acquired in many ways. Gardner celebrates and embraces this diversity:

Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves. The performance of understanding that try matters are the ones we carry out as human beings in an imperfect world which we can affect for good or for ill. (Howard Gardner 1999: 180-181)

In Earth Abides, Ish is not as enlightened as Howard Gardner. Ish looks at the other people in the community as "the bricks out of which a new civilization must be fashioned" and finds most of them to be a view bricks short of a load (138). He evaluates their worth through what he knows, book learning and scientific fact. He does not value the people who can build, create, entertain or question. In fact he considers George, a talented carpenter, to be stupid simply because he cannot read, " . . . Ish knew that George was essentially stupid; he had probably never read a book in his life" (138).

Does Ish not see the value of George's talent? It seems natural to me to want to celebrate the abilities of someone who is capable of creating when there is a need for rebuilding. Ish, like so many others, believes intelligence equals book learning. It is this misunderstanding that has led to the belief that literacy equals reading.

Just Getting Started

2005-06-08T16:50:00.000-04:00

Greetings fellow bloggers (I hope "bloggers" is the right term)!

This is my first attempt at blogging. I thought I would give it a try and see how things go. I will be using this blog as part for my English class, Contemporary SF: literature and film of the apocalypse (UNBSJ), with Dr. Miriam Jones this summer. It looks like it is going to be very interesting.

First, I would like to let you know how I came up with the title for my blog. Autumn is the name I used when I was with an on-line dating service. I found my soulmate there. Since I had such great luck with that name I thought I would use it on this blog. From what I know about blogs, they are a place where people leave their thoughts, comments, and feelings about various topics so "Autumn Leaves" seemed appropriate.

I look forward to learning more about blogging and getting to know fellow bloggers. Take care everyone and I'll leave you with the great words of Voltaire -

"Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too."

My Soul Mate and I

2005-06-08T13:26:00.000-04:00

Yes, true love can be found on-line!