Recent Readings

A painting by my brother-in-law, Leo, on display at Mystic Arts Center.

From The New Yorker's Shouts and Murmurs section. (Saunders is one of the best short story writers currently writing.)

“BORAT”: THE MEMO

by GEORGE SAUNDERS

Dear Ken:

Got your note, deeply honored. Being new to the company, really appreciate opportunity to outline some ideas for “Borat” DVD. As Josh mentioned, we do indeed have a wealth of footage that could be put to good use as DVD extras. In other cases, have taken liberty of suggesting some reshoots:

OPENING “VILLAGE” SECTION: How about a high-speed montage of the actual difficult, brutal lives of the villagers in Romania—the hours of debilitating toil, their oppression at the hands of their corrupt government, premature loss of teeth, death of infants, etc., etc.—culminating in a panning shot of the village on the morning of the day when they first realize they’ve been had, and that, as far as posterity goes, they will always be remembered, if remembered at all, as savages, rapists, prostitutes, etc., and they stumble out of their little sheds or whatever, looking traumatized? (Would be good if one or two could fall into depression/commit suicide as a result = confirmation of their “subhuman” status? Rich social commentary.)

ALT: The scene where the one-armed old man, many months later, weeps in his room at the memory of being tricked into wearing a sex toy on his arm. Priceless!

(Continued here.)

Mark McGwire

Good article by Jim Caple on whether or not Mark McGwire belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I agree with Caple, vote him in. He never tested positive while playing. All the rest is mere speculation and his cringe inducing appearance in front of Congress. I also think Pete Rose should be allowed in and then we can stop hearing about him. Forever.

Poem

The latest American Life in Poetry column by Ted Kooser has a touching seasonal poem.