Gerald Everett Jones's Blog: Gerald Everett Jones - Author, page 6
December 24, 2024
'Maria,' Opera, and Politics
The other night, Georja and I screened the new movie Maria, Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of diva Maria Callas in the twilight of her life.
Jolie’s portrayal is admirable. The story is tragic. And the remastered excerpts of Callas singing some of the most loved arias of all time are thrilling.
But the thing that moved me to offer this gift to you is not an aria. And Callas wasn’t among the performers. When the end credits for Maria began to roll, I recognized immediately my favorite moment from all the operas I’ve ever heard: “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves,” which is the popular title of “Va Pensiero” from Giusesppe Verdi’s Nabucco.
Giuseppi Verdi by Giovanni Boldini
In the podcast, I explain this scene in the plot of the opera, along with why this song, which became the anthem of a rebellion in Italy, demonstrates powerfully why historical fiction is always all about today.
What does the government of Italy's 50th prime minister Silvio Berlusconi have to do with Giuseppe Verdi, three-thousand-year-old Hebrew slaves, the reunification of Italy, and conservative politicians' agenda to de-fund not only the arts but also federal support of public education?
Let’s take a field trip to the opera to find out!
'“Va Pensiero” synchronization rights licensed frm Audio Network Limited via Sounddogs.com.
It’s about the One Percent of yesteryear. The century-old hidden message in the painting would have scandalized this prominent family.
December 15, 2024
Michelle Benjamin in Conversation with Georja Umano
Dec 12, 2024
Michelle Benjamin and Georja Umano, author of Terriers in the Jungle, share a wonderful friendship rooted in their mutual love for the arts, especially filmmaking.
View it on YouTube here.
Georja has been a recurring guest on the People of Purpose Talk Show, where they have delved into topics such as wildlife conservation and Georja's work as an author, screenwriter and other aspects of her film career.
One of their notable collaborations involved discussing Georja's multiple-award-winning book, Terriers in the Jungle, a narrative inspired by her experiences in Kenya with her dogs, Romeo and Roxy.
Their shared passion for purposeful storytelling and creative expression has also strengthened their friendship for their contributions to art and humanitarian efforts, with Georja recently receiving recognition at the Matera Film Festival in Italy, an achievement that Michelle wholeheartedly supported and celebrated, while in South Africa. Their friendship is a testament to the power of creative partnerships in inspiring meaningful change.
Holiday hint: The paperback makes a great family-friendly gift!
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December 1, 2024
Book Review: 'Karla's Choice' by Nick Harkaway
Nick Cornwell writes as Nick Harkaway, and this isn’t his first novel - although it’s the first he’s published as deliberate homage in imitation of his father John Le Carré (David Cornwell), who passed away in 2020.
I reviewed the master’s last novel, Silverview, here. That book was published posthumously. Its story didn’t involve George Smiley, as fans might have hoped. In some ways, it was understandable that the manuscript had languished in a drawer. It was a mournful, end-of-life swan song for both a veteran spy and the Service that employed her. Le Carré may have felt the topic would be perceived as a last gasp, which it ended up being. In his afterword, Nick explained that he was reluctant to take up the task of editing it, fearing its unfinished status meant it would need rework. But he claimed it didn’t.
The title character of Karla’s Choice is the infamous eminence grise - the cold, vicious Soviet spymaster whose codename sounds like a woman’s and whose real identity is known to no one who has managed to survive his purges. The title might hint at a spoiler, echoing William Styron’s Sophie’s Choice, in which a Jewish mother during the Holocaust must make an impossible decision: Which of her two children will she send to certain death at the hands of the Nazis?
In the George Smiley series, Karla’s Choice occurs after the tragic demise of agent Alec Leamas in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - and before the events of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and its sequels, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People. (Our Game also features Smiley but not in this thread.)
The cover designer cleverly suggests bespectacled Smiley can’t get the fearful image of Karla out of his head.
A character trait of senior spymaster Smiley is his frustratingly unsuccessful efforts to retire from the Service. In this installment, he and his superior Control (whose real name is known to George but to few others) both feel some responsibility for the demise of Leamas. Their operative was gunned down along with his co-conspirator girlfriend trying to make it back over the Berlin Wall. The operation was a success, but the agent died - another paradox reminiscent of impossible choices.
At the outset here, George has decided he’d prefer a quiet life in the country. He also hopes to be more companionable to his chronically errant wife Ann, who uses his long field assignments as an excuse for her amorous, albeit temporary, affairs.
A mature gentleman - a Hungarian emigré who worked as a literary agent in London but may have been an undercover Eastern-bloc spy - has gone missing. The chaps at the Circus suspect he’s disappeared himself because he learned that one of Karla’s operatives had been sent to assassinate him. However, the hit-man failed for the understandable reason that he decided he would rather defect - requiring him to sing for his supper at the Circus.
But why would Control pull George out of retirement to track down an inconsequential, burnt-out Communist spy? Well, if Karla would risk killing the fellow on British soil, the evil genius must have a potent reason - one so serious that failing in the operation would be his undoing.
And any facts that would be the undoing of Karla would be gold indeed to his adversaries.
Harkaway is an experienced and accomplished novelist. In his bio on Amazon, he says, “I also write morally disimproving thrillers as Aidan Truhen.” He doesn’t define the term, and I have no idea how a reader might be disimproved morally or in any other way by the experience of reading a thriller.
As to whether Karla’s Choice works as worthy of the Le Carré opus, the answer is decidedly yes. The first two chapters started slowly, I thought, but Le Carré himself often took a while to get to the point, especially if he was strewing subtle clues along the way. After I’d finished the book, I went back to reread those pages, and they did make perfect sense.
Nick Harkaway is either a conscientious student who successfully rose to his tutor’s level - or he’s a medium channeling his father’s wise spirit.
Both, perhaps. Much as I fret for poor George’s inability to say no when duty calls, I hope there will be more.
Now, Smiley’s story has four installments, as well. Read them all!
November 27, 2024
They bring him problems no one else wants to solve
Play the half-hour video or listen to the Book 101 podcast audio on Apple, Spotify, or your fave distro.
Four books in the award-winning series. Will there be more?
The Kindle and EPUB versions of the ebook are currently FREE on Amazon, Apple, B&N Nook, Kobo, and lots of other places. (Can we recruit you as a fan?)The audiobook of the first novel in the series is available at no extra charge to our paid subscribers on the blog’s Podcast tab here. It’s also available on Audible, Apple, and other services.
November 20, 2024
Book 101: 'Mr. Ballpoint'
The iPhone of 1945:Watch the half-hour video on LinkedIn here.
Made written communication easier
Eventually everyone had one
The Setting:
Postwar US consumer boom
The Engine of Comedy:Outrageous father, straight-arrow son
Wacky but mostly true story
The Result:$8 million in 6 weeks - Back when that was real money!
The Pitch:Coffee-break chuckles
Or quick, easy read for our next book report
Don’t want/like to read?Mr. Ballpoint Audiobook
This Book 101 podcast:Listen on:Available from Apple, Google Play, Kobo, Audible and other distributors
Spoiler alert: It leaked!
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November 13, 2024
Book 101: 'Harry Harambee's Kenyan Sundowner'
Or listen to his podcast:Listen on:Watch the half-hour video on LinkedIn here.
Harry must decide whether to go home or stay. Will he be a partying tourist or a committed lover and citizen? (This week, Amazon has discounted the hardcover to less than $5.)
Thinking About Thinking is a reader-supported publication. To receive all content, including podcasts and audiobooks, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
November 6, 2024
Book Review: 'What Do Mermaids Eat?' by John Rachel
Available in gorgeous trade paperback gift book on brilliant glossy stock - or Kindle (which will show color on capable devices).
I used to think my friend and colleague John Rachel was a serious person. The book has a practical purpose. It’s not necessarily silly.
But he can’t deny it’s whimsical.
It’s a picture book with pinups of gorgeous (fictional?) mermaids - - accompanied by a juggernaut’s travelogue with color photos.
It’s also an expert chef’s cookbook, offering John’s original recipes of what might be termed Asian fusion - with seafood, of course.Captivating pinups and engaging slide shows from exotic locations. Here is Isabelle and her habitual landfall in Ibiza, Spain. John refuses to tell me how she got into his hotel room!
John’s recipe for Scallop Cevice accompanies Isabella’s entry. He claims the dish will take only two steps to prepare. Perhaps he didn’t want to leave her alone in the living room for too long?
Author chef and citizen of the world John Rachel. He looks serious enough here, but there is something of the prankster in that gaze.
I’m at a loss to explain how or why this enterprising author began to wonder about the dietary preferences of aquatic humanoids. I fear that any speculation I might offer would miss the point. Perhaps you can find some clues in the brief bio he includes on the cover:
John Rachel has a B.A. in Philosophy, is a novelist, music producer, peace activist, and political blogger. He has written ten novels, six political and two creative non-fiction books. His short stories and poems have appeared in numerous online and print magazines.
Since leaving the U.S. in 2006, he has lived in and explored 35 countries. He now permanently resides in a traditional, rural community about an hour from Osaka, Japan, where he lives with his wife of twelve years.
Could it be that mermaids just want to have fun?
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November 5, 2024
November 3, 2024
No one can buy your vote...
Please share with anyone who needs this.
November 2, 2024
Mick & Moira & Brad - Chapter 36 Audiobook
Moira's agent, Mick, finally reaches out for a drive up the coast, where he surprises her with a luxurious car gift. They discuss Moira's future in the music industry and Mick's commitment to supporting her. As they reminisce about Hollywood history and their own relationship, Mick confesses his feelings f…
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