Marian Allen's Blog, page 366

Princess Bride. YES, PRINCESS BRIDE! YES, AGAIN!

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The Princess Bride is, OF COURSE, one of my favorite movies. Anybody who dotes on fairy tales as much as I do, and who loves the absurd as much as I do, has got to love a story with giants, Rodents of Unusual Size, storming the castle, miracle men, and twue wove.

Buy this gorgeous calendar at http://www.princessbridetweasure.com/princessbridecalendar.aspx (I’m not being paid to insert this link).

I found a wonderful trailer for it, but embedding has been disabled, alas, so you’ll have to follow this link to see it.

Even better, if you get a chance to see The Alley Theater’s “The Cliffnotes of Insanity,” The Princess Bride in a little less than half an hour, DO IT.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character demonstrates true love.

MA

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Mary O’Hara For A-to-Z Day O

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My husband introduced me to Mary O’Hara‘s music. He just told me last night that he was introduced to it by a woman he dated long before he met me. Well, that’s okay. Mary O’Hara is still here and I’m still here and the other woman is only a memory. If I had her address, I would write her a thank you note for giving Charlie his first Mary O’Hara records. I don’t even care that he loves Mary O’Hara, because I love her, too.

She has a voice like liquid silver. It’s crystalline. It’s pure. If a star in the sky could sing, it would sound like Mary O’Hara.

She can’t sing a song badly, so it was hard to pick one, but I give you this:

You’re welcome.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Someone tells his or her spouse that something they share was the gift of an old flame.

MA

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Nilsson for A-to-Z Challenge letter N

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Harry Nilsson is one of my favorites, especially his Nilsson Sings Newman album. ~happy~ Among other things, he teamed with Ringo Starr on one of the most surreal of my many surreal viewing pleasures, The Point.

Since today is food day, I probably should talk about noodles or some such, but Nilsson also does this song, which is about food, so I’m sharing this, instead of noodles.

Nilsson And My Favorite Earworm

It reminded me — and it should, since they inspired it — of The Nairobi Trio. Not the Kiwi band, but the Ernie Kovaks skit that the New Zealanders took the name from.

Oh, dear. TWO earworms. One for each ear.

Okay, to redeem Food Day, here’s a link to a site of Very Good Recipes Of Coconut And Lime. See also: margaritas and pina coladas. Drink ‘em all up.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character gets an earworm.

MA

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Miriam Makeba for AtoZ Letter M

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I first saw Miriam Makeba on the Ed Sullivan show, I think. She was introduced to America by Harry Belafonte, which is another reason I love him. She not only brought African rhythm and clothing to us, she was the first to wear her hair short and natural, ushering in “the Afro.” I can remember, although it’s incredible to do so, how shocking her short, natural, un-Europeanized hair looked to white eyes. Shocking but beautiful.

Miriam Makeba — who came to be known as Mama Africa — is no longer with us, but she left a legacy that may never be equaled. She spread the beauty of Africa all over the world. She helped free Nelson Mandela. She lived in exile for years because of her courage and outspokenness.

Her father was Xhosa (like the hero of The Gods Must Be Crazy), and one of her most famous songs is called “the Click song” — called that, that is, by those of us who can’t speak Xhosa!

I’ve never heard a version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight that I didn’t like, but my favorite is this one by Makeba.

And I found what’s probably one of the first appearances of hers that I ever saw. How could I not fall in love with her? I couldn’t not, that’s how.

I’m posting at Fatal Foodies today on the topic of the mess of morel mushrooms I found yesterday.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write about love and music.

MA

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Gypsy Rose Lee. A to Z Day L

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Gypsy Rose Lee was a child performer in the days of vaudeville. She moved from vaudeville to burlesque, where she became famous as a classy stripper; it was said she put the tease in striptease.

After the death of her mother — the Stage Mother of all Stage Mothers — Lee wrote her memoirs, which were the basis of the musical, GYPSY.

Here’s a cleaned-up version of the real Gypsy Rose Lee “stripping” in Stage Door Canteen:

It just goes to show that any experience or profession is material to you as a writer.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write about somebody wearing a hat.

MA

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Cannibalism for #SampleSunday

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Cannibalism? Well, not exactly. It depends, you know.

In this excerpt from my science fiction “comedy of bad manners,” SIDESHOW IN THE CENTER RING, Tosun (a native of the planet) tells Connie (a native of Terra — that is, Earth) that the resort they’re visiting along with a group of guests hosted by Connie’s worst enemy, Darryl, is in cannibal country. Connie speaks first.

IN CANNIBAL COUNTRY
excerpt from SIDESHOW IN THE CENTER RING
by Marian AllenP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }

“What’s the Omata?” I asked.

“That’s the name of a people, like I’m a Mocskan. Omata means ‘man-eat.’”

“Translate that a little more clearly, please.”

“They eat people.”

Clear enough. “Cannibals? You mean they eat people like you, or people like me– Terrans?”

“They eat anybody they can get. Not very often, though; you have to volunteer to be eaten, and not many people care to do that anymore.”

“You surprise me. –Are you making this up?”

Of course he wasn’t making it up.

“Ask the Manager – she’ll tell you. This resort is almost in the exact center of the Omata reservation. In fact, ‘tammi’ is the Omata word for river. Also for noodle, which makes sense.”

I could hardly wait to tell. Either Darryl knew, and I could torpedo his surprise; or he didn’t know, and I could drop a live grenade in his lap at dinner. I could hardly wait.

…

“Isn’t this enchanting?” asked Hanna.

“I’ll tell you after I see a menu,” I said. “Good thing we have a translator here. I don’t want to order something with a fancy Marneri name and then find out I’ve been eating Roast Leg of Insurance Salesman.”

“What are you babbling about now?” Darryl asked from two tables over.

“I’m saying I may go vegetarian until we get back to Muimmea. Didn’t you know?” I made my voice loud enough for everyone to hear me. “We’re in the middle of cannibal country here. So help me. Ask Tosun.”

Darryl’s smile became fixed. He hadn’t known. He had probably sold the Society on Tammi Resort because it had offered him the biggest kickback.

“How colorful,” he said.

“Ordinarily you wouldn’t have to worry,” I told him. “They’re man-eaters. Unfortunately, Tosun tells me they aren’t that particular.”

~ * ~

SIDESHOW IN THE CENTER RING

Price $2.99 electronic
Price $13.72 print

Read about it and sample it.

Buy it in print.

Buy for KINDLE.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character learns that something he intended to be a treat that would boost his position has a serious downside.

MA

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Katya, Of Kourse. I Mean Of Course. AtoZ Letter K

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Katya Graymalkin here.

Isn’t it appropriate that the letter K of this blog challenge happened on Caturday this year? I think so.

Mom left the door open when she went outside to take a picture of the crocus flowers, so I slipped out and sat in front of them. She was much happier, taking a picture of me.

Katya (Me) In Front Of Crocus Flowers

Mom will be here tomorrow with a short sample of her writing for Sample Sunday, so drop in if you have time.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR ANIMALS: What do you do if your human pays more attention to someone or something else than they do to you?

KG

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Jones. Lorinda Jones. A to Z Day J

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Lorinda Jones is a performer, composer, music therapist, and Nice Person. Our town’s Presbyterian church used to have a coffee house every month, with the proceeds benefiting the Community Services, and Lorinda Jones always came for the Christmas one. Charlie and I love her work, and we think she’s one of the most soft-spoken, gentle-hearted people we’ve ever met.

We have all of her CDs, alas. We’d get more if she’d produce more. NO SHADOWS is my absolute favorite. I love it so much, I have my own copy of it, so I can carry it in my car and not take it away from Charlie when he wants to listen to it.

Hop over to CD Baby and listen to MP3 samples of some of the songs, and see if you don’t think they’re worth a buy. Harvest Home is my favorite. The sample doesn’t do it justice.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Invent a musical instrument for a character to play. Do they play it well or poorly? How do they THINK they play it?

MA

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Indigo. The Mood, Not the Color A to Z Day I

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Mood Indigo is one of my favorites. The music is by the marvelous Duke Ellington. This version is sung by the incomparable Dinah Washington. You’re welcome.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character has the blues and makes something beautiful out of it.

MA

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Harry Belafonte and Food AtoZ Letter H

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Harry Belafonte? Yes, Harry Belafonte. It’s Food Day on my blog, so I’m posting about Harry Belafonte. Because: The Banana Boat Song. Obviously.

And what food does The Banana Boat Song make me think of? Shrimp cocktail, of course.

Harry Belafonte Meets Beetlejuice

For the version he sings with the Muppets, click this link. He’s luverly.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write about a food that reminds you of another food.

MA

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