Saxon Henry's Blog, page 19
March 26, 2014
A Writer Asks, What Place is Mine?
by Saxon Henry “What place is mine?” This question, posed by author Kathleen Norris, stumped me for decades as I tried to fix the meaning of place to a geographic marker, such as a town or a particular street address with a dwelling attached to it. My M.O. made the question too scary to entertain […]
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March 19, 2014
A Venetian Literary Adventure
by Saxon Henry I dare you to visit Venice and not think about age! It may not be your own that comes to mind but I’m betting the patina surrounding you will have you pondering the heft of time. During my first meal in a waterfront café along the Canale di Cannaregio, I was amazed […]
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March 12, 2014
Where the Road Leads
21. In the early morning crispness, pieces of a disassembled Gymboree are scattered on the lawn next door. A moving van appears. Throughout the day, bubble-wrapped and blue-blanketed furnishings are carried into its hulking emptiness. Then, as dusk settles into a mellow sky, a rocking horse, free of any wrapping, is placed within the truck’s […]
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March 4, 2014
One Writer’s Influence: It All Leads Back to Poe
by Saxon Henry “Everything leads back to Poe,” declared Allen Ginsberg. The comment, etched on a placard in the recent exhibition Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul at The Morgan Library and Museum, was placed beside a black and white photo of the beat poet reading Howl at Columbia University on November 14, 1981. […]
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February 26, 2014
Screenwriting Legacies at the Academy Awards
As we move toward the86th Academy Awardsthis coming Sunday, I salute one of my favorite screenwriting success stories, a remarkable script penned by.
Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter filming “The King’s Speech”; image courtesy WikiMedia Commons.
He wrote this brilliant exchange between , who played King George VI, and , an Australian speech therapist named Lionel Logue, for the movie The King’s Speech:
[Firth lights a cigarette and takes a puff.]
“Please d...
February 18, 2014
Olympic Dreams and the Writing Life
My induction into the National Honor Society was, um, an honor!
by Saxon Henry
The stiff Naugahyde sofa was unfriendly—cold to the skin at first, and then hot and sticky once the body warmed the fake leather. I never lasted long on the rotund cushions; I’d say there was a consistent ten-minute rule before I’d slide into the floor to use its hulk as a backrest. The coffee table matching its built-in Formica end tables, which capped narrow storage bins, made for a perfect desk as I did my homewor...
February 12, 2014
It’s a Stranger Than Fiction #WellWritten Wednesday!
Harold Crick brings flours to Ana Pascal in “Stranger Than Fiction.”
by Saxon Henry
In honor of Valentine’s Day this Friday, today’s #WellWritten offering is my salute to romance and perseverance, two words not often used in tandem in our modern times. In the movie Stranger than Fiction, screenwriter pens one of the most touching scenes I’ve ever experienced in American cinema. is Harold Crick, an IRS agent auditing character, Ana Pascal. A baker by pa...
February 5, 2014
Make Like Lou Reed: Grab It While You Can
Lou Reed Street Art, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photographed by Chelsea Marie Hicks.
A call came through on my cell phone as I walked through Grand Central Terminal one afternoon. It was a number I didn’t recognized so I almost ignored it. Something told me to answer; when I did, a chipper female voice asks, “Would you like to interview Lou Reed?” Without skipping a beat, I say, “Of course!” The publicist eagerly gave me instructions as to when and where I should meet the rock musician and...
Grab It While You Can
Lou Reed Street Art, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photographed by Chelsea Marie Hicks.
A call came through on my cell phone as I walked through Grand Central Terminal one afternoon. It was a number I didn’t recognized so I almost ignored it. Something told me to answer; when I did, a chipper female voice asks, “Would you like to interview Lou Reed?” Without skipping a beat, I say, “Of course!” The publicist eagerly gave me instructions as to when and where I should meet the rock musician and...
January 29, 2014
Poetry Out of Context, In Context (in Seattle)
by Saxon Henry
I take serious pleasure in reading poets who have a knack for bringing mythology to life in their work. One of the leaders of this adept club in my mind is Louise Glück. I go back to her poetry often, especially The Triumph of Achilles, a book I read for the first time during my only trip to the Pacific Northwest. I was surprised how snippets of her poetry filtered through my mind as I experienced Seattle and the stunning natural settings surrounding the city. The resonance was...
