slate

Slate sky, rainfall, warmth inside. Is there anything quite as satisfying as spending a dreary, rain-soaked morning in bed? No alarm, no schedule, no pressing obligations. To just mummify yourself in sheets and blankets, let yourself tumble into the lulling pattern of rainfall, and find a few moments of absolute contentment. It's ephemeral, of course, because it won't be long before alarms ring and Metrocards are swiped and subways clank and the noise of the city and the office dictates yet another day. The rigors of everyday life make those sporadic rainy mid-morning moments of equanimity precious.

I spent some of Saturday watching a couple of my latest DVD acquisitions. The first was By Brakhage: An Anthology, a superlative collection of short films from preeminent experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage. This is highly recommened for those interested in the art of cinema and all of its strange and wonderful possibilities. The other DVD I tried to watch was The Phantom of Liberty(Le Fantôme de la liberté, 1974) by surrealist extraordinaire Luis Buñuel. I say I "tried" to watch it because I passed out on the couch quite early into the picture (from fatigue, not because of the film). I had seen it before while in film school, and was elated that it was released on the Criterion Collection last year. It's a darkly humorous free-form surrealist masterwork consisting of loosely connected vignettes. The film contains an abundance of the social and cultural satire and criticism one might expect from Buñuel. His disgust with the ruling class prevails. You must avail yourself of the dinner party sequence where people sit on lavatories around a dinner table and retire to a small, nearby room to eat. Yes, it is that weird and brilliant. For the Buñuel novice, start with That Obscure Object of Desire (also on Criterion), probably his most accessible film (though still surreal). For the Buñuel veteran, well, I hope you've seen L'Âge d'or by now...

And I implore Criterion (or Kino) to please put out The Exterminating Angel (El Ángel exterminador, 1962) on DVD. This is Buñuel's finest film - an indisputable masterpiece.

As I perused my DVD library last night, it was raining outside. And I realized that I still need to see Lina Wertmuller's The End of the World in Our Usual Bed in a Night Full of Rain. At the same time, I realized that it also needs a DVD release.

“The artist creates his own moral universe.” - Sheldon Flender, Bullets Over Broadway

No, Bullets Over Broadway might not be Woody Allen's best film, though it is not his worst. I do frequently abide by the quote, however. I am not going to launch into a dissertation of morality, ethics, or Kant's "Categorical Imperative." It does so happen, however, that an artist (a writer or otherwise) must accept, and occasionally withstand, the decisions of morality as it fits into the personal archetype. Got it? Great. If you have any questions about the Categorical Imperative, just grab a Kant book or two for this year's summer beach reading.

That said, I have taken on the position of "Freelance Editor" with the wonderful new publisher Another Sky Press. No, there was no moral quandary in this decision. I am excited to be a part of the organization at its fledgling stage, and to be involved with its evolution and impending success. As you will notice from their Press page, I will be helping out with some of their "top-secret new projects." I look forward to this new responsibility and relish the chance to exercise my editorial muscle. Simultaneously, I continue with my own freelance writing, as well as my Small World screenplay.

Create your own moral universe. Be your own hero. Tabula rasa.