Images of the Dalai Lama

We were not allowed to use flash in the IU Auditorium, so these are not as clear as I'd like. But these do give the general impression of what the stage looked like with His Holiness and the monks, abbots, nuns, and priests from a variety of traditions during the three days of teachings. It was really beautiful.

The final lecture he gave was in IU's Assembly Hall, where he spoke in front of 8,000 people. Thank goodness for the Jumbotron - we were in the nosebleed seats, so that's the only way we could really see him!


This last one is my favorite. His Holiness in his most impish, Yoda-like pose. :-)

My Path to Enlightenment, Day Four

The Dalai Lama's visit to Bloomington concluded today with a public talk on "Compassion: The Way to Peace" for 8,000 people at IU's Assembly Hall (the basketball stadium).

I have learned enough this week to be able to expect that His Holiness would advise all of us that the way to peace, both internally and on a global scale, is through compassion. He said that we all need to look for compassion within ourselves, and for affection to others, as a way to promote positivity and dispel the negative. He stated very clearly that he believes in promoting secular ethics - respective of but not dependent upon religious ethics - and that such lessons in morality need to be taught both in the home and through educational systems.

Much of today's talk clarified and contextualized many of the teachings he has shared all week... so in this post I think I'll share more of some of my observations of what the Dalai Lama is like himself.

I know I'm repeating myself here, but yet he is just such a positive, charismatic, and adorable figure, that just being in his presence brings about a little more lightness and happiness. Not only is he full of inspirational advice about ways to view the world and life, but he's also just so endearing. I can't resist those giggles!

There were two really little things, kinda silly when you think about it, that he kept doing all week. These little mannerisms made everyone laugh, and I see them as further signs of his own "real person-ness"... (1) after coming out on stage to sit in a regular-style chair, he would ask the audience to allow himself to get "more comfortable" and then would proceed to untie his shoes in a pretty undignified but real way and rearrange himself lotus style, then say "ah, much better!" and (2) once comfortable, he would say "one more thing!" and reach into his trusty Dalai Lama-man bag and pull out this ridiculous visor, matching his burgundy robes, and pull it tight over his eyes. He would say "What do you think? Look good?" and "Lights are too bright! Now I can see you!" It just made him look so cute, and after a day or so I was able to push aside the image of "His Holiness the Black Jack Dealer." (When I put up the pictures, you will see exactly what I mean!)

Oh, and he also tells a lot of stories about animals, both his personal experiences in giving and receiving affection from animals and his interest in scientific studies about what nurture versus nature means in the development of animal intelligence and communities. In two different sessions, he talked about how he really likes cats - "Clean, very clean! Dogs sometimes smell bad!" - and, I never thought I'd see it myself, but he does a pretty good impression of a cat purring. He said in Tibet, they like to say that a purring cat is actually reciting their Buddhist chants!

And I have to do some research into my movie history, cuz I *swear* His Holiness *has* to be the basis for Yoda. When he speaks in English, it is truly like watching Yoda come to life... in the very best way, of course! :-)

Alas, I am not going to see the Dalai Lama tomorrow. It actually makes me really sad to say that. This has been an amazing experience, both stimulating and inspirational, and it has motivated me to do a lot of thinking about the need for more method and wisdom in my own life. I really want to keep learning more, so this is just the very beginning of my own path to enlightenment.

(But I promise I will no longer subject you, my patient readers, to daily updates on my journey! :-)

My Path to Enlightenment, Day Three, Part 2

(This post was getting exceptionally long, so I thought I'd break it up for you....)

Today's afternoon session was very different, and it made for a nice change of pace. The 5 sessions so far had all been held in the IU Auditorium, with the Dalai Lama speaking to us in person and lecturing very specifically on Atisha's text. It was all very intellectual stuff, conveyed to the audience mostly through a very skilled translator. This afternoon, he went to Purdue University (a few hours away) for a talk on "Cultivating Happiness" that was simulcast at IU for all of us to see. This lecture was much lighter and more broad-ranging. This time, he gave the entire speech in what he calls his own "broken English," (which unlike the translation allows us to be in on the jokes he's making) and once again he proved just how endearing, inspiring, humble, and - let's face it - adorable he is as a human being. How can you not smile at a world leader who cracks himself up all the time? It's a pretty automatic reaction - whenever he smiles, I find myself smiling, genuinely, too. That's gotta be something.

In the intro to his talk, he shared more about his own mission and his role as a leader. He said he lives his life with 2 commitments - promoting compassion and promoting religious harmony. I love that he keeps coming back to the idea of interfaith cooperation and understanding, and that he's always sure to include non-believers as part of the greater community. It's very refreshing. He also gave a bit of a disclaimer, saying that many people come to see him speak looking for the wrong things -- looking for him to give them brilliant answers or expecting he has special powers, which he said is "absurd," and sometimes looking to him for healing, which he said is dangerous. He reminded us all that he's just a human being like all of us, just a teacher, and said that he's very skeptical of anyone of any faith who claim special powers like healing. A modest skeptic is the most prominent leader of this religious tradition? Wow. That's not something I'd expect!

So, back to the topic at hand... his answer to the question of how to cultivate happiness was simple: it all comes back to compassion. Compassion in thought and action is the key to creating inner peace, and a calm mind, which is the happiness that we all pursue. He reminded us that much of our unhappiness is our own creation, and that we should still seek to gain control over the mind in order to make ourselves happier.

Following his talk, he addressed a number of questions from the audience. We learned that of all of the "famous" people he's met in his lifetime, he's most enjoyed getting to know scientists from around the world. He also very diplomatically answered the question of "How would you end the war in Iraq" by saying "Ohhhh. Best answer for that? I don't know."

The most interesting discussion in the Q&A was his answer to the question of whether he is optimistic about the future of humanity, especially considering the difficult times we are in. He urged everyone to look at the larger picture of the world and where we've come, saying he thinks humanity has become "more mature." He shared a story of a conversation he had with England's Queen Mother before she died. He was very eager to ask her, someone who lived nearly a century, about whether she thought the world was better or worse than 100 years before. She told him, without hesitation, that the world was a better place, and she cited two main examples - the global concepts of human rights and the right of self-determination were both new ideas in her lifetime, and she believed they were indicative of progress.

He added his own examples, as well. In the last several decades, the world has begun awakening to a sense of responsibility toward the planet. He also sees the perspective on war as a sign of progress, because in the early 20th century citizens would join the war effort without question, but that now people question actions and show opposition to war. He also used the example of the creation of the European Union as progress, a demonstration that the nations that were formerly enemies have begun putting aside their differences and recognized their common interests ("competition with the US, ho, ho, ho!" His Holiness chuckled). The increase in humanitarianism and global philanthropy, particularly in health care, were also good examples.

He said he remains very positive about the future of humanity, based on these amazing gains in the 20th century that show how much experience and understanding we have gained as mankind. That was a pretty positive note on which to end the afternoon, and so that's where I will leave you now. Stay tuned for one more post about Saturday's afternoon talk!

My Path to Enlightenment, Day Three, Part 1

I enjoyed another two sessions of teachings from the Dalai Lama today, and the whole day was jam-packed with pretty interesting stuff.

In the extended morning session (from 8:30 - 12:30! that takes stamina!), His Holiness worked through the completion of Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. Much of today's discussion focused on the two-fold path to enlightenment, which requires both method and wisdom. Method includes the practice of accumulating merit, of living compassion and altruism, and wisdom includes learning the dharma and, essentially, realizing the inherent emptiness of existence.

I think I finally am starting to get the Buddhist concept of emptiness, which I've been struggling with. My notes from the moment when I finally had the "aha!" say "emptiness = the absence of inherent existence. Separating one's mind from greater manifestations." And... "Not negating the existence of phenomena, but the attributes that we overlay on phenomena are what don't exist."

Which still seems a little foggy, but the way I now understand it is that realizing emptiness means removing the overlays of perception that we put upon an object, or person, or concept. We assign attributes to things, which lead to either affection or aversion in our relations to those things, and we need to begin removing those attributes in order to reach a state of acceptance of the very nature of that thing. Such as... a flower is a flower. I may think that a flower is beautiful, and thus ascribe positive feelings toward that flower, thinking it's appealing. But my thinking that it's beautiful does not change the fact that it is simply a flower, with no other inherent attributes than just being a flower. To me, I'm beginning to see the concept of emptiness as the removal of labels or definitions, deconstructing the perceptions one may have about things in order to recognize their true forms. Starting to make sense, no? I was so happy to finally grasp onto this whole discussion - hooray!

His Holiness completed his lecture on the text about midway through the morning session, and then he offered us two ceremonies, which were both pretty amazing.

The first was a ceremony to awaken the mind, or for the "generation of Bodhicitta." (There's my new favorite word again!) His Holiness invited all of us interested to participate with a chant that formally marked the beginning of the journey towards enlightenment, solidifying the bond between us as teacher and students. I was thrilled to take part, actually, and thrilled to be able to officially call His Holiness my teacher. That's pretty darn amazing. The chant, repeated 3 times, is:

With a wish to free all beings

I shall always go for refuge

to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha

until I reach full enlightenment.

Enthused by wisdom and compassion,

today in the Buddha's presence

I generate the Mind for Full Awakening

for the benefit of all sentient beings.

As long as space remains,

As long as sentient beings remain,

Until then, may I too remain

And dispel the miseries of the world.

(For those of you wondering, it was not required for anyone to participate, and he encouraged everyone who practices their own faith traditions - or non-believers - to substitute their own leaders or symbols into the chant and consider this a way to reaffirm their own practices in pursuing compassion and intellectual or spiritual fulfillment. No bait and switch tricky conversion tactics here....)

Following this Bodhicitta ceremony, His Holiness invited the audience to stay to observe a traditional Buddhist ceremony that he and the abbots, monks, and nuns on the stage performed. It was gorgeous. They performed traditional chants for about 45 minutes, making offerings to and receiving blessings from His Holiness. It was a pretty cool thing to watch and hear, and I'm glad we stayed for it.

The Paradox of Our Age

We have bigger houses but smaller families;

more conveniences, but less time;

We have more degrees, but less sense;

more knowledge, but less judgment;

more experts, but more problems;

more medicines, but less healthiness;

We've been all the way to the moon and back,

but have trouble crossing the street to meet

the new neighbour.

We built more computers to hold more

information to produce more copies than ever,

but have less communication;

We have become long on quantity,

but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods

but slow digestion;

Tall man but short character;

Steep profits but shallow relationships.

It's a time when there is much in the window,

but nothing in the room.

-- His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama

My Path to Enlightenment, Day Two

It was another enlightening (ha!) day here in Bloomington, as my parents and I enjoyed two more lectures from the Dalai Lama. Today's sessions were really stimulating, and the topics he covered were a lot more approachable than yesterday's more mind-bendy stuff.

The basis for these lectures is an 11th Century text, Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. His Holiness is lecturing about the text and relating it to Buddhist principles and practices, often going line-by-line to analyze what it says and provide context and more detail. Trust me, if you're ever going to tackle a thousand-year-old Tibetan text, you can't get a better teacher!

The morning session focused mostly on the "final destination" -- what is the goal for the mind/self? The goal is final nirvana, leaving behind all the residue of samsara, the cyclic existence. While His Holiness acknowledged that some Buddhist texts in the past said that the continuum of the conscious mind would end upon achieving nirvana, he said this doesn't make sense. Nothing in the universe can destroy the consciousness, it is endless. The self is endless. While "life" in the cyclic existence is primarily concerned with the balance between pain and suffering, the outcomes of the karmic equation of cause and effect, one can end the experience of suffering by achieving nirvana. And vice versa, really. Nirvana itself is achieved by ending the experience of suffering. It's a little mind-bendy, I know.

Thus, our interim goal is liberation from the cycle of ignorance, and the end of karmic ignorance is our final destination. How does this all happen? The self is on a journey... and the first destination is higher rebirth. The second is freedom from the cyclic existence, and the final is true enlightenment, or Buddhahood.

What is all this cyclic existence stuff? Well, most of us Western folks know it as reincarnation. I *love* this topic! From the Buddhist perspective, we are all trapped in cyclic existence...until we realize that we are, and then we can start the process of awakening, of seeking higher rebirth in our next lifetime on the path to enlightenment. This gets to all of the great Buddhist principles of loving all creatures, and "first, do no harm," as all creatures - or, as His Holiness calls them, all "sentient beings" - are equal, each cycling on the continuum of birth and rebirth and with the potential to become enlightened. (Yes, he said, this may take a self years, or centuries, or eons! :-)

I have always found the concept of reincarnation to be really appealing. It seems incomprehensible to me that all of the experiences, lessons, emotions, the "selfness" of all of us just cease to exist upon death. I am very open to believing in the possibility that we have all lived past lives, whether as the King of England or a wombat, and the idea of being on a journey of self-improvement over lifetimes really resonates. I like the idea of having many chances to get "it" right, and the cause-and-effect rewards and consequences of karma make a lot of sense to me. The universe seeks balance, I believe, and the idea of all of the "souls" of creatures great and small building upon their experiences to achieve a higher plane sounds pretty motivating to me. It's got a nice "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" feel to it. In keeping with the Buddhist perspective on science that one can believe a theory until it is disproven, I'm cool with reincarnation. (Plus, I have a sneaking suspicion that trusty cat Cleo was a little old Italian woman in a past life!)

By the way, my new favorite word is Bodhicitta - "the awakening mind." The root of the Bodhicitta is compassion, which one can cultivate in 2 ways: 1. Realizing a sense of empathetic connectedness to all sentient beings (aka endearment), and 2. Realizing a desire to see all of those sentient beings freed from suffering. See, doesn't that sound nice?

The afternoon session was more practical, focusing on how one can seek enlightenment in practice. His Holiness provided a lot of instruction on achieving "calm abiding" - a necessary state to attain higher perception - through meditation, offering advice on how people can begin to incorporate Buddhist teachings into daily life through this method of trying to cleanse the mind. Now, I have never been good at quieting my mind...which has its negative affects on my sleep, my anxiety levels, my yes-I'll-acknowledge-it paranoia, my mood in general. I would really love to find ways to reduce my own selfish (in the Buddhist sense of the word!) suffering by quieting my darn mind. The Dalai Lama did point out that a goal on this path is learning how to take control of the mind, since usually it is the mind that controls us! Amen, Your Holiness! So, learning more on this topic could have a real benefit....

I'm still really enjoying this journey, both literally and philosophically! And I'm learning enough to make me really want to explore more, so I'm thinking about finding out what sort of Buddhist resources there are in DC. (I assume we've got a pretty decent community.) Give a shout out if you have any advice, por favor.

Side note - As I am sitting in these lectures, I keep being struck by how many themes keep coming up that unexpectedly echo that book I read last month, Spook. I never would have expected the Dalai Lama's teachings to have anything in common with a casual survey of pseudoscience, but... both are very focused on determining the existence of the self or soul, and considering reincarnation, and pursuing the idea of consciousness after death. It's a very strange theme to have in my intellectual pursuits for this fall, but I'm really diggin' it!

PS - If I were going through these lectures 5 years ago, they would all be further validation for my commitment to vegetarianism. The empathetic connectedness to all creatures, the belief that we are all cycling through time as different lifeforms, all of it would make me really glad I was no longer eating animals. But, alas, it's not 5 years ago. I still greatly admire all you successful vegetarians out there, but I just can't do it myself. At least not this lifetime!

My Path to Enlightenment, Day One

I just spent the day with the Dalai Lama. (Chalk that up to "things I never thought I'd be able to say" but will actually be able to say for the next 3 days, as well.) He's in Bloomington giving 3 days of lectures followed by a public talk on compassion as the way to world peace, and Mom, Dad and I are taking it all in.

I walked into today's lectures not really knowing much about Buddhism. Sure, I was a religion major, but I focused more on the ancient Mediterranean religions and cultures. Sadly, I'm really deficient when it comes to knowing modern world religions. And, well, life has just been busy lately and I never fulfilled my intentions to do any reading up before this trip. So, this is really a crash course for me.

His Holiness started this morning's lecture with a long, inspiring, and entertaining welcome. He greeted people of all faiths and backgrounds and told wonderful stories that made his point about the importance for tolerance and acceptance of religious differences and commonalities. He's a wonderful storyteller, and he really does giggle just as much as it seems when you see him on tv.

My favorite part of this introduction was that he gave a very clear and impassioned explanation of why he does not allow his Buddhist centers to pursue active conversion or missionary work, which I really appreciated. He believes that the role of Tibetan centers, or of monks, or even himself, is to be there when people come seeking answers, and to be ready to help those who come looking to learn more - but not to go out and seek to change other people's beliefs. This view seems very closely tied to his overall promotion of tolerance and togetherness, and of the concept of enabling people to pick and choose from different faiths or philosophies what works for them. I was thrilled to hear someone so esteemed speak so succinctly, echoing my own views on the role religion should play.

At another point in the morning session, he also discussed the differences between what he calls sensorial needs and mental needs (sorta close to Maslow's hierarchy of needs for those of you who also had to sit through Sociology 101) and the interplay between them. Sensorial needs are the basics that we all require for living - health, a home, the ability to provide for ourselves. Mental needs equate more to how we really feel inside, whether we're stressed or unhappy or anxious or depressed or if we've found ways to create joy and happiness in our lives. He made the point that at first seems pretty obvious, but at this stage in my life really struck me as profound.

Someone who is fulfilling their mental needs, who has found contentment and peace in their lives, can overcome challenges at the sensory level. (As in, if you've found inner peace, it doesn't matter how nice your house is, you can work through problems, etc.) BUT, on the flip side, having all of your sensory needs met can not help you address your mental needs -- money and status can't buy you happiness. He used a great story as an example, of people he met who lived in a gorgeous mansion but were numbing themselves with antidepressants because they just couldn't find satisfaction in their lives. Man, it felt like he was speaking right to me....

After 2 hours of pretty heady stuff like this, he turned to the audience of thousands, clasped his hands together, and said "Now it's time for lunch!" with a big giggle. :-)

The afternoon session was more challenging intellectually -- not just because everyone was hitting that afternoon low where I and many others around me were fighting to keep eyes open -- and it focused a lot more on the Buddhist view of the self, and the origin of the mind, and the goals of selflessness and emptiness. It was harder to follow, cuz my brain hasn't had to do those kinds of backflips in a while, but I am glad I bought an introductory book at lunchtime and was able to skim over some of that harder stuff to try and follow along. I need to speed-read a bit tonight and hope I'll know enough tomorrow to be able to take more of it in.

Side note - When I get home, I promise to upload photos of the way the stage is set up during these lectures. It is truly a gorgeous sight to behold, with roughly 30 monks and nuns in their robes kneeling on the stage, surrounded by about 2 dozen visiting clerics of different religions in their own traditional dress, a tremendous golden tapestry of the Buddha, and His Holiness himself at the middle of it all sitting lotus-style on what can only be described as a brightly-colored throne. I spent a long time staring at all of the details, just drinking it all in.

So....while I'm not quite ready to don the saffron robes just yet, I am very intrigued and looking forward to learning a lot more about Buddhist philosophy. I think I have to go add some more books to my Amazon cart!

PS - With all of the above being said about proselytizing, I do have to do some after all.... If you are ever in the vicinity of Bloomington, Indiana, you MUST eat at Samira, the Afghan restaurant on the main square. Tonight was the third time I've eaten there in the last 5 years, and it's every bit as delicious as I remember. I don't know if it's possible that a meal can help you attain enlightenment, but their lamb with basmati rice comes darn close!

Junk

I've just returned from spelunking. Kinda. In my embarrassingly scary front closet!

One of the major pro's to my apartment, outweighing many of the con's, is that I have two gigantic closets off of my foyer, and I can store all kinds of crap in them. Tonight, I learned just how much crap I've piled in there over the last 4 years.

I am heading to IN tomorrow for another trip with the fam, and this time with the Dalai Lama. (Hooray!) At about 10:15, I had an aha! light bulb moment and thought of a really great way I could surprise my Dad when I see him tomorrow.

As I shared a while back, Dad has started playing the piano. He's still taking weekly lessons from a really talented IU music professor, and he's been working his way through all of the levels of piano books, learning a lot of classics on the way. But I noticed last time I visited that he does not have much "fun stuff" to play, and - selfishly - I was surprised when I went to tickle the ivories myself that a lot of my favorite old music wasn't to be found. "Huh," I thought, "Could I have taken that music with me?" I vaguely remembered having Mom send me all my sheet music about 10 years ago, when I moved to Pittsburgh with my rockin' 5-octave Casio keyboard. (Long gone, of course.)

Tonight, I remembered this little mystery, and set out to find all of my 80's-era sheet music. Which required digging in deep to the aforementioned giant closet.

The good news is that I found the music - hooray! What a treasure trove! Dad's gonna be psyched with most of what I've got: books of the Eagles and Simon & Garfunkel's greatest hits, the complete sheet music for Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera, standards like Sinatra's "New York, New York" and Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer," really random 80's hits from the likes of Whitney Houston and Peter Cetera, the "Chariots of Fire" theme (but of course), and - the best of the bunch - the two-volume complete works of Billy Joel up through The Bridge ("This is the time...to remember...."). Mock the Billy Joel all you want, that's some darn good piano music.

The bad news, as you may have guessed, is that I had to wade through a whole lot of totally useless crap to find my music stash. Seriously... it was rather shaming to go through box after rubbermaid bin after box after bin of complete junk. It would be one thing if this stuff was useful, but I have NO IDEA why I may have kept this stuff -- old wall calendars, tons of college and high school photos in cheap frames, never-used alternate face plates for old cell phones, boxes of electronics that are long broken, shoe boxes filled with cancelled checks from 3 bank accounts ago, notepads from my desk 3 jobs ago, it goes on and on. I honestly can't remember if I did any sorting over my last 2 moves, or if I was always just so rushed that I threw everything in boxes. Funny. That stuff doesn't mysteriously go away... it just stays in those boxes!

The worst....? I found 2 tubs' worth of crap that I know came out of the trunk of my car, which I sold in March 2004. Including about 200 cassette tapes. Yes, think back in your memories, folks. Cassette tapes. I remember after I got rid of my old stereos and my Walkman (how quaint), I just kept all those tapes in the car cuz that's the only place I'd use them. Now? No car, but suddenly 200 long-forgotten cassette tapes. And these are tapes I'd had since about 5th grade. Seriously, the "Miami Vice" soundtrack. That's what I'm talking 'bout!

What in the heck does one do with old cassettes these days? Any ideas???

Ah well. I've been looking for a reason to use up more vacation time before year-end. Looks like I could have a very scary day of cleaning out the closets. Or.... I could just pile up all the boxes again and wish really hard that the stuff will just go away. What do you think???

To Tune In or Tune Out, That is the Question

Okay, I admit I've been a bit tuned out from the news in the last week or so. I've been very busy at work getting ready for vacay and doing next year's budget, and at home, Netflix and a good book were just much better diversions than the Sunday talk or the cable news. But, now I've turned it back on, and I just have to ask - what in the heck is going on?!?

Has the "Bomb Iran" talk really escalated this much, or is it just the tv muckety-mucks slinging it back and forth? The last time I tuned in everyone was still debating the PR effects of the Ahmedinejad Columbia University visit. Suddenly, it seems like Cheney's ready to push the button, and there was some Senate vote last month that Hillary supported and Obama didn't show up for? Wow, I'm behind. More disappointment from the not-enough-votes opposition Congress. I guess I have to read up on that. And now Turkey's considering an Iraqi invasion of their own?

My goodness! Is it really better to follow all of this stuff and get all anxious and pissed off, or should I just go back to Netflix and a good book?

PS - I am sorry for the photo, I just couldn't resist. I can't claim credit for such a gem, it comes courtesy of a CNN article here.

Breaking News from Hogwarts!

J. K. Rowling has confirmed it.... Albus Dumbledore is (was) gay! And his one true love broke his heart long ago, which was yet another tragedy that shaped his life.

Hmmm, I actually never suspected it. But I really like Rowling's framing of the entire Potter series as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" - and I thank her for giving kids, and adults, some really strong role models.

Saturday Night Lights

Lafayette Square. What a strange but beautiful place to hang out in as the sun goes down. You never quite know what you'll see... but our historic old buildings are surreal and gorgeous by night.

Act V

I just finished listening to this week's This American Life podcast, entitled "Act V," and I am feeling inspired.

This show focused on the Prison Performing Arts program and a production of "Hamlet" performed by an unusual group of actors. This company is comprised solely of performers who are incarcerated for violent crimes. The insights they shared into their roles and Hamlet's decisions, and the ways that they related the play to their own often haunting experiences, were remarkable. These actors offer a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's great tragedy, with all of its violence and moral conflicts, making the centuries-old story seem very real.

These men and their exploration of Shakespeare's words and characters was a perfect example of the transformative power of the arts, and in particular the way that theater can provoke a dialogue that gets to the heart, and the humanity, that we all share.

"Act V" was a great reminder of why I got into this field in the first place. This crazy, maddening, unpredictable, (melo)dramatic, undefinable and yes, at times, frivolous thing we call art? It's about who we are, and who we can be. Thanks for the reminder, Ira Glass!

More Fall Buzz

I saw another of this fall's prestige pics last night - Michael Clayton, aka "the new George Clooney movie."

This was surprisingly good. Reviews have mentioned that it's not a typical legal thriller, but I wasn't really sure what they were talking about until I saw it myself. Michael Clayton plays like a character drama that just happens to take place against the backdrop of a law firm's major make-or-break case. This is no John Grisham film - there are no courtroom scenes, no fancy litigators, no objections sustained or expert witnesses or jury deliberations.

Instead, Michael Clayton tells the story of one lawyer's psychological breakdown and another's crisis of conscience. Tom Wilkinson gives a fantastic performance as the senior attorney who breaks when he realizes his own part in Big Corporate Evil, and George Clooney is brought in as the "fixer" or - as he calls it, the "janitor" - to clean up the mess and restore the client's faith in the firm. Along the way, he learns of the company's dirty deeds... but, again, the movie does not do the typical "follow the evidence" kind of corporate expose. Rather, Clooney's Clayton has to choose whether to believe, whether to have faith, in his friend or in the firm and its client. That client, by the way, is personified by the terrific Tilda Swinton, who plays the corporate counsel as a mix of insecure and vicious that's very compelling to watch.

Clooney and Soderbergh are both producers of this film, which was written and directed by first-time helmer Tony Gilroy. All three have spoken about their love for the intelligent thrillers of the 70's, and wanting to bring that style back into the multiplex. I think they're succeeding, and what makes Michael Clayton so different from most of those thrillers we've seen lately is that it really takes the time to explore the characters, to tell the story as it relates to real people rather than just as page-turning suspense. The movie spends a lot of time exploring the flawed Clayton's family life and personal crises, and Tilda Swinton's cold uncertainty, and Tom Wilkinson's desperate attempts to make human connections. And the dialogue is rich, and intelligent, and sounds like things people would actually say (No "aha!" here). These elements help ground the whole film and make it feel more real, not like the slick, paint-by-numbers legal films we've gotten used to.

As for buzz... I think this film may keep popping up in conversations about supporting performances, both Wilkinson and Swinton, and the screenplay. Clooney gives a strong performance, but it's not flashy - he's serious, he's rumpled, he's anxious - but it's not that different from what we've come to expect. At this point, I think Clooney's so good at being Clooney - the handsome standard-bearer of conflicted righteousness - that he'll need to do something really surprising in order to spark talk of another acting nod. But, I'd be just as happy to keep seeing him producing and directing, to make sure he continues to bring the kinds of movies *I* want to see to theaters.

Book Talk

It's been a while since I've posted about my life as a bibliophile, but have no fear, I've still been turning the pages night and day! Here's a quick summary of what's been on my nightstand the last few months:

In The United States of Arugula: The Sun-Dried, Cold-Pressed, Dark-Roasted, Extra Virgin Story of the American Food Revolution, David Kemp offers a colorful and entertaining history of the evolution of "foodie" culture in the US over the last 50+ years. His story begins as America discovers French cuisine, and with James Beard and Julia Child the concept of a "celebrity chef" was born. From those early days, he traces the different influences and culinary opinion leaders that ushered in the organic food movement, the creation of California cuisine, the introduction of sushi and other "exotic" dishes to the American palate, the market for gourmet ingredients and kitchen products with the rise of such retail titans as Williams-Sonoma and Dean and DeLuca, and the recent explosion of the Food Network and its new generation of celebrity chefs / media moguls. This is a fascinating slice of American history, and Kemp's good humor and obvious love for food really shine through. While the most interesting stuff, in my opinion, is in the first half of the book -as post-WWII America first started experimenting with new influences in the kitchen - this is a really fun book that just may inspire you to try embark upon some new foodie adventures yourself.

I picked up Mary Roach's Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife while killing time in the Indianapolis airport a while back, and considering that less-than-auspicious beginning I was delighted by how much I enjoyed this book. Roach, an admitted skeptic, pursues the question of whether or not there is life after death (cue Mrs. White) by surveying a wide variety of scientific research into the subject, both historical and contemporary. It's actually a lot more interesting and entertaining than it sounds! One chapter explores the spiritualism movement and investigations into mediums, seances, and hoaxes of the time - including the ever-disgusting ectoplasm. She also looks at research that was done among terminal tuberculosis patients in old-time sanatoriums that measured their weight before and after death - one such study is what gave rise to the concept of the soul weighing 21 grams...hence the title of that movie a few years back. Some of the most interesting research she explored is being done now, at esteemed academic and medical institutions across the country, to investigate near death experiences during surgeries. Is any of this evidence of the existence of a soul that remains after death? Who knows, but it's a fun book to read!

In keeping with my new found history geek status, I tackled Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989 by Michael Beschloss. This book picks specific examples of moments of crisis and the difficult decisions that Presidents have had to make regardless of how it might affect their popularity or their legacy. Washington and Adams had to establish diplomatic relations with England and France, fending off the strong likelihood of war, against public outcry from the citizens of our new nation. Lincoln demanded emancipation in the midst of a war that was tearing this nation apart, knowing that he faced opposition even among much of the North. Kennedy was faced with a civil rights crisis and brewing outrage that required him to act, pushing for legislation that - if he had lived - may have cost him his reelection. Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt waged very public battles with the powerful moneyed interests of their times, FDR had to balance the mood of a nation unwilling to join a foreign war with his close allies' need for support, Truman had to determine what the US's role would be in supporting the new state of Israel, and Reagan had the opportunity to forge a new relationship with an old enemy.

I learned a lot about the particular details of each incident described in this book, and it left me with a few general impressions overall: (1) As everything I've learned about the Founding Era has done lately, this confirmed again that our Founding Fathers were not glorious demigods. They were smart and visionary, of course, but George, John, Tom, and their contemporaries Ben and Alexander were just as partisan and as happy to mud-sling and manipulate as any of our current politicos! (2) Yeah, warts and all, I still really love Lincoln. (3) Without knowing much about him, I don't think I care for Andrew Jackson. He was the first of a new generation of Presidents - the first who was not a wealthy aristocrat - but so far I haven't found a reason to warm up to him. (4) Finally, learning some of the actual history to fill in the gaps of my childhood memories..... Wow. Reagan was NOT someone I would have been a fan of. It's scary to learn now how close we could have been to World War III, and to be reminded that a foreign policy based on cowboy swagger and apocalyptic religious beliefs is not a new thing!


Finally, I confess, I have been sucked in (haha) to the strange, mysterious world of Stephenie Meyer and her vampire trilogy. Eclipse is the third book in the young adult series following teenager Bella and her adventures with Edward Cullen and his vampire family. While these YA novels and Edward & Bella's romance are squeaky-clean, I do have to agree with my friends who started the local Cullen fan club (I'm lookin' at you, Jane Austen!) that they are indeed enjoyable page-turners. But, though I am a longtime vampire fan, I have to say... when it comes to the love triangle between Bella, Edward, and her sometimes-hairy friend Jacob, I am firmly in the werewolf camp.


So, my happy readers, what books are keeping YOU up at night?

Into the Wild

I saw my first Oscar buzz-worthy film of the fall this afternoon.

Sean Penn's Into the Wild is gorgeous - both stunning in its landscapes and maddening as the audience follows a journey in which the final destination is already known.

I never read Jonathan Krakauer's book detailing the quest of Christopher McCandless, but I remember when it was a sensation that inspired more than a few guys I know to wax poetic about their own desire for adventure or to rail against the trappings of society. Most of the guys I knew at the time were pretty similar to McCandless - college-educated, comfortable, their biggest worries usually childhood resentments or the sort of entitled apathy that sees itself as separate and better than society.

But, none of the guys I know actually did go into the wild, so they're all now making their own mark in society with the lives they've chosen. And, to me, that's the biggest tragedy of McCandless's story. My brother, who loves the book, was afraid that the movie might not explain his character in enough detail, and that "Alexander Supertramp" may come off as somewhat of a spoiled dilettante, rather than someone rebelling against a family, and particularly a father, he had to get away from him. I see my brother's point, and perhaps the movie doesn't go far enough in exploring his depths, but I do think McCandless was a bit of a spoiled kid who could drop out and believe he would live forever. McCandless may have found that "freedom" he so desperately sought, but at a terrible cost.

Anyway, back to the movie, and its inevitable quest for little gold statues...

Sean Penn did a fine job as director, as well as writing the adapted screenplay and even lending a hand with the camera now and then. While at first the time-shifting narrative took some getting used to, it ended up serving the story well. And the look of the movie was truly breathtaking - though I did find a few moments where I wished he would let the camera linger a little longer so I could soak up more of the scenery.

Emile Hirsch was strong throughout, especially when you consider there's a good 50% of the movie or so when he's the only one onscreen carrying the whole story. He undergoes a dramatic transformation, both physically and emotionally, during the 2 years of the story. There are also really strong supporting turns by both Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook, whose surrogate grandfather brought tears to my eyes.

So, my predictions.... I think Into the Wild has a pretty good shot at 3 of the major awards races this winter - best cinematography, best supporting actor for Holbrook, and one if not more best original songs with the new offerings by Eddie Vedder. There could be two more acting nods, Hirsch and Keener, if the buzz for this movie takes off. And, of course, depending on how that darn society looks upon the very independent Mr. Penn himself, he could be hearing his name read aloud in honor of this beautiful labor of love.

Five Years

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of the first "DC Sniper" killing in Maryland. I can't believe how the time has gone...but at the same time, that feels like a whole different era.

I had just moved to DC in late August, so I was still getting to know this area. I lived in Silver Spring at the time, and I remember when the news hit of that first killing in Montgomery County, Scotte and Dancer didn't want me to go home and offered that I could stay at their place. My parents were not so sure about my decision to move to the big scary city, but at the same time I think it made them kinda famous among their new gated golf community neighbors.

As time went on, we all grew scared - learning to "zigzag" in parking lots, avoiding gas stations and Michael's and Home Depot, ducking in fear whenever we saw white box trucks, and getting used to even more horrendous traffic and road blocks throughout the region. In retrospect, the white box truck paranoia is a pretty perfect example of how a media frenzy can affect reality.

I had experienced my own paranoia and anxiety before, particularly the summer that Pittsburgh was stalked by the East End Rapist, who broke into apartment homes in my neighborhood and attacked women in their sleep.

But that fall of 2002 was the first time I've really felt part of a community of fear. It's not a good feeling, but it's pervasive. Everyone was on edge, constantly looking over their shoulders and making decisions about whether or not to risk their lives simply by going out. To me, that's the definition of terrorism. After the snipers were caught, you could almost feel the entire region giving a sigh of relief and beginning to go about their lives normally again.

Thankfully, those five years feel like a lifetime, because that feeling of fear now seems so foreign. I think that's a good thing....

Neighborhood Note

As most local folks know, there was a huge fire in Adams Morgan last week that caused significant damage to the Avalon, a neighborhood apartment building. A new site has been launched to help share information about Avalon relief efforts, including updates on fundraising events and related news.

I've known for a long time that this high-elevation neighborhood has water pressure problems, but it's pretty discouraging to hear that our 100-year-old narrow pipes are barely sufficient when it comes to fighting major blazes. The fire department had to snake its hoses 2000 feet to an entirely different neighborhood to get the water it needed! Watch for this to be a major issue that our new Mayor has to address...like in so many other cities, our aging infrastructure is slowly, quietly becoming a danger.

Stay of Execution

Grey's Anatomy, I put you on notice last week. But, there you go again, giving me a really good second episode that reminded me of all of the reasons why I used to heart this show so much. It's fitting that the whole theme of this week was addictions, and how hard it is to let them go.

The best thing about this week's show was that the overwhelming tone of mopeyness that seemed to have completely taken over Seattle Grace over the last few months, and which reached a ridiculous level in last week's premiere, was almost completely absent. It's that mopey tone that has been driving me nuts ever since the February sweeps "ferry accident / Meredith sorta-suicide attempt" storyline. I agreed with many criticisms I've seen recently that said the show's biggest downfall of late has been that the writers (I'm lookin' at you, Shonda) had taken all of their strong, independent, quirky female characters and just reduced them to horrible neurotic shells of themselves.

I'm glad to report that with this week's episode, the show seems to have gotten its groove back. Well, with one notable exception: the George and Izzy thing. The awfully-nicknamed "Gizzy" storyline is the worst one this show has ever attempted, and I hate every second spent on it. And, in related news, I think I've really grown to hate Izzy. Her self-righteous, self-important, but utterly preposterous speeches ("I am Bambi!") make me want to throw things at the television. I hate that she's fairly inept in her career and her only purpose seems to be wrecking George's already strained marriage. Bah. It is still taking a lot for me to overlook that train wreck of a plot in order to enjoy the show again.

But, enjoy it I did. There were a lot of things going for this episode:

- Callie and Cristina were both strong and complicated again, rather than the dull mopes that they were last week. Their added spice is a welcome change after all the saccharin of the last several months.
- Best of all, the fabulous Dr. Miranda Bailey was pretty close to being fabulous again, and her scene yelling at Karev and then thanking him was classic Bailey. I actually said "thank you" to the screen, myself.
- The ensemble cast had much better opportunities to showcase the great interplays between characters, and pairings like Derek and Sloan, the Chief and Derek, Meredith and Cristina, Sloan and Callie, and the aforementioned Bailey and Karev were all strong scenes, well-acted and well-written.
- The show made great use of a stellar guest star in Ms. Diahann Carroll. Mama Burke is welcome back anytime!
- The episode featured a strong medical story - with the crystal meth-lab explosion - that gave us a compelling plot to follow other than just whiny relationship drama. And, it allowed Karev to get back to form as a righteous but somewhat reckless risk-taker.
- The overall tone was quirky and snarky again, feeling like early season 2 GA, which is when I think the show was at its height.

So, Grey's, you're staying in my regular rotation for at least another week. I will continue to watch The Office in real-time during your time slot, of course, but I'll still find an hour to catch up with you on the weekend. But be warned -- if you get all depressing and stupid again, I'm kicking you to the curb.