... writing absolutely nothing. No poems, no journaling, no letters (long overdue). Even this blog has lately become less about writing something new and more about posting stuff already written, by me or by someone else. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Must get off my duff and write that letter already.
... reading Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton; Arise from Darkness by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C. F. R.; and Christopher Morley's New York for something light. Orthodoxy, of course, is a classic of Catholic apologetics. I haven't yet read John Henry Newman's Apologia, but it might be very interesting to compare the two. Arise from Darkness' subtitle is "What to Do When Life Doesn't Make Sense". In the wake of all the recent senseless acts of violence, I gravitated toward this book and the author's down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is brand of spirituality. He's a tough old priest, and I love his straightforwardness. As for the Morley, I think I'll like it even better than his Philadelphia, which was delightful.
... listening to music not as much as I was a month ago. For Christmas, my sister gave me two CDs of Paul Lewis—one is from his Beethoven Sonatas series and the other is Schubert Sonatas. Those are really the only things I've listened to seriously in the past month. For me, Lewis hasn't yet fulfilled his potential, which I think is very great. I think so far, he's only hinted at depths to come. I look forward to hearing more from him.
... watching Downton Abbey !!! Woohoo! Only, enough with Bates in jail already; can't we give him and Anna something else to do and talk about? Aren't they getting awfully bored with it all? I know I am. On another channel, I was very happy with the outcome of Next Iron Chef: Redemption. Alex Guarnischelli's Iron Chef title is long, long overdue. Now they need to get Amanda Freitag to join the ranks.
Movie-wise, I've been to see Les Misérables twice already and love it. However, I do have a difficult time reconciling Russell Crowe's (Javert) limited vocal prowess with his skillful dramatic portrayal and screen presence. To use a contemporary idiom, it's a disconnect for me. Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Eddie Redmayne (Marius) are excellent, vocally and dramatically. Also, though I'm favorably impressed by Hugh Jackman's performance—despite a distressing wobble and occasional strident nasality—and think his Valjean masterfully portrayed, I remain unmoved by his (and the director's) rendition of "Bring Him Home." In my opinion, it should be the stillest moment in the show, even on film, but both Jackman and the camera hardly ever stop moving. And Jackman's lack of a true falsetto makes the number less poignant for me. Overall, though, I love the film.
... loving this chilly weather! And the rain! (As long as I don't have to drive in it.)
I like Hugh Jackman, but I am so glad to read that I am not the only one that thought he was singing through his nose. I found it kind of painful to listen to. Eddy Redmayne on the other hand was fantastic.
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