#review adele live in new york

[concerthopperblog]

Review Roundup: Danny Burns 'Promised Land', Jon Check 'I Am a Well'

Sometimes there just aren't enough days in the week to get to all of the new releases you'd like to feature. That's where these review roundups come in. This week, I'm reaching back to the last few weeks to feature some recent releases from Irish Americana artist Danny Burns and New York-bases country rocker Jon Check.

Danny Burns- Promised Land

Covers albums are, to steal a line from Forrest Gump, like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. Sometimes they're uninspired straightforward covers of songs covered by a hundred other artists that bring nothing new to the table. Sometimes they're Promised Land by Danny Burns. The Irish singer's willingness to take chances is evident from the album's first song, a fiddle and mandolin-filled cover of Adele's “Someone Like You.” Elsewhere on the album, Burns takes on Oasis (“Some Might Say”), Guy Clark (“Magnolia Wind”), Sting (an album highlight “Fields of Gold”) and even an Irish standard, “Danny Boy.” With guest instrumentals and vocals from frequent collaborators Sam Bush and Tim O'Brien, as well as Burns' wife Aine, there's plenty to recommend here.

Jon Check- I Am a Well It's been 17 years since Jon Check released his self-titled debut album to great acclaim. In that time, Check has seen a lot of changes in his life. He's relocated from Pittsburgh to Brooklyn. He's become a father. Like all of us, he's lived through a pandemic. And coming out of all of that is the EP I Am a Well. With a more traditional country-rock sound than his debut or than the works with his various bands, Check's sonorous voice swells above a mostly acoustic guitar-driven instrumental track powered by some of Check's best friends from both of his homes. Highlights on the album include the electrified “Tongue-tied” and “On With It,” a collaboration with his brother, folk and bluegrass musician Matthew Check.

Both albums are available now at most major download and streaming markets (and physical format in the case of Burns).

[garudabluffs]

At Adele's Vegas residency, intimacy is the ultimate luxury

March 20, 2023 "After scaling up to arenas and stadiums like her peers, it's in the controlled stillness of a theater stage-managed to match her songs' swirling moods that Adele seems to have found her place at last. Caesars Palace seats approximately 4,300, and even at its highest reaches there is an enclosed proximity to the space. "Weekends with Adele" makes that intimacy feel luxurious, though not with sprawling sets or scores of dancers: She might be in Vegas, but she hasn't gone Vegas. Instead, each production choice gently bends the possibilities of the place to her own brand.

+"Knowing that she has generally recorded her own backing vocals in the studio made for one of my favorite arrangements in the show, when she lets her trio of backup singers take the lead on the 21 standout "One and Only" and performs the 21 track's haunting, operatic background parts herself, under a dimmed spotlight.

Adele has always seemed disconnected from her generation of stars: old-fashioned in spirit and strategy, largely absent from social media. As New York Times critic Jon Pareles explained on an episode of Popcast, she's a holdover from the pre-streaming monoculture and a CD-era music industry, whose ballgown presentation and songbook all feel aggressively disconnected from the new frontiers of globalizing pop. She may have arrived at the height of London's 2000s soul-pop zeitgeist, but at this stage, her lyrics of nostalgia, regret and self-forgiveness feel aged. Which is precisely why I found her Vegas performance so moving: She is an artist of emotional archives, so it's thrilling to see her breathing new life, new drama, into her catalog. Even when the set list drew heavily from the archives of 19 or 21, each live arrangement felt urgent."

Holding back tears, she shared in one of her interludes that this residency was the happiest she had ever been onstage, and had affirmed that while she might not be a touring artist right now, she could indeed be a live artist.

"It hasn't always been easy to be a fan of Adele the live performer, and it might be a stretch to say that "Weekends with Adele" has made the experience accessible. There are only so many seats to be had across its 17 weekends (though there are rumors that the dates may be extended), and those with tickets also take on the not-so-hidden costs of travel and lodging. But in the context of a chaotic and punitive concert economy, she's delivered an evening worth the wait."

READ MORE https://www.npr.org/2023/03/20/1164075762/adele-vegas-residency-live-review

[evil-moonlight]

Thank you so much for the tag @pequenaroo. <3 <3 <3 I appreciate you a lot!! I've read yours and it fascinates me just how cool you are of a person. I am glad to get to know you. <3

Nickname: I am usually called Jin, Rej, Rejin, Ren, Renj, Renji, Rere, Michi, Mich, Din, Den.

Star sign: Cancer

Height: 5'0 💁‍♀️

Time: 11:55 AM

Birthday: June 23

Favorite bands: Kodaline, Sleeping At Last, IV of Spades, Cigarettes After Sex, Coldplay, Eraserheads, Radiohead, Ben&Ben, etc.

Favorite solo artists: Birdy, Hozier, Lana Del Rey, Zild Benitez, Lauren Aquilina, Adele, Ruth B, Kacey Musgraves, James Bay, Moira De La Torre, Aurora, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, etc.

Favorite Foods: Lechon, Adobo, Crispy Pata (so filipino mode XD), takoyaki, sushi and sashimi, fried and steamed siomai, carbonara pizza, anything as long as it's food lol

Favorite colors: Black, golden yellow, pink

Last thing I googled: Steps on how to do the pixie cut hairstyle (done at home).

Last show I watched: Ghost Doctor (Last show I rewatched, Bad and Crazy / currently watching, Dangerous Partners)

Last movie I watched: Once again, I'm stuck with rewatching. Last movies were Atonement, The Merciless, Hwayi: A Monster Boy (yes, rewatching these at the same time is possible).

Lucky number: 4 (no reason)

When did I create this blog? Around September last year (I guess). That was when I was searching for Killer and Healer script/novel translated in English, and since I found excellent reviews instead, I ended up creating this blog 'cause I too wanted to write.

Do I have any other blogs? Yes, unfortunately — I cannot access that anymore because I made that one around 2012 (when I used to be a feral kpop fan) and I was too young and too dumb to even memorize my password. Lmao.

Do I get asks? Yes, sometimes. The first one I got was when I was asked if I'm a human or not (but that idiot is a close friend of mine, lol) and I had to really analyze myself just to know the answer like I always did back in college days while solving accounting problems. Af. It was the hardest ask ever! xD

Why did I choose my URL? Evil (because I want to always be reminded about Beyond Evil) and Moonlight (because the word reminds me of Jiang Yue Lou and Chen Yu Zhi from Killer and Healer).

Blogs you follow: woah, didn't expect it would already reach 290 Tumblrs. (majority of them come from the merciless evil devil from hell megafandom, BL, and minority are the poetry enthusiasts)

Dream trip: I'll start with the local tourist destinations here in the Philippines, apart from my own, another Southeast Asian country would be Thailand (just because I'm always mistaken as Thai, lol) then I would love to travel around some parts of East Asia particularly Japan and Taiwan, and the most interesting part is visiting Europe (UK, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands — Amsterdam (the Anne Frank House), Finland, Greece, and Spain (because one of my best friends is currently living there), actually I want to visit the whole Europe. XD), also Algeria, Morocco, and New York City (at the public library where Ash died peacefully reading Eiji's letter 😭, like I'll be having a Bananafish adventure).

Instruments: used to play guitar, and now I'm starting to learn ukulele, and would love to try the piano in the nearest future.

Average hours of sleep: weekdays would be 6-7 hours, weekends would be no sleeping schedule or if I'm lucky enough, 3-4 hours (I know it's not good for the health but)

How many blankets do you sleep with? One is enough.

No pressure tags: @inescated @sashkitty @kimsunho @lamaladelcuento @we-will-fall-in-hell-together 💖

[thebowerypresents]

Natasha Bedingfield Plays Webster Hall with First New Album in Nine Years

Natasha Bedingfield – Webster Hall – October 16, 2019

Calling all #TheyHaveTheRange Instagram accounts: You forgot Natasha Bedingfield. The raw power of her voice can’t be overstated, and on Wednesday evening at Webster Hall, her performance exploded through the rain and wind. Despite a nor’easter, a sizeable crowd packed into the venue for a performance that included Bedingfield’s indelible 2000s hits, as well as work from this year’s Roll with Me, her first full-length since 2010’s Strip Me. Bedingfield’s 2019 output sounds like someone who (wisely?) opted out of the 2010s entirely. The ’60s R&B groove of “Real Love” and the reggae-lite “King of the World” recall the polite edgeless feel of soft rock, and they blended seamlessly with her 2000s radio smashes like “These Words” and the Sean Kingston–assisted “Love Like This.”

As pop culture scholar Bolu Babalola remarked on Twitter, music like this doesn’t really have a market anymore. When Bedingfield briefly covered Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” over the chords of brother Daniel’s hit “Gotta Get Thru This,” the contrast between 2019 pop and the landscape that brought us the Bedingfield siblings was stark. As opposed to Eilish and today’s other stars who lurk and leer, Natasha Bedingfield’s music confronts.

And nothing could be more confrontational than that voice. Bedingfield is a belter in the lineage of the great white British soul divas of the 2000s: your Winehouses, your Duffys, your Adeles. These are pre–Ellie Goulding vocals: nothing is held back, there’s no time to whisper. And then, well, the big one—the bop to end all bops. The crowd knew “Unwritten” was coming as the band kicked into a droning, tense interlude that drew a hush. The acoustic guitar lick that begat so many episodes of The Hills spun out into the air, and the audience erupted. —Adlan Jackson | @AdlanKJ

Photos courtesy of Marc Millman | www.marcmillmanphotos.com/music

[writergirl2011]

30 Questions

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 5 blogs you are contractually obligated to know better.

I got tagged by

@virareve

Name/nickname: depends on where you find me.  IRL I go by Dee.

Gender: Female

Star sign: Libra.  And if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about me, what does?

Height: 5′9″

Birthday: October 21

Time: Approximately 6:40 CST

Favorite bands: Aerosmith, Queen, Imagine Dragons, R.E.M.

Favorite solo artists: Hozier, Lauren Daigle, Damien Rice, David Gray, Tom Petty, Taylor Swift, Adele

Song stuck in my head: The Times They Are A-Changin’ by Fort Nowhere.  I can’t get the verse about the senators and congressmen out of my head this week, though now my mind turns more toward heeding the call of impeaching and removing Cheeto Satan more than the literal mob that was rattling the windows and walls on Wednesday.

Last movie: Pride and Prejudice 1995 edition.  That counts, right?  RIGHT????

Last show: Jeopardy (Alex Trebek’s last episode *sobs*)

When did I create this blog: 2019, I think.  I’d been lurking for quite a while and decided that I might as well get my own so I could go back and remember some of the funny posts I kept seeing on others’ blogs.

What do I post: A lot of Jaime and Brienne stuff, obviously!!!  Lots of Mandalorian and Jane Austen as well.  And there will probably be a lot of Bridgerton stuff down the road.  But a lot of things that just catch my eye from time to time.

Last thing googled: I think I googled something related to the story I’m about to start writing for the smut exchange, so I won’t say what it was here.

Other blogs: I had a LiveJournal blog a few years ago.  Other than that, this is it.

Do I get asks: No, although my mailbox is open...I think...

Why I chose my url: “writergirl” was part of my LiveJournal ID, and 2011 was the last time the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series.  :)

Following: 149

Followers: 62

Average hours of sleep: It’s been more than usual lately, which I contribute to a combination of mild depression and the lingering effects of COVID-19.  (Yes, I had it.  I was very fortunate that it wasn’t the scary bad kind, but I don’t recommend getting the less-scary version.  Wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands, folks.)

Lucky number: 8, because a fortune teller in Las Vegas told me it was.

Instruments: I can play Chopsticks on the piano.

What am I wearing: black leggings and a T-shirt that says “I’m done peopling.”

Dream job: writer.  I always wanted to be published, but it never fell in place for me.

Dream trip: I would love to visit England someday.  Realistically, I’d love to make my fourth trip to New York City and stay for a month (my trips have never been more than four days).

Favorite food: Pizza, BBQ pork, grilled cheese sandwiches, ice cream.

Nationality: American

Favorite song: I never have an answer for this question.  Once upon a time, it would’ve been “The Schuyler Sisters” from Hamilton, but I don’t think I’m in that optimistic a mood these days.

Last book read: Books?  What are those?  LOL. No, seriously, the last book I read was “Shit, Actually” by Lindy West, which is a compilation of some of her movie reviews which left me HOWLING.

Top three fictional universes I’d like to live in: I wouldn’t mind living in the Bridgerton world.  As for any other fictional universes...I’m not sure.

[citizenscreen]

It was 85 years ago this week, in October 1934, that Mark Sandrich’s The Gay Divorcee was released in theaters across the country. That occasion would normally have been just another movie release except it marks a significant moment in movie history. The Gay Divorcee, you see, was the first starring picture for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. While cinema has given us many memorable romantic movie couples, only one was so memorably romantic in dance.

The Gay Divorcee is my favorite of the Astaire Rogers pictures thanks in large part to its hilarious supporting cast including Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, and Eric Blore who supply laughs galore in a story we’d see over and over again later in the 1930s as the Astaire and Rogers film canon picked up speed. Here we see Mimi Glossop (Rogers) trying to get a divorce from her estranged husband. Her Aunt Hortense (Brady) suggests she consult with attorney Egbert Fitzgerald (Horton) with whom Hortense has a romantic history. The fumbling lawyer suggests a great way for Mimi to get a quick divorce is for her to spend the night with a professional co-respondent and get caught being unfaithful by the private detectives hired for the task. Except, Egbert forgets to hire the detectives. As the co-respondent Egbert hires Rodolfo Tonetti (Rhodes) who is supposed to introduce himself to Mimi by saying “Chance is a fool’s name for fate,” but the Italian can’t keep the line straight, which never fails to make this fan roar with laughter.

“Fate is the foolish thing. Take a chance.”

In the meantime, staying in the same hotel is dancer Guy Holden (Astaire) who falls for Mimi the moment they had an uncomfortable meeting on the ship from England. Guy is determined to make Mimi his while she mistakes him for the co-respondent. It’s quite the confusing premise that serves the talent of the cast and Astaire-Rogers pairings on the dance floor, which made the trip to the movies the magical experience these movies surely were.

Fred Astaire reprised his role from the stage play The Gay Divorce for The Gay Divorcee. Censors insisted that The Gay Divorce be changed to The Gay Divorcee, because a gay divorce was no laughing matter. Erik Rhodes and Eric Blore, who played the waiter in typical snooty fashion, also reprised their roles from the stage version. Cole Porter wrote the music for the stage production, but only one of his songs, “Night and Day” was retained for the movie.

The Gay Divorcee won one Academy Award, the first ever Best Original Song for “The Continental” with music and lyrics by Con Conrad and Herb Magidson respectively. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Recording, and Best Music Score for Max Steiner, then head of the sound department at RKO. While award recognition is great, the place The Gay Divorcee holds in history is much more important. As mentioned, this was the first movie where Fred Astaire’s and Ginger Rogers’ names appear above the title. This film also sets the stage quite nicely for subsequent Astaire-Rogers movies, which often followed the same formula. First, Fred’s character usually falls for Ginger’s at first sight and he is often annoying to her. In The Gay Divorcee, for example, she has her dress caught in a trunk while he attempts to flirt. In Top Hat (1935) he wakes her up with his tap dancing in the room above hers. In Swing Time (1936) he asks her for change of a quarter only to ask for the quarter back a bit later.

Most Fred and Ginger movies also have mistaken identity central to the plot and some are set in lavish surroundings, extravagant art deco sets, “Big White Sets” as they are called, and include travel to exotic places. The world in these pictures is rich and cultured and never fail to offer an escape from reality.

More importantly, most of the Astaire-Rogers movies feature dances that further the characters’ story together, all are supremely executed, beautifully orchestrated, and emoted to a tee. Through dance Fred and Ginger express love, love lost, anger, giddiness, joy, despair, tragedy. The movies usually feature at least two main routines for the couple, one a fun, lighthearted affair and the other a serious, dramatic turn, depending on where in the story the dance takes place. These dance routines take precedence in the films above all other elements and are, ultimately, what create the Astaire-Rogers legend, each its own priceless gem. For this dance through history the focus is on the dance routines, which were born out of the RKO story.

RKO was born RKO Radio Pictures in October 1928 as the first motion picture studio created solely for the production of talking pictures by David Sarnoff and Joseph Kennedy as they met in a Manhattan oyster bar. Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) resulted from the merger of the Radio Corporation of America, the Film Booking Offices of America, and the Keith-Albee-Orpheum circuit of vaudeville houses.

In its first year, RKO did well by producing about a dozen pictures, mostly film versions of stage plays. The studio doubled that number the following year and was established as a major studio with the Academy Award-winning Cimarron (1931) directed by Wesley Ruggles. Unfortunately, that film’s success did not result in money for the studio. That year RKO lost more than $5 million, which resulted in the hiring of David O. Selznick to head production. Selznick immediately looked to stars to bring audiences into theaters. The first place he looked was the New York stage where he found and contracted Katharine Hepburn whom he placed in the hands of George Cukor for Bill of Divorcement (1932) opposite John Barrymore. Hepburn became a star and the movie was a hit, but RKO’s fortunes did not improve making 1932 another difficult year. Enter Merian C. Cooper and a giant ape. David O. Selznick had made Cooper his assistant at RKO.

The idea of King Kong had lived in Cooper’s imagination since he was a child, but he never thought it could come to fruition until his time at RKO. It was there that Cooper met Willis O’Brien, a special effects wizard who was experimenting with stop motion animation.

King Kong premiered in March 1933 to enthusiastic audiences and reviews. RKO’s financial troubles were such, however, that even the eighth wonder of the world could not save it. David O. Selznick left RKO for MGM and Merian Cooper took over as head of production tasked with saving the studio. Cooper tried releasing a picture a week and employing directors like Mark Sandrich and George Stevens. Of the two Sandrich made an important splash early with So This Is Harris! (1933), a musical comedy short that won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject. This short paved the way for RKO’s memorable musicals of the decade, the first of which introduced future megastars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as a dancing duo.

“I’d like to try this thing just once” he says as he pulls her to the dance floor.

“We’ll show them a thing or three,” she responds.

And they did. For the movie studio permanently on the verge of bankruptcy Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers proved saving graces. Pandro S. Berman, who produced several of the Astaire-Rogers movies, said “we were very fortunate we came up with the Astaire-Rogers series when we did.”

Fred Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz II on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska. Fred began performing at about the age of four with his older sister Adele. Their mother took them to New York in 1903 where they began performing in vaudeville as a specialty act. Of the two it was Adele, by all accounts a charmer on stage and off, who got the better reviews and was seen as the natural talent.

By the time Fred was ten years old, he and his sister were making about $50 a week on the famed Orpheum Circuit. As they traveled the country, their reputation grew and by 14 Fred had taken over the responsibility of creating steps and routines for their act. He also hunted for new songs as he was able, which led to a chance meeting in 1916 with then song plugger George Gershwin. Although the two did not work together then, they’d have profound effects on each other’s careers in the future, including the Astaires headlining George and Ira Gershwin’s first full-length New York musical, Lady, Be Good! in 1924.

Unlike her driven brother, Adele did not even like to rehearse. For Fred’s constant badgering to rehearse she ascribed him the nickname “Moaning Minnie.” Fred later admitted the nickname fit because he worried about everything. Between Fred’s attention to detail and Adele’s charm for an audience, the Astaire’s reviews usually read like this, “Nothing like them since the flood!”

Fred and Adele made it to Broadway in 1917 with Over the Top, a musical revue in two acts, and never looked back. Their other hits in New York and London included the Gershwin smash, Funny Face (1927), where Adele got to introduce “‘S Wonderful” and the Schwartz-Dietz production of The Band Wagon (1931), Adele’s final show before retiring to marry Lord Charles Cavendish in 1932. At the time she and her brother Fred were the toast of Broadway.

The Astaires, Adele and Fred

After his sister retired, Fred starred in Cole Porter’s A Gay Divorce, his last Broadway show before heading west to Hollywood where he was signed by David O. Selznick at RKO. Legend goes that of Fred Astaire someone in Hollywood said after watching his screen tests, “Can’t act; slightly bald; can dance a little.” If true, those are words by someone who had a terrible eye for talent, but I doubt they are true because at the time Fred Astaire was a huge international star. The likelihood that someone in Hollywood didn’t know that is slim. David O. Selznick had seen Fred Astaire on Broadway and described him as “next to Leslie Howard, the most charming man on the American stage.” What was true is that Fred Astaire did not look like the typical movie star. He was 34 years old at the time, an age considered old for movie stardom. In fact, Astaire’s mother insisted he should just retire since he’d been in the business from such a young age. We can only be thankful he ignored her request.

Not sure what to do with him, or perhaps to see what he could do, Selznick lent Astaire to MGM where he made his first picture dancing with Joan Crawford in Robert Z. Leonard’s Dancing Lady (1933). Flying Down to Rio experienced some delays, but it was ready to go after Dancing Lady so Fred returned to RKO to do “The Carioca” with a contract player named Ginger Rogers.

By the time Fred Astaire made his first picture, Ginger Rogers had made about 20. She was under contract with RKO and excelled at sassy, down-to-Earth types. In 1933 Ginger had gotten lots of attention singing “We’re in the money” in Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) and in 42nd Street. She did not have top billing in either of those, but the public noticed her.

Ginger Rogers was born Virginia Katherine McMath in Independence, Missouri on July 16, 1911. Her first few years of life were confusing ones. Her parents were divorced and Ginger was kidnapped by her father until her mother, Lelee (or Lela), took him to court. In need of a job, Ginger’s mother left her with her grandparents while looking for a job as a scriptwriter.

Lelee met and married John Rogers in 1920 and, for all intents and purposes, he became Ginger’s father. The family moved to Dallas where, at the age of 14, Ginger won a Charleston contest, going on to become Charleston champion dancer of Texas. The prize was a 4-week contract on the Vaudeville Interstate circuit. Lela took management of her daughter and put together an act called “Ginger and Her Redheads.” Ginger continued to perform on her own after the Redheads were disbanded eventually going to New York where she was seen by the owner of the Mocambo night club who recommended her to friends for the Broadway show Top Speed. 

Ginger was making two-reelers in New York when she was offered a Paramount contract making her feature appearance in Monta Bell’s Young Man of Manhattan (1930) starring Claudette Colbert. At about that time, she was cast as the lead in the Gershwin musical Girl Crazy, which – by happenstance one afternoon – offered her the opportunity to dance with Fred Astaire for the first time ever. Astaire had been brought in to the Girl Crazy production to see if he could offer suggestions for the routines. Ginger was asked to show him one of the main numbers to which he said, “Here Ginger, try it with me.”

After that Ginger and Lela headed to Hollywood and the picture business in earnest. Ginger made a few forgettable pictures for Pathé before being cast as Anytime Annie in 42nd Street and singing that number about money in Golddiggers of 1933. Both of those gave Ginger Rogers ample opportunity to show off her comedic skills. These types of parts, funny flappers, were definitely in the cards for Ginger Rogers until fate intervened when Dorothy Jordan, who was scheduled to dance “The Carioca” with Fred Astaire in Flying Down to Rio, married Merian C. Cooper instead. Ginger was by now under contract with RKO and was rushed onto the set of Flying Down to Rio three days after shooting had started.

“They get up and dance” in 1933

The stage direction in the original screenplay for Flying Down to Rio simply read, “they get up and dance.” Ginger Rogers was billed fourth and Fred Astaire fifth showing she was the bigger star at the time. In looking at Astaire and Rogers doing “The Carioca” in Flying Down to Rio one doesn’t get the impression that these are legends in the making. Ginger agreed as she wrote in her memoir that she never would have imagined what was to come from that dance. “The Carioca” is exuberant, youthful, and fun, but certainly lesser than most of the routines the couple would perform in subsequent films. I say that because we can now make a comparison. At the time audiences went crazy for “The Carioca” and the dancers who performed it, their only number together in the Flying Down to Rio and only role aside from the comic relief they provide. The picture was, after all, a Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond vehicle.

Doing the Carioca in Flying Down to Rio

Hermes Pan’s first assignment at RKO was to find Fred Astaire on stage 8 to see if he could offer assistance. Fred showed him a routine and explained he was stuck in a part for the tap solo in Flying Down to Rio. Hermes offered a suggestion and another legendary movie pairing was made. Pan worked on 17 Astaire musicals thus playing a key role is making Fred Astaire the most famous dancer in the world.

Pan explained that he went to early previews of Flying Down to Rio and was surprised to see the audience cheer and applaud after “The Carioca” number. The studio knew they had something big here and decided to capitalize on the Astaire-Rogers pairing.

When RKO approached Fred Astaire about making another picture paired with Ginger Rogers, Astaire refused. After years being part of a duo with Adele, the last thing he wanted was to be paired permanently with another dancer. If he was to do another picture he wanted an English dancer as his partner, they were more refined. Pandro Berman told him, “the audience likes Ginger” and that was that. Astaire was at some point given a percentage of the profits from these pictures and the worries about working with Ginger subsided. Ginger’s contribution to the pairing was not considered important enough to merit a percentage of the profits.

The Gay Divorcee (1934)

The Gay Divorcee offers ample opportunity to fall in love with the Astaire-Rogers mystique. The first is a beautiful number shot against a green screen backdrop, Cole Porter’s “Night and Day.” Fred as Guy professes his love for Mimi (Ginger), mesmerizing her with dance until she is completely taken by the end. He, so satisfied, offers her a cigarette.

Later in the film the two, now reconciled after a huge mix-up, dance “The Continental.” The song is introduced by Ginger who is swept off her feet to join the crowd in the elaborate production number. Needless to say Fred and Ginger clear the floor with outstanding choreography. “The Continental” sequence lasts over 17 minutes, the longest ever in a musical holding that record until Gene Kelly’s 18-minute ballet in An American in Paris in 1951. “The Continental” was clearly intended to capture the excitement of “The Carioca” and exceeds that by eons with enthusiasm and gorgeous execution by these two people whose chemistry is palpable. No one could have known if either Fred or Ginger could carry a movie, but The Gay Divorcee proved they were stars of unique magnitude. For 85 years dance on film has never been bettered and that’s why I celebrate this anniversary with all the enthusiasm I could muster as my contribution to The Anniversary Blogathon sponsored by the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA), which is celebrating its tenth year of classic love.

Doing The Continental in The Gay Divorcee

Fred always gets a solo number in these pictures, by the way and, as you’d expect, they’re wonderful. Many times these take place in hotel rooms all of which – luckily – have fantastic floors for tap dancing. In addition, The Gay Divorcee has the added attraction of a routine with Edward Everett Horton and Betty Grable, who has a small part in the picture.

Fred Astaire and Hermes Pan would begin work on the routines up to six weeks before the principal photography was scheduled to start on the pictures. Pan played Ginger’s part and would teach her the routines once she arrived to start rehearsals. Her part was long and arduous and Fred Astaire always said he admired her work ethic as she gave everything she had to make those routines memorable and match him move for move. Fred was also impressed by Ginger being the only one of his female partners who never cried. As they say, she did everything he did “backwards and in heels,” which by the way, is a phrase born in the following Frank and Ernest cartoon.

The unfailing result of their work together is absolute beauty in human form. Ginger Rogers completely gave herself to Fred Astaire, was entirely pliable to his every whim in dance. This is why they became legend. Fred may have partnered with better dancers and I certainly cannot say whether that’s true or not, but what he had with Ginger Rogers was special. The Gay Divorcee was only the beginning.

As for working with Fred again, Ginger had no worries. She enjoyed the partnership and the dancing and was fulfilled by doing various other parts at the same time. While Fred and Hermes worked on the routines she was able to make small pictures for different studios appearing in seven in 1934 alone.

Roberta (1935)

Fred and Ginger’s next movie together is William Seiter’s Roberta where they share billing with one of RKO’s biggest stars and greatest talents, Irene Dunne. Here, Fred and Ginger have the secondary love affair as old friends who fall in love in the end. As they do in most of their movies, Fred and Ginger also provide much of the laughs. The primary romantic pairing in Roberta is between Dunne and Randolph Scott.

The film’s title, Roberta is the name of a fashionable Paris dress shop owned by John Kent’s (Scott) aunt and where Stephanie (Dunne) works as the owner’s secretary, assistant, and head designer. The two instantly fall for each other.

Huck Haines (Astaire) is a musician and John’s friend who runs into the hateful Countess Scharwenka at the dress shop. Except Scharwenka is really Huck’s childhood friend and old love, Lizzie Gatz (Rogers). Fred and Ginger are wonderful in this movie, which strays from the formula of most of their other movies except for the plot between Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott, which is actually similar to that of other Astaire-Rogers movies. Again, aside from the dancing Fred and Ginger offer the movie’s comic relief and do so in memorable style with Ginger the standout in that regard.

There are quite a few enjoyable musical numbers in Roberta. Huck’s band performs a couple and Irene Dunne sings several songs including the gorgeous “When Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and a beautiful sequence on stairs during a fashion show to “Lovely to Look At,” which received the film’s only Academy Award nomination for Best Music, Original Song. That number transitions into a Fred and Ginger duet and dance to “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” followed closely by an exuberant finale number.

Fred and Ginger in Roberta

Early in Roberta, at the Cafe Russe, Ginger is delightful singing “I’ll be Hard to Handle” with the band. She and Fred follow with a supremely enjoyable duet with their feet, a routine where each answers the other with taps. I believe there were requests for them to re-record the taps after the live taping as you can hear Ginger laughing during the routine, but Fred insisted to leave it as is. The result is a relaxed, wonderfully entertaining sequence I hadn’t seen in years. The pantsuit Ginger wears during this number is fabulous.

I’ll Be Hard to Handle routine in Roberta

Later, Ginger and Fred sing a duet to “I Won’t Dance” with Fred following with an extraordinary solo routine. This may be my favorite of his solo sequences, which includes an unbelievably fast ending.

Astaire in Roberta

Fred Astaire was perfection on the dance floor and, as many have said, seemed to dance on air. None of it came without excruciating hard work, however. Astaire was known for rehearsing and losing sleep until he felt every movement in every sequence was perfect. He stated he would lose up to 15 pounds during the rehearsals for these films. Clearly, nothing had changed since his days preparing for the stage with his sister.

Fred Astaire fretted over routines constantly. He could not even stand looking at the rushes himself so he would send Hermes Pan to look and report back. Astaire admitted that even looking at these routines decades later caused him angst. Of course, his absolute dedication to perfection, pre-planning even the smallest detail of every dance number, resulted in much of the legend of Fred and Ginger. Fred’s demands on set also made the pictures epic among musicals. Astaire insisted, for instance, to shoot every single sequence in one shot, with no edits. He also insisted that their entire bodies be filmed for every dance number and that taps be recorded live. He was known to say that either the camera moved or he moved. One of the cameramen at RKO who worked on the Astaire-Rogers pictures said that keeping Fred and Ginger’s feet in the frame was the biggest challenge. All of these Fred Astaire stipulations ensured that the performances are still moving many decades after they were filmed and all of them are as much a statement in endurance as they are in artistry.

Top Hat 

Directed by Mark Sandrich, Top Hat is the first film written expressly for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers by Deight Taylor and Alan Scott and feels bigger from its catchy opening sequence on forward than the other movies in the series to this point. This is perhaps the most well regarded of the Astaire-Rogers movie pairings and it’s no wonder because it’s delightful even though it shares several similarities with The Gay Divorcee. Joining Fred and Ginger once again are Edward Everett Horton in the second of three Fred and Ginger pictures he made, Eric Blore in the third of five, and Erik Rhodes in his second. To my delight Rhodes dons that wonderful, hilarious Italian accent, which by the way, got him barred by Mussolini. Joining the group in this picture is Helen Broderick as Madge Hardwick, Horton’s wife.

The story in Top Hat begins when Fred as Jerry Travers meets Ginger as Dale Tremont when he wakes her up by tap dancing in the hotel room above hers. She is naturally annoyed, but warms up to him fairly quickly the next day as he seeks her favor with Irving Berlin’s “Isn’t This a Lovely Day?” when the two are in a gazebo during a rainstorm. The song ends in a wonderful dance sequence that starts off as a challenge, but warms to affection. I should add we see here what we see in many Astaire-Rogers routines that is so darn exciting – when they don’t touch. The gazebo number is not as emotionally charged as others the couple executes because it is the lighthearted one in the picture, the one during which he woos her with dance. By the end of this number she is sold on him and what prospects may lay ahead.

It’s a lovely day to be caught in the rain from Top Hat

Unfortunately, after the gazebo number some confusion ensues as Dale believes Jerry is married to one of her friends. This is the requisite mistaken identity. It is Horace Hardwick (Horton) who’s married, not Jerry. Some innocent games and trickery take place before Dale is hurt and Jerry has to win her over once again. Then heaven appears.

“Heaven, I’m in heaven And the cares that hung around me through the week Seem to vanish like a gambler’s lucky streak When we’re out together dancing cheek to cheek”

These songs are standards for a reason. It just does not get better than that.

To continue the story – at the insistence of Madge Hardwick, Dale and Jerry dance as he sings those lyrics to her. She is mesmerized, wanting to believe him wearing that famous feather dress. They move onto a terrace in each other’s arms as the music swells.

A gorgeous, sexy backbend during Cheek to Cheek in Top Hat

Once again, the song is over and her heart is stolen. She’s seduced. And so are we.

One of the few times Ginger seriously disagreed with Fred concerning a routine was her stance on the feather dress for the “Cheek to Cheek” sequence. Fred hated it. During the number feathers went everywhere, including in his face and on his tuxedo. Ginger designed the dress and insisted she wear it, despite the cost of $1,500 worth of ostrich feathers. She was right. While you can see feathers coming off the dress during the number, none are seen on Fred’s tuxedo, but it doesn’t matter because it moves beautifully and adds immeasurably to the routine.

The feather dress didn’t stay there. In fact, it stayed with Ginger for some time as thereafter, Astaire nicknamed her “Feathers.” After what Ginger described as a difficult few days following the feather dress uproar, she was in her dressing room when a plain white box was delivered. Inside was a note that read, “Dear Feathers. I love ya! Fred”

Fred Astaire has two solo routines in Top Hat, “No Strings” at the beginning of the movie, the tap dance that wakes Dale, and “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” a signature production number considered one of his best.

Following in the tradition of “The Carioca” and “The Continental,” Top Hat features “The Piccolino,” an extravagant production number with song introduced by Ginger who said that Fred was supposed to sing the tune and hated it so he told Sandrich to give it to Ginger. In any case, she and Fred join the festivities with only their feet visible heading toward the dance floor, reminiscent of the movie’s opening sequence. It’s quite the rush as you see their feet advancing toward the dance floor, I must say.

“The Piccolino” is lively and fun, a terrific routine with a fun ending as the two end the number by sitting back at their table with Ginger having to fix her dress, a beautiful dress that made it to the Smithsonian.

Fred and Ginger doing The Piccolino

Top Hat premiered at New York’s Radio City Music Hall to record crowds. Added security had to be sent to the venue to ensure order. The movie went on to gross $3 million on its initial release, and became RKO’s most profitable film of the 1930s. 

Follow the Fleet (1936)

Mark Sandrich was back to direct Follow the Fleet, which I have a huge affection for. The Irving Berlin score in this film is superb with songs that take me back to my childhood and the memory of watching them on Saturday nights on our local PBS station. Fred, Ginger, Sandrich and the crew of Follow the Fleet heard about the record numbers of moviegoers attending Top Hat as they gathered to begin shooting this movie. The excitement certainly inspired them to make Follow the Fleet the cheerful, energetic movie it is. Although, Ginger hoped that by this, their third movie together, Mark Sandrich would recognize her worth it was not to be. She discusses his dislike of her a lot in her book.

Like in Roberta, Fred and Ginger’s relationship in Follow the Fleet is that of the secondary romantic couple supplying the laughs in the film despite the fact that they get top billing. The primary romance here is the one between Harriet Hilliard (in her first feature film) and Randolph Scott. The story is simple, Bake Baker (Astaire) and Bilge (Scott) visit the Paradise Ballroom in San Francisco while on Navy leave. At the ballroom are Connie Martin (Hilliard), who is immediately taken with Bilge, and her sister Sherry (Rogers), the dance hostess at the ballroom who also happens to be the ex-girlfriend of Bake’s. Sherry and Bake reunite by joining a dance contest and winning (of course), but it costs Sherry her job.

In the meantime, Connie starts talking about marriage to Bilge who is instantly spooked sending him into the arms of a party girl. Bake tries to get Sherry a job in a show, which entails a mistaken identity amid more confusion until things clear up and the two are successful, heading toward the Broadway stage. The confusion here comes by way of some bicarbonate of soda, in case you’re wondering.

Follow the Fleet is a hoot with several aspects straying from the usual Fred-Ginger formula. To begin, Fred Astaire puts aside his debonair self and replaces him with a much more informal, smoking, gum-chewing average guy. It’s enjoyable seeing him try to be common. Fred opens the movie with Berlin’s wonderful “We Saw the Sea,” the words to which I remembered during the last viewing, quite the surprise since I had not seen Follow the Fleet in decades. Later in the movie he gets another solo tap routine on deck of his ship with fellow seamen as accompaniment. Both instances are supremely enjoyable as one would expect.

Fred during one of his solo routines in Follow the Fleet

Ginger does a great rendition of “Let Yourself Go” with Betty Grable as a back-up singer. A bit later there’s a reprise of the fabulous song during the contest, the dance reunion of Bake and Sherry. According to Ginger, a search through all of Hollywood took place in hopes of finding other couples who could compete with Fred and her. This may already be getting old, but here you have another energetic, enjoyable routine by these two masters. The whistles from the crowd at the Paradise Ballroom show the audience enjoy it as well.

The Let Yourself Go routine during the dance contest in Follow the Fleet

As part of an audition, Ginger gets to do a solo tap routine, a rarity in these movies and it’s particularly enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, Sherry doesn’t get the job as a result of the audition even though she’s the best the producer has seen. Thinking that he’s getting rid of her competition (mistaken identity), Bake prepares a bicarbonate of soda drink, which renders the singer incapable of singing. Sherry drinks it and burps her way through the audition.

Sherry during the rehearsal, a solo tap for Ginger in Follow the Fleet

Now rehearsing for a show, Bake and Sherry sing “I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket” followed by a wonderfully amusing routine where Ginger gets caught up in steps leaving Fred to constantly try to get her to move along. During the number the music also changes constantly and they have fun trying to stay in step be in a waltz or jazz or any number of music moods. This routine is a rare one for Fred and Ginger whose dance sequences are usually step perfect. It looks like they have a blast with this including a few falls and a fight instigated by Ginger.

“Eggs in One Basket” routine from Follow the Fleet

Fred and Ginger follow the comical exchange in “I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket,” with one of their greatest sequences, another rarity in that this one happens out of character for both in the movie. The wonderful “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” and the routine to it make as iconic an Astaire-Rogers sequence as has ever put on film. The song and the performance tell a mini story outside of the confines of the plot. This is a grim tale executed with extraordinary beauty as we see two suicidal people happen upon each other and are saved from despair through dance. Again, kudos to Berlin’s genius because the lyrics of this song are sublime.

“There may be trouble ahead But while there’s moonlight and music And love and romance Let’s face the music and dance”

Ginger is a vision as Fred guides her across the dance floor. The dance starts off with a sway, they are not touching, he’s leading her, but she’s despondent at first, unable to react to his urging that there is something to live for. As that beautiful music advances she responds and in the process conquers demons. The routine ends as the music dictates in dramatic fashion with a lunge, they are both now victorious and strong. Magnificent. The movie concludes minutes later because…what more is there to say?

“Let’s Face the Music and Dance” Fred and Ginger

Ginger in beaded dress for “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”

Ginger is wearing another legendary dress in the “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” routine. Created by one of her favorite designers, Bernard Newman, the dress weighed somewhere between 25 and 35 pounds. The entire thing was beaded and moved beautifully along with Ginger. Fred Astaire told the story of how one of the heavy sleeves hit him in the face hard during the first spin in the dance. They did the routine about 12 times and Sandrich decided on the first. If you look closely you can see Fred flinch a bit as Ginger twirls with heavy sleeves near his face at the beginning of the dance, which is affecting, beautifully acted by both, but particularly Ginger in the arms of Fred Astaire.

Lucille Ball plays a small role in Follow the Fleet and can be seen throughout the film and a couple of times during the “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” sequence. Also, Betty Grable makes an appearance in a supporting role. Harriet Hilliard sings two songs in Follow the Fleet as well, but to little fanfare.

By Follow the Fleet Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were top box office draws as a team. America was in love with Fred and Ginger. And they still hadn’t reached the apex of dance.

Swing Time (1936)

Swing Time was directed by George Stevens, his first musical, made when he was the top director at RKO Pictures. As I watched these films in succession I noticed something I never had before, Fred and Ginger’s dancing in Swing Time is more mature than in previous films. The emotionally-charged “Never Gonna Dance” sequence has always been my favorite, but I had never considered that it is because Astaire and Rogers are at their peak. This, they’re fifth starring outing as a pair, is their best.

The plot of Swing Time is similar to that of Top Hat to include the ever-present mistaken identity theme, but this movie is wittier and more inventive and clever surrounding memorable songs by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern. The story here begins as dancer and gambler, Lucky Garnett (Astaire) arrives late for his own wedding to Margaret Watson (Betty Furness). Angry at the young man’s audacity, the father of the bride tells Lucky that the only way he can marry his daughter is to go to New York and become a success. Lucky heads East with his lucky quarter and constant companion Pop Cardetti (Victor Moore).

Once in New York the stage is set for a chance meeting between Lucky and Penny Carroll (Rogers). The encounter leads to the first routine in the movie to the glorious “Pick Yourself Up” at the dance academy where Penny works as an instructor. The exchange leading up to the dance sequence is quite enjoyable as Lucky makes believe he can’t dance as Penny tries in vain to teach him. His fumbling on his feet causes her to be fired by the furious head of the dance studio, Mr. Gordon (Eric Blore). To make it up to Penny, Lucky pulls her to the dance floor to show Gordon how much she has taught him and she delights in seeing his amazing dancing ability. The routine that ensues is energetic, fun, and the movie’s acquaintance dance after which Penny is completely taken with Lucky.

During the “Pick Yourself Up” routine in Swing Time

Watching Ginger transition from angry to incredulous to gloriously surprised to such confidence that the dance floor can’t even contain them is simply wonderful. As the dance progresses her joy grows naturally illustrated by such details as throwing her head back or giggling as Fred, who’s the wiser, wows her. And she, in turn, gives Gordon a few hard looks as he sits there making memorable Eric Blore faces. At the end of the dance their relationship is different and Gordon is so impressed he gets them an audition at the Silver Sandal Nightclub where they enchant the patrons and are hired. Incidentally, since Fred’s mood, shall we say, is what initiates and dictates these routines he has little emotional change through these mini stories. The journey is mostly all hers.

Before they do the nightclub act, Lucky sings “The Way You Look Tonight” to Penny while her hair is full of shampoo. The song won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song. Penny and Lucky are now in love. That night at the nightclub, Penny tells Lucky that bandleader Ricardo Romero (Georges Metaxa) has asked her to marry him many times so it’s no surprise when Romero squashes their chance to perform. That is until Lucky wins Romero’s contract gambling and sets the stage for the “Waltz in Swing Time”

“The Waltz in Swing Time” seems to me to be one of the most complex of the Astaire-Rogers dance sequences. Performed at the gorgeous art deco club, this routine is as airy as it is masterful. Fred and Ginger lovingly looking at each other throughout as twists and turns and light taps happen around them. Gosh, they are awe-inspiring.

The Waltz in Swing Time

The next day Lucky does all he can to avoid a love-making scene with Penny. He’s in love with her, but remembers he’s engaged to another woman and hasn’t told her. Meanwhile Pop spills the beans to Mabel (Helen Broderick, the fourth wheel in this ensemble.) A kissless Penny and a frustrated Lucky sing “A Fine Romance” out in the country and Ginger once again gives a lesson in acting. I’ve noted in other posts about how acting in song is never taken too seriously by people and this is another example. Ginger Roger’s reviews in these films were often mediocre with the praise usually going entirely Astaire’s way. Admittedly, Astaire-Rogers films are not dramatic landscapes that allow for much range, but the fact that Ginger manages believable turns in the routines and in all of the sung performances should be noted. She had an air of not taking the films and roles too seriously, but still managed a wide range of emotion, particularly when the time came to emote in dance. That only made her all the better and often the best thing in the movies aside from the dancing.

Fred Astaire has a wonderful production number, “The Bojangles of Harlem,” in Swing Time even though he performs in blackface. The number is intended to honor dancers like Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson who were influential to Fred Astaire. Aside from Fred’s indelible dancing in the sequence, the number is memorable for introducing special effects into Fred Astaire dance routines as he dances with huge shadows of himself. The effect was achieved by shooting the routine twice under different lighting. “Bojangles of Harlem” earned Hermes Pan an Academy Award nomination for Best Dance Direction.

As our story continues – Penny and Lucky are definitely into each other and Ricardo is still wooing Penny when Margaret shows up to spoil the festivities. Actually, she comes to tell Lucky she’s in love with someone else, but doesn’t have a chance to say it before Penny is heartbroken.

And so here we are…we see Penny and Ricardo talking. Given the situation with Lucky – his impending marriage and his losing their contract while gambling – she feels she has no choice but to marry Ricardo. Lucky walks in. Two heartbroken people stand at the foot of majestic stairs as he begins to tell her he’ll never dance again. Imagine that tragedy. The music shifts to “The Way You Look Tonight” and “The Waltz in Swing Time” throughout. Ginger, who had gone up the stairs, descends and the two walk dejectedly across the floor holding hands. The walks gathers a quiet rhythm until they are in each other’s arms dancing. Still, she resists, attempts to walk away, but he refuses to let her go until she succumbs, joining him in energetic rhythm, two people in perfect sync as the music shifts to past moments in their lives together – shifts between loud and quiet, fast and slow, together and apart – mimicking the turmoil of the characters in that time and place.

Ginger’s dress here is elegantly simple as if not to detract from the emotion of the piece, which is intense. Everything about this routine is absolutely gorgeous.

Fred and Ginger split toward the end of the number, each going up an opposite staircase on the elaborate set. They reach the top where the music reaches its crescendo. The two dance, a flurry of turbulent spins. Until she runs off leaving him shattered. And me.

To my knowledge, the “Never Gonna Dance” sequence in the only one where a cut had to happen during the dance in order to get the cameras to the top of the stairs. This is the famous routine that made Ginger’s feet bleed. One of the crew noticed her shoes were pink and it turned out to be that they were blood-soaked. Also notable is that the number was shot over 60 times according to Ginger and several other people there. At one point George Stevens told them all to go home for the night, but Fred and Ginger insisted on giving it one more try. That was the take that’s in the movie. Once done the crew responded enthusiastically.

In the end of Swing Time, as is supposed to happen, Lucky manages to interrupt Penny’s marriage to Ricardo and makes her all his own.

Ginger looks stunning in Swing Time. For details on her Bernard Newman designs in the film I suggest you visit the Glam Amor’s Style Essentials entry on this film.

Despite the many wonderful things about Swing Time, the movie marked the beginning of audience response to Fred and Ginger movies declining. The movie was still a hit, but receipts came in slower than expected. The Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers partnership never quite gained the same momentum as it did up to this point in their careers together. Although the pair was still an asset for RKO and they had many more memorable on-screen moments to share.

Shall We Dance (1937)

In 1937 Astaire and Rogers made Shall We Dance with Mark Sandrich at the helm once again. Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore are also on hand for the film that featured the first Hollywood film score by George and Ira Gershwin.

The plot of Shall We Dance is a bit convoluted, but still enjoyable. Fred plays Peter P. Peters a famous ballet dancer billed as “Petrov” who yearns to do modern dance. One day he sees a picture of famous tap dancer Linda Keene (Ginger) and sees a great opportunity to blend their styles. Similar to their other movies, Fred falls in love with Ginger at first sight. It takes her longer to recognize his graces, but eventually falls hard for him too. That is, after many shenanigans and much confusion when she gets angry and hurt and then he has to win her over again.

Fred has a terrific solo routine here with “Slap That Base,” which takes place in an engine room using the varied engine and steam sounds to tap to. Ginger later does an enjoyable rendition of the Gershwin classic, “They All Laughed (at Christopher Columbus),” which leads to a fun tap routine for the duo. For this Ginger is wearing that memorable flowered dress by Irene who dressed her for this movie. This “They All Laughed” sequence is where he woos her and where she cannot help falling for him.

Soon after “They All Laughed” Fred and Ginger call the whole thing off in the classic sequence that takes place in New York’s Central Park on roller skates. At this point in the story the tabloids have reported the two are married and, having fallen for each other, they don’t know what to do. “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” was written by the Gershwins in New York prior to the making of Swing Time. The brothers brought the song with them to Hollywood and it works perfectly in the comedic scene with both Astaire and Rogers taking turns with verses of the catchy tune before starting the roller skating tap routine.

Unable to stop the rumors that they are married, Pete and Linda decide to actually marry in order to later divorce. The problem is that they’re both crazy about each other, which he demonstrates with one of the most romantic songs ever written, “They Can’t Take that Away From Me.” This song was a personal favorite of both Fred and Ginger. So much so, in fact, that the song was used again in their final film together, their 1949 reunion movie, The Barkleys of Broadway. “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” remains the only occasion on film when Fred Astaire permitted the repeat of a song previously performed in another movie.

George Gershwin died two months after Shall We Dance was released in May 1937. He was posthumously nominated for an Academy Award, along with his brother Ira, for Best Original Song for “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

The finale of Shall We Dance is an odd production number. Fred dances in front of dozens of women donning Ginger Rogers masks. Pete Peters decided if he can’t dance with Linda Keene then he’ll dance with many of the next best thing. The real Linda joins him for the final act, touched by his attempt to clone her. The end.

Carefree (1938)

Carefree is probably the Astaire-Rogers movie I’ve seen least and it was refreshing to take a new and improved look at it for this tribute. Mark Sandrich directs Fred and Ginger for the last time in this romantic comedy, the shortest of their films, which attempts a new story flavor for our stars with Irving Berlin tunes.

Stephen Arden (Ralph Bellamy) asks his Psychiatrist friend Dr. Tony Flagg (Astaire) to meet with his fiancée  Amanda Cooper (Rogers). Immediately we know Arden’s in trouble because Ralph Bellamy never gets the girl, but anyway… Amanda is having trouble committing to marrying Stephen and agrees to see Tony who immediately decides she needs to dream in order for him to decipher her unconscious. After having all sorts of odd foods for dinner Amanda dreams, but of Dr. Tony Flagg, not Stephen. Embarrassed by her dream, Amanda makes up a weird tale, which leads Tony to think she has serious psychological issues that only hypnosis can fix. In slapstick style, Stephen comes by Tony’s office to pick up Amanda and without realizing she’s hypnotized lets her run free on the streets causing all sorts of havoc.

Fed Astaire does a terrific routine early in Carefree where he hits golf balls to music. I know nothing about golf, but recognize this is quite astounding. In a 1970s interview, Fred commented on the scene with some affection saying it was not easy and couldn’t believe he was asked to do another take when the balls were ending off camera.

Amanda’s dream allows for a beautiful, fantasy-like routine to Irving Berlin’s “I Used to Be Color Blind” made famous because Fred and Ginger share the longest kiss here than in any other one of their movies. It happens at the end of the sequence done in slow motion, which definitely causes swooning. About the kiss Fred Astaire said, “Yes, they kept complaining about me not kissing her. So we kissed to make up for all the kisses I had not given Ginger for all those years.” Fred was not a fan of mushy love scenes and preferred to let his kissing with Ginger in movies be alluded to or simple pecks, but he gave in partly to quell the rumors that circulated about he and Ginger not getting along. As Ginger told the story, Fred squirmed and hid as the two reviewed the dance and she delighted in his torture. She explained that neither of them expected the long kiss as it was actually a peck elongated by the slow motion. That day she stopped being the “kissless leading lady.”

The longest kiss Fred and Ginger ever shared on-screen from Carefree

By the way, Ginger is wonderful in the sequence when she’s hypnotized. She gets an opportunity to showcase her comedic skills in similar fashion than she does in Howard Hawks’ Monkey Business (1952) opposite Cary Grant.

At the club one evening Ginger kicks off “The Yam” festivities. According to Ginger this is another instance where Fred didn’t like the song so he pawned it off on her. Who could blame him? Silly at best, “The Yam” is a dance craze that never actually catches fire as it doesn’t have the panache of “The Continental.” These people give it all they have, however, and the evening looks like an enjoyable one. Or, at least I would have loved to be there. Of course Tony joins Amanda in doing “The Yam” before the crowd joins in. As an aside, Life Magazine thought Fred and Ginger doing “The Yam” was worthy of a cover on August 22, 1938.

After yamming it up, Amanda is determined to tell Stephen she’s in love with Tony, but he misunderstands and thinks she professes her love for him. Suddenly Stephen announces their engagement. It’s a total mess that Tony tries to fix through hypnosis, which backfires supremely. Thank goodness everything straightens itself out in the end.

Before getting to the final, exceptional routine in Carefree the supporting cast deserves a mention. Louella Gear joins the fun in Carefree as Aunt Cora, in the same vein as Alice Brady and Helen Broderick in Fred and Ginger movies before her. Hattie McDaniel makes a brief appearance albeit as a maid, but it’s better to see her than not and Jack Carson has a few enjoyable scenes as a brute who works at the psychiatrist’s office.

After Amanda tells Tony she’s in love with him, he hypnotizes her to hate him because he doesn’t want to betray Stephen. When Tony realizes he loves Amanda it’s too late, she’s left his office to be happy with Stephen, avoiding Tony at all costs. But at the club one evening, Tony manages to find a few moments alone with her outside and what results is a sexy number during which she’s completely under his spell. In fact, this may be Fred and Ginger’s sexiest routine. “Change Partners and Dance With Me,” which begins inside as she dances with Stephen, is another beautiful song from Irving Berlin, which received one of the three Academy Award nominations for Carefree for Best Music, Original Song. The other two Oscar nods were for Best Art Direction and Best Music, Scoring.

Howard Greer designed Ginger’s gowns for Carefree and the one she wears in the impassioned “Change Partners and Dance With Me” dance is absolutely stunning.

Ginger is under Fred’s Spell in Carefree

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle directed by H. C. Potter is the ninth of ten dancing partnership films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the last of their musicals in the 1930s and for RKO, and the only one of their films based on a true story and real people.

Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. Hugely popular, the Castles were credited with popularizing ballroom dance with a special brand of elegance and style. Their most popular dance was the Castle Walk, which Fred and Ginger do in the movie. In fact, they replicate most of the Castle’s dances as closely to the original as possible. As you’d expect from Fred Astaire.

Irene Castle served as a Technical Advisor on The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle and the story goes that she eventually disowned the film because of the film’s lack of authenticity. In defense of some of the changes though, 1934 censorship restrictions were quite different than those in the 1910s. The differences affected costuming and casting at every level of the film. That said, Variety gave The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle a glowing review and the public received it warmly.

Ginger and Fred as Irene and Vernon Castle

It must be mentioned that The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle features two of the greatest character actors who ever lived. Edna May Oliver plays the Castle’s manager Maggie Sutton and Walter Brennan plays Walter, Irene’s majordomo, for lack of a better word, since she was a child. Both of these characters were changed dramatically for the film due to production code restrictions. The real Maggie Sutton (real name Elizabeth Marbury) was openly a lesbian and the real-life Walter was a black man. Neither of those suited the production code mind for broad appeal across the country.

Fred and Ginger do a fine job in this movie. The dances are pretty if not as elaborate as those Astaire and Rogers performed in their other movies. It is exciting to see them do a Tango, a dance I am particularly fond of. However, there is one other dance sequence in particular that moves me immensely, “The Missouri Waltz” at the Paris Cafe when Vernon returns from the war. The acting in the sequence is superb as you can feel the emotion jumping off of her as he picks her up in a gorgeous move during which she wraps herself around him. It’s stunning.

Ginger wrote in her book about the day they shot “The Missouri Waltz,” the last filmed in the movie and, to everyone’s mind, likely the last number she and Fred would ever do together. RKO was abuzz with rumors and people came from far and wide to watch them shoot it. They came from all around RKO, from Paramount and from Columbia to see this last dance. “This was a very dignified way to end our musical marriage at RKO.”

In 1939, after completing The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, Astaire and Rogers split as you know. Astaire’s salary demands proved too much for RKO pictures. Fred Astaire went on to make movie musical magic in all manner of ways, both alone and with other outstanding talents, leaving a rich legacy of treasures. Ginger Rogers went on to prove herself a true quadruple threat. We knew by 1939 that she could sing, dance and be funny but now, determined to go into straight drama she reaches the pinnacle with an Academy Award-winning performance in Sam Wood’s, Kitty Foyle in 1940. I recognize Ginger’s dramatic talent in the time I spent watching the many dance routines she did with Fred Astaire, but in a time when movies were seen just once it’s difficult to think of other actors who make the transition from film genre to film genre so seamlessly as she did. Hers was a rare talent.

Since I already dedicated an entire entry to Fred and Ginger as The Barkleys of Broadway, Josh and Dinah Barkley, I will forego a full summary here. For now let’s relive the reunion.

Ten years after she made her last appearance on-screen with Astaire, Ginger Rogers walked onto the set of The Barkleys of Broadway. The cast and crew had tears in their eyes. This was special. She said her “hellos”, kissed Fred Astaire and they got to work.  At first Ginger explained that Fred seemed disappointed. Judy Garland was scheduled to make the picture with him, but was replaced by Ginger. All of that doesn’t matter though because as a fan, I cannot fathom what it must have been like for audiences in 1949. If people are out of their minds excited about the release of a superhero film today, if audiences drool over a new and rehashed installment of Spiderman, imagine seeing legends together again after a ten-year sabbatical. I would have had to take a Valium. I get chills just thinking about it, and admit a bit of that happens when I watch The Barkleys of Broadway in my own living room. From the moment I see the opening credits, which are shown while the couple is dancing, quite happily – she in a gold gown and he in a tux, I mean, seriously, I’m verklempt right now. We are all happy to be together again.

Despite their great individual careers the magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers together cannot be replicated. And it wasn’t necessarily the dancing, or not the dancing alone, that made them a perfect pair. It was the glances, the touch, and the feel that made them magic. The spell of romance, real for the length of a composition, entranced. We all know Katharine Hepburn’s famous quote, “she gave him sex and he gave her class.” Well, Kate was not wrong. Fred Astaire was never as romantic as when he danced with Ginger. And Ginger, a down-to-Earth beauty, was never as sophisticated as when she danced with Fred.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers brought prestige to RKO when it was in desperate need of it and joy to a nation hungry for respite from tough times. In a six-year span they established themselves as the best known, best loved dancing partners in the history of movies and have remained there for 85 years. I’ll end with these words by Roger Ebert, “of all of the places the movies have created, one of the most magical and enduring is the universe of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.”

Sources:

The RKO Story

Ginger: My Story by Ginger Rogers

The Astaires: Fred & Adele by Kathleen Riley

As many Fred Astaire interviews as I could find.

Be sure to visit the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) and The Anniversary Blogathon. There are many fantastic film anniversaries honored for this prestigious event.

85 Years of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers It was 85 years ago this week, in October 1934, that Mark Sandrich’s The Gay Divorcee…

[filosofilagucom]

Adele Live At Royal Albert Hall Review

Adele Live At Royal Albert Hall Review -

Adele Live Review At Royal Albert Hall

Soul singer Adele has been nominated for six Grammy awards for “21,” written in part to exorcise or at least not repress the demons of painful, euphoric and sometimes severed relationships she’s experienced. She is genuinely adored for her stunning voice and volcanic emotional expressiveness the world over.

Live At The Royal Albert Hall (XL Recordings), an…

[filosofilagu]

Adele Live At Royal Albert Hall Review

Adele Live At Royal Albert Hall Review -

Adele Live Review At Royal Albert Hall

Soul singer Adele has been nominated for six Grammy awards for “21,” written in part to exorcise or at least not repress the demons of painful, euphoric and sometimes severed relationships she’s experienced. She is genuinely adored for her stunning voice and volcanic emotional expressiveness the world over.

Live At The Royal Albert Hall (XL Recordings), an…

[patricksmusicblog]

My Favorite Albums/Projects From Each Year of the 10s

The 2010′s decade is about 6 months till its end, mind-boggling enough, this blog has existed for 9 years of it starting mid-2011. Thank you to everyone who’s ever taken any sort of time out of their life to read, think about, or even just glance at one of my reviews over the years it’s meant a lot. Special thanks to those who’ve sent music for me to review or just to listen too and those who’ve reached out and bonded with me over music and more the past few years. This is a compilation of most of all my favorite albums/mixtapes/eps over the years. I’ll probably condense it by years end to a top 50 albums of the 10′s list at the year's end. Hopefully, you find something you haven’t heard and enjoy.

2010 Favs:

Drake- Thank Me Later(Rap): Katy Perry- Teenage Dreams(Pop) Vampire Weekend- Contra(Indie Pop) MGMT- Congratulations(Psych Rock) Nicki Minaj- Pink Friday(Rap) Morning Benders- Big Echo(Indie Pop) Kid Cudi- Man On The Moon II: The Legend of The Rager(Rap) Earl Sweatshirt-Earl(Rap) Four Tet- There Is Love In You(Electronic) Logic- Young Broke and Infamous(Rap) Ceremony- Rohnert Park(Punk)                                                       Baths- Cerulean(Electronic) Caribou- Swim(Electronic)

2011 Favs:

Drake- Take Care(Rap) Kendrick Lamar- Section 80(Rap) Elzhi- Elmatic(Rap) Tyler The Creator- Goblin(Rap) A$AP Rocky- LiveLoveA$AP(Rap) Adele- 21(R&B/Pop) Braids- Native Speaker(indie pop/experimental) Common- The Dreamer The Believer(Rap)                                           Death Grips-Exmilitary(Rap/Experimental)                                                        Thurz-LA Riot(Rap) Logic- Young Sinatra(Rap) Plaid- Scintilli(Electronic) The Roots- Undune(Rap) Battles-Gloss Drop(experimental rock) Africa HiTech-93 Million Miles(Electronic) Torae-For The Record(Rap) Oneohtrix Point Never-Replica(Electronic) Wale-Ambition(Rap) Danny Brown- XXX(Rap)

2012 Favs:

Death Grips-The Money Store(Experimental Hip-Hop) Death Grips- No Love Deep Web(Experimental Hip-Hop) Kendrick Lamar-Good Kid MAAD City(Rap) OFF!-Off!(Punk) Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!(Post-Rock) Cloud Nothings- Attack On Memory(Post-Hardcore) The Act Of Estimating as Worthless-Amongst These Splintered Minds//Leaden Thoughts Sing Softly(Indie-Folk) Big Krit-Live From The Underground(Rap) Aesop Rock-Skelethon(Rap) Crypts-Crpt(Electronic) BBNG-BBNG2(instrumental Hip-Hop/jazz rap) KRS-One- The BDP Album(Rap) Killer Mike-Rap Music(Rap) Nas-Life Is Good(Rap) Animal Collective- Centipede Hz(Psych-pop/Experimental Music) Torche- Harmonicraft(Punk) Squarepusher- Ufabulum(Electronic) Rapsody-The Idea Of Beautiful(Rap) Grimes-Visions(Synth-Pop) Joey Bada$$-1999(Rap)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnwUlyjmloI Theesatisfaction -Awe Naturale(Neo-Soul)(R&B)

2013 Favs:

Honey Bones- Honey Bones EP(Synth-Pop) A$AP Rocky-LongLiveASAP(Rap) Joey Bada$$- Summer Knights(Rap) Daft Punk- Random Access Memories(Disco,Electronic,Funk) Janelle Monae-Electric Lady(R&B)                                                Braids- Flourish//Perish(Electronic/Synth-pop)                                Daniel Avery-Drone Logic(Electronic) Anamanaguchi- Endless Fantasy(Electronic/chiptune) Am & Shawn Lee- La Musique Numerique(Electronica) The Haxan Cloak-Excavation(Experimental Electronic) My Bloody Valentine- MBV(Shoegaze) Danny Brown- Old(Rap) Charli XCX- True Romance(Synth-Pop) J.Cole-Born Sinner(Rap) Katy Perry- Prism(Pop) Rapsody- She Got Game(Rap) Tyler The Creator- Wolf(Rap) Paramore- Paramore(Pop-Punk/Alternative) Boards Of Canada-Tomorrow's Harvest(Electronic) Mac Miller- Watching Movies With The Sound Off(Rap) Run The Jewels- Run The Jewels(Rap)

2014 favs:

La Dispute- Rooms Of The House(Post-Punk) Solids- Blame Confusion(Post-Hardcore) Cloud Nothings- Here and Nowhere(Post-Hardcore) Off!- Wasted Years(Punk) Autistic Youth- Nonage(Punk) Sleepstream- They Flew In Censored Skies(Post-Rock) Indian- From All Purity(Black Metal) Glassbooks- Deluge(Post-Punk) Mono- Rays Of Darkness(Shoegaze) Manchester Orchestra- Cope(Alternative Rock) Kidaudra- Ache(Synth-Pop) Mars and The Massacre-Blackout(Garage Rock) Hivehead- Garbage(Punk) No Axis- Labyrinth(Electronic) American Wolf- My Main Sport(Post-Rock) Charli XCX- Sucker(Pop) Run The Jewels- Run The Jewels 2(Rap) Aphex Twin- Syro(Electronic) J. Cole-2014 Forest Hills Drive(Rap) Clipping- CLPPNG(Experimental Rap) Adult Jazz-Gist Is(Experimental Rock) Freddie Gibb & Madlib- Pinata(Rap) Kimbra- Golden Echo(Pop) Logic- Under Pressure(Rap) FKA Twigs-LP1(R&B) Deadmau5-While(1<2)(Electronic) Napolian- Incursio(Electronic) Eprom- Halflife(Electronic) Wolves In The Throne Room- Celestite(Electronic)                   Basement Jaxx- Junto(Electronic)                                          Tokimonsta- Desiderium(Electronic) Vessel-Punish, Honey(Electronic) Plaid- Reachy Prints(Electronic) Skyzoo & Torae- Barrel Brothers(Rap) Big K.r.i.t- Cadillactica(Rap) Uncommon Nasa- New York Telephone(Rap) French Montana-Coke Boys 4(Rap) Death Grips-Government Plates(Experimental Hip-Hop) Future-Monster(Rap) Nitty Scott MC- The Art Of Chill(Rap) Prhyme- Prhyme(Rap) Common-Nobody's Smiling(Rap) Shabazz Palaces- Lese Majesty(Rap) Mastodon- Once More 'Round The Sun(Metal)

2015 favs:

Kendrick Lamar- To Pimp a Butterfly(Rap) Tame Impala-Currents(Psych-Pop) Shlohmo- Dark Red(Electronic) Chelsea Wolfe- Abyss(Dark Wave) Dr. Dre- Compton(Rap) Joey Bada$$-B4.DA.$$(Rap) Protomartyr- The Agent Intellect(Post-Punk) Battles- La Di Da Di(experimental Rock) Girlpool- Before The World Was Big(Punk) Alabama Shakes- Sound & Color(Blues-Rock) Theesatisfaction- Earthee(rap) Square Pusher- Damogen Furies(Electronic) The Chemical Brothers- Born In The Echoes(Electronic) Earl Sweatshirt- I Don't Like Shit I don't go Outside(Rap) Grimes- Art Angels(Synth-Pop) Lupe Fiasco- Tetsu & Youth(Rap) Braids- Deep In The Iris(Electronic/Synth-Pop) Scarface- Deeply Rooted(Rap) Drake- If Your Reading This It's Too Late(Rap) Jay Rock- 90059(Rap) A$AP Rocky- At Long Last A$AP(Rap) Torche- Restarter(Sludge Metal) Aldo Calrissian- Future Shower Thoughts(Electronic) The Game- Documentary 2.5(Rap) Future- Beast Mode(Rap) Future- 56 Nights(Rap) Lana Del Rey- Honeymoon(Baroque pop) Adele- 25(Pop/R&B) Constant Deviants- Avant Garde(Rap)

2016 Favs:

A Tribe Called Quest-We Got It From Here...Thank You For Your Service(Rap) J. Cole-4 Your Eyez Only(Rap) Tacocat-Lost Time(Punk) Weezer-The White Album(Alternative) Danny Brown- Atrocity Exhibition(Rap) YG- Still Brazy(Rap) Schoolboy Q- Blank Face(Rap) Kendrick Lamar- Untitled Unmastered(Rap) BBNG- IV(Hip-Hop) Beyonce- Lemonade(R&B) Kamaiyah- A Good Night In The Ghetto(Rap) Solange- A Seat At The Table(R&B) Faxada- Cohost(Electronic) Celestial Sight- Through The Flat Fields(Electronic) Torae- Entitled(Rap) Kidaudra- Blue Human(Electronic) Aesop Rock-The Impossible Kid(Rap) Death Grips- Bottomless Pitt(Experimental Hip-Hop) Constant Deviants- Omerta(Rap) Man Bites Dog- Entertaining The World(experimental)-                  James Blake- The Colour In Anything(R&B) Drake- Views(Rap) Hivehead- Please Eat Ants(Punk) Damocles- Grizzly Neutron(Electronic) Kodachrome- Journey Into Imagination(Electronic) Lil Yachty- Lil Boat(Rap) Brooklyn White- One(Rap) Flatbush Zombies- 3001: A Laced Odyssey(Rap) Parquet Courts- Human Performance(Indie Rock) Run The Jewels- RTJ3(Rap)

2017 Favs:

DJ-V-The Mad, Mad, Maniac(Rap) Aldo Calrissian- Destroy All Bring New(Electronic) Cloud Nothings- Life Without Sound(Post-Hardcore) Honey Bones- Black(Electronic) Tops- Sugar At The Gate(indie rock) ZoThejerk & Frost Gamble- Black Beach(Rap) Metz- Strange Peace(Noise Rock) Lorde- Melodrama(Art Pop) Tone Chop & Frost Gamble- Respect Is Earned Not Given(Rap) Raekwon- The Wild(Rap) Big K.R.I.T-4eva Is A Mighty Long Time(Rap) Breakfast Muff- Eurgh!(Punk) Epiglottis-She Unravelled the Heavens and The Light Shone Through(Electronic) Jay-Z- 4:44(Rap) Protomartyr- Relatives In Descent(Post-Punk) Four Tet- New Energy(Electronic) Joey Bada$$- All Amerikkkan Bada$$(Rap) SZA- CTRL(R&B) Rapsody- Laila's Wisdom(Rap) Kendrick Lamar- DAMN(Rap Converge-The Dusk In Us(Metal/punk) Princess Nokia- 1992 Deluxe(Rap) Bibio- Phantom Brickworks(Electronic)

2018 Favs:

Reason-There You Have It(Rap) J.Cole- KOD(Rap) Pusha T- Daytona(Rap) Jay Rock- Redemption(Rap) Royce Da 5'9- Book Of Ryan(Rap) Meek Mill- Championships(Rap) Noname- Room 25 Jean Grae & Quelle Chris- Everything's Fine(Rap) Aphex Twin- Collapse EP(Electronic) Kidaudra- Pluto IRD(Electronic)https://kidaudra.bandcamp.com/ Dirty Projectors- Lamp Lit Prose(Experimental Rock) Black Panther: The Album(Rap) MGMT- Little Dark Age(Electronic) Hinds- I Don't Run(Indie Rock) Dream Wife- Dream Wife(Punk) Phryme- Phryme 2(Rap) Tone Chop & Frost Gamble- One(Rap) Cupcakke- Ephorize(Rap) Freddie Gibbs- Freddie Gibbs(Rap) Tierra Whack- Whack World(Rap) Flatbush Zombies- Vacation In Hell(Rap) Cardi-B- Invasion Of Privacy(Rap) Lil Wayne- Tha Carter V(Rap) 21 Savage- I AM > I Was(Rap) Kodak Black- Dying to Live(Rap)                                                     Logic- Young Sinatra IV(Rap) Converge- Beautiful Ruin EP(Metal/punk) Princess Nokia- A Girl Cried Red(Emo-Rap) Naked Giants-Sluff(Punk) Moaning- Moaning(Post-Punk) Chrome Panther- A Screaming Comes Across The Sky(Electronic) Shame- Songs Of Praise(Post Punk)

2019 Favs so far:

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana(Rap)

Beast Coast-Escape From New York(Rap)

Styles P-S.P. the GOAT: Ghost of All Time(Rap)

Shlomo- The End(Electronic)

Avey Tare- Cows On Hourglass(Electronic)

Skinny Girl Diet- Ideal Woman(Punk)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jilotRrvtsQ

Dreamville- Revenge of the Dreamers III(Rap)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57ZNBRzhTv8

[tabloidtoc]

People, July 1

Cover: Carrie Underwood -- How Faith and Family Made Her Stronger 

Page 3: Chatter -- Madonna, John Legend, Adam Sandler, Eva Longoria, Kevin Jonas, Lena Headey 

Page 4: 5 Things We’re Talking About This Week -- Marie Curie subs for Mariah Carey, Julia Roberts reveals Pretty Woman’s dark alternate ending, Krispy Kreme plans a New York City megashop, Disney debuts the Frozen 2 trailer, Courteney Cox’s daughter borrows her dress 21 years later 

Page 7: Contents 

Page 8: Contents 

Page 10: Editor’s Letter 

Page 12: StarTracks -- Kate Middleton’s wild week 

Page 14: Beloved TV Casts Reunite -- Amy Poehler and Retta, George Wendt and Ted Danson, David Denman and John Krasinski 

Page 16: Adele and Spice Girls Geri Halliwell and Mel B and Emma Bunton and Melanie C, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie, Owen Wilson 

Page 17: Tom Hanks, Cardi B

Page 18: Jon Stewart, Kawhi Leonard and Drake, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel and Jermaine Dupri, Ice-T and daughter Chanel Nicole, Olivia Newton-John and daughter Chloe and husband John Easterling 

Page 21: MTV Movie & TV Awards -- Lizzo, Elisabeth Moss, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt with their son, StyleTracks -- metallic dresses -- Judith Light, Sienna Miller, Tiffany Haddish, Sophie Turner, Claire Foy, Mandy Moore 

Page 23: Jennifer Lawrence getting ready to wed 

Page 24: Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk keeping the split civil 

Page 26: Heart Monitor -- Ally Maki and Travis Atreo engaged, Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies divorcing after 14 years, Wendy Williams and Marc Tomblin new couple, Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger happy newlyweds 

Page 28: The Bachelorette Hannah Brown’s front-runner Jed Wyatt allegedly had a girlfriend at home who says he betrayed her, Lauren Bushnell engaged to Chris Lane, Sean and Catherine Lowe expecting baby no. 3 

Page 31: Taylor Swift and Katy Perry reunite, inside Britney Spears’ life after treatment 

Page 35: Inside Keanu Reeves’ private world, This Week in People History -- Miley Cyrus’ sudden stardom 

Page 36: Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds’ fight for LGBTQ acceptance 

Page 38: Stories to make you smile 

Page 41: Passages, Why I Care -- Dave Matthews launches a wine to support the International Rhino Foundation 

Page 44: Weddings -- Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee 

Page 45: Hunter McGrady and Brian Keys 

Page 46: Krystal Nielson and Chris Randone 

Page 49: People Picks -- Toy Story 4 

Page 50: The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Rolling Thunder Review: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese 

Page 51: The Bravest Knight, Mark Ronson -- Late Night Feelings 

Page 52: Years and Years, The Raconteurs -- Help US Stranger, Q&A -- Bruce Campbell 

Page 53: Instinct, One to Watch -- Big Little Lies’ Douglas Smith 

Page 54: Books, Q&A -- Vanessa Bayer 

Page 56: 100 Reasons to Love America 

Page 57: Cover Story -- Carrie Underwood -- Life, love and living the dream 

Page 64: The modern women of country music -- Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves 

Page 65: Kelsea Ballerini 

Page 66: Tiger Woods, Timothee Chalamet 

Page 69: Michelle Obama, Cardi B and Bruno Mars 

Page 70: The Jonas Brothers 

Page 71: Beyonce, Tim Tebow 

Page 72: Andy Cohen, Kenan Thompson 

Page 82: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez 

Page 86: Cassie David 

Page 87: The Marvel Universe 

Page 90: Farrah Fawcett’s final days 

Page 94: Hailey Burns’ abduction nightmare 

Page 98: Gayle King -- her time to shine 

Page 104: Preventing youth suicides -- Greg Hudnall’s Hope Squads 

Page 109: Remembering Stonewall 

Page 113: Gabrielle Grunewald -- a beloved runner’s sad goodbye 

Page 114: Jennifer Aniston -- single and happy 

Page 116: The incredible life of Gloria Vanderbilt 

Page 118: Mysterious deaths in the Dominican Republic 

Page 122: 61-year-old surrogate Cecile Eledge gave birth to her granddaughter 

Page 128: Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie -- inside the close bond between Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughters as they tackle royal duty, work in the real world and prepare for the next chapter in their family life 

Page 132: Ryan Michelle Bathe on her childhood experience with corporal punishment and why she and husband Sterling K. Brown chose another way 

Page 137: Style -- sandals -- Karlie Kloss 

Page 138: Beauty -- The 7 products Nicole Kidman can’t live without 

Page 148: Home -- Trisha Yearwood’s down-home decor 

Page 150: Travel -- The Big Little Lies travel guide to Monterey, California 

Page 155: Second Look -- Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson 

Page 156: One Last Thing -- Emily Deschanel 

[lobsters-on-their-heads]

OB Rewatch: Guillotines Decide

Pretty sure I used this shot for my first watch review, as well. It’s just too good.

You can read my first watch review, in which I wonder about Delphine’s shirt and her purpose at Rachel’s hotel, here: https://lobsters-on-their-heads.tumblr.com/post/163602794911/guillotines-decide

I loved

Cozy domestic Cophine. We need more of that.

Delphine getting a compliment from Siobhan in front of four members of clone club, including Cosima.

Both shots of Delphine in the hallway

Dude. DUDEEEEE, check it out! Delphine has the same gray shoulder bag here that she has in the elevator scene with Rachel in 2x10.

Since we know she didn’t take it to the island with her, I like to think Cosima got it from her apartment or something and saved it. There’s a ficlet idea in there somewhere.

Felix seeing Cosima again for the first time since she got her cure.

Adele - “Are you gonna get dressed?”

Sarah - “I am dressed.”  #relatable 

Speaking of Adele, I love her calling out Sarah. “She's thinking about your brother. Are you?” Because of course Sarah can't be happy for Felix for a day.

Delphine and Felix – a pairing we need to see WAY more of, as well. “I don't know Felix, maybe it's because we are up to something.” Indeed.

This shot. Look at those puppy eyes:

Felix's transition from reacting to Sarah's news about Ferdinand to shoving her into the gallery. Because he was totally right, it wasn't the time to be talking about any of that shit.

I usually hate watching people in embarrassing or cringe-worthy positions, but I LOVED seeing Ferdinand when he realized the flashdrive was empty.

Siobhan being such a mom at Felix's art opening, cheering the loudest, taking pictures or videos or both. Siobhan is the perfect example of a supportive parent of queer kids.

I did love Felix's Galaxy of Women speech. (And here’s a shameless pitch for the fic named after it: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11836590 )

Siobhan, regarding Rachel, to Ferdinand, “She just.. wasn't that into you.”

The scene at the laptop, even without knowing that Tat wasn’t supposed to cry. (also interesting to note that it’s Delphine’s laptop, not Cosima’s)

I liked

Kira's shirt has a great message for a show about clones.

Nice to have Gracie saying “after they cut out her tongue,” as Helena scraped her butter knife against the edge of the plate. It’s the little details that make this show so great.

Donnie offering Ezra a glass of champagne and then, realizing he didn't have any more, offering his bearded companion a napkin.

So, the “You own me” line. I am totally okay with it ON THE CONDITION that these two have had a long conversation prior to this scene in which any “ownership” or “belonging” is completely, 100% mutual. Like, Delphine said something about Cosima owning her or some shit like that, so it's bidirectional. Otherwise, it's terrible phrasing considering Cosima's issues with ownership at Dyad.

“I smell Neo shit!” oh, Helena

I didn’t like

I didn't need the drawn out scene of a doctor sewing up Rachel's eye. She could have just as easily collapsed in front of the elevator, then woken up bandaged. It was gore for the sake of gore, not for any kind of character development.

The opening scene lacks any sort of cliff-hangey punch to lead up into the credits.

There was a editorial or directorial slip when Felix starts off talking to Cosima about why she can't come, whichall people will be there, and then “you can totally come later if you want,” and then SARAH answers, “I do wanna come.” Sarah, no one asked you.

And Gracie's still around. It would have been better to have the scene with her and Helena first, and then show Mark on the island AFTER Gracie tells Helena that he's dead.

Don't like Siobhan brushing Sarah aside, especially since it was, I believe, JUST last episode that Siobhan was getting ready to storm Dyad with a couple of hand guns. I mean, she finally does say, “You're right, we can't stand down,” but it's very dismissive.

I don't like the line “it made me sick to work with the man who killed MK.” Just rubs me the wrong way. Not the sentiment, but the placement. Up until that point, as far as the audience was concerned, Delphine might’ve had no idea MK ever existed. And anyway, Delphine had reason to hate Ferdinand without knowing about MK (though poor MK’s situation certainly ratchets up the hatred). Plus, it’s a character stating their feelings rather than showing them.

Hell-Wizard as DJ / rapper was... fine, I guess. It didn't excite me nor upset me, but it was interesting to see a guy who's a security guard / comics shop owner and is also a DJ. But then, we just don't know Hell-Wizard very well. I do think the little rapping set was just there because someone wanted to give Calwyn Shurgold some screen time. It did not do much for me.

Felix fucking interrupting Cophine. Can these two have an on-screen conversation that doesn't get cut short, please?

I really didn't like the extended, dramatic shot of Siobhan getting the flowers ready and writing the letter. Siobhan’s death would have carried a huge emotional impact no matter how they did it, but these scenes are just ham-fisted.

Other notes

Starting shot = closing shot

I'm not sure I would recognize a kid who looked just like my mom did at 11. Not immediately like Kira does. But then, Kira had a bit of a head's up, perhaps.

It must have been really amusing for Siobhan to hang out with Charlotte, even for a moment, having known Sarah at that age. I have a feeling it would have been a trick getting Sarah into pigtails like that, though.

Look at this living space:

Three lamps 

old school radio (seriously, I think my grandparents had that radio when I was born) (no wait - actually it's a record player, and I hope it's the same one from the yurt in 4x09 and that Delphine just fucking took it with her when she went to Sardinia / Geneva)

a mysterious wall-door

swoopy bookends

candles (obvs)

fucking peacock feathers. 

But I LOVE Delphine's outfit here. I love it more than what she wears to the art opening and more than most of what EBro wears to fancy events and photo shoots.

They MUST have fucked before this scene. There's no way in hell Delphine would be this calm about Cosima's touch and proximity unless that itch got good and scratched. (Also, shameless plug for my first ever fic, Talk to Me: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11697588 , which takes place the day before this scene)

I know Cosima's looking at Delphine's mug of tea or coffee or whatever, but she is ALSO looking at Delphine's crotch, and smiling.

Hilarious, if kind of odd, that Felix addressed Sarah and Siobhan as “North American Scum.”

They have 144 doses of the inoculate ready to go in this episode. Just for, like, future reference.

Delphine's boots go over her knees. Women's fashion confuses me. Her coat is hot, though.

Adele says “We spiked our Glühwein with vodka” like that isn't something Swiss people would also totally do. Okay, they might use amaretto or something instead, but whatever.

For just a hot second I thought that was René Auberjonois from Star Trek: DS9. It isn't.

Both a like and a dislike, so here: I thought the concept of the clone swap as part of the show was clever, and very tongue-in-cheek. I have no idea how he'd replicate that anywhere else, or if it's even worth trying, which makes it strange when Ezra says it'll work in New York. Also, Alison (the first clone we see in this little line up) is super awkward, and it was hard for me to watch again.

Felix, you know damn well how Cosima feels about being shoved in front of a group of people. At least this time she doesn't have to give a speech.

Rachel thinks that Ferdinand “really loved” her. How sad is that?

Gracie didn't deserve to die, but I'm not upset about losing her. I'm more upset that Helena had to witness another murder.

I have questions

Was Sarah not informed of Felix's return? Or did she just forget? His art gallery opening must have been advertised, so it's not like anyone was keeping his presence in the city a secret.

“We bought a shit mountain of cheese.” God bless Adele. I want her in more of my fic. Let me find a way to make that happen. However, could they really bring cheese so easily through customs? Or did Adele mean that they bought it AND ate it in Switzerland?

What the hell order of nuns is Sister Irina in?

I don't know much about gallery openings, but are they usually set up, like, a few hours before the actual opening? Especially considering that Felix JUST got back, and before he left that was entirely his apartment.

When and how did Delphine learn about MK's death? For that matter, how did she learn about MK? Did Felix fill her in in Switzerland?

Where will Delphine and Cosima put that painting that Delphine bought?

Van Lier says they're no longer taking direction from Mr. Westermoreland. Which leaves the question, who is in charge? Who are they taking direction from?

Where is Siobhan's backup? Where's Benjamin? Why doesn't she call in some people to help her deal with Ferdinand? Hell, why not tell Art? I can understand her not telling Sarah. Did she call Delphine to give HER a head's up? I mean, I guess Ferdinand doesn't know about the Rabbit Hole? But still, I feel like Ferdinand would be pretty keen on fucking up Delphine's shit, too.

I don't know much about gun shot wounds to the chest (left ventricle, specifically), but... can people really hold conversations after being shot that close range in the heart?

I would’ve liked to have seen

Everything I wrote in Talk to Me - Cophine talking about everything that happened. I want to see them talking afterwards, too, about everything. They love each other, let’s fucking show it.

Ferdinand and Delphine left the hotel room together. How did THAT little hallway trip go?

I need to know how the hell Felix and Colin got back in contact. They are NOT over things, and their last meeting certainly ended on a sour (and slippery) note.

MAJOR missed opportunity not showing us Delphine watching Cosima dance. She wouldn't have needed to be in the main shot – she could have just been off to the side, looking all happy and puppyish.

[yesthatssadirichardslove]

Adele returns with new ferocity on '30' album

NEW YORK

Six years after Adele's last blockbuster exploration of heartache and loss, everyone's favorite ugly-cry balladeer is back, channeling her vocal fireworks to lay bare the emotional torture -- and catharsis -- of divorce.

In line with her three other records the British artist's highly anticipated new studio album "30," out Friday, digs into romantic pangs with the heart-piercing high notes set to stirring piano arrangements that have made her a household name.

The album's first single "Easy On Me" has reigned over the US and British singles charts since its debut four weeks ago, proving the enduring strength of Adele's prowess as a hitmaker with broad appeal.

Her record drops after years without headlines and a stretch of musical silence, defying pop's current standards of stream-friendly quick hits and an urgent social media presence.

But Adele's announcement this fall that a new album would soon soundtrack break-ups and wistful contemplation the world round set off a media blitz, including Vogue and Rolling Stone cover stories along with a primetime Oprah Winfrey interview spliced into a televised concert that drew more than 10 million stateside viewers.

In the years since the 15-time Grammy winner's last album "25" -- which included the megahit "Hello" -- Adele's relationship of nearly a decade with Simon Konecki, including two years of marriage, dissolved.

She sifted through the fallout of that traumatic period for "30," probing its implications for her own life but also for her nine-year-old son with Konecki, Angelo.

"There were moments when I was writing the record or I would listen back to something and be like, 'That might be a bit too private, that might be a bit too about myself to put out,'" she told Winfrey.

"But nothing is as scary as what I've been through over the last two, three years behind closed doors. So I'm not frightened about what people may or might not know."

While the 12-track "30" does include textbook Adele -- those slow, mournful tales of feeling jilted and alone -- she isn't hitting replay on her previous work.

The new album sees the now 33-year-old megastar marry her classic, piano-driven pop with new inflections of Motown and reggae, Afrobeat and dance music.

But its Adele's honed writing delivered in her smoky, volcanic range that does the heavy lifting on "30."

"They say to play hard, you work hard, find balance in the sacrifice," she belts in "I Drink Wine," a track that progresses from a 1970s-esque groove to a gospel choir-backed meditation on self-acceptance. And yet I don't know anybody who's truly satisfied."

In "Love In The Dark" she sings that "I want to live and not just survive."

"I've definitely felt like that," she told Winfrey. "But it was when I when I made it known to my own friends who thought I was really happy that actually I'm really unhappy and they all gasped. I felt like it was from there that I was, like, 'What am I doing? What am I doing it for?'"

Some of "30," she told Vogue, was a way of processing answers to the big questions her son had surrounding his parents' split, things that are difficult to "make sense to a nine-year-old."

"My little love," she sings in one song dedicated to her son, which also includes diaristic voice memo recordings of conversations with Angelo. "I see your eyes/ Widen like an ocean / When you look at me / So full of my emotions."

The North Londoner who now lives in Los Angeles is rare in the music industry in terms of the sheer breadth of her fan base, which includes people who listen to terrestrial radio and purchase physical albums as hundreds of millions more stream her work.

Along with the wave of positive critical reviews coming in, her new record is expected to be yet another resounding commercial success.

But no matter what numbers "30" does, Adele vows it will remain a work she holds dear.

"It's sensitive for me, this record, just in how much I love it," she told Vogue.

"I always say that '21' doesn't belong to me anymore," she continued, referring to her acclaimed sophomore album. "Everyone else took it into their hearts so much. I'm not letting go of this one. This is my album. I want to share myself with everyone, but I don't think I'll ever let this one go."

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^DOWNLOAD@PDF# Raising Human Beings Creating a Collaborative Partnership with Your Child [PDF EBOOK EPUB]

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Raising Human Beings: Creating a Collaborative Partnership with Your Child

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Author : Ross W. Greene Publisher : Scribner ISBN : 1476723761 Publication Date : 2017-8-15 Language : Pages : 304

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Synopsis : ^DOWNLOAD@PDF# Raising Human Beings: Creating a Collaborative Partnership with Your Child [PDF EBOOK EPUB]

Renowned child psychologist and New York Times bestselling author of Lost at School and The Explosive Child explains how to cultivate a better parent-child relationship while also nurturing empathy, honesty, resilience, and independence.Parents have an important task: figure out who their child is—his or her skills, preferences, beliefs, values, personality traits, goals, and direction—get comfortable with it, and then help them pursue and live a life according to it. Yet parents also want their kids to be independent, but not if they are going to make bad choices. They want to avoid being too overbearing, but not if an apathetic kid is what they have to show for it. They want to have a good relationship with their kids, but not if that means being a pushover. They don’t want to scream, but they do want to be heard. Good parenting is about striking the balance between a child’s characteristics and a parent’s desire to have influence. Dr. Ross Greene “makes a powerful case for rethinking typical approaches to parenting and disciplining children” (The Atlantic). Through his well-known model of solving problems collaboratively, parents can forgo timeout and sticker charts; stop badgering, berating, threatening, and punishing; allow their kids to feel heard and validated; and have influence. From homework to hygiene, curfews, to screen time, Dr. Greene “arms parents with guidelines that are clear, doable, and sure to empower both parents and their children” (Adele Faber, coauthor of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen). Raising Human Beings is “inspirational…a game-changer for parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Its advice is reasonable and empathetic, and readers will feel ready to start creating a better relationship with the children in their lives” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

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Read and Download Joanna Faber book How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7.A must-have resource for anyone who lives or works with young kids, with an introduction by Adele Faber, coauthor of the international mega-bestseller The Boston Globe dubbed ?The Parenting Bible.?For over thirty-five years, parents have turned to How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk for its respectful and effective solutions to the unending challenges of raising children. Now, in response to growing demand, Adele?s daughter, Joanna Faber and Julie King, tailor How to Talk?s powerful communication skills to children ages two to seven.Faber and King, each a parenting expert in her own right, share their wisdom accumulated over years of conducting How To Talk workshops with parents and a broad variety of professionals. With a lively combination of storytelling, cartoons, and fly-on-the-wall discussions from their workshops, they provide concrete tools and tips that will transform your relationship with the young kids in your life.What do you do with a little . 

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Read and Download Joanna Faber book How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7.Over 200,000 copies in print! A must-have guide for anyone who lives or works with young kids, with an introduction by Adele Faber, coauthor of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, the international mega-bestseller The Boston Globe dubbed ?The Parenting Bible.?For nearly forty years, parents have turned to How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk for its respectful and effective solutions to the unending challenges of raising children. Now, in response to growing demand, Adele?s daughter, Joanna Faber, along with Julie King, tailor How to Talk?s powerful communication skills to parents of children ages two to seven. Faber and King, each a parenting expert in her own right, share their wisdom accumulated over years of conducting How To Talk workshops with parents, teachers, and pediatricians. With a lively combination of storytelling, cartoons, and observations from their workshops, they provide concrete tools and tips that will . 

 How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 by Joanna Faber

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[thingsreadinthedark]

It’s Monday and I’m still working my way through a reading slump, but there are quite a few things that I want to finish this week.

I can’t wait until next week where I get to spend all my days reading and getting a lot of beauty rest with minimal interruptions, it’s going to be glorious. I do miss travelling and I’m sad that I won’t be visiting Jamaica this year, like last year or New York or anywhere else on my week off.. I’m sad. It’s all books and sleep. Might read some books heavily focused on destinations with lots of vivid descriptions next week.. might have to.

High on my list of things to read and finish up this week:

Temporary by Hilary Leichter — it’s a really funny absurdist novel about a woman who is doing a bunch of random jobs, like her whole life is just a series of strange random jobs.. I’m at 50%. This book was recommended to me by one of the coolest librarians that I know. This girl is like an endless well of cool, her style and everything she reads gives me just dope black girl blerd and you know as a blerd, I love a blerd!

I’m also trying to finish Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West —  I’m in an amazing book club called Blunts & Books it’s all beautiful Black women getting their lives and meeting up to discuss their selections once a month while enjoying a little of the herb. I didn’t finish this book unfortunately because I was reading a lot of traumatic things and I decided to put this down for a bit and recover through some other things. I will say that I love that the communities that I’m apart of really allow for flexibility,  I was still able to join their book club last night and listen to the amazing story that will eventually unfold in this book and I definitely will finish it, hopefully this week. I am 50% done so far.

I randomly started reading Passing by Nella Larson. I was emotionally pulled towards this book because of a conversation that my main book club had on Friday night where we were discussing the Chauvin verdict and I was very confused about how white people live and how they could be oblivious to things in a casually unassuming way. No shade to my lovely white friends in book club, but Black exhaustion was hard for some of them to pinpoint and the fact that they couldn’t recognize it and persisted in the conversation made me realize that white folks are really oblivious, when Black people always need to be hyper aware.. so I don’t know why this sparked my need to read Passing, but it did. I started this book and the writing is quietly unassuming and yet powerful. I’m halfway or more than halfway done so I’ll probably be finishing this up this week as well. 

I’m in love with The Toni Morrison Book Club, like I’m in love with it. I have so much respect for the vulnerability of the 4 authors who came together to share the ways that Toni Morrison’s work has connected with them or illuminated something critical to/in their lives. I find that the same thing for myself reading any of Toni Morrison’s work. My favourite work so far, Sula, highlighted so many things to me about my own place in the world as a woman just trying to live a free life, as opposed to what is expected of me and the limitations that I could and have in the past placed on myself. Anyway, I’m in love with this book and plan to hopefully finish it by the end of the week. My birthday is Sunday so.

Finna is also on my list of things to complete reading this month/this week. Nate Marshall is a fantastic wordsmith.

Things I haven’t read but want to read this week:

Milk, Blood, Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz

My book loving librarian friend read this and said it was levels of dope and then I seen one of my current favourite authors Deesha Philyaw of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies say in an interview two weeks ago that she highly recommends this short story collection, so you know I’m about that life! I’m hoping to crack this later this week or maybe next week, we’ll see.

Yo, so I’m deliberating starting a booktok, which is a TikTok dedicated to book commentary & book reviews from my specific lens. My problem is my attention span. I think being a public booktoker requires a level of commitment that I don’t believe that I possess. As a high vibrational, yet low key individual, I get my kicks off reading, writing and talking but I can’t help but wonder how I’d translate that to a bunch of videos.. my homegirl is a booktoker and I enjoy her content, but throwing my hat in the ring? I don’t know about all that. Still thinking about it amongst other things, but who knows what the future holds. Anyway. ✌🏾

Yes, I feel like aaanyway, is an appropriate way to end a post.