Saw a fantastic film this weekend: Born Into Brothels. Photographer Zana Briski lived in the red light district of Calcutta and taught photography to the children of prostitutes. These wonderful kids began to examine their environment with amazing insight. You just can't help but share their joy and pain. A non profit organization has been formed to support these kids and others like them around the world, Kids With Cameras. Check them out at kids-with-cameras.org and please support them in any way you can. Go see the film, buy the book and then tell 20 friends.
Kids are so amazing. I believe it's the only time in our lives when we truly see the world with honesty. I remember being fearless, driven, confident in a way that we rarely are as adults. When I was about 12, I wrote a spy novel. Over a hundred pages, so this was no minor endeavor. I was so sure that this was going to be the latest thriller (it was the '80s so of course it involved Russians and some of my other favorite things at the time like manatees and beagles) that I printed out my manuscript and joined a writers group at the local library. Yes, I know this has become a movie (see 'My Girl' for reference), but my best friend died of a polar bear mauling, not bee stings.
Anyway, I walk into this conference room and it's full of documentary writers, PBS authors, some guy on his fourth novel, and me -- with my dot matrix print outs. They adopted me instantly, and gave me great pointers like "Your main character's name keeps changing -- you might want to keep that consistent," and "when she returns home from the secret Russian scuba base it's 10am but she left the house at Noon -- try a timeline." They would include me in their conversations and even invited me to Big Boys afterward for coffee (I couldn't go, 'cause my dad was picking me up). Sometimes I wish I could tap back into that.
Have any of you ever had a best friend move far away? It sucks. My friend Gina moved to Ireland over a year ago and I'm so proud of her for going, but I miss her so damn much! It's really hard when someone who knows you better than anyone is now in a completely different timezone -- and I don't have that chance to get her great insight on life. Gina's one of the most creative people I know and I'm sure I'll be posting links to her books from this site soon enough.
Song for Monday: "Wonderful" by Adam Ant.
Kick your addictions,
SEP
Having a best friend in Tokyo sucks.
Posted by: Sharon | March 29, 2005 at 07:53 AM
you make me all weepy. and weepy in an internet cafe is not good! the geek boys are going to make fun of me...
I think everyone should just come to ireland. seriously. sure housing is stupidly expensive, food is stupidly expensive, and clothing is way stupidly expensive, but the Beamish is cheap!! and I'm here. and we don't suffer through humidity from hell every summer.
now were you or were you NOT on your way to dublin so we could discuss Quantum Theory and General Relativity?! smelloooo!!
Posted by: gster | March 31, 2005 at 08:32 AM