Books, Books, and More Books

I have recently begun to ponder my literary journey up to this point in my life. How many books have I read? Can I remember them all? Last night, as I was asking myself these very same questions, I began taking inventory of my high school English exploits. Though I am sure I have forgotten many of the books I read, as it would be hard to remember each and every one, I am posting a list herein of my literary history to the best of my knowledge. This will be a year-by-year uptake on my high school and college journey through the Land of Eternal Prose. (LOL.)

Freshman Year

1.) Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney
2.) She Said Yes by Misty Bernall
3.) Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
4.) The Odyssey by Homer
5.) Animal Farm by George Orwell


Sophomore Year

6.) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
7.) Of Mice and Men by John Steinback
8.) The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
9.) When Rabbit Howls by The Troops for Truddi Chase
10.) Night by Elie Weisel
11.) Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
12.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
13.) Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
14.) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee


Junior Year

15.) Marley & Me by John Grogan
16.) The Crucible by Arthur Miller
17.) Marilyn: Norma Jeane's Dream by Catherine E. Krohn
18.) The Catcher In the Rye by J.D. Salinger
19.) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee
20.) Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
21.) Monster by Walter Dean Myers
22.) Burning Up by Caroline B. Cooney
23.) Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
24.) Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball


Senior Year

25.) A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
26.) 'Tis Herself by Maureen O'Hara
27.) Crank by Ellen Hopkins
28.) Glass by Ellen Hopkins
29.) Burned by Ellen Hopkiins
30.) Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
31.) Identical by Ellen Hopkins
32.) Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman
33.) The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
34.) The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
35.) Hamlet by William Shakespeare
36.) Dante's Inferno by Dante Alighieri
37.) Lush by Natasha Friend
38.) Perfect by Natasha Friend
39.) My Story by Marilyn Monroe
40.) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson


Since Graduation

41.) Bette Davis: More Than a Woman by James Spada
42.) Conversations with Joan Crawford by Roy Newquist
43.) No Bed of Roses by Joan Fontaine
44.) Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin
45.) Sisters: The Story of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine by Charles Higham
46.) Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher


This has been a guess. I know I am missing a great deal of the books that I read. But at the moment I cannot recall them. I'm sure that over time I will edit this as those books come to mind.

Olivia of the Golden Age

On this day, July 1, in 1916, a star was truly born. In Tokyo, Japan, Lillian Ruse de Havilland gave birth to her first child- Olivia Mary de Havilland. The elder of a cinematic sisterly duo (her younger sister is fellow Hollywood legend Joan Fontaine), Olivia has created an astounding legacy. The following is a timeline of major moments in Olivia's life:


1916: Olivia is born in Tokyo, Japan.

1919: Olivia, Joan, and Lillian travel to America to make a home without the girls' father, Walter Augustus de Havilland.

1924: In their mother's absence, Olivia and Joan are molested by their stepfather, George Fontaine.

1932: At age 16, Olivia is forced from her home by her parents and finds refuge in the home of a family friend.

1934: Olivia is cast in Max Reinhardt's stage production of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." She is subsequently granted a role in the big screen adaptation of said play.

1935: Olivia signs a 7-year contract with Warner Bros.

1939: Olivia is cast as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in David O. Selznick's production of Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind." Olivia's heartfelt, moving performance earns her her first Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actress.

1941: Olivia earns her second Academy Award nomination, for Best Actress, for her performance in "Hold Back the Dawn."

1943: Olivia files a lawsuit against Warner Bros, challenging the annexing of suspension time to an artist's 7-year contract. The court ruled in Olivia's favor, thus producing "The de Havilland Law."

1946: Olivia marries author Marcus Aurelius Goodrich, and wins her first Best Actress Oscar for her performance in "To Each His Own."

1948: Olivia gives a harrowing performance in "The Snake Pit," which earned her her third Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards.

1949: Olivia takes home the Best Actress Oscar for the second time; this time for her role in "The Heiress." Olivia also gives birth to her son, Benjamin Briggs Goodrich.

1953: Olivia divorces Marcus Goodrich, and flees to Paris, France, with Benjamin in tow.

1955: Olivia marries for the second time; this time to Paris Match editor Pierre Galante.

1956: Olivia gives birth to her daughter, Gisele Titine Galante, on July 17 of this year.

1962: Olivia files for divorce from Galante, but changes her mind and withdraws.

1964: During the filming of "Lady In a Cage," Olivia begins an extra-marital affair with Luther Davis, further complicating her already shaky marriage.

1965: Olivia files for a legal separation from Galante.

1968: Olivia's son, Benjamin, is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the age of 19. (some sources say 17, which would date this event to 1966, but Olivia herself has said he was 19 at the time, making this the most accurate estimate.) This was also the year that Olivia's father, Walter, died, at the age of 96.

1975: Olivia's and Joan's mother, Lillian, passes away from cancer at the age of 89.

1978: Joan Fontaine releases her memoir, "No Bed of Roses," severing all ties between the sisters for good.

1979: After 24 years, Olivia parts ways with Pierre Galante, but they remain on good terms.

1991: At the age of 42, Olivia's son Benjamin dies of heart disease resulting from complications of treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

1998: Olivia nurses ex-husband Pierre Galante through his losing battle with lung cancer while simultaneously helping her 42 year old daughter battle Depression.

2004: Olivia receives the "Premiere Women in Hollywood 'Legend'" Award.

2006: Olivia comes to America to help her newly-widowed daughter, not yet 50, cope with the death of her husband, Edward Broida.

2008: George W. Bush presents Olivia de Havilland with the National Medal for the Arts.

2009: Olivia comes out of semi-retirement to narrate a documentary about Alzheimer's titled "I Remember Better When I Paint."

2010: Olivia is 94 and still going strong. May this be a happy, healthy year for her. With many more to come.

(Though the time stamp on this post may say that it has been posted on June 30, it is 3am on July 1 in my time zone. I do not know how to correct this problem.)

The Lady Is a SLUT!!

I recently received a copy of "Conversations with Joan Crawford" in the mail, which I devoured in mere HOURS. I had been dying to read this book for months and was finally able to purchase it through Amazon.

As I expected, the book does NOT disappoint. It opens with the usual Foreword and Preface, then delves nicely into a quick, to the point biography on the lovely lady herself. Following that short bio are a plethora of conversations held between the author (Roy Newquist) and Joan Crawford. Through these interviews you become acquainted with a rather unexpected side of Joan. A sweet, sensitive, yet tough and sardonic woman. Her use of curse words (most commonly, it seems, "shit") is plentiful, and her humor is her own brassy brand. Those who say Joan Crawford had no sense of humor clearly have not read this book.

Throughout these conversations the pair touch on subjects like family relations, Joan's marriages and children, her films, and even her alcoholism. One topic they seem to skimp over is sex. Yep, sorry, but Joan went into no details about the men whom she was boning in her trailer between takes.

The book was well-written and flows very nicely. Aside from a few spelling/punctuation/grammatical errors, everything seems very well edited. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are anything like me (and God help you if you are) you will love it, too. I definitely got a kick out of her cursing, especially when she said "fuck." I'm just 12 years old like that... :)

Favorite quote: "Disney films are made for retarded children."

Yes, y'all, Joan Crawford did, in fact, say that. PROPS!!

I give this book a 4 out of 5.

The Disillusionment

I recently bought "Yvonne: An Autobiography," the reportedly juicy memoir written by Yvonne de Carlo, while drunk. It arrived in the mail today, and I have only had a chance to skim through a bit. In doing so I learned how Ms. de Carlo lost her virginity, and found the "F-word" once.

It's rather awkward for me, being subjected to the sex life of this woman. As a little girl I had no stable maternal authority figure. As a replacement, my young heart settled on the creepy, yet simultaneously cool, Lily Munster. So reading about Yvonne de Carlo's sexual exploits is something like listening to my own mother recount her glory, or, well, whore-y, days. Still, it is like those things you can't unsee. As much as you would love to look away, you just can't, because as disgusted as you are, the fascination wins you over.

All in all, from what I have read Yvonne seems honest, candid, and very witty. I look forward to finishing this book. I will post a full review once I complete reading the book.

Happy entrails! (Haha.)

Putting the Monster in the Box

What some do with therapy, I do with rum.

Have you ever wondered what Katharine Hepburn's nipples looked like?

Neither have I. But now I know... *tear*

I was inocently looking at pictures of Katharine Hepburn, and I saw one that I thought was very pretty. Little did I know the dress was see-thru (you couldn't tell from the small thumbnail), and when I took a closer look, I caught sight of her chesticles. It was only one nipple that was visible. But still!!!!

"I would hang you from the nipples, but you might scare the children."

You're damn right, Kate.

But who am I to complain? After all, she WAS quite sexy...

Still. Awkward.

Can't wait for Degrassi tonight. Exciting!!! :)

Lost & Found

I lost my virginity and I was wondering if anyone has located it?

Ok. Just kidding. Seriously though, I had a major dose of creative inspiration last night and I have already written my poem for next week's blog post. I won't give too much away, but I will say this: It's dedicated to a famous actress, who's initials happen to be JC. She's basically my girl crush; not to mention one of my favorite actresses. LOVE her. Obviously. So go ahead and try and figure it out.

Apparently I should quit posting poems on my blog because I only get like... 2 readers. I work too damned hard for only that few readers. Yes, I know that sounds a bit bitchy. I'm no Sylvia Plath, something of which I'm well aware. But, in all honesty, I was praying to gather a following. It is my goal to become a poet and my blog was a way to put myself out there.

No; I won't be shutting my poetry blog down. I'm just complaining. But people should seriously start spreading the word. LOL. I'm considering doing some major blog-whoring tonight. I have nothing better to do now that I am out of school and temporarily without a job.

On that note: I have a job interview tomorrow at 3:30. Where? Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers. Lame, I know. It's not my first choice either. I'd rather be working at Hot Topic or Torrid or Spencer's. You know... somewhere less fagulous. Blah. But beggers can't be choosers. And I desperately need a job. A job means money. Money means a car, a laptop, a cell phone that I control (as opposed to the one governed by the parentals, AKA the one they took away 2 weeks ago), and, best of all, all the classic films my heart desires. I see you laughing at me. So stop that this instant. ;)

On the subject of classic films, I feel the need to mention "Light In the Piazza." It's a little known romantic film from 1962 starring Olivia de Havilland (my fave actress EVER!!!!!!), Yvette Mimieux (nope, I didn't have to look up her name to spell it!! teehee), and George Hamilton (the actor who's more famous for his RIDICULOUS tan than has acting ability). It has to be one of the most sweet, adorable, romantic, heartwarming films I have ever seen. Here is a synopsis:

A wealthy American woman, Meg Johnson (de Havilland), takes her adult daughter, Clara (Mimieux), on a trip to Italy. While exploring the streets, the two run into a charming, young Italian man by the name of Fabrizio Nacarelli (Hamilton) who proceeds to romantically pursue the beautiful Clara. Unbeknownst to him, Clara, though 26 years old, posseses only the mental age of a ten year old. As the two begin to fall madly in love with each other, Meg does everything in her power to stop their budding relationship. Both fortunately and unfortunately, Clara's life unfolds before her mother's eyes. The truth eventually sets the young lovers free, and the language barrier, though insignificant, prevents Clara's mental disabilities from hindering true love.

Everytime I see this film I get all giggly and wrapped up in it. It's just so well-played and brilliant. I absolutely adore it. And, as immature as it is, I get a real kick out of hearing Olivia de Havilland say "sex." 12 years old much? LOL.

I also noticed that my old Sociology teacher looks exactly like Olivia de Havilland in "The Snake Pit," another favorite film of mine. Odd...

I have run out of things to say for now. So I guess I shall wrap things up.

Arrivederci!