tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378815287830615802011-07-18T18:30:10.095-07:00One man's attempt to become a professional novelist, poet, and playwright.Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.comBlogger1061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-37855506710356879762010-06-18T23:58:00.000-07:002010-06-18T23:58:41.402-07:00

Check out my new home at http://litdreamer.wordpress.com And don't worry; all of my posts, videos, photos, music files, and comments from this blog have been imported to my wordpress blog.  The only thing missing is this cool template.

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-33002210819547007922010-06-18T14:18:00.000-07:002010-06-18T14:18:21.079-07:00

I remember when I saw Neil Jordan's The Crying Game.  In fact, I remember reading the review, which was separated from my viewing of it by several years.  Okay, maybe several several years.  The point is, after I saw it, I thought, "Now THAT is a perfect movie." Ondine is not a perfect movie.  Nor is it a bad movie.  In fact, it chugs along at a good pace, and even the strange ending doesn't

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-47053033911116038882010-06-17T15:08:00.000-07:002010-06-17T15:17:30.115-07:00

Along with A Tribute to Edward Norton, this movie was supposed to be a Seattle Cinema Club Meetup, organized by me.  Three other people had said they were going.  When I checked after the movie had played, two of them had canceled.  I never saw the third person, maybe because he didn't see my Starbucks hat (which I said I'd wear, but only held in my hand until I was inside the theater), or maybe

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-9535435138112100202010-06-15T17:49:00.000-07:002010-06-15T17:49:48.101-07:00

Me and Caroline Kamya, director of Imani. Not many people were in line when I went to get my will call tickets for the North American premiere of Imani (well, the last of three premiers ;-)).  In fact, I counted seven people total.  Then again, we're talking about a film that had played twice before, and which I was watching at 4:30 on a Friday, when most people are trying to get home from work,

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-58075421094269849542010-06-11T14:47:00.000-07:002010-06-22T15:38:01.309-07:00

I walk into the Paramount Theatre.  Wow!  According to signs on the glass entrance doors, no photography nor video recording is allowed ("strictly prohibited," it reads).  People take photos, anyway.  I do not, though I could have.  But, unless I could photograph a panorama of the room, and paste it to this post, I would not be able to capture the beauty of this theater.  Plus, it may be too

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-87288371609989818382010-06-08T21:16:00.000-07:002010-06-10T14:42:58.712-07:00

As part of my double-header on Saturday night, I saw 25th Hour, part of SIFF's tribute to Edward Norton's career.  As a bonus, he would be introducing the film.  Apparently, I wasn't the only one who heard the news: The line Still, because no one likes sitting next to strangers, I got another excellent seat, about five or six rows back from the screen.  I can also say that I went out the same

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-44000599379590438792010-06-08T14:49:00.000-07:002010-06-10T14:42:41.963-07:00

When I saw My Year Without Sex, I almost missed the beginning of the movie.  With this film, I almost forgot to bring my ticket.  And then the bus almost forgot to stop for me. Apparently, it was a good day for movies, as there were a lot of people, both at this screening and at the screening for 25th Hour, which I saw later that night.  Heck, it was a beautiful day for anything.  Maybe Edward

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-67359165616317288942010-06-07T21:14:00.000-07:002010-06-17T14:23:29.527-07:00

ACT IIt's been raining a lot lately.  When I got on the bus to see A Tribute to Edward Norton, it had started drizzling. But then Edward Norton cameth, and the clouds disperseth, and the sun shone.... I wish. By the time I got to the movie theater, it was pouring outside.  As you can see, though, that didn't dissuade the crowd:  Even getting there early, however, didn't guarantee us of a good

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-10625885634242900462010-06-04T15:46:00.000-07:002010-06-10T14:38:25.699-07:00

I entered SIFF cinema hacking and trying to form words.  Damn pollen allergies.  Luckily, there was a water fountain there, and luckily, my super dry throat did not bother me during the film. Jerzy Kawalerowicz, the director of this film, died in 2007.  The SIFF staff member who introduced Mother Joan of the Angels told us that he made 16 films (IMDB lists 17) and that she first discovered his

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-47082160169712137332010-06-04T13:53:00.000-07:002010-06-10T14:38:04.722-07:00

I wasn't sure how I would react to this film.  It is, after all, about the year after a woman suffers a brain aneurism, and I watched it on the same day that my mother told me one of her friends had died recently from what was probably a brain aneurism.  She was at her own retirement party, got a massive headache, went to the bathroom with one of the women there, and collapsed.  She never

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-14453897175283934742010-06-02T14:10:00.000-07:002010-06-04T14:00:59.797-07:00

On a day that feels more like winter than spring, how appropriate that I see a movie with the word "winter" in the title.  As I followed the line of moving ticket holders, I saw SIFF volunteers (staff?) taking photos of two women. one with her arms around the other.  I found out from the opening remarks that one of the women was the director of Winter's Bone, Debra Granik.  And then, she came up

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-34550456939787193032010-05-30T23:21:00.000-07:002010-06-09T15:48:31.365-07:00

In the book The Rape of Nanking, the late Iris Chang lamented the fact that Hollywood had not made a single film about this event, one of the worst atrocities of World War II, even though it was prime material for a movie ala Schindler's List.  Hollywood has still not made a film on this subject, but Chinese director Chuan Lu has, even basing one of the characters in the film on the late writer.

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-15829548978886829092010-05-29T15:54:00.000-07:002010-05-29T15:54:16.052-07:00

One year ago today, I was living with my parents, in Connecticut, after having come back from Japan the year before.  I was basically unemployed, since my only income came from substitute teaching, and I didn't substitute teach that often.  I had use of the blue van my parents had bought to bring my sister to college her freshman year, fifteen years before, but had no car of my own.  No health

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-40263832843533625402010-05-29T12:17:00.000-07:002010-06-04T13:58:39.529-07:00

As often happens in Seattle, it was raining as I got on the bus to go see my first SIFF film, the Tilda Swinton vehicle I Am Love (she also served as an executive producer on the film). I planned to get there at 6:30, since the movie started at 7.  Then I saw the crowd from my bus, and thought I should have gotten there earlier.  The entranceway was packed with people, and two lines (two) led

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-25040759625448692662010-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:002010-06-14T14:37:00.678-07:00

Now that you've seen some pictures from the May 20th Opening Night Gala, it's time for the rest of the story (as Paul Harvey would say). It all started with a transfer.  I had just grabbed an issue of The Stranger, Seattle's free alternative newspaper, which had a full SIFF guide inside, along with synopses of each movie and (if seen) a ranking of a star if it was good, or MUST SEE if it was...a

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-22377852175521817312010-05-25T12:15:00.000-07:002010-05-25T12:46:47.730-07:00

Riding back home Friday night from a BBQ for students and teachers at the school where I teach, looking at the student sleeping soundly beside me, I wondered: Can we ever know what they go through?  Far away from home, with few people who speak their language, with nothing written in their native tongue.  What must they deal with every day?  The loneliness, the sadness, the language barriers, the

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-5058344150844082722010-05-20T22:10:00.000-07:002010-05-20T22:10:42.977-07:00

SIFF officially started tonight with an opening night gala at Benaroya Hall in Downtown Seattle.  Here's a photo of us volunteers during a lull in the action. The movie playing tonight was The Extra Man, starring Kevin Kline, Paul Dano, Katie Holmes, and John C. Reilly.  The directors are Shari Springer and Robert Pulcini (who did American Splendor). This photo is of the "red carpet."  So

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-13797992729002166152010-05-17T21:59:00.000-07:002010-05-17T21:59:54.555-07:00

On Twitter today, I wrote, "Feels a bit like a toddler learning how to walk on this thing," referring to me.  That got me to thinking: how do toddlers learn how to walk?  First, they try to stand.  Often, they fall down.  Sometimes, after a failed attempt, they'll cry and have to be comforted.  But then they try again.  They refuse to be defeated.  Maybe the next time, they'll take a step before

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-80189302089095535562010-05-16T21:40:00.000-07:002010-05-16T21:42:21.029-07:00

Why, Greg, why? I wouldn't be surprised if you were to look out of your windows right now and see the four horsemen of the apocalypse riding across your lawn.  After all, the end of the world must be nigh. I have joined Twitter. With SIFF coming up, and my having no opportunity to write long posts while watching movies AND volunteering AND enumerating AND teaching, I thought this might be the

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-11240605240486064222010-05-14T19:43:00.000-07:002010-05-14T19:43:03.937-07:00

373 Films.  Three weeks and three days.  Seven main venues.  Shorts.  Features.  Documentaries.  And Edward Norton. The 36th Annual Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) starts a week from last night and ends on June 13th.  I will be there, volunteering.  I will be there, watching.  I will be there, at my first film festival, soaking everything in. The more I look at the movie guide, the

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-51027308955825870262010-05-09T23:45:00.000-07:002010-05-09T23:45:15.637-07:00

I have just finished a wonderful book for those wishing to buy an inexpensive collection of haiku from the masters of the form, or looking for a good starting point for reading haiku. The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology does five things very well.  For one, it includes the original poems (in romaji, which means that they're written using the English alphabet, rather than in kanji or

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-5330625488462904742010-05-09T00:32:00.000-07:002010-05-09T00:33:36.186-07:00

It's been a little over a week since my last post, though, if you've noticed, I have been popping up in the comments sections of other blogs--often multiple times--over the last two weeks, time probably better spent working on my novel, but I do have a few days coming up when I will be able to work on that exclusively, provided that my housemates (okay, I'm thinking of one in particular) doesn't

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-33901439972264682572010-04-27T18:21:00.000-07:002010-04-29T10:04:13.013-07:00

David Kross and Kate Winslet in a scene from The Reader "What we feel isn't important. It's utterly unimportant. The only question is what we do. If people like you don't learn from what happened to people like me, then what the hell is the point of anything?" So says Professor Rohl (Bruno Gantz) to a young law student named Michael Berg (David Kross) near the middle of The Reader.  Yet it

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-41815413227584167632010-04-27T17:38:00.000-07:002010-05-03T21:30:22.681-07:00

Okay, I know I've been writing a lot of entries recently, but this one, like the one for my birthday, is very short. I've added two new features to my sidebar, just below my profile: Books I Am Currently Reading, and Currently Working On (e.g.. novels, poetry, short stories, etc).  Books written in a gray font are books that I'm currently taking a break from, but haven't finished (they'll tend

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-58008331205171923612010-04-26T19:40:00.000-07:002010-04-28T16:01:31.612-07:00

How far must one go to atone for a wrong done in childhood? In 1935 England, a thirteen-year-old girl named Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) misinterprets a couple of encounters she witnesses between Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), a servant, and her sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), which--when mixed with adolescent jealousy--culminate in a false accusation that sends Robbie to jail.  Almost five

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-57279355162068993652010-04-25T00:20:00.000-07:002010-04-25T00:20:50.382-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-76009572367000326472010-04-24T00:09:00.000-07:002010-04-25T00:23:01.464-07:00

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. -Eleanor Roosevelt I kept repeating that quote after I came home tonight from work.  No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.  No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.  No one can make you feel inferior....no one.... I quit my job today.  Usually, when one leaves a job, it is customary to give the company two

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-41854626507758514712010-04-21T00:23:00.000-07:002010-04-21T00:23:56.353-07:00

Mark Twain died one hundred years ago today in Redding, Connecticut.  Had he lived, he would be very old.  In celebration of the centennial of Twain's death (and in recognition of my two years at the Mark Twain House and Museum), I have chosen to write about Twain in this edition of My Favorite Authors. Like my previous entrant, Leo Tolstoy, Twain did not win the Nobel Prize for Literature,

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-15935864017854400272010-04-18T11:10:00.000-07:002010-04-18T11:10:21.044-07:00

My birthday is a week from today.  Usually this means that I create a list of presents that I would like to receive on that day and send it to my family, giving them their second biggest laugh of the year (their first biggest laugh is my Christmas list).  Of course, as I've gotten older, I've only made these lists so that people who are already planning on getting me something have an easier time

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-63131995129463524942010-04-15T21:15:00.000-07:002010-04-15T21:18:03.609-07:00

I didn't have a good day at work today.  But, as I was walking home, I turned to my right, and saw..... Mountains. Mountain Re-enactment This is why I love Seattle. When a bad day is had in such beautiful surroundings, it doesn't feel as bad. Then I was almost hit by a car. Okay, so I made that last part up, but it would have been ironic if that had happened. ;-)

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-19068597295269145262010-04-10T15:34:00.000-07:002010-04-18T12:05:40.868-07:00

Things get broken during moves.  It's inevitable, like rain in Seattle.  Sooner or later, it'll happen. I've been lucky in that, while some objects that have been shipped to me have been scuffed, only two items actually received irreparable damage.  One was an Easter egg (not a real egg, folks!) attached to a string, which my mom thinks I received when I was very young, for one of my first

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-23248359615481591842010-04-07T20:59:00.000-07:002010-04-07T20:59:47.270-07:00

In recent days, and particularly after having watched Yi Yi, I have thought about the truism written in the above title.  A truism that is perhaps one of the hardest truisms for men and women to learn, and certainly one of the hardest and harshest truisms that I've had to learn. I've known, for a long time, that the past cannot be the present, but I often wished that it were.  What I didn't

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-65095141555379530532010-04-03T18:35:00.000-07:002010-04-03T18:35:57.311-07:00

Why is life so fleeting? Why must all things die? Why must days defeat us While in beds we lie? Why must petals wilt, And beauty fade like sighs? Why is life so fleeting? Why must all things die?

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-1513955173651039182010-04-01T14:43:00.000-07:002010-04-04T18:38:14.411-07:00

皆さん、こんにちは！ 私はえんぴつでわありません。チーズが大好きですよ。お名前は不ヂーニーハリーです。毎日お好み焼きを作っていますよ。こおりを食べるなら、気持ちがいいですよ。京都へ泳ぎに行ったとき、冬天気でした。本当に、富士山の中に納豆がありますよ。父はヒュージャクマンです。母は菊池凛子です。そうして、消しゴムでわありません。 一番大好き友達の名前は「ばか」けど、ばかでわありません。果物ですよ。その言葉の下にばかさんの写真を見てください。かっこい男の人ですね。 何ですか。だれですか。 じゃ、また！　返事を待ってください！;-P Translation: Added April 4, 2010 at 18:36 Hello, everyone!I am not a pencil.  I really love cheese.  My name is Harry Houdini.  

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-75001505211833120072010-03-29T16:06:00.000-07:002010-03-29T16:06:00.172-07:00

I originally wrote this really long post on David Hurwitz and his criticisms of classic classical recordings. I meant for it to be a criticism of a critic, but then I realized something: who would want to read it?  So, instead, I have decided to focus on Sir Georg Solti's recording of Schubert's Symphony No. 9, which Gramophone called "a winner among the many recordings of this symphony" and

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-82436891793366757432010-03-21T16:35:00.000-07:002010-04-10T15:25:17.003-07:00

Last night marks the first time that I shared any part of my novel with other human beings.  My parents have not seen any part of it.  My friends have not seen any part of it.  My reading of the first two pages of my novel was a world premier event. It took place at a Writer's Meetup that I belong to, the first meetup for this group I have been able to attend (and that wasn't canceled).  Seven

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-6174421468591643262010-03-19T21:03:00.000-07:002010-03-23T20:43:41.086-07:00

Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara as father and daughter in Late Spring (1949) Did Yasujiro Ozu ever make a movie that was less than a masterpiece?  I have seen four of his films now, and I have yet to find one that isn't great.  I started with Tokyo Story (東京物語: Tokyo Monogatari), then saw A Story of Floating Weeds (うきぐさ物語: Ukigusa Monogatari), Floating Weeds (うきぐさ: Ukigusa), and now Late Spring.  

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-27412696126016487172010-03-13T17:19:00.000-08:002010-03-20T14:31:27.480-07:00

Last Saturday, I got to walk among the cherry blossoms.  Over ten magnificent cherry trees stand in the Quad at the University of Washington.  The color of the buds matched those of the trees I saw in Japan, in what nows seems an eternity ago.  The buds on the trees closer to my house are darker, and have mostly fallen.  I imagine that most of the trees on the Quad have dropped their pedals by

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-7728056670370467182010-03-12T10:59:00.000-08:002010-03-12T10:59:04.644-08:00

In my elementary school, kids feared Mr. Lessig.  He was the authority figure.  No matter how loud the cafeteria was, as soon as kids spotted him walking into the room, the whole place went quiet.  If you were oblivious to the silence around you and continued to talk or goof off, you would soon hear yourself being addressed by this white-haired, gray-suit wearing man, whose most visible physical

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-53505554596350180342010-03-07T11:59:00.000-08:002010-03-08T09:31:56.055-08:00

The climactic battle The first movie I ever rented (and on VHS, at that) was King Kong.  If you're wondering which version I'm talking about, then you're thinking of the wrong one.  To me, there is only one. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to buy a newly restored and remastered DVD version (well, new as of 2006), which is certainly much clearer than my old VHS version was.  The main reason I

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-68073495330834782492010-03-02T18:06:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:35:54.829-08:00

Most of you reading this post have no idea who Rieko Matsuura is.  If I had not gone to Japan, I would have no idea who Rieko Matsuura is.  In fact, even now, I only know that she is a Japanese writer in her early fifties who wrote a scandalous book back in 1993 about a girl whose big toe turns into a penis.  The book in question was a landmark book in terms of dealing with sexuality in Japanese

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-44483356652669517092010-02-28T17:39:00.000-08:002010-03-08T09:50:07.970-08:00

Among the numerous competitions at the Olympics this year, the numerous success stories, failures, tragedies, high points, and low points, one event caught my eye more than any other.  If one can consider one event to sum up the entire Olympic experience, to be the focal point of the games, at least for us here in the U.S., it is the Women's Figure Skating Competition. On the men's side, I

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-40089721604109432432010-02-27T15:01:00.000-08:002010-03-23T22:25:52.566-07:00

Sometimes things happen for a reason.  Sometimes they just happen.  Whether they bring a smile to your face or a tear to your eye, they often catch you unawares, with some of the happiest moments occurring after some of the saddest, some of the most fulfilling moments after the most disappointing. Such was the case Tuesday for me.  Having come to the end of my probationary period with an NGO (

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-56979130525058557282010-02-20T23:44:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:34:22.821-08:00

Sometimes I try too hard when I write.  I read other comments on blogs and try to be as witty as them, or as poignant, or as observant, and end up sounding, instead, like I'm full of it.  The arts are strange in that, if you can see the effort involved in a completed piece, whether it be a painting, or a symphony, or a novel, it loses its desired effect.  The last movement of Mozart's Symphony No

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-33431141621057563882010-02-13T19:19:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:33:37.275-08:00

I hate abridged books.  To clarify, I am not talking about reference books, where an abridgement allows me to purchase a version of the Oxford English Dictionary that won't break my book shelf or my piggy bank.  Nor am I referring to excerpts found in anthologies.  Excerpts are fine.  They are meant to give a reader a taste of the whole.  Abridged books, however, masquerade as being the real

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-59054101889729789012010-02-10T18:10:00.000-08:002010-05-03T21:33:57.098-07:00

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." --opening line to Anna Karenina, as translated by Joel Carmichael, Bantam Classic I love Russian writers.  Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Babel, Bulgakov, Zamyatin, Pasternak, and--above all--Tolstoy.  And that's without tackling his greatest novel, War and Peace.  To think that after he wrote that

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-10640791833699592742010-02-05T17:15:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:33:05.599-08:00

Since I am a writer and humanist, the issues of free speech and human rights are very important to me, which is why you will notice a new addition to my sidebar.  February 11th is Victory of the Revolution Day in Iran, which celebrates "liberty, independence, and freedom," according to Amnesty International.  Ironically, the days leading up to that celebration may be marked with an increased

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-65274803502223174722010-02-03T12:16:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:32:42.230-08:00

Note: I originally wrote most of this entry on November 30, 2009.  Not that it makes much difference. Most of the issues I describe in this post have not gone away. Since September 11, 2001, Americans policy seems to be dictated out of fear.  The election of Barack Obama created a (too brief) respite to this situation, but now we are back to scaring the hell out of each other.  If we aren't

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-3607444677329930602010-01-31T00:35:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:32:21.452-08:00

It's after midnight in Seattle.  Rainy but warm the past few days.  Still need a winter coat at night, but sometimes can get by with less during the day.  And here I sit, on a rare occasion when I have good connectivity with my WiFi, wondering what my place in the world is. Recently, I've been reading The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, in addition to a collection of short stories by Haruki

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-13956007651103221562010-01-29T16:08:00.000-08:002010-03-23T22:33:18.367-07:00

I can't remember the first Japanese movie that I saw, but the first director I heard of was Akira Kurosawa, and I saw The Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Rashomon before seeing anything by Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi.  Of these three masters, I saw Mizoguchi next (Sansho the Bailiff--based exclusively on Roger Ebert's strong praise for the film), then Ozu's Tokyo Story, which stunned me

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-86135058259569380762010-01-23T18:21:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:31:11.742-08:00

All right, folks, here we go!  But before I give you my list of the top ten films of the last ten years (2000-2009), let me share with you my philosophy concerning "best of" and "worst of" lists.  If you're reading this list because you want to know what were the ten best films of the last ten years, you should stop right now.  If, on the other hand, you are curious as to what I deem to be the

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-12059384021530595432010-01-18T17:11:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:30:53.681-08:00

Before I get to the best movies of the decade (which I hope to post this weekend), I thought I should let everyone know what's going on in regards to my computer, this blog, and my life in Seattle. First off, recently my parents sent my computer to me from Connecticut, as well as my printer.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that, while one of my housemates now has Internet access, he

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-52589737218081562752010-01-08T17:29:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:30:23.613-08:00

In the spirit of every movie critic who has put out a top ten list of the best movies of the year, I too shall put out a list of the best movies of the year.  Mine, however, will be different, as I only saw twelve movies this year (actually, as far as movies go, that's not too bad).  So, I will only be listing my top five, as well as two Honorable Mentions and a Special Jury Award.  My best of

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-11339765386070260452010-01-02T16:10:00.000-08:002010-04-09T00:10:47.083-07:00

While Citizen Kane is the most critically acclaimed of American movies, It's a Wonderful Life may be the most loved (yes, I hear you, Casablanca fans!).  On Christmas Day, I saw this ultimate "feel-good" movie in a nonprofit movie theater here in Seattle, where its strengths shine through even more clearly than they do on TV. The movie starts with shots of Bedford Falls and voiceovers, praying

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-48476945730447348052009-12-23T19:29:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:28:56.751-08:00

So, here's the deal: my computer is back in Connecticut.  When I was staying with my brothers' friends, they let me use their computer.  The place I moved to doesn't have Internet (though it may soon).  It also doesn't have a computer.  But, I am able to use the Internet at the library (which is where I am now).  Yet another reason to love libraries. :-)  Since the computers are often taken,

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-26236110747593981342009-12-17T20:55:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:28:16.584-08:00

Since my mom just went to a Kenny G concert, and since Christmas is approaching, I thought now was a good time to write about a family tradition known as the "Kenny G Moment." Kenny G is a famous soprano saxophone player who has sold millions of albums worldwide.  He's in the Guiness Book of World Records for the longest note ever held (see his Wikipedia article here, which includes mention of

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-86261314625061441312009-12-14T20:45:00.000-08:002010-03-23T20:43:41.090-07:00

Okay, I lied.  There will be one more post in addition to this one.  When a movie affects me as Precious has, promises like the one in my last post must be broken. Shocking.  Brutal.  Audible gasps from the audience during the movie (some from me).  And yet, there's some humor.  Hope.  And much despair.  Excellent performances from Mo'Nique (as Precious's mother, Mary) and Gabourey Sibide (as

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-66653688253867520892009-12-14T13:35:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:22:26.701-08:00

Some of you may have noticed that I did not update my blog last weekend (though I did post on Thursday).  The reason for the interruption was that, on Sunday, I was looking at apartments/duplexes/places to move to (I worked on Saturday), since the people I'm living with now came to an agreement with me about how long I would stay here back when I lived in Connecticut, which recently was amended

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-20287645200645581942009-12-10T17:19:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:21:28.079-08:00

Just realized that I missed a very important rule for shoppers, so I've added it as rule #3, in italics. For all of you folks shopping during this holiday season, remember: Be nice to the sales associates. Chances are that many of them were hired for the Christmas rush, after which they will be unemployed.  Some of them may be moved around from department to department, and so not know where

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-16847763857069725312009-11-30T12:00:00.000-08:002010-03-23T20:43:41.093-07:00

An artist's rendition of Zhuge Liang There is a point in John Woo's Red Cliff  when the alliance between Liu Bei (Yong You) and Sun Quan (Chen Chang) has suffered what seems to be an irreversible setback.  Their adversary, the evil Prime Minister Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang), has sent the dead bodies of his typhoid-ridden soldiers down river to Red Cliff, where they have infected many of the soldiers

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-1896724389759150172009-11-28T21:11:00.000-08:002010-03-02T17:26:53.518-08:00

One of my followers, Melee, has decided to give me the following award for my blog.  As part of the deal, however, I must answer the following questions.  Reminds me of those "get to know me better" surveys that my friends would email me in college.  Anyway, I shall do my best, and perhaps you, fair readers, will learn a little more about me, without learning too much, of course. :-) 1. Your

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-2191198688162347142009-11-25T16:33:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:20:28.436-08:00

Jean Lean Gerome Ferris (1863-1930), The First Thanksgiving Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in America, when families get together to gorge themselves on too much turkey and stuffing, then fall asleep in front of a football game on TV.  But, just as Christmas is not about the presents (even for the Japanese--who are mostly not Christian.  For them, Christmas is about the decorations), Thanksgiving is

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-8628178063768321602009-11-21T22:52:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:20:07.073-08:00

Auguste Renoir, Dance at Bougival, 1882 Okay, so girl hunting sounds like I'm going out with my club at night, knocking innocent women unconscious, and bringing them back to my lair.  Or I'm going out to a bar looking for a cheap thrill.  Neither of those images is even close to what I mean, but no other combination of words seem to work, so I'll leave it as is.  Or maybe I should title this

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-66065445178113510352009-11-21T20:52:00.000-08:002010-03-08T09:52:04.347-08:00

After my orientation on Tuesday for my seasonal job, and my long and boring training on Wednesday, I got to enter my world again on Thursday and Friday--the world of theater, of movies, of art. Thursday I joined the SRO (Seattle Repertory Organization) annual meeting.  They are a volunteer organization that helps out at the Seattle Repertory Theater.  Mostly composed of older members of society

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-64710116743250579452009-11-20T11:52:00.000-08:002010-03-08T09:49:06.077-08:00

I don't want this to be a long entry, as I have many things to do today, but to not mention this at all, and the impact it will have on the literary world, would be a gaping hole on a  literary blog. After 2011, The Oprah Winfrey Show will be no more. Sure, she might have another talk show on the new network that she's starting up, but that will be on cable, which doesn't reach as many people

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-3966422974717457722009-11-16T16:34:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:17:20.442-08:00

"The old believe everything; the middle aged suspect everything; the young know everything."  -Oscar Wilde (born November 16, 1854)

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-17141699901635429052009-11-14T13:12:00.000-08:002010-04-09T00:10:47.087-07:00

 Edvard Munch, Separation (1900), Oil on Canvas I have seen Before Sunrise more than any other movie, save Amadeus (about nine times for Before Sunrise, about fifteen times for Amadeus).  In fact, it was at one time my favorite movie, before Lost in Translation came along and knocked it from its pedestal.  Still, it remains one of my favorites. In this film, Jesse (Ethan Hawke), an American man,

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-80465193776706054052009-11-07T16:00:00.000-08:002009-11-07T16:00:41.830-08:00

Puget Sound The past few days have been a mixture of rain, then clouds, then sun, then more rain. At times, the rain has been heavy, matching the strength of the sun's rays which come after. So it is that the city is balanced evenly between hope and despair. I have not explored all of the city yet. I'm staying in West Seattle, a suburb of Seattle, at the bottom of a road that looks like a

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-65225823881010674092009-11-06T12:10:00.000-08:002010-03-07T11:15:39.014-08:00

I have some stuff to report on Sunday concerning my job search and life in Seattle, but today, I've decided to figure out what my mission statement is.  In other words, why do I do what I do? The idea of a mission statement came from a program called "Project Hire" that I took a while back at Manchester Community College.  This was in addition to three free workshops I took there, which were

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-43419294604279768562009-11-01T14:44:00.000-08:002010-04-22T13:17:46.061-07:00

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was timid in his dealings with his benefactors.  That could be why he had so much trouble securing a job while in Vienna.  Other factors included the unpopularity of his father, Leopold, and Salieri's jealous guarding of his position as court composer (though the two were rivals, theirs was not the heated rivalry portrayed in the film Amadeus). At the time Mozart lived

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-38302750748935248272009-10-28T18:39:00.000-07:002010-03-07T11:10:34.004-08:00

Today was a crappy day, a demoralizing day, for me, so I thought I'd cheer myself up by doing the one thing that never fails me: writing.  In this case, it's on my blog, but any writing will do to lift the spirits. So now, things I don't understand: -The first Rambo movie was called First Blood.  The second Rambo movie was called Rambo: First Blood, Part II.  So why the hell is the next movie

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-31040763345314643872009-10-23T21:39:00.000-07:002009-10-23T21:45:20.669-07:00

Greetings from Seattle, everyone!  I landed a little before eleven yesterday morning (PST) after a somewhat turbulent flight from Chicago (though seeing the Cascade Mountains in all their glory made up for it, I think). The flight from Hartford to Chicago was slightly worse in that, after waking up from a nap, I felt nauseous, being slightly dehydrated and having not loosened my sneakers before I

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-35204492163936637842009-10-18T08:08:00.001-07:002010-03-07T11:09:43.582-08:00

Picture by my brother Before this week is over, I will be in Seattle.  Not for a vacation, not for a temporary move, but (hopefully) for a permanent stay.  That I am able to do this at all is due to the kindness of semi-strangers (friends of my brother) who are letting me stay in their house while I look for a job.  They aren't asking me for much, other than cleaning up after myself and chipping

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-2873967751494703162009-10-14T16:37:00.000-07:002010-03-07T11:08:37.211-08:00

Today I gave a speech at my former high school about writing.  I also read some poetry and sold a couple of books to my former ninth grade English teacher, now head of the English Department and a creative writing teacher.  It went well. The event I wish to write about, however, does not have to do with my speech. It happened when it was time for me to leave my house and head to the high school

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-50244163053079117362009-10-11T09:47:00.003-07:002010-03-20T14:27:33.057-07:00

Back in high school, my mom bought me a book called The Book of Success.  This book, edited by Richard Shea, was a quote book separated into twenty-three chapters, with the quotes in each chapter pertaining to that chapter's title (for example, a chapter titled "How Much Money Do I Need?" included quotes about money).  Still one of the most inspiring books that I own (and one that made me realize

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-84251240631127199412009-10-07T17:59:00.009-07:002010-03-11T16:30:47.992-08:00

My poetry book Please check out the side bar to see some of the extra features that I have added to this website, including a search option, an easier way to subscribe to my blog, and links to blogs to which I have currently subscribed.  Also, a poetry annual being released by Wild Leaf Press will include three of my poems.  The book will be available through their website starting October 15th.

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-58724395682229882622009-10-04T11:05:00.002-07:002010-03-07T11:07:37.720-08:00

A scene from Sita Sings the Blues, by Nina Paley (www.sitasingstheblues.com) I was originally going to write about video games, but there will always be time for that.  Plus, after watching Sita Sings the Blues, I got to thinking about copyright issues, and how little I know about them (this link helped). For those of you who haven't seen this movie, there's a reason for that: some of the

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-42557628520971730102009-09-30T09:10:00.010-07:002010-03-07T11:05:15.462-08:00

Maybe I should have written this blog entry yesterday, but reflecting for one day on the euphoria of the moment has given me more perspective on the matter, perspective that I lacked yesterday. After all, didn't Wordsworth describe poetry as "emotion recollected in tranquility" in his Preface to Lyrical Ballads (see paragraph 26)? I think the same can be said for other forms of literature, of

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-88734664148080468092009-09-29T16:24:00.006-07:002010-03-07T11:04:16.530-08:00

Before I forget, I want to update all of you on my novel. My novel is split into two parts. Last week, I printed out the final pages of Part Two, meaning that I have completed all rudimentary work on my second/third draft (click here to see why there's confusion on which draft it is I'm working on). I have set it aside for the week, but hope to go back to it next week, when I shall be reading

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-64774076666072834062009-09-27T12:48:00.009-07:002010-03-20T14:26:50.659-07:00

Having just seen the fantastic Korean historical drama "Dae Jang Geum" (subtitled in English, of course), I have become fascinated with Korean history, and with this historical figure, of which the show is a fictional representation. A great fictional representation, I should say, for I cannot remember seeing another show that left me feeling as entertained AND FULFILLED as this one. It is as

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-81354201546986037372009-09-25T14:09:00.011-07:002010-03-07T10:57:31.992-08:00

I have decided to submit "Akiba Maid" in the Long River Run poetry journal. I only got two responses to my possible entries, one of which hated "Akiba Maid" (made the reader want to take a shower), one of which really liked it. Since, as a writer, my job is to exert a powerful reaction from my readers, whether it be negative or positive, I felt I had to go with this poem for inclusion in the

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-27606978839100718332009-09-19T15:45:00.007-07:002010-03-07T10:58:05.101-08:00

I'm having trouble deciding on a poem to submit to Long River Run, a members-only journal of the Connecticut Poetry Society. Here's my first choice: Akiba Maid She walks through the streetsWith its shouting hawkers,Video game music,And otaku stalkers.She arrives for workDressed in white lace,Frilly undergarments,Black shoes, and a faceThat cheers up customersAfter long daysOf work, or

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-45449185130500200142009-09-13T11:59:00.011-07:002010-03-07T10:56:14.889-08:00

The title of this entry is a quote from William Faulkner. Like the statements Faulkner made when accepting his Nobel Prize, this statement has much truth to it. After all, Shakespeare is considered the world's greatest writer because his writing plumbed the depths of human experience better than any writer before or since. But is this what Faulkner was referring to when he said the above quote

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-85167574206136955992009-09-06T08:22:00.007-07:002009-09-06T16:19:34.759-07:00

The last two weeks have been filled with distractions for my writing and me. Some have been caused by circumstances beyond my control. Some have been caused by my own doings.The former consisted of my dear nieces, who--up until last night--were staying at my parents' home, along with my sister, her husband, and their dog. The girls liked playing with some of the objects on my desk, but since

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-47952152424855396242009-08-29T16:24:00.008-07:002010-03-08T09:48:48.883-08:00

Note: I wrote this blog on Saturday, but didn't publish it till today. I read much concerning the achievements of Ted Kennedy from the day he died to now, which I write as his funeral motorcade winds its way to Arlington National Cemetery. Besides his legislative accomplishments, many of the articles pointed out his personal ones, often in contrast to his personal failings. He could have given

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-60832419584985032682009-08-23T14:15:00.016-07:002010-03-07T10:51:19.429-08:00

Since I wrote so much for my mid-week blog, today I thought I'd write a quick update on my novel. As I approach the climax, work has been slow, especially since I still haven't figured out how to write in a plausible ending, based on the personalities and behaviors of my characters, nor what that ending should be. The past few days, I have written two or three pages worth of material, only to

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-87818583148175953382009-08-19T07:34:00.013-07:002010-03-07T10:45:52.556-08:00

When I created this blog, it was never with the intention to write anything political, impossible though that might be, since the original Latin word that "politics" comes from means "people" (you Latin majors out there can correct me if I'm wrong). But with all the vitriol I've heard about health care reform in this country--all the lies, the shouting, the pettiness, the fear--I've decided to

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-79059239023548102702009-08-16T08:05:00.020-07:002009-08-16T13:41:00.683-07:00

Bullet train reflected in a building, Nagoya, JapanI first traveled abroad when I was in eighth grade. That was to Bermuda, to do research at the Bermuda Biological Station with twenty-seven classmates, all of whom had to submit to a written and oral interview before being accepted into the program. We stayed there for about a week (and yes, that meant we got to miss a week's worth of school):

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-4656632095106506842009-08-07T21:44:00.010-07:002010-03-25T22:33:09.255-07:00

I'm not good at taking criticism, though I'm better at it than I used to be. The strange thing is, recently I've become angrier when someone criticizes something I really love (like a movie) versus something I've written. With something I've written, I usually can tell if there's truth to the criticism or not, but as to my feelings about a movie, or a book I've read, I seem to take much more

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-61321540226143964722009-08-02T07:04:00.013-07:002009-08-02T10:35:02.138-07:00

Tomorrow I am meeting one of my Japanese friends in New York City. She is the first of my Japanese friends to make the trip to the East Coast since I returned home, and so she will be the first of my Japanese friends that I will meet up with since I left Japan. I haven't decided yet whether to spend Tuesday in NYC, as well, though if there is room for me at the guest house where she is

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-20507859057978624362009-07-29T06:47:00.003-07:002009-07-29T06:53:54.721-07:00

I have changed the labeling on my blogs, so now it should be easier to find blogs pertaining to specific topics. Anything labeled "Literary Dreams" has to do with my growth as a writer, and anything that furthers my chances of getting published. So, anything pertaining to acceptances, rejections, how my writing is going, writing conferences, etc. will be found under this label.The rest should

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-18286629392643455242009-07-26T10:02:00.008-07:002010-03-25T22:31:58.605-07:00

Though I've listed my favorite books in my profile, favorite books are different from important books, particularly when it comes to writing. So, here are some authors and books that should be studied for what they bring to the craft of literature: J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter Series While this series includes many memorable characters and is one of the most fun books (or series of books) to

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-49566973942116975892009-07-19T07:02:00.012-07:002010-03-07T11:15:13.572-08:00

Sometimes I think too much. Sometimes I overanalyze a problem that I don't want to solve, in an effort to make it go away or seem like it's a problem to be dealt with far in the future. Case in point: the idea of going back to school or taking courses to acquire a skill set. The endless loop that my analysis leads me on is 1.) I'll have to pay for either program with money I don't have, and 2.

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-3230992064093731292009-07-12T08:28:00.016-07:002010-03-23T20:29:56.920-07:00

Before living in Japan, the only Japanese literature I had read was Masks by Fumiko Enchi (or Enchi Fumiko, as the Japanese write it) and some haiku. In Japan, I can't say that I read much Japanese literature, either, limiting myself to some of the shorter works of Mishima Yukio, his novel After the Banquet, Soseki Natsumi's I Am a Cat, and Soseki's far superior (and shorter) novel Mon (

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-3130713504087567342009-07-12T07:43:00.013-07:002010-03-07T10:36:04.768-08:00

It feels like I've been working on my first novel forever, and maybe I have. I first came up with the idea for it in sixth grade (1990) after writing a short story for class and feeling that I could expand it into a novel. I outlined it during my high school years, which is when I got most of my book ideas and began writing them down. I mention it in my London diary entries (2000), as I had a

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-38577928948683375572009-07-05T12:33:00.021-07:002010-03-20T14:28:46.914-07:00

Heart onigiri at Bar Eden. Until I went to Japan, I wasn't much into cooking. The most complex dish I made was Rice-a-Roni. Not that I'm making gourmet dishes now; I'm not. But, I wonder if I should be, or at least learning how. My cooking... Three of the people I lived with while in Japan were excellent cooks. I know; I got to eat some of their creations. The first person was my

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-83486253377429166212009-06-28T07:05:00.032-07:002010-03-07T10:31:56.467-08:00

For those of you who haven't read the first part of this entry, click here. Last time, I wrote about the classes I attended at the Wesleyan Writers Conference One-Day Event. In this blog, I'll continue with the two panels I attended, dinner, and the Padraic Colum Evening, which ended the one-day session. World Music Hall We had a half-hour break between the poetry class and our next event,

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-40939159014563190062009-06-26T05:42:00.011-07:002010-03-08T09:48:28.925-08:00

In a few days, I will post the rest of my adventure to Wesleyan, but I would be amiss if I did not comment today on the passing of Michael Jackson. Besides him, we lost two other giants recently: Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon. Of the three, though, MJ's loss was the most shocking, and indeed, the only one of the three that I can comment on personally. Michael Jackson was the first pop star

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-11347367488636348582009-06-21T15:12:00.004-07:002010-03-07T10:30:36.322-08:00

I woke up early on Thursday morning to drive to the Wesleyan Writers Conference One-Day Event. I brought with me my "man-purse," a black bag I had purchased in Japan, which has a main compartment, two side pockets, a handle that comes undone in order to access the main compartment, and a shoulder strap. In my bag, I carried a folder that included a partial map of Middletown, directions to and

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137881528783061580.post-83193139782210385642009-06-19T17:31:00.007-07:002010-03-07T10:30:02.895-08:00

The Wesleyan Writers Conference entry promises to be quite long, but I still hope to have it up by Sunday night. In the meantime, here's a poem I did as part of an exercise for one of the classes that I attended. I had to write a self-portrait in which I compared myself to something else, or wrote as another object. To add to the challenge, I had to write in syllabics, which means that each

Greg Salvatorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730593838362270359noreply@blogger.com2