Media Nugget

James Dickey

James Dickey

The Dusk of Horses

Right under their noses, the green
Of the field is paling away
Because of something fallen from the sky.

They see this, and put down
Their long heads deeper in grass
That only just escapes reflecting them

As the dream of a millpond would.
The color green flees over the grass
Like an insect, following the red sun over

The next hill. The grass is white.
There is no cloud so dark and white at once;
There is no pool at dawn that deepens

Their faces and thirsts as this does.
Now they are feeding on solid
Cloud, and, one by one,

With nails as silent as stars among the wood
Hewed down years ago and now rotten,
The stalls are put up around them.

Shallow Grave

Danny Boyle
Shallow Grave
1994

Danny Boyle's films have proven to be both powerful (Trainspotting) and forgettable (A Life Less Ordinary), but this, his first film, should live forever. The question is simple: what do you do when your stranger roommate dies with a lot of money? Any plot summary would give too much away. Let's just say it's a funny, violent mystery about greed and dismemberment. Ewan McGregor is his usual brilliant self, and Kerry Fox will soon be a major star. Not for the weak of stomach or temperament, this movie is well worth the investment next time you're at the video store.

From Here to Eternity

James Jones
From Here to Eternity
1951

One of the great American novels about World War II, From Here to Eternity captures the personal struggles of U.S. soldiers in Hawaii in the days leading up to Pearl Harbor. It's a love story, a war story, and ultimately a story about rebellion and conformity. Unfortunately, Jones is rarely given due credit as one of the masters of twentieth-century fiction. And this may be his best work. Although it was made into a classic film, don't take the shortcut -- read the book. There's more here than making love on the beach.

Jacky Terrasson

Jacky Terrasson
Jacky Terrasson
1995

This is the deal: You win the annual Thelonius Monk Competition, you get a record deal. Jazz pianist Terrasson took top prize in 1993 and here's the result -- a brilliant debut album that showcases original pieces of suprising maturity alongside of standards that Terrasson basically reconstructs as his own. "My Funny Valentine" and "For Once in My Life" are beautifully rendered, as is Terrasson's own "Just A Blues."

CivilWarLand in Bad Decline

George Saunders
CivilWarLand in Bad Decline
1996

"At noon another load of raccoons comes in and Claude takes them out back of the office and executes them with a tire iron. Then he checks for vitals, wearing protective gloves. Then he drags the cage across 209 and initiates burial by dumping the raccoons in the pit that's our little corporate secret. After burial comes prayer, a personal touch that never fails to irritate Tim, our ruthless CEO. Before founding Humane Raccoon Alternatives, Tim purposely backed his car over a frat boy and got ten-to-twelve for manslaughter. In jail he earned his MBA by designing and marketing a line of light-up Halloween lapel brooches."

Monica Lewinsky

Monica Lewinsky

Not since Lee Harvey Oswald has anyone gone so quickly from complete anonymity to worldwide infamy. And since Lewinsky's particular brand of destruction is infinitely more palatable than Oswald's, one can only dream of the riches that will inevitably be heaped upon her doorstep. Movies, books, Oprah, perhaps even a tasteful piece in The New Yorker. Ah, the joys of internship!

Silence of the Lambs

Jonathan Demme
Silence of the Lambs
1991

Upon its release, Silence of the Lambs made a deep, indelible impression on the moviegoing public. Rewarded with a clean sweep of the 1992 Academy Awards, the film succeeds largely on the synergy between innocent FBI rookie Clarice Starling and cannabalistic uber-villian Hannibal Lecter. Perhaps director Demme's greatest coup was employing a fairly straightforward visual style, allowing Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins to steal the show.

Mariette in Ecstasy

Ron Hansen
Mariette in Ecstasy
1991

Henri Marriott seeks a kind of sustenance in prayer and kneels for an hour on the hard cold penance of the sacristy floor. And when he gets up, he peers through the grille and sees Mariette in the night of the oratory, intently staring at the crucifix above the high altar, her hands spread wide as if she were nailed just as Christ was. He puts on his biretta and overcoat and half genuflects with difficulty and goes back to the priest's house.

Peter Case

Peter Case
Peter Case
1986

The former leader of the Plimsouls offers up 12 songs of "sin and salvation." At their best, they provide the essence of folk music narrative: a voice, a guitar, and a story. "Horse & Crow," "Small Town Spree," and "Walk in the Woods" are standouts. Guests include John Hiatt, Roger McGuinn, and Victoria Williams. The CD will run you about seven bucks.

Tampopo

Juzo Itami
Tampopo
1986

Director Juzo Itami's stature among Japanese filmmakers is second only to Akira Kurosawa's. Itami's breakout film, Tampopo follows a cowboy trucker, a restaurant hostess, and their quest to create the ultimate ramen house. Billed as a "noodle Western," this comedy succeeds on the power of free-flowing satire and relentless charm.