Missing Shields

This will be a bit of a grab-bag of a post.  I did have a slightly late start but did get over to the gym in the late morning.  I managed to finally get everything ready to head over to the library around 2.  I went over to the Reference Library first.  

I thought the small exhibit they had on treasures from their various collections was pretty nice.  I may circle back and add a photo or two.

Anyway, then I went into the used book store they have on the first floor.  I picked up two novels by Carol Shields and two poetry collections for $4!  If I hadn't been carrying a bunch of other things, I could have stocked up more for the library in the front yard.  Some other time...

I had thought I had a bit of a handle on Carol Shields, but there was one I sort of vaguely remember but have never read (The Republic of Love) and then one I had never heard of (Happenstance), which is actually two novels in one about a marriage, written from the man's perspective and the woman's perspective.  This actually isn't even the first time she's done this.  She co-wrote A Celibate Season with Blanche Howard, doing the exact same thing.  After poking around on her website, it looks like I probably should read Small Ceremonies, A Celibate Season, Happenstance and The Republic of Love (the latter two are the ones I just picked up).  I was planning on rereading Larry's Party at some point, and probably to round things out I should reread The Stone Diaries, which I read roughly 20 years ago and don't really remember.

I was able to skim through Jane Mayhall's Sleeping Late on Judgment Day, which was ostensibly the reason for the visit in the first place.

I then went over to Robarts and did a bit of scanning and downloading of articles (this time all about high speed rail).  Of course, I picked up a bunch of poetry collections.  When will I ever learn?  They are mostly by David Slavitt and Tom Sleigh, neither of whom I am familiar with.

It was just about five by this point, so I shot over to Dufferin.  It was just starting to rain, so I ducked into the Banh Mi shop.  Usually if I am seeing a film at Paradise, I either go there or to an Ethiopian restaurant nearby, though I should perhaps check out this Indian place or even Gus's Tacos.  It really poured for about 15 minutes, while I was eating, but the rain did slow down.

I went in to Paradise and watched Round Midnight.  I saw this around its first release back in 1987.  I'm pretty sure I even picked up the movie poster and had it in my dorm room for a while, but I may be misremembering.  I do remember I had Dali's Narcissus poster on the walls for a long time.

There are a lot of great musical moments throughout the movie, maybe the best being Dexter and crew at the recording session where they are doing Herbie's take on Round Midnight.  It was really incredible seeing Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson and Freddie Hubbard at their peak.  I think Herbie is probably the only one left from that crowd.  I recognized Bobby when he was playing the vibes in the club but didn't realize he also played the character Ace, who was always cooking something and said that Paris would be Paradise if he could only find some okra.  Oddly enough, they ran this without subtitles, probably because it isn't until close to 45 minutes in that you really need them, and by then it was too late to go back and restart the film.  For the most part it didn't matter, but there were 3 or 4 scenes I would have really liked the subtitles, particularly when Francis is arguing with his estranged wife.  C'est la vie...

One interesting bit of news is that there was a fire in Somerset House.  I double-checked, and this is where the Courtauld Gallery is housed.  I had terrible visions of the many, many masterpieces there going up in flames.  It turns out that the fire was in a part of Somerset House somewhat distant from Courtauld, and no paintings seem to have been damaged, which is fantastic.  Of course, paintings are not as important as people (with the exception of Trump and Putin where the world will be infinitely better with their passing), but I was very glad to hear the Gallery had been spared (and indeed is open for visits without missing a beat).  Of all the many amazing paintings there, I think Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère is my favourite.

Since I was on the TTC a fair bit today (and actually last Monday on a trip over to the west side, only to find out that SFYS has shuttered its doors for the immediate future), I have almost wrapped up Baldwin's Go Tell It On the Mountain.  With one more push, I should be finished with it, and then I shall move on to Cela's The Hive.

But it's probably time for bed now...