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Fatherhood

The seeds of a personality: Josh seems more and more amused, and more *consistently* amused. Also: Alarmed. Bemused. Cunning. Intrigued. Meditative. These are all fine things to be.

I am trying to explain to Josh: the surrogacy process, and various family complications, and why we have Valentine's Day. Basically whenever I start to form a sentence, Josh shrieks with laughter; the content doesn't matter. The sight of two lips becoming mobile: This is enough to send Josh over the edge.

And why not? Hysterical laughter does seem like a good response to most attempts at human communication. It's helpful to have a sense of humor....

P.S. Issa Rae's "The Photograph" actually earned great reviews. Something to consider for your weekend.

P.P.S. Wasson's "The Big Goodbye" continues to be a really excellent history of "Chinatown." I'm obsessed with Faye Dunaway--of course--and with her tendency to arrive ninety minutes late, to have tantrums, to speak rudely to assistant directors. I also enjoy Jack Nicholson--handing out money, randomly, to friends, and falling for the "Irish princess" Anjelica Huston. (I wish he weren't conducting affairs even as he courts Anjelica.) People say that Polanski would have refused to make a movie that didn't end with the brutal death of a blonde. People say this needed to happen on-camera--after the death of Sharon Tate. Towne didn't script Evelyn's death; Polanski did that. I could study these sorts of details day and night, ad infinitum.
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