Letter From Santa Fe

My favorite spot in Santa Fe is the Cocteau Cinema, one of few indie film theaters in NM, owned and resuscitated by George R.R. Martin.

Movie lovers are interested in "Sight and Sound," a publication that ranks the all-time great films (every few years). Martin has made a parody of this effort--"Splice and Splatter"--a podcast with discussions of horror movies. The poster features Kathy Bates, Ghostface, Sissy Spacek, Janet Leigh, and (a personal favorite) one of the three masked killers from "The Strangers."

Right now, the Cocteau Cinema will give you a glass of wine and a screening of the Paul Giamatti "Rewatchable" prizewinner, "Sideways."

Next to the Cocteau you will spot "Beastly Books," another strong idea from George Martin. Here, you'll see a corner devoted to "banned" novels--"The Giver," "The Dead Zone," "The Satanic Verses," "Maus," and so on. There is a coffee shop--and an area in celebration of Karen Russell ("Orange World"), Leigh Bardugo ("Hell Bent"), Grady Hendrix, Stephen King, Justin Cronin. A banner says, "Protect Trans Kids," and it's playful; the words are clustered between the jaws of a yawning werewolf.

All this talk of books makes me recall that the NYTimes is listing the "Blue Ribbon Books of This Current Century." I'll add my own top ten here:

*"No Visible Bruises"

*"Love Marriage"

*"Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"

*"Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You"

*"Iphigenia in Forest Hills"

*"The List of Things That Will Not Change"

*"Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant"

*"Everything Is an Emergency"

*"Unscripted"

*"You Only Call When You're in Trouble"

Till next time.

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