A few odds and ends...

A few things to clear off my desk today:

First, this is to give a promo for the Classic Movie Blog Association’s 1939 Blogathon coming up in May. I’m participating as well, and looking forward to all the great blog posts of the Association members on that special movie year.

Second, Zoë of “The Big Parade” passed on a “Stylish Blogger Award” to me, and I’ll keep my acceptance speech short and just comply with the rules of the game:

I must pass it on to 7 other stylish bloggers, and I must write 7 random tell-all facts about myself.

Now, “tell-all” facts is going to be pretty nearly impossible. I come from a long line of rather reserved people, who mostly do nothing worth the telling.  And, as Zoë hopes to travel to the U.S. sometime, I will tell her now that people in New England, the part of the country where I live, do not even make eye contact. It’s nothing personal. And that’s the whole point.

Here, then, a very spare list of random facts:

One: I have three novels indie-published as ebooks. So far. Stand by.

Two: I worked as a newspaper columnist, assistant editor for a history magazine, and also freelanced for years.   For many years I worked on a manual typewriter.  My fingers are so strong I could crush you like a bug.  I have gone through several computer keyboards.  Plastic is sissy stuff when you're used to plunking metal.

Three: I’ve been watching old movies since I was old enough to blink. I can remember feeling shocked and alienated as a teenager when my friends did not know who Zasu Pitts was, or had never heard of James Wong Howe. I figured it was their loss.

Four: I once rode a mule on one of those trail rides for tourists along (but not down) the Grand Canyon, while a cowboy named Bill rode his horse alongside me and recited his own cowboy poetry to me. It was one of the best vacation moments I’ve ever had.

Five: I like blogging better than Facebook or Twitter, possibly because I like a slow pan across a scene.  I dislike quick cuts and that attention deficit disorder-type film style so prevalent now in everything from movies to commercials, to television news graphics and titles.

Six: I’m having trouble thinking of random facts. All these awards seem to require them and I’ve run out of interesting material. Also, a few people I was going to tag for this award were given it by others who beat me to the punch.

Seven: In tribute to Zoë, who graciously presented me with this award, I will confess that New Zealand is one of my favorite places. Even though I was almost swept into the Pacific Ocean during gale-force winds while attempting to have my picture taken at the signpost on the tip of Cape Reinga.

Now, my seven nominees are (if you’ve already been tagged, excuse me):

“Allure” - which is nothing but stylish,

“Skeins of Thought” - by that classy dame, Moira Finnie

“Shopping Days in Retro Boston” - some of the clothes in those terrific old ads are stylish. Some…eh.

The contributing staff at “Limerwrecks” for making me laugh and just being so entertaining.

"Noir of the Week" - yikes, this is stylish.

Dorian at “Tales of the Easily Distracted”, a new and very interesting blog.

And my dear “Caftan Woman”, for every classy observation.

Congratulations, all.

Now all that’s left for me to do is to announce that this blog will be going on hiatus for a couple of weeks. I’ll still respond to comments for a few days, but I’ve got some other work to tend to, and I’ll be back with a new post on Monday, April 11th.

A play of mine called “One Good Turn” was chosen as a winner in the Northern Kentucky University Y.E.S. Festival of Plays, so if any readers down in the Cincinnati area have some free time the weekend of April 9th through 10th, this and two other winning plays, one by Kelly Kingston Strayer, and one by Karla Jennings, will premiere. Maybe I'll see you there.  The festival runs through April 17th. 

So long for now.