Brontës on the Brain

I finished a first draft of my latest project, which had been dragging on FOREVER. The ending is a bit sketchy, but at least I have something to work with, so YAY!

I am very good at rewarding myself for finished tasks, and this weekend was no exception. Friday night, I re-watched Cary Fukunaga's Jane Eyre (2011), my favorite of all the adaptations.


It's no secret that I adore Michael Fassbender. He's probably too handsome for this role, but he has such a lovely intensity. And he can be ugly when the situation requires it. I love the early scenes with Jane in which his face tightens, his mouth flattens into a sneer, and his eyes flash with contempt for the world.


And Mia Wasikowksa is appropriately small and plain, but also projects the necessary fierceness. It is only in this adaptation that I fully experience the seductiveness of Rochester's attention to her, and the tragedy of having to walk away from the freedom, inspiration, and affection offered to her at Thornfield.


I also watched Les Soeurs Brontë (1979), which has become available on US DVD only recently, as far as I can tell. (I bought it on Blu-ray.) It's a beautiful film, shot partially on location in a way that capitalizes on the wide, bleak vistas of the Yorkshire moors.


I'd gathered in advance that the film was more about Branwell than the sisters, but I still found myself resenting the time devoted to his addictions and failures. In the documentary that accompanies the feature film, the director states outright that "in the final version of the film, it's like a vampire story, if you will, or virgin-vampires, in a way, who appropriate and accomplish the artistic destiny of their brother." BLECH! One could argue that Branwell was the one with the most external conflict, the most drama, and that his life translates better to the screen. As Claire Bazin says in the documentary, the imaginations of the sisters "were fertilized and developed by an interior richness, by their internal life." How do you represent that rich interior life on film? I don't know. What films have effectively represented the dramatic interior life of a writer?

(And anyway, the sisters did have dramatic lives--traveling to Brussels, opening their own school back in Yorkshire, governessing for crazy families, etc.)


Surprisingly, Emily Bronte was my favorite character in the film, and it wasn't just because (in this incarnation, at least) she liked to roam the moors in trousers and shoot guns. She was strange and passionate--a true brooding heroine. I never knew or had forgotten that the titular heroine of Charlotte's Shirley was based on her. I am not a fan of Wuthering Heights or Emily's poetry, but I think I would watch the heck out of a film that was mostly about her. Isabelle Adjani was absolutely mesmerizing to watch (and you can bet I'll be watching La Reine Margot and Camille Claudel ASAP).

I need to watch again, but for now my verdict on Les Souers Brontë is that it's a must-watch for obsessive Brontë fans, but may also be of interest to French film buffs. The cinematography is gorgeous.

In other news, I hope something comes of this notion of a BBC Brontë biopic (mentioned in 11th paragraph).

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Halloween hangovers and giveaway WINNER

How can it be November already?

I'm still in a spooky mood, and I love these faux horror movie trailers:


Hee! So well done.


Though I haven't seen all of Wes Anderson's movies, Moonrise Kingdom is a favorite. (BTW, how did I miss Edward Norton on SNL?)

Finally, by the totally random power of Random.org, a winner has been chosen for last week's signed book giveaway:

Bev Kodak of Ola Middle School in Georgia!

Congrats, Bev! And thanks to all the teachers and librarians who entered.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Monday Giveaway for librarians and teachers!

Wendelin Van Draanen, Gennifer Choldenko, Ruta Sepetys, and me!

Earlier this month, I had the honor of joining the above ladies for a series of school visits, talks, and signings that benefited the school libraries affected by the tragic Moore tornado. Thank you, Perma-Bound! I had such a great time. And now I want to pay it forward by giving away a prize pack of signed perma-bound copies of each of our books.

This giveaway is for LIBRARIANS AND TEACHERS in the U.S.

All you have to do is:

1) comment with your name and the school or library you are affiliated with

2) provide an email address

That's it! I will do a random drawing Sunday evening (11/3) at 10 pm Central time. The winner will be announced on Monday.

Click a cover for more information about each book offered for giveaway:

Friday Favorites: ghost movies for your weekend enjoyment

It's that time of year when I especially crave ghost movies, so this past week I revisited some old favorites and tried a couple of new (to me) ones. I have two American and two foreign films to offer. All of them are character-driven, slow burn sort of horror films -- not the type to rely on cheap scares. Maybe you'll see something you want to try this weekend?

Old Favorites


The Changeling (1980), starring George C. Scott.
A grieving man rents a beautiful old house in Portland with the hope of moving on with his life and career. But something in the house disturbs his peace. Goofy murderous rocking chair aside, this is a very atmospheric story with an incredibly sympathetic protagonist. (Oh! If you don't feel for him after the first scene, you have no heart.) The camera work is gorgeous -- long tracking shots that make you feel as though you're wandering through the house. There's an excellent séance scene, too. I love the fact that Alejandro Amenábar, director of The Others, has praised The Changeling as one of his all-time favorite horror films. It is very dated, yes, but so lovely and eerie! (I'm not linking you to the trailer because it's pretty silly.)


El Orfanato/The Orphanage (2007), starring Belén Rueda.
A woman purchases the orphanage that sheltered her as a child, planning to turn it into a home for special needs children. Her son makes a friend within the house -- an invisible but very insistent friend -- and soon thereafter disappears. I saw this film in the theater when it first came out, and I remember screaming during one scene, but overall, it utilizes tension and dread rather than sudden shocks. It contains one of my favorite paranormal investigation scenes EVER, featuring the gloriously spooky Geraldine Chaplin. Like The Changeling, this one will pull at your heartstrings, and I defy you not to cry at the end. (Here's the American trailer, but I warn you that it's a bit overblown.)

New Favorites


Below (2002), starring Bruce Greenwood (and a gaggle of familiar actors)
Okay, all I have to say is this -- HAUNTED SUBMARINE. It gives me chills thinking about it even now, because I can't imagine a location more claustrophobic than a submarine. Anyhoo, this film starts with a WWII American submarine crew picking up survivors of a sunken boat, one of whom happens to be a female doctor. Disruption and spookiness ensue. This film is much more about suspense and tension than horror, and I'm shaking my head as to why I've never heard about it until now. It was directed by the guy who did Pitch Black and the screenplay was co-written by Darren Aronofsky! Plus it features LOTS of familiar faces, including the already mentioned Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike!), Matthew Davis (Alaric in Vampire Diaries), Scott Foley (Noel! Jake Ballard!), and the always spectacular Olivia Williams (who was lovely in Miss Austen Regrets, among other things.) Very cool film, very much over-looked. (Check out the trailer--same annoying voice-over guy. *sigh*)


Janghwa, Hongryeon / A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), starring Jung-ah Yum and Su-jeong Lim
I'm not sure I can be articulate about this Korean film. It is CREEPY. Definitely the most horrific film on my list. But it's also gorgeous, mysterious, and haunting on multiple levels. So difficult to explain the plot, so I will just tell you it's about two sisters with a history of mental illness, an evil stepmother, and a ghost. I need to watch again to fully comprehend the timeline and backstory of the characters because it's a subtle, complex film that leaves a lot of the work up to the viewer, which I appreciate so much. It shook me up more than any ghost film I've seen recently, but keep in mind that it is slow-paced and enigmatic. And so much better than the 2009 American remake, The Uninvited, which was fine, but not nearly so powerful. (Watch the trailer -- blessedly free of voice-over!)

As always, let me know if you have any suggestions. I'm getting to the point where I feel like I've SEEN ALL THE GOOD GHOST MOVIES. It's a very sad state of affairs . . .

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]

Recent adventures

It's been a busy fall . . .


Right on the heels of the YA AdVANture tour, Tessa Gratton, Tara Hudson and I managed eleven library/school visits in five days. (The above photo was taken at the Blanchard Public Library.) We had a blast that week! It was hard to say goodbye at the end.


After appearances at OCTE and the Rose State Short Course on Writing, I moved on to Encyclomedia. The Brown Brothers of Perma-bound put together a series of appearances to benefit Moore schools impacted by the May tornado, and it was an honor to spend time with Gennifer Choldenko, Ann Hood, Ruta Sepetys, and Wendelin Van Draanen -- such incredibly classy ladies! (I enjoyed silly fun with them, too, as you can see above.)


Up next? My road trip to Tennessee. I enjoyed visits with friends and family (hooray for sweet nieces!), but also managed three library appearances. Many thanks go to Pam Ford at the Stewart County Library, Jean Nichols at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Library, and Kay French and Kaity at the Houston County Library. They all welcomed me so warmly, and the Houston County library even put on an English tea spread, with the added bonus of a spooky flower arrangement that matched The Dark Between (see above)!


The TN trip wrapped up with the Southern Festival of Books. My panel with Aprilynne Pike and Teal Haviland came off splendidly, and I had a great time visiting with my pal DeAnne, as well as Courtney Summers (who took the above photo), Carla Schooler, Myra McEntire and Sharon Cameron. (Here's Myra and I posing in front of some impressive buttocks.) And on Sunday night, I met up with DeAnne and friends (and eventually my brother) for drinks and snacks at a speakeasy! (Next time you're in Nashville, you simply must check out the Patterson House.)


This past weekend I enjoyed a relaxing and inspiring retreat by Lake Tenkiller in Tahlequah. My crit pals and I chatted, played word games, visited a Benedictine Abbey (!!!), critiqued, and set goals for our writing. My lovely friends also threw a little party for The Dark Between, complete with character cupcakes.

So . . . lots of travel and talking and fun. But now it's time to get back to my hermit hole and WRITE.

Stay tuned for giveaways featuring books from authors I've spent time with recently!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]