Whew! Time has flown by! For starters, I had the most amazing astrological reading by the incomparable Jessica Lanyadoo, and at the risk of revealing my inner hippie (what can I say, I grew up in Berkeley), I feel like my energy has completely shifted and I am so much more resolved about a lot of things I was having trouble letting go of. The last couple of weeks have left me feeling lighter and more clear-headed, and it's been wonderful. Ms. Lanyadoo books about 5 months in advance (she's a busy lady!), but it is well worth it if you're looking for a different perspective on your life.
What else? I saw a screening of Charade at the Paramount Theater. Always a favorite, it was so much fun to see on the big screen, and I had forgotten how incredible the title sequence is. Here it is for your enjoyment!
I spent Obscura Day trapsing about Portrero Hill on a puzzle hunt arranged by the Elsewhere Philatelic Society. I went to the latest "issue" of Pop Up Magazine. I went out drinking with an old friend for the first time in ages, saw an awesome screening of Buster Keaton shorts, accompanied with a live soundtrack by Tuneyards. I had a bunch of be-wigged friends over for the RuPaul's Drag Race finale. I went on five hikes and caught up with some good friends I hadn't seen in a while, ate some fantastic meals at Haven, Camino, and Una Pizza Napoletana, and gave my house a good spring cleaning. All in all, a great couple of weeks.
I've been making a conscious effort to fill up my calendar less these days, which is good for my stress level (it's tricky to balance work, health, and having two social plans booked every day), but I must admit makes for much less exciting blog posts.. In the last week I've spent some QT with friends, but have only two things I really must report on. One is going to see a press screening of Whit Stillman's new film, Damsels in Distress (thanks to my friend Jessica!), which was fantastic and payed a wonderful tribute to one of my favorite films from my childhood (Damsels in Distress, starring Fred Astaire, George Burns and Gracie Allen). I don't often use the word "delightful" to describe movies, but this one was!
The other is having seen the incredible (and EPIC) 1927 film Napoleon at the Paramount Theater with a live soundtrack by the Oakland Symphony. This film was innovative in many ways, but particularly in its use of "Polyvision," a technique using three cameras to capture a panorama, which was then projected on three screens. We had seats in the the third row and when the curtains rolled back to reveal those two extra screens for the final reel of the film, it truly felt like we were IN Napoleon's Italian invasion. There were times when the 6 hour film got a bit dull, and our backs were sore from sitting for so long, but it was completely worth it for that final moment in Polyvision. I only wish that all movies were filmed that way- incredible! The film is rarely shown because of the apparatus required for this sequence, but if you are in the Bay Area, there is one more screening next Sunday, April 1! And if not, if it ever screens near you, I can't recommend seeing it enough. Here's a great interview with Kevin Brownlow, the man who restored the film.
I flew directly from Stockholm to Austin, where my friend Jessica picked me up and took me to 24 for a veggie burger and roasted banana milkshake (one of my favorite Austin meals), then to Domy Books for the opening reception for Wayne White's show (in conjunction with the premiere of Beauty is Embarrassing, a film about him, at the festival), and then to the Long Center for a screening of Eating Alabama, a documentary about a couple who ate only from local farms for a year. After the film we were going to go to the Sherlock party PBS was throwing (I am totally obsessed with that show), but as you might imagine I was a tad tired, having been awake for more than 24 hours at that point, so we stopped for a late night donut at Gourdough's, and turned in.
As action-packed as that sounds, we did really try to take things easier this year than last. We planned our trip to coincide with the film but not the music portion of the festival, since last year it was clear that pretty much any band we wanted to see either played recently or would be playing soon in the Bay Area, and running all over town to hang out with throngs of drunk party-goers in the hot sun ended up being exhausting. So this time we got to see a total of nine films over the course of two and a half days, and eat lots of good street food, and hang out with our friends, all without feeling rushed or sacrificing sleep. Not bad! I think my favorite movies were Casa de Mi Padre (it was really quite amazing), The Source (a documentary about the 1970's Los Angeles-based cult of the same name), and Beauty is Embarrassing. Brookyln Castle (about children playing chess) and Daylight Savings (a love story starring two Bay Area musicians, so I'm a bit biased) were also very charming. And it was fun to see 21 Jump Street with an enormous crowd- both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill were there, which added to the general excitement. In addition, we saw Eating Alabama, Gayby, and Somebody Up There Likes Me.
But the highlight of the festival for me was seeing the world premiere of Lena Dunham's new HBO show Girls. We got to see the first three episodes, and I can't WAIT for the whole series to air. I absolutely loved her film Tiny Furniture, and this did not dissapoint by comparison. Think Sex in the City meets Freaks & Geeks (Judd Apatow is producing, which is no coincidence), in which the ladies are all 20 years younger and considerably less glamorous. You can watch more previews and clips on the HBO site.
And how could I not mention food? Besides 24 and Gourdough's (we made two trips there of course), we also had great chicken and waffle tacos from Lucky J's, ice cream sandwiches from Coolhaus, amazing corn dogs from Fire & Soul, and a really delightful lunch at the East Side Farmacy- seriously, this place is adorable!- on our way out of town. In addition, our friends made the trek out to the Salt Lick with us for some kick-ass BBQ, and I have to admit I had more than my share of chocolate peanut butter milkshakes at the Alamo Drafthouses during movies.
i look very mean in this picture, but it was the best group shot we got
Last weekend I went up to Seattle to visit some very good friends. We went wine tasting in Woodinville, got sucked into Sherlock, shopped, and got ridiculously dolled up for the annual Seattle Red Dress Party, and as usual, we ate some amazing meals at Sitka & Spruce, Paseo, Anchovies & Olives, Cafe Presse, and Skillet, and Chris made his famous homemade pasta that put everything else to shame.
albacore, potatoes, leeks and horseradish creme fraiche at sitka & spruce
croque madame at presse
poutine at skillet
Before I left town, I attended a beer and butchery themed dinner (part of SF Beer Week), where I got to see a wonderful butchery demonstration by Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats, and sample the newest seasonal offering from Almanac Beer with an assortment of foods made from the pig we saw disassembled. (Best corn dogs I've ever had!) I also saw The Artist, hosted a successful dinner party, another RuPaul's Drag Race screening, and went to see the latest Denzel action flick with my girlfriends on Valentine's Day.
Last night I saw a screening of The Great White Silence, Herbert Ponting's 1924 silent film shot on Captain Robert Falcon Scott's second (and last) voyage to Antarctica in 1910-1912. The imagery was hauntingly beautiful and remarkable for its time, and even though I knew what would become of Scott and his expedition, I still found myself hoping for a happy ending. It really has to be one of the most tragic stories: his party made it to the South Pole just 34 days after their Norwegian competitors, and then starved/froze to death on the return not 11 miles from the supplies they needed to survive. The determination and patriotism that comes across in Scott's journal entries- quoted considerably in the title cards- is heartbreaking. I'm really looking forward to seeing some of these journals and documentation in person this summer at the National History Museum in London.
What is it about arctic exploration that is so fascinating? A while back, I read Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris (a collection of essays about books and reading), and was struck by her collection of books related to this subject. And there is no shortage of iceberg imagery to be found on design blogs these days; I myself have posted many of them, which I've gathered here.
I wish that this weekend had never ended! I drove up to Healdsburg by myself for some time away from the distractions and stress of regular life, and had a wonderfully relaxing and productive time. It was a beautiful weekend- 65 degrees, sunny and warm, and I stayed at my favorite hotel, the H2, which is super green and very comfortable, and conveniently located upstairs from Spoonbar, where Scott Beattie makes the most amazing cocktails! I checked in on Friday afternoon and immediately went over to the Healdsburg Hotel Spa for an incredible hot stone massage, followed by a nap and dinner. I spent the rest of the evening working on some illustrations for jobs and the PBP 2012 collection. On Saturday morning I stopped for one of my favorite treats- a sour cherry gallette from Downtown Bakery- before driving out to Unti, my favorite vineyard, to buy a couple of cases of my favorite wines to restock my "cellar."
Then, on a whim, I decided to take a picnic out to the coast. I took the windy backroads through arid hills dotted with volcanic rock and enormous, ancient oak trees, rolling acres of grapevines dense with brilliant mustard flowers, cool, misty redwood forests filled with trickling streams and lush ferns and moss, and finally made it to the Ocean at Stewart's Point, where I enjoyed my lunch in the sun with a good book. I drove back through Guerneville, along the Russian River, and spotted a belated birthday note to me (how did they know?!) on the small, quonset hut-housed movie theater in Monte Rio.
Sunday, I was sad to leave Sonoma- for some reason being up there always makes me feel at peace, and I hope that one day I can have a place of my own somewhere between the valley and the sea to escape to whenever I want- but more fun plans were calling. I stopped for takeout at Sol Food in San Rafael and drove straight to Golden Gate Fields for the races, where one of my friends was on an assignment for a magazine. I won $10 on a horse named Intriguing Vision. Then I barely had time to run home and change before meeting another friend for the tail-end of the Dashiell Hammet marathon at Noir City. We saw The Glass Key, which was new to me and really wonderful, and The Maltese Falcon- always a hit.
My name is Hannah and I own a small letterpress company called Pie Bird Press in Berkeley, California. I love color, food, collecting, and taking photos. Check out what I'm cooking here, and my documentation of sidewalk stamps here.
