Category: Movies
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Music Album Review: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Shines in Kiri Sings Kern
Kiri Sings Kern (1993) Label: Angel/EMI Records Genre: Crossover/Standards Artists: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano), London Sinfonietta (Orchestra), Jonathan Tunick (Conductor/Arranger) Release Date: March 16, 1993 Jerome Kern (1885-1945) remains one of the most influential composers in American popular music. Alongside legends like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers, the New York-born Kern…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Adapting a ‘Jim and Marty’ Scene from Page to Screen
Adapting stories from one medium to another is a tricky proposition, especially when you choose to make a movie or TV “limited series” based on a beloved book, novella, or short story. Even when a film adaptation, like The Hunt for Red October, hits it big at the box office, you’ll often hear, “Yeah, but…
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Exploring Storytelling in Different Formats
I love telling stories in different styles and formats. My writing journey includes blog posts, reviews, poems, and long fiction. Each has its own charm and challenges. I’ve written a novella called Reunion: A Story and I’m currently working on its follow-up, Reunion: Coda. These dive into the complexity of human connections and the past’s…
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Weekend Update: How I Spent My Sunday
Early Afternoon, Monday, November 25, 2024, Miami, Florida Hi, there, Constant Readers. Yesterday was a tranquil Sunday in South Florida. As my television and Blu-ray player were not yet set up, I was unable to watch my extensive physical movie collection. Although I have 72 titles on Movies Anywhere, including Star Wars, Casablanca, and Jurassic…
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Evening Reflections in Madison, NH
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Autumn 2024, Creative Writing, Donating “Reunion: A Story” to the Conway Public Library, John Williams (Composer), John Williams in Vienna, John Williams Live in Vienna (2020 Album), John Williams: Live in Vienna, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Madison (NH), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Music & Concert Specials, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaOn the evening of September 28, 2024, in Madison, New Hampshire, a chill settled in as night fell. After visiting the mailboxes with Patti’s husband, Marc, the narrator had a relaxing day, enjoying pizza and a brief walk. They listened to John Williams’ film scores while contemplating the fate of their novella, “Reunion: A Story,”…
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A Late Week Musicfest (Inspired by a Facebook Exchange with Frank)
On a Thursday afternoon, my friend Frank and I discussed Taylor Swift’s music on Facebook. I respect her talents and support for Kamala Harris, but her music isn’t my thing. I prefer older pop/rock, jazz, Broadway, classical, folk and country, and even international tracks like “La vie en rose” by Edith Piaf.
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Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Fourteenth
Music and Emotion: Maddie is a concert pianist for the New York Philharmonic. How did you use music to enhance the emotional depth of the story? Are there specific pieces of music that played a significant role in the narrative? Music is a huge deal in the Reunion Duology, and it shapes the story in…
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Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Thirteenth
The author of “Reunion: Coda” drew inspiration from Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” to implement a dual timeline approach. This allowed for a seamless transition between early 1980s South Florida and early 2000s New York City. The story features Jim and Marty’s high school journey and Jim’s romance with Maddie, presented through alternating…
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Musings on a Cloudy, Gloomy Mid-August Morning in New England: Early Rising, Writer’s Anxiety…and a Working Weekend Begins
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Anxiety, Blogging, Copilot AI, Creative Writing, Going Full Circle: Back to South Florida I Go, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 and Onward), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2024In Madison, New Hampshire, the author experiences a cool, cloudy day as they work on their novel, “Reunion: Coda.” Despite a frustrating start, they find motivation in the evening and outline the fourth vignette of chapter 19. The detailed outline receives positive feedback from their friend and an AI assessment. Despite it being Saturday, the…
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‘We Have Scene Three!’ A Writer’s Update
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Blu-ray Collection, Books, Creative Writing, Going Full Circle: Back to South Florida I Go, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 and Onward), Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2024The author describes the evening of July 29, 2024 in Madison, New Hampshire, reflecting on the changing season and their progress on a chapter for “Reunion: Coda.” Despite a shorter scene than intended, the author overcame creative obstacles and plans to refine it further. Mental fatigue and an upcoming move to Miami have impacted their…
A Certain Point of View, Too 