April Book Club a la Quarantine

If this isn't the strangest time of my generation, I don't know what to call it. In the past, one or two of us have called in from a trip to participate in the discussion. But, this time, we're all on a Zoom  conference call ... keeping well more than 6 ft of safe space between us.  As we are all well aware, the Corona Virus, or Covid-19, is sweeping around the world.  Travel plans have been cancelled, people have been stranded on cruise ships and in airports while travel has come to a grinding halt. Non-essential businesses have been ordered to close and people have been admonished to "shelter at home." It is reminiscent of the Spanish Flu and other plagues. Though they say it will take less lives than the flu - it is still a huge threat.

Gas prices have dropped, people are losing jobs or being furloughed. The gov't is trying to "stimulate" the economy.  And, there was a "panic" that caused a shortage on toilet paper, of all things.

It looks like it might be June before we are out of the words as heat is said to kill the virus. Most of us have self-quarantined at home except for occasional trips for groceries. A few are still going into the office part-time but that may change as they try to stop the spread.

At any rate, I thought Zoom Book Club was a big success. This time Lou and Darby were able to join and only Tammy missed the event. One thing I can say definitively is, "Thank the Good Lord for internet!" I have been able to have group calls with friends on Facebook messenger, participated in some creative Zoom webinars and, talked to my kids in Missouri. I don't feel completely marooned though it's not the same as in person contact.

All that said ...  thank you Zoom for hosting our book club this month. The one disappointment (aside from missing hugs) was that we couldn't enjoy the meal that Laura made from the recipes in the book. But, she did send a beautiful photo and we'll just look forward to it the next time we meet.

Though our book was titled Save Me the Plums - a Gourmet Memoir, the book wasn't about food as much as it was the author's journey through the writing and publishing world of food culminating with her 10 years as Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet Magazine.

Inspired as a child by Gourmet Magazine which had begun publicationin 1941, Ruth Reichl became as a chef, restaurateur, food critic and writer before she was tapped to run the magazine. As a critic, she could make or break you as a chef and, in fact, was responsible for the rise of the likes of Anthony Bourdain. While is is regaling us with stories of the "food biz" she gives us a glimpse into what it was like growing up with a bi-polar mother and the struggles of being a working wife and mother.

I  thought it was rather timely, that we were reading this during the first pandemic in 100 years as she recounts the events of being in downtown NYC on 9/11. She also suffered through the 2008 economic crash and lost her job at Gourmet after ten years when the publisher closed the magazine. Though time are different, I think comparisons can be made.  Maybe because of how she writes about NYC, I found myself thinking about Nora Ephron. I also thought about Julie/Julia and Lou mentioned that as well.

I thought it was an interesting insider's viewpoint of the world of restaurants and food. It certainly has come along way in 50 years.When I was growing up there were very few restaurants. There were Diners, Pharmacy Soda Fountains and roadside cafes. Dining out in my family wasn't an option. Not just because we didn't have money for it but because there were no options for it. I remember when the first McDonald's opened in about 1974 ... about the same time as Sirloin Stockade. Not exactly fine dining! Now, people eat out more than they eat at home. From fast food, to chain restaurants, to "fine" dining there are plenty of options for every taste and budget. Over the years, Restaurateurs took average cooking from the masses and elevated it to fine dining. But, Julia Child's - French Cookbook for American wives who don't have cooks - and Ruth Riechl's Gourmet made gourmet cooking available for the masses again. Full Circle.

I do wonder if Ruth saw last year's poll where Americans voted "Taco Bell" as their favorite Mexican "restaurant."  I consider that fast food and not technically a restaurant. But, Gourmet has been out of print for 11 years so maybe we've lost our way ... we don't have Ruth's guiding light educating us about the world of food.

The book rated 4, two "I really liked it" and two who didn't read it but might after the discussion.

Next month - we may be meeting my Zoom again. Our book will be the classic, "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries  What am I Doing in the Pits?" by Erma Bombeck.  I read it when it came out in 1971. I was 14 and that was 49 years ago. It will be interesting to see how it has held up and how things have changed, or not.

March 2020 Book Club - The Dutch House

Blog #151 and Book #214

March book club brings the first quarter of 2020 to a close. We celebrate St. Patrick's Day this month. And, on a sad note, we send our love and prayers to Darby and Nate this month. Darby's adorable, feisty and accomplished Grandmother, Maree, passed away last week. She was quite something and several of us were fortunate enough to meet her a few years ago. She was 98 and had lived a remarkable life. I hope you all had a chance to read her online obituary that she wrote for herself.

Thanks to Terry for hosting. Her home gets prettier every time I visit. Laura, Robbie and Jordan made us comforting and delicious Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Terry made Tomato Bisque Soup. The main course was complimented by Carla G's olives and pickles, including her homemade ones. Janie brought the Cauliflower salad, Robbie also made chicken salad dip. There was a veggie tray with dip, Arnora brought mixed nuts and our floral bouquet. Assorted wines and tea rounded out the meal with Lis' Cream Puffs and Panetone bread.

Carl G reminded us that she says every time, "This is the best meal I have had all month!" I think we
all agree!

We missed Pam, Barb, Gwynne, Denise, Leslie and,  as always, Darby and Lou.

Our book this month was Ann Patchett's, "The Dutch House." The story is told through the eyes of Danny who is a young boy as he begins his reminiscence of his childhood in the home referred to as the "Dutch House."At the end of WWII, Danny's father manages to build quite a fortune and buys the house, in a suburb of Philadelphia as a surprise for his wife and daughter. The house has been built by a Dutch family and Cyril Conroy buys it "lock, stock and barrel" as the saying goes. All the furnishings, decorative objects and paintings of the former family are never changed or updated over the years and never seem to deteriorate. The home only gets more lovely as time goes by, at least in Danny's perception.

The house sets off a negative reaction in Elna Conroy who feels it is her life's purpose to serve the poor. She hates the house and eventually abandons it and her family for India. There she hopes to work with Mother Theresa but ends up on the wrong side of the Continent. This action paves the way for Cyril to remarry the wicked stepmother Andrea.  It also sets up Maeve, Danny's older sister, as a pseudo-mother by default. So, in essence, the story is dealing with three very different "mother" figures. All of these women shape Danny's life and he struggles to reconcile two mother figures who abandon him. Not only does his mother leave without explanation but, when his father dies unexpectedly, Andrea kicks him out. Maeve who has already left home takes him in and sees to it that the education trust that has been left to them provides him an excellent education.

The book was well liked by most. I have now read three of Ann Patchett''s novels. I really liked State of Wonder but wasn't impressed with Commonwealth. However, this would be my favorite so far. For me, the writing drew me into the story. I felt emotionally connected to the characters and I resonated with the dilemma of a child trying to reckon with adults whose actions you cannot begin to understand.

When we are born, we do not get to pick our parents. There is no job interview, resume or, references. We don't get to choose someone we think is "suited" for the job. We are all, at the end of the day, flying by the seat of our pants in the department of parenting and doing the best we can. Many of us had challenging childhoods. I believe it is part of our life's path to find a way to heal whatever trauma or disappointments we experience because that is what gives us our strength, courage, compassion, etc. Yes, it builds our character. We aren't meant to stay stuck in it. And, I think that, in the end Danny and Maeve did just that.

When I looked at the women in this story from a distance - it was obvious Elna loved her children but couldn't stay. She needed to mother the world. And, whether that was a higher calling or a need for penance of some kind isn't fully clear. Andrea, was the mother figure who stayed  but, she didn't mother Danny and kicked him out at the first opportunity. Andrea wanted the house above all - the opposite of Elna who hated it. Maeve was the kind and motherly figure in Danny's life.

In the end, the story comes full circle. Elna reappears, Andrea passes away. The house falls into the hands of Danny's daughter, May, who it turns out looks like the portrait of Maeve. We didn't really talk about the portrait but it serves as the cover of the book. As I write this it occurs to me that the portrait of Maeve is the only "new" object that is added to the house. Maeve has an obsession with the house and spends a fair amount of time sitting out in front of it. And, in the end, Maeve's portrait is returned to it's rightful place. Full Circle.

The book rated a 4.2.

Next month we meet at Pam's and our book is "Save the Plums for Me."

February Book Club - The Starless Sea Part 2

Thanks to all who braved the night and found their way to Etowah Road in Noble, America. The house sits in town but, off the beaten bath.Though it's only six miles from center of Norman, it feels like it's in the boonies.

I was so excited to see that everyone had caught the spirit of the evening by coming in the costume of their favorite character or author. We were having so much fun admiring everyone's creativity and catching up on news that we almost forgot to fill out plates. Thanks also to Carla A for taking the photos documenting our costumes.

We did miss Janie, Leslie, Pam, Terry and Gwynne. Congratulations to Pam! Her daughter, Katie, gave birth to Margaret Joan Moore on the day.

The weather cooperated and it was a nice night for Book Club. Carla A brought a cheesy dip and crackers and Denise brought fruit and cheese. Arnora brought the beautiful centerpiece and mixed nuts. Cheese must have been the theme as I made a cheesy Chicken Alfredo pasta. Carla G brought salad, Lis made her much desired Mayan hot chocolate, Tammy brought bread, Carla A also brought a blueberry cobbler.

Our book this month was The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. We had previously enjoyed her book The Night Circus however, this one garnered more mixed reviews. We did have a good long discussion which is appropriate given the length of the book.  This book was different than most we have read because it was actually six books woven into one through common themes and threads. The themes, coupled with metaphors, fantastical reality, the underground world and, periods of time travel, past lives, etc. did make it hard to follow at times. One of the themes that Diana and Laura brought forth was that they felt the book was really a metaphor for what is happening in the environment. That really helped me make more sense of it.

I had read that the author was attempting to write a mythological story for a modern audience. Perhaps this new age mythology is meant to remind us that things are always changing, and like the butterfly effect, each change impacts the next and so on. Denise and Carla G wanted to know the meaning of the symbolism of the bee's. It seems the author is sharing her concerns for this "keystone" insect and the catastrophic impact to our world if we do not fight for the survival of the species. Also, the rising Starless Sea could be our own oceans rising due to climate change.

Denise brought up the question, "Is it a problem that the book may have failed to connect with the likely intended audience? Or, is it satisfying that some books, when published, were initially not well received but had book champions that saved them from obscurity and opened them up to a wider audience at a later date." It does appear that some books are just ahead of their time and it takes the audience time to catch up to the message.

The book rated a 4.12 for those who finished and wanted to rate it. Carla A liked it. Carla G, Sherrie and Denise found it hard to follow - I wanted to reserve my rating as I might revisit the book after the discussion.

Our next book is Ann Padgett's, The Dutch House.

The Starless Sea - January 2020

Blog #149  Book #212

Our Annual Pajama Party at Diana's is always a warm and fun way to start a New Year! Last night was no exception. We missed, Terry, Denise, Leslie, Barb, Lou and Darby. Terry wasn't feeling well and wish her a speedy recovery. Denise and Lou were in Hawaii and Colorado respectively. Leslie was spending time at her son's games, Darby was in Michigan and Barb was visiting with Kelsie.

Those that came were welcomed by Diana, Ember and the festive Christmas decorations. I don't take mine down right away either. I enjoy the lights during what is usually our gloomiest time of winter.

As it was our pajama party, we dined on breakfast/brunch foods. Diana made a turkey and egg breakfast casserole. Liz made hers with regular sausage and both were delicious. Pam brought a spinach salad, Carla G brought fruit and cheese, Laura brought a scrumptious blueberry coffee cake, Carla A brought two types of Brioche Bread and Arnora brought mixed nuts and her beautiful floral centerpiece. Tammy brough just about the best Bloody Mary's I have had. Gwynne brought some wine spritzers and there were several bottles of wine and some specialty beers. Just an aside note... I have discovered that 19 Crimes has a red blend wine that has been aged in Rum barrels. It is a very smooth red wine for those who don't like dry reds. If you were drinking Bloody Mary's (and I don't blame you!) you might give it a try another time.

I don't eat the traditional New Year's Day food for good luck. I don't like any of it! However, I do rely on great food and drinks, fine conversation and the best of friends to kick of my New Year in the best possible way. It starts the New Year off on the right foot and I am guaranteed that good luck at least once a month! And, more often as we are able to get together in between.

Ember was the perfect mascot for the evening.  She's gotten used to the crowd and quickly settled in. She even warmed toes for several of us. And, we were all delighted with Laura's choice of pajama set that reflected the night sky. In another public service announcement, she got them at Soma at the Outlet Mall on I-40 and you can shop online.

This month's book is The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. This book comes to us recommended by Laura's daughter, Megan.

Thanks by the way to Carla Gibbs who does such a great job of documenting the books so that we can keep track of when book club started (this seems to be a matter of much debate from time to time as people started at different time over a three year period. But, Carla keeps us straight.) And, it was duly noted that our 20th anniversary will be coming up in 2022. A scant two years away. It was suggested we start thinking of a big way to celebrate so that everyone can make their plans well in advance.

It seemed that this Christmas season overwhelmed many of us and only Lis managed to finish the book. The rest of us made a valiant effort, but with 18 hours on audible, it wasn't manageable. As most of us had read at least 7-8 hours, we did discuss it to some degree. This helped a lot of us as this is considered a fantasy fiction or, new myth. Her style of writing takes you into different time frames and parallel universes and at times we're not sure we are following it. 

As many of us had questions and kept thinking that we needed to start over so we wouldn't miss anything, we were encouraged to just keep going. Some things will make sense to us in the end and some just might not. Morgenstern uses a lot of symbolism in the story but, she may leave it to the reader to decipher its meaning.

I'm looking forward to the full discussion of the book next month, at my home. I'm almost tempted to make it a costume party - as there is one in the book. And, it's also Valentine's month. So, I will give some thought to a theme.

We have decided upon Ann Patchett's, "The Dutch House" for March. This comes highly recommended by Carla G and Pam.

One final note of interest. Eight years ago in January, at Diana's, we were discussing Erin Morgenstern's, "The Night Circus." And, in March, we discussed Ann Patchett's "State of Wonder."

Happy New Year!

December Book Club 2019

This December meeting wraps up 2019 and brings us to our Blog #148 and Book # 212. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the year goes.

Our book this month, The Giver of Stars, has women friendships as one of its themes and Janie beautifully reminded us all of the privilege we have of being in each other's company for so long.

 As I write the last blog of each year I am reminded of the "seeming coincidence" of typing a zip code into Oprah's website to see if one of her book clubs was forming in my area. That link led me to Diana and Barb and eventually to "the fun book club!" I often puzzle at the directions your life can take with random moments and decisions. Joining this book club was one of the best decisions I have made. My life has had a lot of twist and turns in the years since we met. I know my life would not have the light, the depth of emotion, the laughter and the magic it has if I had not pushed that button. Oh, I would made it through I'm sure but, my life has been made all the richer by knowing you all and sharing your journey.

But, before we talk about the book let us relive for a moment our warm and cozy welcome at Laura's.  Per our Christmas Tradition, Laura hosted our Annual Christmas Tea. This year Laura had house guests her daughter and finance and their two dogs and two cats. The animals didn't seem to mind and, in fact, I think enjoyed lurking around looking for scraps.

Book club members went all out on finger foods and desserts. Laura provided tea and scones. Diana brought croissant chicken salad sandwiches. Lis brought sausage pinwheels and mini cheese sandwiches. Terry brought ham, Gouda and cranberry mini tarts, Carla G brought a cranberry and nut cheese log, Janie brought a coffee-chocolate cake, Barb brought deviled eggs, Pam brought a veggie tray. Tammy brought cake pops and cookies and there was wine and Apple Pie Moonshine and Arnora brought the beautiful flowers.

We saved our gift exchange for after our book club discussion and there were lots of fun, good tasting and good smelling gifts for all.

We missed, Leslie, Denise and Carla A and as always, Darby and Lou. Darby did a Face Time with Diana and I on the drive over and updated us on the goings on in Chicago. Diana, Liz, Arnora and Laura had visited Lou in Florida recently. Our long time connections are still going strong even if the distance is greater between some of us.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes was a big hit scoring a 4.5. Of those attending the discussion only Terry had not quite finished. Arnora led the book discussion questions and we have a lively conversation.

The Giver of Stars follows the lives of 5 women living in rural Kentucky in 1937 who volunteer to become traveling librarians taking books to the rural families of their small community during the depression. Though the characters are fictional there was, in fact, a mobile program started by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Some of the themes addressed in the story are: Women and their gender roles in society socially as well as familial, women's equality, sexuality, domestic abuse,  friendship, economics, big business vs. worker equality, racism and the importance of education.

That's quite a lot to pack into 592 pages. But, I thought the author did a seamless job of interweaving the themes through the lives of the women. Alice Wright meets Bennett Van Cleef and his father on their grand tour of England. They have an attraction and Bennett proposes. Alice is eager to leave her family life and intrigued to be moving to a city in Kentucky. Her husband is handsome and his father is the rich mine owner in town. Unfortunately, things go sour on the wedding night as Jeff Van Cleef is a an overbearing, domineering man who controls his son in every possible way and is oppressive to Alice. Jeff and Bennett have rather misled Alice. She finds that she is living in a rural community in Kentucky and not a genteel southern city. Alice, out of boredom, frustration and a need to assert herself against her father-in-law volunteers to deliver books. Gradually, she makes friends with Margery who, though she is a native of the community, in an outsider in her own way. When her father-in-law becomes violent, Alice takes refuge with Margery. Not only do we address the themes mentioned, but there is a Hatfield and McCoy type feud between Margery O'Hare's family and the McCulloughs who are hermits in the hills. When the drunken McCullough is found dead after a snow storm, a pregnant Margery is arrested.

The women rally around Margery, one of McCullough's daughters even testifies on her behalf assuring her acquittal. Alice finds a way to divorce her husband to be with a man who loves her. Margery marries the father of her baby and the other girl's lives are rather neatly tied up.

I thought the story was well told, and had plenty of suspenseful scenes that kept me coming back. The story of the traveling librarians was knew to me. We all agreed the book reflected issues that continue to be ongoing even today. In fact, Janie reminded us that Dolly Parton has a program of traveling book mobiles still taking books to people in rural communities.

The old saying still proves true, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

January book club will be our annual pajama party at Diana's and our  book will be Erin Morganstern's The Starless Sea.

I've updated the 2020 meeting schedule.

November Book Club 2019

Something Wicked This Way Comes was our book for November. As we met on November 1, we're still in the Halloween and Dia de Muertos mood.

It was a beautiful fall night as Tammy greeted as her new place of residence. We missed Janie, Terry and Leslie and, of course, Lou and Darby. Diana joined us via phone as she was suffering from a cold. In fact, several of us had been sick since the last book club but, we seem mostly recovered.

Arnora was just back from her Trop-Rock Tour of Paris and Normandy. We enjoyed hearing about her adventures and seeing her photos. Arnora (she's been a busy girl), Diana, Lis and Laura were just back from visiting Lou in Florida.

Tammy made us a Taco Soup and Pam brought a Chicken Tortilla soup. Just what we needed on a cool fall night. Lis made some delicious enchiladas, Cara G brought a salad. Tammy also made homemade Sopapillas and Lis topped it off with ice cream. And, Arnora brought a beautiful bouquet of flowers and the lavender roses matched Lis' pants! We had the usual assortment of great wines, coffee and tea to round out our meal.

Our book, Something Wicked This Way Comes was authored by Ray Bradbury. He had written what he called, The Green Town Trilogy. The books were semi-autobiographical stories based on his childhood. Dandelion Wine, Farewell to Summer and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Our book takes place during the time of a fall carnival arrives in town. Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are boys on the verge of their 14th birthdays when they encounter a strange lightening rod salesman who announces that a storm is coming their way.  The a dark and sinister carnival shows up on the heels of this announcement and sets the stage for adventure and coming of age.

Bradbury took his title from a line in Shakespeare's Macbeth. In Macbeth, three witches predict that Macbeth will be king but, under certain circumstances. Macbeth ignores the conditions and sets about to murder everyone who he sees stands between him and the throne. Our book was not quite that sinister. But, our lightening rod salesmen running into town and predicting a "storm" serves the same kind of ominous portend.

The book was well received over all rating a 3.84. We agreed that there were some problems with the writing. Bradbury tended to wonder off sometimes in his descriptions and that bogged down the action. But, I thought some of the writing was really beautiful. I particularly loved the part where Jim's dad was talking to the two boys in the Library. His prose describing why he loved his wife read like poetry to me.

I also particularly liked the use of the Carousel as a time machine that could speed up or slow down the aging process. When Diana, Rex and I were at the Buchart Gardens in Victoria, BC, we saw a beautiful carousel that now I'm sorry I didn't ride. I heard after the fact, that it's the fastest carousel and, not sure if this is true or not, but that if it went any faster they'd have to classify it a roller coaster! I wish I'd have found out for myself! I like the idea of "the faster it goes - the slower you age!" haha

I thought it was a fun read about two boys trying to uncover a mystery and save some of the towns people from the evil Mr. Dark. The story was actually based on a true evening in Bradbury's life when he came into contact with a Mr. Electrico at his local carnival. Mr. Electrico command that Ray, "live forever" and told him that he was the reincarnation of a friend who'd died in WWI. Ray went home and started writing and never stopped.

This book was all about ominous predictions and what you do about them. I had enjoyed the book but some of the slower writing had me ready to give it a 3.5. But, our discussion and some of the connections we made caused me to raise my rating to a 4.5.

Our next book club will be our traditional tea at Laura's and our book is the NY Times Bestseller, The Giver of Star.

October Book Club 2019

Blog #146 Book #210

Lis went "all Italian" on us for this month's book club. The colors of Italy's flag are red, white and green. Lis decorated the table in those colors. She turned a lamp into a sign post with Italian cities on it and added red, white and green streamers to the banister. She even had pasta in a wine glass as one of the decorative objects. The living room was awash in romantic candlelight. Who says friends can't be romantic?

We went all out on our Italian meal as well. For appetizers, Diana made a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad also in the colors of the Italian flag. Lis made a blue cheese and pineapple pepper  jelly served with crackers.   Janie brought cornbread salad and Robbie sent a cauliflower salad. Carla G made a green salad with 2 choices of Italian dressing.  Lis made a meaty pasta dish. Janie also made Stromboli and Denise brought beautiful cupcakes. As usual, it was all delicious.

We missed Tammy, Arnora, Pam and Leslie.

We got the chance to hear about Denise's amazing trip to Ireland and Laura's new job at OU's Goddard Health Clinic. Next month, we'll get to hear about Arnora's trip to Paris and Pam's trip to Washington State.

Our book this month was a murder mystery entitled, "Aunti Poldi and the Sicilian Lions." Those that read the book enjoyed this lighthearted mystery as told by Aunti Poldi's nephew. As we discussed the book, we realized that the nephew is telling the story from his point of view and never names himself. He is a writer who is having trouble with his most recent project and ends up focusing on the latest mystery that Aunti Poldi has recently solved.

Aunti Poldi is an interesting protagonist. She is 60, German by birth, widowed and, a former costume designer. Early on we learn that "murder seems to follow where she goes." One of the characters refers to her as Ms. Marple of the Agatha Christie series and I also thought of Murder She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher. The difference being that Aunti Poldi has a rather provocative sex life. I rather enjoyed a character who is in my age bracket still exploring her passions.

Aunti Poldi has retired to a town in Sicily where she rather hopes to sit on her balcony watching the ocean and drinking herself to an early grave in response to her widowhood. But, life has other plans for her. Soon her handsome young handyman goes missing and is discovered murdered. Discovered washed up on the beach by Aunti Poldi, no less. Soon there is an investigation, a smoldering police inspector, a romantic entanglement, one false lead after another and, a rooftop showdown coinciding with a volcanic eruption. Through it all Aunti Poldi, remains perfectly poised even if her wig is slightly tousled.

I think several of us had a few issues with the writing. The author, Mario Giordano, did seem to tell more than he showed. And, he relied a bit too much on "list making" for his descriptions. But, all in all it was a fun read. The book rated a 3.5.

Laura said that she finished in time to go back and start over. She was glad she did because she was able to see how he foreshadowed many of the events and the clues were always right in front of us. . Her handyman was, unknown to her, involved with a profitable black market organization that stole  antique tiles and other architectural figurines i.e., the Lions, to resell for new construction.

When I was googling for some more background information, I stumbled on a photo of the author. He was not what I had expected. He is quite handsome. I expected someone older and more rumpled. I don't know why. Mario was born in Munch, Germany. His novel, "Black Box" was based on a true story of an occurrence (Stanford Prison Experiment) and adapted to Film as Das Experiment. He received the Bavarian Film Award for the best screenplay.






Our next book is Ray Bradbury's, "Something Wicked This Way Comes." And, we will meet at Tammy's.