Saturday Hangovers - Gwenda Bond

An article in the WaPo examines the path of Lewis and Clark: The bicentennial of Clark’s famous journal entry is also an occasion to see what has changed along the route of the Corps of Discovery — and what has hardly changed at all. More than anything else, the great rivers of the West — the Missouri and the Columbia, the primary highways of the Lewis & Clark Expedition — have been fundamentally remade. The rivers, as the explorers knew them, were put to death by federal dams and resurrected as plumbing.
Sam at Golden Rule Jones points to a Wall Street Journal Story (subs only) about the drinking habits of James Bond in text vs. on the screen: Fleming knew that in drink no less than food, it pays to play to an establishment’s strength. When Bond grabs a roadhouse lunch with Felix Leiter in "Diamonds Are Forever," he doesn’t waste time elucidating the comparative virtues of shaking vs. stirring; he just orders a beer (a Miller High Life, at that). When in Jamaica, 007 favors gin-and-tonics extra heavy on juice from the island’s fresh limes. When Bond trails Auric Goldfinger to Geneva, he relaxes with a tot of Enzian, "the firewater distilled from gentian," the root of an Alpine wildflower. In the Athens airport he knocks back Ouzo; in Turkey it’s Raki. At Saratoga racetrack, he drinks Old-Fashioneds and "Bourbon and branch" (i.e., water). And when Bond goes out to lunch in London, he orders one of the most distinctively British of drinks, a Black Velvet. Equal parts champagne and Guinness stout, a Black Velvet might sound awful, but proves to be startlingly good in the drinking — I find it tastes curiously and deliciously like hard cider.
Both Sarah and Carrie have made excellent posts recently about just how hard it is to finish a decent first novel (or rewrite the first draft into one). It’s nice to know you have fellow travelers…
The fabulous Lauren McLaughlin points to a wonderful article about the real story of Rosa Parks.
Ghost Word has an excellent write-up of a recent event where Dave Eggers interviewed Joan Didion. Eggers focused in on Didion’s relationship with the recently(ish) deceased John Gregory Dunne: “We were absolutely each others first readers on everything. First, and certainly in my case, first and last.” For a writer, that kind of support is remarkable, and may help explain the sheer volume and quality of Didion’s writing. The couple spent their days next to one another – or at least in nearby rooms – and could rely on an astute, yet sympathetic critic to look at their work.
Mr. McLaren writes up an imaginary WFC based on this year’s program, what it woulda been like. I’d go to that one.
Emma Garman, doing one of her MaudNewton.com Fridays, reports that Tracy Emin’s memoir Strangeland doesn’t look like it’s going to be available stateside.
A handy reference page for later. (Via Ed.)

1 thought on “Saturday Hangovers”