Month: February 2012

My friend Howard needed head shots for an article, so I took a bunch of pictures of him in Washington Square yesterday. Howard is the author (with Sandra Newman) of Read This Next and How Not to Write a Novel.

Here are two! Not bad, I say. In the first one I experimented with the “portrait” setting which is supposed to slightly soften the focus.

Honestly, today I’ve decided I prefer it without the portrait setting.

I read a New York Diaries entry written by Leo Lerman about lunching with writer Erica Jong and actress Stockard Channing. He liked them both, but wrote that Stockard “tells stories better than Erica. Erica is a good listener—sort of cannibalistic …” And I thought, but of course the actress is a better story teller in this kind of setting (although writers can be just as good)! And writers are supposed to be a little cannibalistic!

Please don’t let this stop you from asking us out to lunch. Thank you in advance.

I kept taking pictures of subways the other day.

9:32: Truly the most boring Oscars ever. So far the J-Lo nip slip is the high point. Oh, and the film from Iran winning, except I just read on Echo that the Iranian government just shut their film foundation down.

8:13: Uh-oh. Sandra Bullock has had work. Doesn’t look good. Damnit. It’s almost always a mistake. Well, maybe I’m wrong and it’s just a bad day, maybe just too much filler or botox. ABC seems to have monopolized the red carpet. I do not approve.

7:56: I love Penelope Cruz. I think she’s one of the most beautiful women alive. This dress is wonderful, but I don’t think her hair is a success. It makes her look kinda bald on one side.

7:10: I think it makes more sense to tweet instead of filling up this item.

7:08: Tim Gunn is on ABC. Oh Tim! I’ve missed you so!

7:00: Glenn Close looking absolutely smashing in green. A! Maze! Zing! And whoever this is in a white dress, looks gorgeous. First dress I covet. Octavia Spencer.

6:55: I don’t know who anyone is anymore! I haven’t seen hardly any of the nominated movies. I saw Bridesmaids (LOVED+++) and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (loved, lower case, no pluses).

6:53: Michelle Williams looks lovely as always. The thing about short hair though, it’s hard to make it look special and dressy. Somehow she doesn’t look dressed up or glammed up enough.

Okay, now I’m going to pay attention to the Oscars and the red carpet. Right now Ryan Seacrest is interviewing an actress with red hair. I don’t know who she is.

I bought these flowers for myself, to celebrate handing my book in. Pretty flowers, pretty cat, pretty day (yesterday).

I have to post about this story I just read about on Gothamist. On January 8, a man named Steven Santiago saved the life of a drunk guy named Jonathan Parisen who fell on the train tracks in Staten Island.

Steven Santiago died, and according to an article I just read, Jonathan Parisen has yet to contact the family to thank them or Steven. When told about Steven’s death, Parisen tweeted, “I was just informed that Steven Santiago passed away today. My prayers go out to Steven and his family. God bless.”

That’s it. Not a lot of emotion there.

Perhaps his lawyer has advised him to say little and to not contact the family. But if someone saved my life and was now in the hospital fighting for their life I would be in a near-constant state of worry and guilt. But after tweeting twice about Santiago in January, saying he was praying for him, here’s what he’s been tweeting since (a sample):

“I see that there is a rapper with the name Q-tip. I have decided that mt rap name will be ear wax.”

“Researching underwater volcanoes in Hawaii for a screenplay that I am writing.”

“Having a “Hellraiser” marathon today. Let’s see how many I can get through lol”

“Off to Staten Island to fight to keep my attorney for my upcoming case in March. Fun fun fun.”

(That must be related to the fact that he is being charged with criminal trespass for his actions that night.)

“Enjoying a cup of hot coco at The Full Cup on Staten Island.”

“Had a nice dinner with my bestfriend. Picked up some art supplies. Headed home to NJ”

You get the idea. He’s been painting, setting up an art studio, uploading paintings and photographs, watching a lot of movies. Doesn’t sound like a guy who is at all tortured that the man who saved his life was in the hospital in critical condition.

To be completely fair, everyone reacts differently to horrible things. Let’s see if Parisen does something to redeem himself. Santiago had a troubled past, and apparently he was turning his life around and trying to reconnect with his son. Maybe there’s something Parisen could do for Santiago’s son, or to help other ex-cons trying to turn their lives around.

I went swimming in the morning, so I could indulge myself for the rest of the day, which means sitting around eating cheese and wallowing in Oscar tv.

When the red carpet coverage really starts, I’ll be back to live-blog a little.

My day yesterday: I walked crosstown, to Grace Church at 10th and Broadway, and then I sang, sang, sang. It was wonderful. Verdi! Makes me wish I was an opera star! Then I stopped into Murray Cheese on my way home, passing through Washington Square Park, where a wedding photographer had her work cut out for her. Actually, the way that wind was whipping that veil around, it could have made for some more dramatic and interesting pictures.