FYI

This Thursday, March 2nd, I'll be one of two featured poets—the other Julie Maloney, founder of Women Who Write—at the Montclair Monthly Poetry Series, at 7PM in the auditorium of the Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Ave., Montclair NJ. After we read there'll be a break and then an open mic until 9.

LAST NIGHT AT MY "HOLLYWOOD AWAKENING" EVENT (AND THE OSCARS)

Me and my friend, poet Rachel Diken, doing our Hollywood poses in our Oscar outfits (my tie has bleeding, or crying, hard to tell, books flowing down it) as we step onto the red carpet in Orange NJ for my pre-Oscar reading of poems and telling stories about finding my way (after losing it) in "Hollywood"...great event that I am so grateful to have done (and received a standing o for, with the organizer, author and scholar Mindy Fullilove, asking for the gathering's approval for giving me "the lifetime achievement award" (thanks Mindy))...later watching the Oscars two things hit me, first, that the expansion of the academy with newer members worked because I don't think I ever heard the announcer before say so repeatedly "first time Oscar nominee" and the other was that old people get thrown easier than younger ones (a la Warren Beatty's confusion when given the wrong envelope with Emma Stone's name and La La Land on it, obviously for her best actress win, and didn't know what to do for several minutes finally announcing La-La Land as the winner and then after they were on stage accepting the award people ran out to tell them it wasn't theirs, that the best picture winner was actually Moonlight, further proof the addition of younger members and more diversity in the membership has paid off....the best picture of the year definitely won this time...)...

JUST A REMINDER

Today, between 5 and 7 as a pre Oscar event (including delicious food) I'll be sharing poems and stories about my experiences working in movies (and TV) as an actor and writer, including the seventeen years I spent living and working in "Hollywood"...35 Cleveland Street, Orange NJ...

NEW FAVORITE QUOTE (& SIGN)

LALLY MOVIE AWARDS

Back when I started this blog, in 2006 I think, I also started my own yearly movie awards as a minuscule counter to the other yearly awards. I covered pretty much every category the Oscars did, and added a few of my own. But the brain operation removed my compulsion to make lists, so it became more and more work just to do what I originally was doing for fun, and I stopped.

But this year I was so blown away by MOONLIGHT, I wanted to acknowledge that, for my taste, it deserves just about every award possible, from acting (I'd give actors in this film awards in every category, including for Best Actor the three actors who played the lead character, Alex R. Hibbert, Aston Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes, and Best Supporting to Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris) and directing and writing (Barry Jenkins so deserves this), to cinematography, editing and art direction.

And since I'm doing that, I thought I'd at least acknowledge other movies of 2016 that impressed me, if only for acting and directing.

Some of my favorite acting was done by:
Taraj P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer, Kristen Dunst, and Mahershala Ali in HIDDEN FIGURES;
Annette Bening, Greta Gerwing, and Billy Crudup in 20TH CENTURY WOMEN;
Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, and Nicole Kidman in LION;
Emma Stone in LA LA LAND;
Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Birdges in HELL OR HIGH WATER;
Viggo Mortensen and the entire cast of CAPTAIN FANTASTIC;
the entire cast of SING STREET;
the entire cast of DON'T THINK TWICE (especially Gillian Jacobs);
Laura Linney in GENIUS;
Kate Beckinsale, Xavier Samuel, and Reginald De Courcy in LOVE  & FRIENDSHIP;
Keri Russell, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Matthew McConaughy in FREE STATE OF JONES;
the cast of CAFE SOCIETY;
Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, and Simon Helberg in FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS;
Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, and Bradley Cooper in WAR DOGS;
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Timothy Olyphant, and Nicolas Cage in SNOWDEN;
the cast of EVERYBODY WANTS SOME;
Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup in JACKIE.

And for directing I'd single out (after Barry Jenkins for MOONLIGHT):
Damian Chazelle for LA-LA LAND (also wrote it)
John Carney for SING STREET (also wrote it)
Richard Linklater for EVERYBODY WANTS SOME (also wrote it)
David Mackenzie for HELL OR HIGH WATER
Mike Birbiglia for DON'T THINK TWICE (also wrote it)
Gary Ross for FREE STATE OF JONES (also wrote it)
Whit Stillman for LOVE & FRIENDSHIP (wrote the screenplay based on Austen)
Matt Bass for CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (also wrote it)
Woody Allen for CAFE SOCIETY (also wrote it).

My brain's freezing up so that's it, let me know what you think.

STILL IN MY HEART

one of my favorite photos of my sister Joan, who died over thirty years ago at age fifty, after a lifetime of dealing with the impact of having been a child diabetic at a time when that was a death sentence, and then through medical progress was able to live much longer than expected but not without the debilitating side effects of medicines and procedures and whatever else led to her many critical illnesses including the heart diseases and cancers that contributed to her death...

she became an "executive secretary" after attending Catherine Gibbs, where she learned not just how to type fast and take stenography notes, but also how to dress and speak and act like an educated professional woman...

to me she was the most thoughtful and kind person in my life, especially after our mother passed, and despite our different personalities was always sympathetic to my struggles...

she is always in my heart and thoughts and I miss her daily...
[click to enlarge so you can see how beautiful she was]

THIS SUNDAY

My good friend, Doctor Mindy Thompson Fullilove, has invited me to read my poetry in a series called FAITH + WORKS, featuring people who share how their FAITH informs their daily WORKS, at The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Essex County, New Jersey (very non-churchy, casual vibe). Since the date was the same as The Oscars Awards ceremony, she came up with the title HOLLYWOOD AWAKENING and this:

"In 1982 poet Michael Lally moved to L.A. to work in film and TV as a way of supporting the two children he was raising as a single parent. While enduring the challenges of trying to keep his integrity as an artist, but also pay the rent and put food on the table, Lally unexpectedly had a spiritual awakening. This surprising exploration of Hollywood will precede the Oscar’s and get us all in the mood for the awards ceremony! We will have a red carpet for you if you desire to attire!"

Sunday, Feb 26th, 5-7PM, 35 Cleveland Street, Orange NJ Parking in rear and on street. And as Mindy put it, along with "spiritual reflections" there will be "delicious refreshments."