When Bigger Isn't Always Better

I saw Daniel Radcliffe on The Talk yesterday. This was the first I'd heard of his upcoming role in a film called Kill Your Darlings, in which he'll play Allen Ginsberg. The plot revolves around a murder committed by Lucien Carr in 1944.

[Sidebar: Presumably, this refers to the killing of David Kammerer. In the film Beat, David Kammerer is played by another actor I greatly admire - Kyle Secor, who played the sexually conflicted homicide detective Timothy James Bayliss on Homicide: Life on the Streets (on the right; his TV partner is the brilliant actor Andre Braugher).

In Beat, Ginsberg is portrayed by Ron Livingston. Norman Reedus, perhaps best remembered from Boondock Saints, played Lucien Carr, and Courtney Love made an appearance as Joan, the wife of William S. Burroughs.]

I'm so excited that Daniel Radcliffe is attempting to play Ginsberg. I think I will like this as much as, or even more than, James Franco's portrayal in Howl.

Some of the discussion on yesterday's talk show was about the fact that Dan hasn't really grown much (in height) since he first donned the robes of the Boy Who Lived.

This does not bother me at all. I still say Radcliffe's grown into a very attractive young man. Here he is at age 18 in a photo by David Dj Johnson.

You don't have to be tall to be beautiful - right, Tom Cruise as Lestat?

Tom Cruise as Lestat agrees.

This height-challenged hottie gets tons of great movie roles based on books, from The Outsiders to The Firm to War of the Worlds. You know, I used to think he wasn't very attractive, but the older I get, the more I like Tom Cruise. (No Scientology jokes - I respect everyone's religious freedom. But I will say this again - his wife is not as good a Rachel Dawes as Maggie Gyllenhaal is.)

You know who does a hella good impression of Tom Cruise? Miles Fisher.

WIP Wednesday: Happy Imbolc, Lá Fhéile Bríde, Candlemas and Groundhog Day!

Are you an author with a current work in progress? Would you like to share about your work on a future WIP Wednesday? If so, send your blurb to Erin O'Riordan: erinoriordan AT sbcglobal DOT net.

As a Groundhog Day treat, take 20% off The Smell of Gas (my pulp fiction novel - lots of sex and death) and "Melusine's Secret" at Lulu.com with the code SHADOWHOG306. Good through Feb. 3.

The first of February is a cross-quarter Pagan holiday, falling in between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The optimistic celebration of Imbolc looks forward to the end of winter and the renewal of spring - we're halfway there! Wear white or yellow for Imbolc to encourage the days to keep getting longer.

If you're interested in the folklore of Imbolc and the related February 1-2 holidays, you can read last year's post HERE. Remember, February 4th will be Sarasvati Puja, the birthday of the Hindu goddess Sarasvati.


Sarasvati Pictures

Over the weekend, I wrote a scholarly and humorous article about the word "smexy." The portmanteau word combining "smart" and "sexy" should be a favorite of mine, but I just can't bring myself to like it. Brigid came up in the discussion, as you'll read in this brief excerpt:

"If smexy were here [in the dictionary], it would fall precisely between smelter and smidgen. Smidgen’s not so bad; it has a cooking-show flavor, as in 'Add a smidgen of cardamom to your vanilla pudding.' Smidgen could even be delicious. Likewise, I have nothing against smelters, or anyone otherwise employed in the metallurgic arts. To my ancient Irish ancestors, smiths enjoyed the patronage of the great fire-goddess Brighid, and for the love of Brighid I could even love the word smelter.”


Imbolc Pictures

You might notice I also crammed in a pun on the word "flavor" and a reference to a line from Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? I was on a roll when I wrote the article, so I hope it gets picked up by SexIs Magazine. I also worked in references to SmexyAsians.com, Michael Trevino, Dick Cheney's iPod and Miles Fisher. "This Must Be the Place" is my example of a song that's kind of annoying at first, but then it grows on you. Then you can't get it out of your head. Then you embrace it. Then you love it.

This Must Be The Place (Cover) - Miles Fisher from Dave Green on Vimeo.

Of course you embrace the video right away, 'cause it's a wonderful American Psycho homage. Miles Fisher is SO smexy. (Photo by Nadav Benjamin, Creative Commons)

So, what are you working on this fine cross quarter holiday?