Ooo la la la

I was very sad to learn that the great Teena Marie passed away over the weekend at the young age of 54. That unmistakable, soulful voice was part of the soundtrack to my childhood. I used to dance around the living room to "Square Biz," "I Need Your Lovin" and "Lovergirl." The clip above is Teena dropping some serious ballad funk on Soul Train singing the fabulous "Ooo la la la." RIP Lady T.

Atlanta had its first white Christmas since 1882 on Saturday with around half an inch in the city and more in the northern burbs. I had lunch with my parents and grandmother, but then headed back to the city when it really started coming down around 4 p.m.

Nevertheless, I went with Cleo to see a matinee of White Material starring Isabelle Huppert. This tension-filled movie from Claire Denis is set in an unnamed African nation during a bloody civil war. Huppert's character runs a coffee plantation and stubbornly refuses to leave despite warnings from all around her. Is she a racist, stupid, or an out of touch colonial bourgeoisie? It's an enigmatic film that calls much into question and offers no simple answers. Definitely not a feel good film, but one that will cause much debate.

After the film, we drove through the nearly deserted streets of Midtown over to the Waffle House (because this kind of weather requires a grilled cheese and hash browns plate). Snow was starting to accumulate, so we ate quickly and then wandered up and down 5th Street taking photos (that' me at left). Pretty, isn't it? 

I was home in time to watch the delightful Doctor Who Christmas Special, which I loved and a lot of the fanboys did not. Yes, it was sentimental and all a bit silly, but like all the new Who episodes, it had moments of darkness and real emotion. Matt Smith really is great in the role. 

Oh, I almost forgot that I saw True Grit on Christmas Eve. Wow -- it is fantastic. I see Oscar nominations galore including the three stars, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and the amazing Hailee Steinfeld, who carries the whole movie on her young shoulders. And, sorry purists, but the Coen Brothers version is 100 percent better than the original. This version of True Grit is not a remake, but a total re-imagining of the story. Bravo!

Since I've written this blog totally out of sequence, let me double back again to Sunday. I spent most of the day working on Remain in Light. I wrote some of the end chapters over the summer while I was in Europe and now the narratives have joined. That means I'm about 98.5 percent finished with the novel. Woot!