Hello dear Off-Topicers,
In a recent book group discussion1, it emerged that only three out of five members had seen the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. I can’t remember what year it was when my sister and I discovered it, but we watched it until the VHS tape had gone fuzzy in places and then carried on watching through the static. In the years since, I’ve always assumed the feel of Kellerman’s summer camp and the film’s iconic lines were woven into most of us on a cellular level and that everyone understood oblique references to it in conversation2. It was shocking to realise this isn’t the case, and so I suggested a book group screening where the uninitiated could be introduced to its delights.
It was only as the evening approached that I started to wonder if it would have aged as well as I’d hoped, and if it would feel quite as delightful if the first exposure to it was as a grown woman. But those fears were unfounded. It’s still utterly wonderful (and somehow Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman’s clothes are timeless. Apart from the cardigan that accompanies her to carry a watermelon, I would happily wear every one of her outfits3). Even my most sceptical friend, who only agreed to this evening if certain food and drink requirements were met, is now keen to re-watch it with her daughter. On the grounds that it’s totally joyful, but also relatively unique in raising the issue of a man being objectified rather than a woman; especially poignant after the reversal of Roe v. Wade; and with lots of moral/ethical conundrums to discuss. I was delighted to hear her suggest it’s a film with hidden depths, because as a young person, I was really just there for the dancing, the sizzling chemistry, and the promise that a regular teenager’s life might suddenly become wildly exciting. And yes, that someone - someone - might recognise that you should absolutely not be sitting in the corner.
If I’m shocked that others haven’t watched Dirty Dancing, I’m equally shocked that it’s taken until this year for me to discover Curtis Sittenfeld’s novels. After first reading Prep (loved the writing but felt it lacked likeable characters), I’m now in full-immersion mode. Having devoured Romantic Comedy last week, this week I’ve been listening to American Wife, a fictionalised story based around the life of US First Lady, Laura Bush. Before reading, I hadn’t been aware of what an interesting character Laura Bush is, but the exploration of how a pro-choice, agnostic, Democrat might end up falling in love with a man like George Bush is fascinating, and so well done that I was alarmed to find myself almost falling for the character Curtis creates, too.
Three novels and one short story in, I think I adore Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing almost as much as Ann Patchett’s - it has that same uncluttered, flawless quality that never gets in the way of the storytelling. My only reservation - and it’s quite a big one - is that I’ve found mixing a person’s real life with fiction can feel discomforting at times (I think Rodham possibly does a similar thing with Hillary Clinton’s earlier life?). As a teenager, Laura Bush was involved in an accident that resulted in one of her classmates being killed, and in American Wife, her character has a brief sexual relationship with this boy’s elder brother as a way of assuaging her guilt. Even though names are changed and the writing is sympathetic, fictionalising a storyline around this feels a bit like rewriting history and, as a reader, I’m still unsure where fact ends and fiction begins. I’d imagine that murkiness must be a hard thing to bear for Laura Bush (and perhaps the boy’s family, too). But that aside, it’s an excellent book (although the first three quarters are more compelling - once they’re in the White House it becomes a little drier).
Back to dancing and I want to leave you with some West Coast Swing. It’s totally joyful and will make a good day better, and a bad day at least 5% improved. It’s all improv and there’s so much humour in the way dancers interpret the lyrics - it feels like the best kind of kitchen-style dancing, although the links I’m about to share come from competitions/events, and not from anyone’s actual kitchen. Both feature Lauren Jones, who is my absolute favourite. This dance is wonderful, and this one is brilliant too. Volume up and hoping you enjoy them as much as I do.
Wishing you a lovely week ahead,
Florence x
In one of my book groups we’ve recently introduced a new feature I thought I’d share, which is that each of us arrives with two favourite lines/passages picked out from the book. I love that it highlights previously unnoticed details, or an overlap in what resonated if you happen to pick the same one. And doing this also tends to focus the discussion in on really precise details from a book, which I enjoy.
During the second lockdown, my sister printed out a black & white photo of us together on a sheet of A4 captioned, ‘Until we can invade each other’s (dance) space again, here’s a reminder of the last time’. As I type this, it’s still pinned to my design wall above my growing Paintscape. That’s the kind of everyday referencing I’m talking about.
Isn’t outfit an awful word. I’ve just looked it up and it’s derived from fitting out a ship. No wonder it feels so clunky and vile. Let us never wear outfits again, and only ensembles. Or maybe not…
Ps. I always wonder if certain things are evident to anyone outside my own head. This Time, With Footnotes is (clearly, to me at least) a play on ‘Once more, with feeling’, but I’ve no idea if anyone else will read it that way before finding me explaining it here (like someone explaining their own joke…or not like someone, but a person actually doing that). Either way, that title is because last week’s newsletter was without footnotes and I had reports (three in total, but I’m taking that to be representative of many more undocumented incidents ;) of it causing distress. Hoping this week’s reappearance leaves you fully re-combobulated. x
Hooray, footnotes! (And yes, I did absolutely read the title that way.) I don’t particularly like the word outfit either and I’ve never seen Dirty Dancing...
One of my friends found out my fiancé had never seen Dirty Dancing, and so she gave it us as a wedding present (over a decade ago). It took us years to rewatch it but I found that it totally held up! We recently enjoyed the behind-the-scenes episode about it on that Netflix series The Movies That Made Us, which I recommend! It’s fun to see crew members and producers and/or writers discuss the nitty gritty behind a classic. Thanks for breaking my down your title joke! I needed it and appreciated the walk through :) Also, this is the second time this week I’ve heard someone refer to Prep sans feeling, which I find so interesting, speaking of hits. I tried to read it during lockdown and couldn’t get through the first chapter, but I tend to love her in interviews and Twitter (lol). Anyhoo, very fun post. Thanks!