"Rock 'n' Roll" Part Three

On the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion, Richard Ouzounian of the Toronto Star reflects on what a city remembers, what it tries to forget and how a new play by Tom Stoppard tied it all together for him.

"Rock 'n' Roll" Part Two

In The Observer, Sean O'Hagan comments upon the new play's "use of [erstwhile Pink Floyd singer] Syd Barrett as a symbol of lost innocence."

"Rock 'n' Roll" Part One

Stoppard's latest play, "Rock 'n' Roll," opened at London's Duke of York Theatre to hugely enthusiastic reviews in June. I've accumulated many links to reviews of the production and background pieces since then. It's time I started putting them to work. So:

Here's Vaclav Havel talking about the play.

Don't Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em

Speaking of "R&G," the latest production at the Fringe substituted cocaine for marijuana as Rosencrantz's drug of choice, due to a much-publicized ban on smoking. (Why R. was being depicted as a pothead is unclear to me.)

A Mixed "R&G" Review in the Washington Post

The headline -- "A Slow Death for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" -- pretty much says it all about the critical consensus for the Longacre Lea production.

Latest Cast Details for "The Coast of Utopia"

Amy Irving and Jason Butler Harner are the latest major additions to the American premiere of "The Coast of Utopia," slated to open at Lincoln Center on October 17.

If You Happen to Be in the Twin Cities on 12/18...

Stoppard will appear at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis as this year's Global Voice speaker.

No One's Queuing up for Joyce's "Exiles"

Why don't great novelists makes great playwrights, and vice versa? This article from the Guardian Unlimited delves into that issue. In passing, Stoppard's "Lord Malquist and Mr Moon" is described as "far too slick and ingenious to carry any weight: that boulevardier's juggling, so delightful and paradoxical in the plays, just looks cheap on paper."

President of the London Library

Apparently, Stoppard has recently been appointed president of the London Library in St James Square, founded by Thomas Carlyle and friends. In this article from All About Jewish Theatre, he discusses his Jewish roots, his love of books and his methods of writing while staying at hotels.

Special Powers

Last week, the Sunday Chronicle featured my reviews of the latest from Tim Powers, Elizabeth Bear and Kim Newman.

Catching Up

It's been a while, hasn't it? Here's the first of two long-ago review columns. I cover the latest from Marta Acosta, Kit Reed and Vernor Vinge.

Something for the Kids

From The Chronicle, a round-up of new science fiction and fantasy for younger readers.

Tuttle, Duncan and Medley

I recently reviewed "The Silver Bough" by Lisa Tuttle, "Vellum" by Hal Duncan and "Castle Waiting" by Linda Medley and was not 100% happy with any of them.

Leads Set for "Rock 'n' Roll"

Rufus Sewell, Sinead Cusack and Brian Cox have been announced as the stars of Stoppard's latest play.

Spare a Thought for Jack, the Self-Emasculating Tapir

I usually pay scant attention to stories about wacky "birds-and-bees" tours at zoos, but the graphic nature of this one really made me do a double-take. I hear there have been no major complaints from The Chronicle's loyal readership. I don't know whether to compliment our audience on its openmindedness or despair that no one seems to read what we print.

Soul Patch

New review in The San Francisco Chronicle, covering three books that, in one way or another, address the mind/body problem and the existence of the soul: Ian McDonald's "River of Gods," Christopher Moore's "A Dirty Job" and John Scalzi's "The Ghost Brigades." All three get high marks.

Stoppard Catch-Up

It's been a while, but I've had my reasons. Anyway, assorted Stoppard-related news has been trickling in:

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival will stage "On the Razzle" next year. Yay! I'll probably get to see it.

ACT here in San Francisco has announced that its next season will open with "Travesties." Again, yay!

Stoppard is reportedly adapting Robert Ludlum's "The Bourne Ultimatum" for the big screen. The director assures us that it will be "a f**kin' classy film." Uh, yay, I guess.

More Stoppard Links

Well, somebody liked Stoppard's "Heroes." It won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.

And Daniel Radcliffe is using some of his "Harry Potter" earnings to buy a Stoppard manuscript entitled "Murder."

Sleeper "Cell"

On Sunday, The Chronicle ran my latest science fiction and fantasy column, covering Stephen King's "Cell," Kevin Brockmeier's "The Brief History of the Dead" and "The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana" by Jess Nevins.

I probably gave "Cell" a kinder assessment than it deserved. The plot really is rather dumb if you think about it for more than a second. But I was in the mood for a guilty pleasure at the time, and that's what King delivered. So, good on ya, Steve.

Here's a very funny Digested Read of "Cell," courtesy of The Guardian Unlimited.

WonderCon

I'm interested in doing more freelance writing about comics. With that in mind, I was a correspondent for Comic Book Resources at last week's WonderCon, just a block away from my office. I wrote about:

Grant Morrision, talking about the "WE3" movie, hopes for an "Invisibles" anthology hardcover and language magic

The Future of the DC Universe, which sounds quite headache-inducing and a huge financial drain on anyone who wants to follow all its permutations

Upcoming Vertigo books, which honestly don't excite me very much. Oh, well.