Coffee, coffee, coffee, tea

As far as I am concerned, there are two kinds of mornings: mornings that start with coffee and mornings that start with tea.

Starting off a morning with coffee for me is nearly the same as ending a sentence with a period, wanting tacos for lunch/dinner/breakfast, and wearing the color blue. Meaning, it happens almost every day. A typical day following a cup (or two or three) of coffee involves schoolwork, work work, and an overwhelming desire to nap. These days include deadlines to be met, papers to be written, and a hefty dose of stress. In other words, the coffee consumed in the morning (and afternoon) acts as a life source. It keeps me from wearing mismatched shoes and reminds me that chocolate is not an appropriate breakfast… by itself. (If it is in the form of a muffin, donut, croissant, and/or cookie, then by all means.)

A day that begins with tea is a whole other ballpark. Less caffeine means less work, obviously. These days include leisure reading, casual laundry, and long bike rides. Maybe I’ll run some errands, go to the bank, or sort through my junk e-mail. Or maybe I’ll rifle through the pantry for the third time before eventually deciding on whole wheat toast and blueberry preserves for breakfast. In any case, the day is sure to end with a healthy balance of productivity and browsing on Pinterest for the best Gilmore Girls quotes.

Can you guess what was in my mug this morning?

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson

Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my favorite movies, ever.

First of all, there's the cast: Hepburn, Neal, Peppard, Ebsen, etc., the fashion (thank you, Edith Head and Givenchy), and the writing.

I've read the novella the movie is based on by Truman Capote, and loved it too, but it made me wonder: how did such a risque story about a call girl and a gay man turn into a Hollywood romance that also features Mickey Rooney as a slightly (very) racist portrayal of an Asian landlord? Why does Holly Golightly eat a danish outside Tiffany's as opposed to, I don't know, an ice cream cone? These are the kinds of questions I want answered.

Thankfully, Sam Wasson's book Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. does just that. Wasson explains how Capote originally wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly, but was rejected because that the role was too scandalous; how no one got along with George Peppard, especially Patricia Neal; and of course, how the signature little black dress changed fashion forever.

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. also looks into the whole film making process of the 1950s/60s. Getting the right director, screenwriter, actor, actress, composer, costume, filming location, etc. is more difficult than I truly realized. Also, having them all get along isn't so easy, either. An example of such controversy: at one point, Audrey was so adamant about keeping the song "Moon River" in the movie that she yelled at a studio executive, who suggested they cut it out, "Over my dead body!" and I'm pretty that had never, ever happened before Breakfast at Tiffany's. Not Audrey disagreeing with an executive, but her yelling at anyone, ever.

Even if you've only seen Breakfast at Tiffany's once, or not at all (is that possible?), Wasson's book offers an intimate look inside the minds of some of Hollywood's best directors, actors, writers, and producers. I highly recommend reading it, whether you're an Audrey devotee or simply interested in how such a revolutionary movie came into being. Either way, it's definitely worth checking out.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Fact #1: Despite the lack of attention I've given my blog as of date, I have not in fact given up reading. I just figured my friends had better things to do than read dry, academic commentaries on Beowulf or Paradise Lost.
Fact #2: I'm probably the last person on earth to have finally read Kathryn Stockett's The Help.


Ever since I heard the buzz surrounding the novel and eventually the movie, I had been meaning to pick up a copy and read. I mean, NPR commented that it's one of the most important books since To Kill a Mockingbird, which, despite one's thoughts of NPR, are some pretty words to live up to.

Thanks to my lovely best friend, I snagged a copy and started reading as soon as finals were over. The story revolves around three main characters: Skeeter, a young college graduate who's more interested in journalism than marriage; Aibileen, a wise and maternal maid who works for Skeeter's friend; and Minny, Aibileen's closest friend despite her bad temper and "sass-mouth." Skeeter wants to do more with her life than just settle down and keep house, so she decides to write a book about maids in Jackson, Mississippi with the help of Aibileen, Minny and various other maids. Set in the early 1960s, the book examines the relationships between white and black women as well as racial prejudice and gender roles of the time.

I was very interested in the story and plot, however I was a little disappointed with Stockett's writing style. She chose to portray each point of view through first person present, and for Minny and Aibileen's characters, that meant using an ethnic lingo that to me, seemed very forced and unnatural. I understand that the story takes place in the South, but if the maids have accents why doesn't Skeeter? I'm not about to call Stockett racist by any means, but it certainly is risky on her part.

Despite my criticism, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters Stockett created. Miss Hilly is an absolute villain that I love to hate, and Aibileen's quiet and patient demeanor is admirable. I'll be interested to see what Stockett writes in the future as well as note how her writing style matures and develops.