Stuff I Like Today

1. A bit self-promotional, but I really enjoyed Meghan Kenny's interview of Josh Weil on jmwwblog. Josh is young and insanely talented, and it will be exciting to watch every step of his writing career unfold.

2. This article on HARRIET THE SPY in Werewolf magazine, A New Zealand Internet magazine. Kind of reminds me of Slate. I read Louis Fitzhugh's HARRIET THE SPY and THE LONG SUMMER every couple of years for fun, and I'm happy be reminded that Fitzhugh was 36 when HARRIET THE SPY was published, which gives me some hope. (Unfortunately, Fitzhugh lived only a scant 10 years longer, dying at 46.)

3. Susannah Gora's YOU COULDN'T IGNORE ME IF YOU TRIED, which follows the genesis of John Hughes' 80s masterpieces Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. It also follows the formation of the Brat Pack, those actors who comprised most of the casting of these films. I don't believe Hughes' films were as seminal as some make them out to be, even if as a white suburban girl, I was their target market, but I do appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at how they were created. And who knew that Judd Nelson was almost fired from the Breakfast Club for method acting his entire way through filming?