Kyle Kerr

Still Chugging Along

11/6/07 | Books, Movies, My Writings, Procrastination | 0 Comments

Still writing, I’m chugging along as usual.  It’s going well, and with the help of two of my friends I found another problem that was holding the narrative back (which I am now working to fix).  I can only hope the novel will be finished by the end of the year.  Keep praying!

I got the opportunity to see NYT and Internationally bestselling author Matthew Pearl for the second time.  The first time I saw him was at an event, but this time he was generous enough to come to my writers group on campus!  It was an amazing time.  It’s rare that young authors get face-time with someone who’s “made it.” And he was very open about his experiences and he was an immense fountain of knowledge for our members.

READ

The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

In honor of Matthew Pearl coming, I bunkered down with his first book.  Guys, it was really good.  I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I couldn’t put this book down.  It was based around a group of leading literary figures in 1865 Boston (who are all real people, by the way), who are trying to create the first American translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy.  However, some of the leading members of society are being murdered, and they realize that the killer is reenacting the tortures found in Dante’s Inferno.  So, in order to protect themselves, as well as the work they are trying to create, the group members become overnight sleuths.  It was amazing, and it will honestly keep you guessing right to the very end.  It’s kind of hard to get into because of the language (it’s written in 19th century prose), but once you get past the first few pages, it flows in a way you can’t imagine unless you experience it.  Now I definitely have to pick up his second book, The Poe Shadow.

WATCHED

Martian Child

This was a really cute movie.  David (played by John Cusack) is a widower sci-fi novelist who adopts a young boy named Dennis… who thinks he’s from Mars.  Sounds like a perfect match, right?  David and Dennis are both lonely and need to be loved, and to love in return, and David should understand the boy’s fascination with thinking he’s otherworldly.  However, it’s not always a match made in heaven, and David soon finds himself overwhelmed with the prospect of raising a “different” child all on his own.  Really beautiful acting and a great storyline.  Worth a watch!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Okay, this movie sounded… weird, to say the least.  But, it also sounded intriguing.  So, I rented it.  I’m so glad that I did.  As the title suggests, it’s the story about a murderer who’s obsessed with scent, and preserving scent… particularly, the scent of women.  He finds these women with unforgettable scents, and harvests them (which usually includes killing the women; a small price to pay when you think about it, wouldn’t you agree?).  It sounds insane at first glance, but it was really an amazing story.  The director also did a beautiful job portraying scent visually, which is just as hard has it sounds.  The main character is the anti-hero (he’s the one doing the killin’s), but he is played with such compassion and honesty that you can’t help pulling for him!  Fantastic movie, and it has an ending you’ll NEVER see coming.  Now I have to go and read the book…


Oh, and here’s a little treat.

Anyone else excited?

Until next…

Kyle W. Kerr