Recommendations

I'm trying to make a dent in my New Yorker magazines, which have been piling up week by week lately. I just came across this in a recent issue: a highly recommended film about the Iraq war starring one of my faves, Tommy Lee Jones. It's called "In the Valley of Elah." Lots of "brilliants" and "wonderfuls" surrounding this. I think it'll be released in November. Also features Susan Sarandon. (Rickydoodle, I thought you in particular might be interested in this, given our "Jarhead" discussion.)

Also, I just got around to reading Marjane Satrapi's autobiography, written in comic-book style ("Persepolis"), about growing up female in Iran just before the Islamic Revolution (women wore miniskirts in Tehran) and after (strictly enforced veils and chadors). Satrapi's parents were progressive intellectuals, and, after the Iraq-Iran war began, managed to send their daughter to Austria, where she received a liberal European education (vs. the misogynist, nationalistic bullshit that was passing for schooling in Iran). As I was ordering another of her books, the lovely sounding "Chicken with Prunes," I noticed that "Persepolis" has been made into an animated movie that'll be released in the U.S. this winter. I can't wait!