Interviews of my friend, Harikumar Pillai

http://ackernon.com/2011/07/interview-with-harikumar-pillai-pt-1

http://ackernon.com/2011/07/interview-with-harikumar-pillai-pt-2/

I met Harikumar at Sundance 2010 when we spoke after the 2nd showing of Peepli Live for which he was Production Manager. We also spoke at length during the Sundance awards.  He was very intent and fascinated by the concept behind Oklahoma Movie Makers group here in Tulsa.

Book Review: The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey

Book Review: otherwise known as "How to tell your friends about a great book, without giving away the ending".
I'm sitting at home, on Facebook, minding my own business, when my eye is drawn to one of those interminable (and usually inane) adverts on the right side of the screen. You know the ones, right? Well, this one says something to the effect of “Want to appear in my next book?” How could I resist? People keep telling me I'm a character. So...

I slowly slid the cursor over to the ad (I've never done this before!) and gently clicked as if it would explode my laptop. I was taken to a page on www.marcussakey.com that told me how I might possibly be in the author's next book, maybe even the protagonist – personally, I think I would make a better antagonist – who could resist becoming a “corpse or a complete bad-ass”. Just read the book, write a review and post it everywhere you can think to post it. Hmmm, I think I can handle that much.

Off I go, my girls in tow, to the local B&N to get said book. Now you might be saying, “Wait, you could have gotten it used on Amazon!” or “Wait a couple of weeks and pick up one at the used bookstore!” Well, my answer is, I am too intrigued, by the title alone, to wait. We do belong to nation of people who stand in front of the microwave and yell “HURRY UP!” Instant gratification, that is the thing by which we will catch...oops, off-track for a second there on a Shakespeare tangent. Hate it when that happens. Don't you?

We got back in the car and (I want an autograph, Mr. Sakey. We had to drive 14 miles round-trip with no a/c in 104 temp.) I told my oldest to open to page one and read the first sentence. I am a strong believer in the “grab them at the first sentence” school of writing.

Excerpt: “He was naked and cold, stiff with it, his veins ice and frost.”

Okay...he got my attention. I was not disappointed with the start and couldn't wait to get home (aside from escaping the sun) to dig into the book.

I am the type of reader that likes to savor every word, lingering over it like a ripe wine. Mr. Sakey makes this very difficult to do. This story grabs hold of you by the nearest appendage (careful there) and takes you on a wild ride through one week in the life of Daniel Hayes, beginning with him waking up, freezing cold, bucknaked, and on the wrong coast. More than this, I will not reveal.

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes has so many plot twists, it will keep you dizzy. Then, just like a lover, when you think you have finally figured it all out and can get comfy... BAM... off you go again, 'round another corner, into the dark.

Okay, I said I wouldn't say anymore but...one thing to watch for, dear reader, is the jaw-dropping bit at the end of Act Two, Part 1 (Don't you DARE cheat and flip to that page!) and of course, the ending, which Mr. Sakey pulls off very nicely. He, like a magician, has you looking in one direction and then shakes it up and you are left saying
“Uh...what just happened?”.

I once advised, as an aspiring screen writer that one needs to have a certain number of Oh!, A-ha, Oh No and the big one, lots of DAMN, moments built in, to make the ebb and flow of your film keep the viewer glued to the edge of the seat. The Death of Daniel Hayes has at least one of these on almost every page. I kid you not.

I was glued to the pages of this book despite having other things I had to get done. They would just have to wait....kids hungry - a wave of the hand and “You can cook”; laundry – “What laundry? It's summer. What do you need clothes for?”. Lucky for my husband that he was in Canada all this time or he would have had to pick up the slack. ::Insert evil laugh here::

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes is much more than a “page turner” or any other cliched review pap.

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey is unbelievably believable. A joy ride of intrigue, blackmail, undying love and revenge. Get it. Read it. You won't regret it. But you might regret it if you don't. ::Insert another evil laugh here::

Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to teach the youngest how to do the laundry so I can read it again. Peace.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Requiem for an Era

I sit here remembering watching the first lunar landing. Since then, the launching of deep space satellites and telescopes has been about all the good NASA has done. No disrespect to our brave astronauts intended. They have done good works.
However, we, as a nation and President Obama (ever notice how it was President Bush and now it's Obama?) have had to make hard choices in recent years (that others turned a blind eye to) due to the deficit raising it's ugly head and even larger this time. In prior administrations they acted like they were handed a blank check and told "Go have fun."

Seriously, don't we have enough things wrong with America that should be fixed? Before we take over and populate some other planet, where only the elite receive a decent education(hmmm sound familiar)? Where ground level and in the sun is the worst place for a human being to be and the rich build towers in praise of themselves and put up a boundary between we "less fortunate" people and themselves, while we fry and gasp in the yellow air?

NASA, the dream, will never die from the hearts of Americans and will rise again as the phoenix from the ashes. For now, let's focus on Earth.