LISTENER

DLF

  • 7
  • reviews
  • 1
  • helpful vote
  • 30
  • ratings

EGOTcha! Ms. Davis

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-21-23

The well-deserved 2023 Grammy Award that Viola Davis won for narrating her 2022 memoir, "Finding Me," made her the 18th person to complete a so-called EGOT: That is, winning at least one each of the four major competitive awards in the entertainment industry (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). I first became aware of Ms. Davis' incredible acting prowess in a relatively short scene played opposite Meryl Streep in John Patrick Shanley's movie, "Doubt" (based on his stage play of the same name). The character of Streep's uncompromising nun and Catholic school principal, Sister Aloysius, pursues (chases would be more accurate) Davis' character of Mrs. Miller, the mother of a young student at the school, Donald, who may or may not have been molested by the new parish priest, played to a tee by the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, After somewhat impatiently explaining how badly her son needed a friend, ANY sort of friend, who'd genuinely care about him and his welfare, given his judgmental and abusive father, Davis' character fairly explodes at Streep: "I'm just trying to keep this boy ALIVE!" It was jarring, moving and unexpected, in all the right ways. And frankly, it's not overstating it to say Meryl Streep was practically blown off the screen by the whirlwind of Viola Davis. (She'll tell you so!) To hear Ms. Davis reveal much of her background in this volume, growing up in Rhode Island as one of six siblings, very poor and with her own abusive and alcoholic father, is to just begin to understand the depths of personal pain and experience from which she can draw much of her immensely rich and heart-felt talent. I can't recommend listening to this audiobook enthusiastically enough!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

An interesting story, well told by St. Vincent

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-17-23

Apparently, it was too expensive a hassle to gain clearance for the iconic songs, or at least snippets of them, so I had to dock the overall rating a star for that omission. But in addition to educating oneself on the Blues, Country, Folk, Gospel, Jazz and R&B roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the other good reason to listen to this is the mellifluous tone of St. Vincent’s narration (like Melanie Griffith with a musicology Ph.d!), so her Performance rates a perfect 5/5 stars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Art & Trauma, hand-in-hand with Aimee Mann

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-14-23

If the only reason you know who Aimee Mann is comes from the ‘80s hit, “Voices Carry,” by her early band ‘Til Tuesday, I feel more than a little sorry for you. She is a total songwriting genius, as is her husband Michael Penn. Here she’s decided to explore the link(s) between art and PTSD with a few artist friends having more than a little experience with both. There are both playwright and podcaster friends, the actress/filmmaker Charlene deGuzman, the great stand-up comedian and actress Maria Bamford, and her fellow musician Ted Leo. They all share, directly or indirectly (or both), the source(s) of their major traumas in life, and are able to speak of them from various perspectives as dedicated/successful artists. Some of the stories may be triggering, but all are well worth hearing about. And of course, Aimee’s musical interludes are worthwhile listening, as well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Gary Clark Jr. tells his story

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-14-23

I knew I liked the music of Gary Clark Jr. And when he started describing his experiences in high school as “petty backstabbing,” I knew I could relate to the search for life’s meaning and purpose that ultimately lead him straight to making and sharing music. Good stuff, this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

For those of us who loathe ex-Pres. DJT….

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-05-22

As if we didn’t have plenty of well-known reasons to hate the behavior of the 45th POTUS, we get an extraordinarily detailed account of his brutal four years in office by a couple of respected investigative reporters (one from the NYT Whitehouse beat, the other of the New Yorker magazine; and yes they are a married couple). In addition to all the awful things that we’re already aware that he said and did, we get insider accounts (many from the Trump faithful; others from fired ex-staff) of an incredible variety of overtly *criminal* acts, plans and conservative conspiracies. I can’t imagine what Trumpsters will make of it other than the usual “it’s just the lying, liberal mainstream media and their TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) again!” Since we no longer agree on facts vs. fiction or what’s real vs. imagined (past or present), the hundreds of sources in this volume who were involved directly and personally lived through the DJT administration’s chaotic nightmare and spoke candidly of those experiences will, of course, be disbelieved and disrespected. Both they’ve probably made peace with that long ago. The good news: They were able to land the plane.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Richie, former Irish gangster, now actor in recovery!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-30-22

As the widower of an alcoholic/addict who committed suicide 4 years ago, I listened to Richie’s story with great interest—-and even some insight. While my late wife was never criminal on Richie’s level (stealing ‘scripts from friends/neighbors medicine cabinets is just about as wild as she ever got), I totally recognized the kind of “addict thinking” (and “dry-drunk” thinking during her periods in the program) that Richie so colorfully describes. Coming from a background like his and then getting clean and sober, never mind staying sober for 11 years, is a feat of endurance and bravery at which I can only marvel. This is a real-world example of a “superhero” that we need to admire and applaud more! Enjoy!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Amazing story of a family

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-28-22

People really don’t know what to think or do about mental illness. Especially when it manifests in a big way in a single family, as it does in “Hidden Valley Road.” This family had 12 children, 10 boys(!) and 2 girls, and 5 or 6 of the boys (depending how/what you count) had schizophrenia. So does this mean this condition is 100% genetic/inherited? Well not so fast. There is/are genetic “markers” that seem to somewhat reliably predict propensity but many who have the markers do not go on to develop the illness. So what about nurture? What was life like when half of a generation of offspring was healthy (and high achieving) & others on and off many prescriptions, in and out of various mental facilities, & sometimes violent and/or predatory, incl. w/ one another? It’s a fascinating family story, very well told, & has earned its share of awards because of it. I highly recommend it, if you do want to learn more about the all-important psyche’s health.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!