Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2007 (19. évfolyam, 1-50. szám)
2007-05-11 / 20. szám
Los Angeles Times FESTIVAL OF BOOKS 2007 AMERICAN I Majmol IMM Hungarian Journal Pictures - Clockwise from bottom left: Popular science-fiction author and Los Angeles icon Ray Bradbury; Kirk Douglas of “Spartacus” fame, a recent stroke survivor and grandfather of two, on the Royce Hall Stage with Patt Morrison; Gore Vidal, author and relative of presidents past and present, his spirit as lively, his tongue as sharp as ever; the incredible crowd of parents with wide-eyed children and babes in arms - the future of literature; Hírlap editor Susan Jancso with bestseller author and hunk David Baldacci whose new book is “Simple Genius”; Neal Gabler, who won this year’s Book Prize in the category of Biography with his book on the life and creative career of Walt Disney. Photography by Susan Jancso Great Literary Event and Happy Family Outing: the 12th Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books BY SUSAN JANCSO For one weekend in April, people who love to read will mix with people who love to write, publish and sell books, on the great expanses and in the historic buildings of the UCLA Campus in Westwood. It’s a unique, exciting event - there’s nothing like it anywhere. This year’s programs included and approximate number of 130,000 attendees, 400 authors, 300 exhibitors, 900 volunteers and 97 author panels. I have attended the Festival ever since I found out about it in its second year. I met and photographed celebrities such as Charlton Heston, Oprah Winfrey, Cybill Shepherd, I listened to enlightening panel discussions on various subjects of interest, and I discovered authors whose books made a difference in my life, like A. Scott Berg, Ray Bradbury, Janet Fitch, Gay Talese, Dennis Preger and others. This year’s highlights for me included Hector Elizondo and all the wonderful people of L.A. Theater Works. Their “radio-plays” make my long working hours on weekend nights pure joy, and their live performances downtown at the Ahmanson can compete with any theater company (I saw “Cherry Orchard” with him and Vanessa Redgrave last year). Elizondo signed copies of Are You Now or Have You Ever Been, The Crucible, McTeague, The Cherry Orchard, and Twelve Angry Men. He received the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1997 for his work on CBS’ “Chicago Hope”. Strolling along the campus, I met a policeman with a great bird on his arm. It was retired LAPD Officer Mike Simonsen with his gold and blue macaw, Byrd. I walked by a booth where columnist Patt Morrison was interviewing the winner of the 2006 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography, Neal Gabler about his book, “Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination”. In Royce Hall I saw the “Great Old Men” Kirk Douglas, Gore Vidal and Ray Bradbury, and listened to their fascinating conversation. I bought David Baldacci's new book, “Simple Genius”, because I read the first one, “Split Second” and it was good. I ran into actress Victoria Rowell (“Diagnosis Murder”, “The Young and the Restless”) and she was really sweet. I can’t even begin to describe all the encounters and ideas this wonderful event brought my way. I saw big and small dogs running around wagging their tails, and cute babies and small children, listening with wide-eyed wonder to the actors and actressen on the Children’s Stage. I just know the future of literature is bright as long as this wonderful tradition goes on. TEXT and PHOTOS by SUSAN JANCSO A “nagy öregek” felett kissé eljárt az idő. GORE VIDAL szelleme és szókimondó természete azonban a régi. Mikor egy idősebb asszony megkérdezte, mi a véleménye az egészségügy helyzetéről Amerikában, “hiszen Maga tolószékben ül, nekem meg hiányoznak az első fogaim”, egy pillanatnyi sokatmondó hallgatás után így válaszolt: “I see no connection, Madam!” A politikában évszázados szembenállást visz tovább: nagyapja Bush nagyapjának volt a politikai ellenfele. KIRK DOUGLAS ma is Spartacusként él a mozinézők emlékezetében. Néhány éve szélütés érte, és az öngyilkosság gondolatával is foglalkozott, hiszen “mit ér egy színész, aki nem tud beszélni?” Mára azonban már a nyilvános szereplést is vállalja akadozó de érthető beszédével. Imádja az unokáit, és ahogy múlnak az évek, legfontosabbnak a családot és a régi barátokat tartja. Azért a szép nőket még megnézi, azt mondja: “Sure I can’t speak and I can’t hear, but I can SEE!” Ray Bradbury városunk szülötte, minden évben megtartja humoros és tanulságos előadását a UCLA-n, ahol a könyvtár alagsorában bérelt írógépen kopogtatta le első novelláit - ki tudja hány évvel ezelőtt... DUNA Travel 8530 Holloway Dr. If 102 W. Hollywood, CA 90069 Spa, Hotel foglalások, Kocsi bérlés Kedvezményes repülőjegy árak LAX-BUD-LAX $575.-töi +TX. (május 17-ig) Információért hívják ZSUZSÁT TEL: (310) 652-5294 FAX: (310) 652-5287 1-888-532-0168 Május 4, 2007 ÍD Subscribe to the Hírlap! Advertise your business in the Hírlap! AMERIKAI
