A funny thing happened recently.
I received a comment on a post written over 13 years ago from a fellow in, of all places, Ireland. The post was my little love letter to Clara Bow (https://flickchick1953.blogspot.com/2010/10/clara-bow-i-want-to-be-happy.html). Imagine my surprise to see this new comment:
Many, many thanks for your beautiful article. (Over a decade late, but still!)
Here in Ireland we are having a special showing of 'It' on June 15 and I have 'borrowed' a paragraph from you for an accompanying piece - with full credit to both you and the blog, of course!
I am currently enjoying going through your archive and enjoying it very much! It's always so great to come across genuine enthusiasts.
Greetings and warm regards from
Charley Brady
Silent Cinema Galway.
Here is Charley's great article.
https://www.silentcinema.ie/blog/hot-girl-summer-clara-bow.amp
When you write something and push it out there into the black hole of the blogosphere, you never know if it lands anywhere, much less gets read. Receiving a communication like that, from someone so far away about something written so long ago, kind of validates why we blog.
* How great it felt to share something with a kindred spirit.
* How great to have your work appreciated.
* How great to learn about someone doing something so wonderful so very far away.
* How great to find a new site and learn and enjoy more about classic film.
And so, every now and then, as the spirit moves me, I'll keep at this.
And if this just gets sucked into that black hole, well so be it - and in another 10 years ago, it might just land.
Please check out Silent Cinema Galway - it's a beautiful site:
https://www.silentcinema.ie/_blog#_blog
I'm sure special screening of "It" was a success - how could it not be?
13 comments:
What a very gracious post; but then, coming from someone who writes as you do, I’m in no way surprised. Thank you so much for your kind words.
I’ve heard writing in general as being described as ‘something that is done in a vacuum’, but must admit that I’m rather taken with your phrase ‘put out there into the black hole of the blogosphere’.
It seems like that sometimes, doesn’t it? — especially with those long-gone, yet still here people that we write about.
Stephen King dedicated his book ‘The Regulators’ to the film directors Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone, two men that he described as ‘legendary shadows’. How beautiful is that? For when we put pen to paper or watch one of their movies, those long-gone shadows return to us, transformed to light.
You asked how our showing of Ms. Bow’s ’It’ went on Saturday. As you had already guessed…very well. In both the screening and the enthusiastic discussion afterwards, those ‘legendary shadows’ stepped from the other side of the screen and lived again. And one of the great pleasures I’ve had of late is in seeing a new generation discover for themselves the wonders of the silent era that I stumbled across more than fifty years ago.
On behalf of Adam Scheffler—who had the courage to begin this silent cinema two years ago—and myself, you can take it for granted that if you ever get the chance to visit the west of Ireland, you have an open invitation to call on us. We would love to host such a kindred spirit.
Hi Charley - I feel as though we are film friends. By the way, I am out here on Long Island, a bit to the east of New York City. I love the idea of "legendary shadows." I'm reminded of Debbie Reynolds telling Gene Kelly that he was nothing but a shadow on a screen in "Singin' in the Rain." But of course, those shadows are life itself to those of us who know.
If it's of any comfort, it's not that bloggers who are sitting at their computer wondering if anybody is picking up what we're putting down. It's exactly the same for novelists. On average, I spent a year crafting a novel into the best I can make it before I put it out into the world. And during that whole time novelists wonder "Will anybody see this? Will they care?" But I've learned that that's a question for other people. Our job (bloggers, novelists, journalist, creatives of all and any stripes) is to put out into the world what we feel moved to write about. What happens once we push out work out of the nest and into the world is beyond out control. Meanwhile, we've done the best work we could - and that's what really matters.
Martin - you are my hero. I am in awe, not only of your spellbinding story telling talent, but of your discipline as a writer. Many thanks for your insightful input. And by the way, I just love all of your works. "Selznick's Girl Friday" is sitting on my Kindle waiting her turn (1 book ahead, I'm afraid). It's always a pleasure to be transported back in time to old Hollywood - Martin Turnbull style. By the way, Amazon knows how much I like your work because they sent me a notice when your latest came out. They didn't want me to miss it!
Thank you Ms. FlickChick! I'm very happy to know that your appreciate what I'm putting out into the world. And it's good to know that Amazon has my back, too - that's always helpful. One thing I've learned in my writing so that while it's good to have a flexible day-job schedule, just as important is to minimize distractions. When I sit down to write, I zealously protect my writing time by closing down email, Messenger, all social media, and I turn off my phone. It's amazing what you can accomplish without a hundred distractions eating at your attention span!
Yes that is "why we blog!"
I enjoyed your post thoroughly, Flick Chick. And all the comments, too. I go through spells when I wonder if anyone, anyone at all, reads my blog. But I just love classic films, film noir (most films, if I'm honest), and reading . . . it would be hard at this point to give up writing about what I love to do in my spare time. Thanks for a wonderful, uplifting blog article!
Hello again, FlickChick! What an absolute FIND this site has been!
Mr. Turnbull, I'm equal parts appalled and embarrassed to own up to not having read you. Looking at what you have written I can scarcely believe I've left a hole in my education this big! I mean, this stuff was written for me.
I've ordered 'The Garden at Sunset' and have no doubt whatsoever that I'm going to have a pleasurable few months working my way through your long, connected tale. The cover alone, with that wonderful HOLLYWOODLAND sign in the hills is mouth-watering in itself.
And Marianne, I've already clicked on your site and look forward to exploring the archives!
I would have commented sooner, but myself and Adam have been in Dublin where...[drum roll] we received the Best Independent Cinema Award. If you knew how small our venture is and what great people we were up against you would know that this is David & Goliath stuff. So we're very pleased, to put it mildly.
Then to come back to the West and suddenly find ourselves in such great company as all of you...well, that is just the icing on the cake.
Stay well!
Silent Cinema Galway.
Hey Charley - big congrats on your Best Independent Cinema Award. Hooray for the Davids of this world! And if you like "The Garden on Sunset" there's plenty more where that came from!
Hi Martin! Nice to make contact and yes! I can see that you've been a busy lad whilst I was in my mysterious coma.
FlickChick, hope you're getting some kind of commission for this matchmaking you find yourself doing, ha ha.
Holy Moly! I feel like Barbra Streisand in "Hello Dolly" (you know, making a match!). I simply cannot imagine 2 nicer guys getting to know one another through their accomplishments, talent and love of film. I'm so very glad you stopped by. I've been a long-time admirer of Martin and a new admirer of Charley. The Universe smiled on us all!
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