Surprise Endings

Think of a book published in 1970 that - for you- has retained its luster. Try doing the same thing for a recording.  If you come up with something from either category, share it with me and others.

How about a film? Fresh on my mind, courtesy of Netflix, is "Little Big Man". Wow. Much as I was blown away by Arthur Penn's movie as a college student, it packed even more wallop this time. With a fresh-faced Dustin Hoffman in the lead role, a stellar supporting cast, and a script as sharp as it is funny (from the eponymous novel by Thomas Berger), except for a mildly stereotyped gay character, this treasure has not dated at all. Given her Chippewa heritage and the recurring themes in her terrific books, I lust for fifteen minutes with author Louise Erdrich. I'd love to hear her thoughts on this film. Maybe I'll time a visit to her bookstore when I'm sure she's there? Road trip, anyone?

Aside from the joy I derived watching the movie for the second time in almost fifty years, the best part of this story is the way I stumbled across it. Too tired to read or practice guitar, but too early for bed, I journeyed to the basement and turned on our only television, expecting at best to be distracted. I love surprise endings, don't you?