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Showing posts from September, 2011

Halloween and Michaelmas at Sierra Waldorf School - COME JOIN US!

The wondrous dragon is tamed. Today was a significant day in the calendar at the Sierra Waldorf School in Jamestown - a truly outstanding progressive Waldorf/Steiner school dedicated to cultivating the individuality, spirituality and interconnectedness of each child. It was Michaelmas, a day that has meaning in many cultures, and in Waldorf symbolizes the balance of light and darkness (it is very close to the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are of almost equal length), the conquering of fears and a new beginning, as represented by taming (and less frequently, slaying) a dragon. The celebration took the form of an all-school performance on the lawn by Sierra Waldorf's old Rawhide School building (which itself dates back to 1875 and was originally a school house for pioneers), with a joyful collection of gnomes and meteors and St Michael, the dragon-tamer. The dragon itself was a wonderful creation with many legs and many happy children inside. Although Michaelmas was or

Alexander Stuart - Screenwriting in Hollywood and Independents (Embedded Video)

Here is the embedded YouTube video of my 45 minute talk about screenwriting for the Hollywood studios and independents, at Film Fest Twain Harte. It includes my account of working with Angelina Jolie and Jodie Foster, and of working with Tim Roth to adapt my novel, The War Zone , into the  highly acclaimed film.

Alexander Stuart - Screenwriting in Hollywood and Independents (Video)

Alexander Chow-Stuart at Film Fest Twain Harte 2011. I will update this post later with embedded video - but for the moment click on the photograph or this YouTube link to see the 40-minute talk I gave about screenwriting for Hollywood and independents, recorded at Film Fest Twain Harte on Saturday, September 10, 2011. In addition to discussing the growing differences between writing for the Hollywood majors and indy cinema, I also talk about making the film of my novel, The War Zone , and working with Angelina Jolie, Jodie Foster, Tim Roth, Kiefer Sutherland and Danny Boyle.

A favorite place for peace and reflection

Lyons Lake dam a couple of days back. One of our family's favorite places. (Photo: Alexander Chow-Stuart)

Why I Love Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye

Sterling Hayden and Elliott Gould discuss men's faces on the beach I sometimes wonder just why it is that I love Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye so much. I know that it's because it encompasses my love for California (especially at a time when I was still living in Britain and dreamed of living here - though living close to Malibu did nothing to diminish the film's allure). It's also because it encompasses my love of Chandler (rather obviously) and my belief that adaptations of anything should do whatever they wish, so long as they capture something of the spirit and intent of the author (and maybe even if they don't). A major factor is that it encompasses my love of the ocean - and Roger Wade/ Sterling Hayden is a kind of life model for me, with the craziness and the stick and the dog, though perhaps not the drinking or gambling or murder or suicide! But I would love a face like that and the sudden intensity and power he has, mixed wit

David Bowie's Incredible Station To Station

Wonderful piece about an album I love: My favourite album: Station to Station by David Bowie via @guardian ( The Guardian newspaper/UK) My thoughts: Bowie's version of Wild Is The Wind is very nearly the equal of Nina Simone's exquisite piece of heaven; Station To Station is a truly unique, original track that took Bowie in an entirely new direction (toward Low and Heroes); and Golden Years is just fantastic. For an astonishing and wonderfully fresh new take on Golden Years , check out Jeremy Sole's heavily reggae-influenced remix/mashup on iTunes. (My first blog post on the new iPhone app. I had to make a couple of edits on my Mac - and add the cover image.)

Remembering 9/11

I remember 9/11 with the solemn grace it warrants but the media has been way too obsessed with it this week. I feel that as a nation we must move on. The personal losses are sad and irrevocable, but the US committed terrible acts (the unwarranted war against Iraq, for one) in response. If only our collective memory were solely of the candles lit around the world in the days after 9/11...and of peace.