Got this via email from Smithsonian Magazine. It's a fun read.

Very long URL

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...=email&utm_cam
paign=201205-Food

or

http://tinyurl.com/c25r37u

Jill

On Sun, 20 May 2012 08:50:41 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

> Got this via email from Smithsonian Magazine. It's a fun read.
>
> Very long URL
>
> http://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...=email&utm_cam
> paign=201205-Food
>
> or
>
> http://tinyurl.com/c25r37u
>
Thanks, Jill.


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Thanks, I enjoyed that. I saw the movie but enjoyed the Julie part more
than the Julia part.

z z wrote:

> Thanks, I enjoyed that. I saw the movie but enjoyed the Julie part more
> than the Julia part.

One thing I wondered about: Why did Mrs. Child hate Julie's blog?

On 5/20/2012 12:38 PM, George M. Middius wrote:
> z z wrote:
>
>> Thanks, I enjoyed that. I saw the movie but enjoyed the Julie part more
>> than the Julia part.
>
> One thing I wondered about: Why did Mrs. Child hate Julie's blog?
>


Julia Child never said that she "hated" it. The tale is that she didn't
think Julie Powell was a serious writer or a serious cook, and that she
was riding MTAOFC's coat tails for quick acclaim instead of doing
meaningful work of her own (and if you try to follow Powell's efforts as
an author since the blog, you'll see that Julia seems to have been
correct in that appraisal).

Pennyaline wrote:

> > One thing I wondered about: Why did Mrs. Child hate Julie's blog?

> Julia Child never said that she "hated" it. The tale is that she didn't
> think Julie Powell was a serious writer or a serious cook, and that she
> was riding MTAOFC's coat tails for quick acclaim instead of doing
> meaningful work of her own (and if you try to follow Powell's efforts as
> an author since the blog, you'll see that Julia seems to have been
> correct in that appraisal).

If that's the case, then Julia never quite grasped the whole blog
concept. Do you think Julie had hoped for a book deal from the
beginning? The movie gave the impression that she had no such hope.

On 5/20/2012 3:31 PM, George M. Middius wrote:
> Pennyaline wrote:
>
>>> One thing I wondered about: Why did Mrs. Child hate Julie's blog?
>
>> Julia Child never said that she "hated" it. The tale is that she didn't
>> think Julie Powell was a serious writer or a serious cook, and that she
>> was riding MTAOFC's coat tails for quick acclaim instead of doing
>> meaningful work of her own (and if you try to follow Powell's efforts as
>> an author since the blog, you'll see that Julia seems to have been
>> correct in that appraisal).
>
> If that's the case, then Julia never quite grasped the whole blog
> concept. Do you think Julie had hoped for a book deal from the
> beginning? The movie gave the impression that she had no such hope.


There is no doubt that Julia had a poor grasp of the purpose of a blog,
but then why would she understand the informality of self-conscious
blogging when she had worked so hard for so long to get her own
goal-oriented professional writing published in print? The idea of
blogging would have made no sense to her (and frankly, it makes little
sense to me either if what one wants is to succeed as getting published
rather than talk about oneself endlessly and give ones efforts away).
But there is also little doubt that Julie Powell was a bitterly
disappointed wanna-be writer without the discipline to work at writing.
Powell hoped for book deals beginning with her time in college where she
evidently enjoyed some sequestered collegiate success, but it seems she
lacked the hustle to get into print outside that insulation layer.
Having read her writing, she seems to lack the talent as well. The blog
was a real snore. The book, a heavily revised version of the blog,
didn't enjoy the addition of any more excitement through the effort. The
parts of the movie that deal with Powell are hefty doses of
verisimilitude, at the conclusion of which Nora Ephron officially calls
Powell "a writer." Powell had a second book published, in 2009. Ever
heard of it?

Pennyaline wrote:

> Powell had a second book published, in 2009. Ever heard of it?

I'll wait for the movie.

Pennyaline wrote:
> On 5/20/2012 12:38 PM, George M. Middius wrote:
>> z z wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks, I enjoyed that. I saw the movie but enjoyed the Julie part more
>>> than the Julia part.
>>
>> One thing I wondered about: Why did Mrs. Child hate Julie's blog?
>>
>
>
> Julia Child never said that she "hated" it. The tale is that she didn't
> think Julie Powell was a serious writer or a serious cook, and that she
> was riding MTAOFC's coat tails for quick acclaim instead of doing
> meaningful work of her own (and if you try to follow Powell's efforts as
> an author since the blog, you'll see that Julia seems to have been
> correct in that appraisal).

Aha! This summarizes why that book and that movie so irk me.

--
Jean B.