Jamesian Philosophy Refreshed

On my mind today (and on Thanksgiving fairly often -- I've used this as this blog's Thanksgiving reflection twice before), is the novel Mildred Pierce,  published in 1941, written by James Cain, a writer whose reputation, once considerable, has lately gone into eclipse. As it happens,  Mildred Pierce  was also made into a movie in 1945, and became a television miniseries (HBO) in 2011. The title character has two daughters: Veda (11 years old when the story begins in 1931) and her little sister Ray (7 years). The photo above is of Veda, as portrayed by actress Morgan Turner in that HBO miniseries. The following two-word sentence is not much of a spoiler, by the way, because it happens quite early in the plot, and sets up the rest:  Ray dies. Indeed, that's why I'm thinking of the book right now. Thanksgiving as currently practiced in the US has a lot to do with the sentimentalization of the nuclear family, and  Mildred Pierce  has a lot, in turn, t...

I'm giving myself an easy holiday out by repeating with minor variations, last year's Thanksgiving observation.  On my mind today is  Mildred Pierce,  a 1941 novel by James Cain, set in the ten years leading up to the date of publication. No, I didn't just refer to the movie star best known for playing Sonny Corleone. That's James Caan. I'm thinking now of the   novelist James Cain, born in 1892. Although his reputation is in eclipse now, he was quite well known for a time as a writer of "hardboiled" crime fiction, a peer of Chandler or Hammett. Cain wrote  Double Indemnity  and  The Postman Always Rings Twice. , both memorably adapted into classic Hollywood films.  Mildred Pierce  was somewhat different, an effort at offering a naturalistic portrait of southern California suburbia. As it happens,  Mildred Pierce  was also made into a movie in 1945, and became a television miniseries in 2011. The title character h...

The world recently lost my younger brother (younger by a mere 13 months), Mark Henry Faille. The manner of his death was shocking to some of us, but is not something into which I wish to go here. This blog is not for gossip, or even for intensely personal reactions to family events. It consists chiefly of my reflections on the universe at large.  I was honored by the decision of Mark's widow that I deliver the eulogy at the service. I discussed there, and so in effect I discussed with family and friends, some philosophical considerations tangential to Mark's death.  Adapting a bit the words of the Desiderata , I'll say only here that I spoke my truth quietly and clearly, conscious that others may well think my words dull and ignorant, but hoping that they will see a story worthy of their attention there nonetheless.  Mark was extraordinary in his combination of skills, his lack of ambition in connection with any of these skills, and his utter lack of ...