Zac McCray > Recent Status Updates

4. Dragon - The Old Potter’s Tale: A fairy tale for all of us on the personal repercussions of deceit and an ahead-of-its-time cautionary tale on the means and ends of viral fame. Also, I’m beginning to think Akutagawa had a big nose.

3. The Nose. A Shel Silverstein-style story of each man’s vanity. Fittingly, there was no excess length to this one—every word rang true, even in the silly(ish) situation. Also, I want Gonzo to play the priest in the film adaptation.

2. In a Bamboo Grove: The true inspiration for Kurosawa’s Rashōmon, it’s incredible how much Akutagawa can fit in so few pages. This type of legal-proceedings tale is easy to tell as a he-said, she-said blame-game, but the Japanese mindset here highlights shame, honor, and the blending of the two that often convinces us that we’re at fault for the bad things that happen to us.

1. Rashōmon: A short, surly tale of justification during desperation, it’s an interesting choice for the title of the collection. However the detailed setting serves as an overarching context for Akutagawa’s stories. It’s also interesting that Kurosawa chose to call his movie (though based mostly on the next story) Rashōmon, when he really only used it as the setting for his film’s intro.

“To go without solitude is like going without salt.”

I’m using this line next time we host Thanksgiving and I’m ready for my post-turkey nap.

Perhaps my favorite quote of the year so far is John Williams saying, “This experience is all new to me. I’ve heard of this institution but I’ve never been anywhere near it. Amazing to see what’s done here,” after his first foray into a Costco.

Today’s the day my new mantra begins: “Keira Knightley isn’t really Umbridge. Keira Knightley isn’t really Umbridge.”