Emma Thompson, overalls
Back in October, I had the surreal honor of being on a Zoom with Emma Thompson. Just me and two other screenwriters (and one lawyer sister who tagged along), on a Zoom with EMMA FUCKING THOMPSON, who wore an oversized pair of overalls, a forelock of hair flopped insouciantly across her brow, and was just as warm and funny and fervent as I could have imagined she’d be if I dreamt it.
Did I dream it? Most of this past year has felt surreal.
Here’s where I admit I didn’t realize that Emma Thompson is a writer as well as an actor. A quite accomplished writer. Somehow I’d never realized (or I’d forgotten?) until I did my homework before the call.
She told the four of us, "Never be afraid to fail." She divulged that out of her "biggest failure," a poorly-received sketch show she created for BBC, came the offer to adapt Sense and Sensibility—arguably her greatest success.
I keep thinking about this advice. You can't know which project will succeed and which will fail and which will lead to, you know, getting hired to write the screenplay that will win you an Oscar.
****
Speaking of overalls: For Christmas I bought myself a pair of vintage French "chore" overalls (similar to these), and I've been wearing them whenever I leave the house (up to two, even three times a week). (Should I be leaving the house more often?) "Chore" is a fashion buzzword suddenly. Chore coats. Chore overalls. Chore coveralls, omg. Someone pls order these before I do.
This month onscreen: R and I just finished the second season of Last Tango in Halifax from Sally Wainwright, the creator of Happy Valley, which I rec’d here several years ago. This one is more sappy, and soapy, but it’s good. An ideal distraction.
And the taco of the month is: The asada vampiro from El Ruso. They also do regular tacos, mulitas, and chorreadas. But that vampiro!! To be fair, we ate it first, snatching it out from under the foil and scarfing it down in the car while it was hot and SO CRISPY, with the just the right amount of char, gooey melted cheese, and pinto beans. (Both add-ons are recommended by the house, whichever version of wrapper + meat you order.) Visit the truck on Wednesdays and Thursdays (11am-4pm), when they’ve got fresh-made corn tortillas.
xoxo,
Laramie
Please forward this to someone who needs a distraction, or a bit of cheerful advice. As always, here's your trusty taco map.
Did I dream it? Most of this past year has felt surreal.
Here’s where I admit I didn’t realize that Emma Thompson is a writer as well as an actor. A quite accomplished writer. Somehow I’d never realized (or I’d forgotten?) until I did my homework before the call.
She told the four of us, "Never be afraid to fail." She divulged that out of her "biggest failure," a poorly-received sketch show she created for BBC, came the offer to adapt Sense and Sensibility—arguably her greatest success.
I keep thinking about this advice. You can't know which project will succeed and which will fail and which will lead to, you know, getting hired to write the screenplay that will win you an Oscar.
****
Speaking of overalls: For Christmas I bought myself a pair of vintage French "chore" overalls (similar to these), and I've been wearing them whenever I leave the house (up to two, even three times a week). (Should I be leaving the house more often?) "Chore" is a fashion buzzword suddenly. Chore coats. Chore overalls. Chore coveralls, omg. Someone pls order these before I do.
This month onscreen: R and I just finished the second season of Last Tango in Halifax from Sally Wainwright, the creator of Happy Valley, which I rec’d here several years ago. This one is more sappy, and soapy, but it’s good. An ideal distraction.
And the taco of the month is: The asada vampiro from El Ruso. They also do regular tacos, mulitas, and chorreadas. But that vampiro!! To be fair, we ate it first, snatching it out from under the foil and scarfing it down in the car while it was hot and SO CRISPY, with the just the right amount of char, gooey melted cheese, and pinto beans. (Both add-ons are recommended by the house, whichever version of wrapper + meat you order.) Visit the truck on Wednesdays and Thursdays (11am-4pm), when they’ve got fresh-made corn tortillas.
xoxo,
Laramie
Please forward this to someone who needs a distraction, or a bit of cheerful advice. As always, here's your trusty taco map.
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