Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair may seem an unlikely choice to defend religious faith, but there he was doing that in a debate with anti-theist Christopher Hitchens in Toronto:
Noteworthy
Harry Potter Stays on Top of Movie Ticket Heap
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, retained its box office lead over the Thanksgiving weekend despite a strong challenge from newcomer Tangled.
Jolie’s Film ‘Just a Love Story’
Angelina Jolie’s forthcoming film directing debut depicts a love story between a Muslim woman and a Serbian man. But despite the potentially incendiary subject matter (it’s impossible to guess how some Muslims will react), Jolie says the film is intended just as a good story and a romance:
‘Sarah Palin’s Alaska’ Sets TLC Premiere Audience Record
The Learning Channel reports that Sarah Palin’s Alaska drew some 4.96 million viewers for its premiere episode this past Sunday night, a record show-opening for the for the popular cable channel.
Bailey, Reggie Fortune Appreciated
The English mystery writer H. C. Bailey is one of the greats of the genre, and The American Culture contributor Curt J. Evans insightfully appreciates two of the best collections of Bailey’s short stories. Recommended: read it here.
‘New York Times’ Editor Lauds Readers’ Stupidity
“I’m sure glad our readers are stupid!” says a New York Times editor, though in different words. Forbes reports:
Weekend Movie Box Office Record Set
Led by Megamind, Due Date, and For Colored Girls,, U.S. movie theaters set a box office sales record for the first weekend of November. Story here.
Publishers Giving Books Away for e-Readers
“Throughout November, The Friday Project is giving away a free ebook version of In Praise of Savagery by Warwick Cairns—a full six months before the book hits the shops in a more traditional format. Why? It’s all a question of buzz.” Story here.
‘USA Today’ Holiday Movie Update
Will Hollywood rebound from a poor box-office autumn? You decide: holiday-season movie preview here.
‘Gone, Baby, Gone’ Sequel Published
Moonlight Mile, Dennis Lehane’s sequel to his bestselling 1998 mystery novel Gone, Baby, Gone, hit bookstores and download availability this week and is selling well. Review here.
November Is National Novel Writing Month
It’s NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month! If you’ve always wanted to write that novel, now is the time to buckle down and do it. If you’ve read No Plot? No Problem, then you know that the only thing keeping aspiring writers from becoming . . . well . . . writers is . . . wait for it . . . a deadline. Now that National Novel Writing Month is here, you’ve got a deadline: 30 days to write that novel. Ready? Set. . . . GO!
‘Superman’ Story Darkened for Depressed Contemporary Audiences
DC Comics has introduced a younger, somewhat troubled Superman in a grimier, sleazier Metropolis in a new graphic novel for depressed contemporary audiences. Is this your idea of a good Superman tale? Find out here.
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