Comparisons: Go Tell It On the Mountain
“Go Tell It On the Mountain” is the 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by American author James Baldwin. The book is a coming of age story about a black boy growing up in the 1930’s during the Harlem Renaissance, and struggling with themes like religion, family, guilt and sin. The book was adapted into a made-for-television movie by the PBS in 1984 that was directed by Stan Lathan and starred Paul Winfield.
Comparisons: Girl, Interrupted
“Girl, Interrupted” is the 1993 memoir by American author Susanna Kaysen. The title comes from the 1658 painting created by Johannes Vermeer called Girl Interrupted at Her Music – the author visits the painting at the Frick Collection in New York several times in the book. The text was adapted into a psychological drama film in 1999 that was directed by James Mangold, and starred Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie and Clea DuVall.
Comparisons: The Talented Mr. Ripley
“The Talented Mr. Ripley” is the 1955 psychological thriller by American author Patricia Highsmith. This is only the first book featuring the character of Tom Ripley; the author went on to write a series of four more crime novels between 1970 and 1991 which are collectively known as the ‘Ripliad.’ The book was made into a 1999 psychological thriller that was directed by Anthony Minghella, and starred Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Comparisons: The Hate U Give
“The Hate U Give” is the 2017 young adult debut novel by American author Angie Thomas. The title comes from American rapper Tupac Shakur and his message that the hate and oppression that society shows young black children will eventually come back around, usually in the form of violence; his tattoo THUGLIFE is an acronym that stands for “The hate u give little infants fucks everyone.” The book was adapted into a drama film in 2018 that was directed by George Tillman, Jr.
Comparisons: Beasts of No Nation
Many contemporary movies are created from existing source materials: novels, memoirs, comic books and graphic novels. Some of them are faithful adaptations, and others share little more than a name and a few major themes.
“Beasts of No Nation” is the 2005 debut novel by Nigerian-American author Uzodinma Iweala. The title comes from a 1989 anti-apartheid album from Nigerian musician and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. The book was adapted into a war drama film in 2015 that was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga.
December: Root Vegetable Wellington
The Beef Wellington is an essential part of English cooking, but vegetarian versions have also become quite popular. The process is the same: a layer of puff pastry dough seals in the filling to keep the moisture inside while it cooks. The dish looks pretty technical and I’ve never attempted anything like it before, but I’ve watched enough episodes of the Great British Baking Show that I’m pretty sure I can handle it.
December: Black Bean & Vegetable Stew
Recipes are everywhere you look – I found the recipe for this black bean and vegetable stew on back of a can of black beans. Since then, it has become a winter staple because it uses your favorite ingredients or whatever you have on hand. Seriously, I cannot emphasize how easy, delicious and versatile this soup is; it’s a great beginner recipe, and it will feed an army.
Art Pilgrimage to New York City
I recently returned from my solo trip to New York City, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I originally booked the trip in late October so that I could see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Lyric Theatre on Halloween, but as I started researching other activities to fill the rest of my trip, I realized that I had inadvertently planned everything to coincide with tons of exciting limited-run art and music experiences!
November: Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Cold weather means hearty soups, warm bread and a mug of hot tea. Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with minced lamb, but this delicious vegetarian version will be sure to please everyone! It’s similar to the vegetable pot pie that I made last year, but instead of biscuit dough on top that bakes into a crust in the oven, a shepherd’s pie is topped with mashed potatoes to keep all the moisture and flavor in.
October: Pumpkin Maple Biscuits
October means Halloween and pumpkins! While I’m not on board the “pumpkin spice anything and everything” train, I do enjoy watching the leaves turning color, rainy weather, cozy sweaters – and warm biscuits! Pumpkin has a lot of moisture and healthy fiber, so it can be used to replace oil, butter or eggs in most recipes.
Louisa Gaylord 