The end is near

I made it to the end of the novel manuscript yesterday afternoon, marking it up a few chapters at a time and then keying the changes into the electronic copy. I have a few notes to myself in Word comments to handle and then it will be ready to send to my agent, who says he should have time to look at it at the end of the month. At this point I just want to get it into someone else’s hands so I can forget about it for a while and work on some other things. I have a short story I need to write sometime in the next month, a Storytellers Unplugged essay to write sometime in the next two weeks, etc.

We watched Charlie Wilson’s War this weekend. Other than a few mumbly scenes between Hanks and Hoffman where the dialog was difficult to understand, I thought it was a decent movie, with a few downright funny bits, and a somber epilog. Hoffman was great as the underappreciated Greek CIA agent, and Amy Adams was as cute as a button as Hanks’ right-hand gal, part of his all-female entourage. Wilson was the Hugh Hefner of Congress, and the short documentary about the real-life counterpart to Hanks’ character was interesting.

I recorded the first episode of the new USA series In Plain Sight. Fortunately I checked yesterday morning and found that it was 90 minutes, so I was able to adjust the timer. At least I hope is was 90 minutes and not two hours. I also plan to go on a Dexter Season 2 binge in the coming days.

If you’re in Toronto, Lion’s Gate is screening JT Petty’s move The Burrowers tonight. Admission is free, and pleasingly clandestine: The directions I received said “The theatre has a capacity of 100. Ring the bell, and the receptionist will buzz you in, and tell you where to go.” It’s at 7 p.m. at Deluxe Sound Studios, Theater 1 at 424 Adelaide Street East. The Wiki blurb says: “In the Wild West, a rescue party falls prey to creatures that come up from underground to feed on the inhabitants of a town.” Read more about it here.