Yesterday I went looking for videos of Othello and King Lear, since I had a
paper on them due Friday. Dr. Allums shouldn’t be back at school till
Monday, however, so I think I’ll just write one and go in early Monday
morning to stick it in his door. My search for cinematic Shakespeare led me
to the Blockbuster on Moffet Rd. They didn’t have either. I was on my way
home, when I decided to turn around and check the one on Airport. My path
took me directly by the Springhill branch of the public library, however, so
I stopped in there to see if they had either one. Nothing doing. So I got
back in the car (I’m going on just a couple hours of sleep here, having gone
to bed at 4 the night before) and fought traffic down to the Blockbuster on
Airport.

I went inside and waited for a lady to notice me so I could ask if they had
King Lear while a man butted in line in front of me. Turns out they had a
1987 version. It looked really weird, so I got it. I skimmed through the
titles in the drama area looking for Othello but found Julius Caesar instead.
I picked it up, since we did that in class earlier, then headed over to the
classics area. Sure enough, there was Orson Wells’ Othello. I picked it up
too and returned Julius Caesar to his shelf. It was then that I realized
what day it was. March 15. The Ides of March. The day Julius Caesar was
assassinated.

By the time I’d made my selection, there was another formidable line at the
checkout counter. I picked the one where someone was leaving, and handed the
videos to the clerk, who wore a tag saying “Manager.” Then I remembered that
my Blockbuster card wasn’t in my wallet but in my purse, which was still in
the car. He said that was okay, all he needed was my drivers license. “Is
it under your name?” he asked. I told him it was probably under my parents’
names. “All we have in here is a George Brenner,” he said before adding, “If
you haven’t used your card for a while it bumps it from the system.” I told
him I’d get my card from the car. I came back to find his desk empty except
for my videos, which were out of reach behind the counter. I waited for him
to return. He took my card. “Driver’s license?” he said again. Then he
added, “Only the person who’s name is on the card can renew it.” My mom’s
name was on the card. “You’ll have to fill out a new application,” he handed
me a pen and pointed over to a table across the store. I came back and
waited in line again, this time with an entertainment magazine containing an
article about Alanis Morisette. I handed the application and pen back to the
man behind the counter while still reading the magazine. By the time he’d
finished making me a new card and checked out the video, I’d finished the
article. A potentially frustrating experience actually turned out to be
enlightening.

Jonah

do I really need to get out more?

Oh, by the way, the Othello was marvelous. Well, pretty good anyway. They
just don’t make pictures like that anymore. The Lear was… very odd. I
watched it last night after everyone left my house or went to bed. If you
hadn’t read Lear, it would make very little sense. If you had, it wouldn’t
have made any at all.

Still, I enjoyed it. Probably for that reason.

I want a video camera. I want to make movies

Oh, and this letter has absolutely nothing to do with toaster ovens, in case
you hadn’t guessed.