Kirk Douglas on MySpace

This strange "Blog world" gets you near to people you had only seen in movies before. Today I read on the newspaper that Kirk Douglas has his own "myspace", where he writes just like any other of us does every week.
I have found his space very interesting, specially when I realized this man is already 92 years old. He writes with the wisdom that all of those decades give to a sensible man... It looks like this is the week of the meetings with the excellents granddads and grandmums of the world: first Manoel de Oliveira, Oscar Nyemeyer.. now Douglas and Ana María Matute.
Matute is back with a brand new book, and I can't wait to read it.

Today, my best wishes for all those granddads and mums, who make us see life from a different point of view, one less stressed and more grateful.

Here's Kirk douglas web site: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=171170276

George Steiner

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/portada/intento/fracasar/mejor/elpepusoceps/20080824elpepspor_5/Tes

Hoy publica El País Semanal una entrevista a George Steiner, "uno de los intelectuales europeos más brillantes de los últimos 50 años" según el artículo, dejémoslo en una persona a la que merece la pena escuchar o leer (tanto brillo deslumbra).
La entrevista es muy interesante, dejo aquí la respuesta de Steiner a la última pregunta del entrevistador... la pregunta da igual, la respuesta es una reflexión sencilla, importante:

"Fui muy afortunado, porque me enseñaron a usar los músculos de aquí arriba [de la cabeza]. Aprender es usar los músculos del alma y de la mente para que no se duerma. El cerebro está tan bien organizado que si uno lo ejercita, se producen cosas maravillosas. Y llega un momento en el que se empiezan a abrir puertas hacia dentro. Si eres un buen profesor, ése es tu trabajo: abrir las puertas hacia dentro. Fui muy feliz haciendo ese trabajo."

Al terminar de leerlo mi pensamiento ha sido: tengo que encontrar más tiempo para leer y escribir, cada vez más. He pensado eso y que aún no he leido La isla del tesoro...

Henry Miller. Los años en París

"La amistad entre Fred y Henry pronto se transformó en una especie de simbiosis o -como Henry la llamó- en una "asociación íntima". Ella debía asegurar su subsistencia y satisfacer tres de sus preocupaciones principales: comer, hacer el amor y escribir"

Si señor... muchas gracias por la lectura dopo

George Whitman, thank you

The picture is quite old... George's 91 nowdays, he has been working in Shakespeare and Co for more than 50 years and the little lady who's in the picture with him (his daughter Sylvia) has taken his place in the book shop.

In july 2007 we met in the book shop, I didn´t know what to say, so I simply looked at him and smiled. That day I bought "George's Marvellous Medicine" so that I could always remember the day I met this real George...

When I meet and old person like this, one who has done so much for a century... people usually despite beauty, but sometimes you happen to meet someone who has dedicated a whole life to it. Sometimes you meet George Whitman or Jorge Semprún, and you feel like being in front of the most marvellous thing that has happened to humanity in the last century.

A few years ago I discovered two death tortoises in the beach with my family.. they where huge, and we understood those animals had probably lived for more that 100 years. I lay down next to one of them, and looked at her closely, I was in front of history... the respect i felt for those tortoises was similar to the one I feel for people like the Georges I've talked about.

It might be difficult to understand for many of you, but that's the way it is.. the beings I respect the most are the oldest ones who have meant "beauty" for this awful Earth.

Thank you very much George, thank you for being still there, hopefully we shall meet again next summer