FIRE ON THE TRACK * THE GLASS ROOM

Fire on the Track The Steve Prefontaine Story - This was the third movie that we've watched about the runner Steve Prefontaine, and so far, this was the best. Rather than a fictionalized account, this is a documentary with actual footage of Pre's races, and interviews with those who actually knew him. If you want to learn about Steve Prefontaine and to be inspired by his story, this is the one to watch. The fictionalized versions were close, but there is something about reality that speaks to the viewer.

The Glass Room by Simon Mawer - This is the story of the life of a Modernist house, built in Austria in 1929 by a wealthy Jewish man and his gentile wife. It is somewhat awkwardly (for me) told in the present tense, and much about the woman of the house, Liesel Landauer. But it's written by a man, and in the style of 1930s British writing, like so: "Oh, God, do you really think so? Auntie Hana teaches her goddaughter naughty words? But she's upstairs, isn't she? She won't have heard, will she? Oh, dear, I hope not." The entire book is like this and was making me crazy, but the story was just compelling enough, and the print large enough, and the chapters short enough to keep me reading. And then I came to the end. And I cried, and it was a good thing, because this writer wrapped up this story with a beautiful bow. The glass room was the large open living room of the home that boasted unheard-of-at-the-time walls of glass, and those walls reflected much interesting living during the 60 years spanned in this story. The cover art and title are good too! (Oops, I couldn't help myself there....I just finished Tina Fey's Bossypants, and was channeling Tina).