One of my favorite moments in the charming documentary Spellbound is when the good folks at Hooters put up a misspelled sign congratulating local spelling champ Nupur Lala. Spellbound is a personal favorite - not because I'm into spelling bees, but because it presents such an interesting cross-section of Americans and allows us to peak inside and appreciate that across racial, geographic, and cultural divides, most people just want their kids to be happy and succeed. And frankly, the kids are just cool. Even my law school buddy Hughes, hater of all things child-related, remarked that the kids in the film were neat.
The 78th annual National Spelling Bee began today in Washington, D.C. The Times has a cute story about the early rounds here. And if you haven't seen Spellbound, put it on your Netflix que.
Other random info - David Sedaris, author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, Holidays on Ice, and contributor to beloved This American Life, will be speaking/signing at the Union Square Barnes and Noble tonight at 7pm, tomorrow at Coliseum books at 6:30pm, and on June 22nd at the Strand at 7pm. He's promoting Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, which is coming out in paperback soon. I can't go this week, but I'm definitely reserving the 22nd for him. Thanks to Phil for that information.
Also, I'm sure you've heard by now that Deep Throat has unmasked himself - he is Mark Felt, the number 2 man at the FBI during the Nixon administration. John Dean is doing the bullshit sneeze to this news. I, for one, am a little disappointed that Deep Throat isn't a couple of teen-age dog walkers, a la Dick.
In my mind, Deep Throat will always be Kirsten Dunst and... that other chick.
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