By
Published: May 20, 2009
Category: Beyond Classification [3]
Butler's 500th
Careful what you wish for --- I asked for suggestions for the 500th review, and several hundred of you had at least one. I read, I watched, I listened, I collapsed. And, at length, I decided. My criterion: Most of you are more interested in books than music or movies, thus a book should win First Prize. After that: anything goes. Well, a weird thing happened: One reader won both First Prize and half of Third. Believe me: I'm not related to Koen Vossen. It's not even likely we've passed one another on the street --- Koen is a 24-year-old studying computer science in Eindhoven, Holland. Again, thank you --- all of you --- for entering.
FIRST PRIZE
Koen Vossen, Eindhoven, Holland, for The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton. [4] This book defies classification --- one of de Botton's heroes of travel never leaves his bedroom --- but Koen's suggestion absolutely nailed some key HeadButler.com values: looking at the world with fresh eyes, thinking for yourself, delivering a message with style, wit and (far from least) brevity.
SECOND PRIZE
Mary Murphy, New York City, for Dangerous Liasons, directed by Stephen Frears. [5] Glenn Close and John Malkovich play 18th century French aristocrats who behave like --- well, 18th century French aristocrats. This delightful amorality play is witty, fun to look at, thought-provoking. And what an all-star cast: Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, Swoosie Kurtz, Keanu Reeves.
THIRD PRIZE
Sue Bachmann, Long Beach, California, for Songbird, by Eva Cassidy. [6] You may know Eva Cassidy for biographical reasons: She's dead. It's easy to get sentimental about her. Sue Bachmann, a college professor, reminded me of Eva's underlying talent.
Koen Vossen, for Magic Potion, by The Black Keys. [7] Enough internationalism, enough esoterica. Let's hear it for two guys from Akron, Ohio: a drummer and a guitarist. They're loud, raw, nasty --- I'd say they represent the best of the heartland if they didn't remind me so much of a stripped-down Led Zep.
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IN YOUR HONOR: HeadButler.com is not just about consuming the best. It's about using what we learn from the best. I couldn't celebrate 500 without acknowledging the help you've given to the less fortunate --- to say nothing of the intangible contributions you've made to my life. When I read Nicholas Kristof's column, “You, Too, Can Be a Banker to the Poor”, in The New York Times, I knew exactly how to honor the Butler community: I took one minute and made microcredit loans in our name to two small businesswomen: Emilia Kesewa of Ghana and Alla Mischenko of the Ukraine. Want to become a microcredit banker? Go to www.kiva.org [8]. Don't know about microcredit? Suggestion for your next book: Banker to the Poor [9], by Muhammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.