First set of photos, with different captions and related linkage, here. Um... actually... while there more photos in that link, there no captions as of yet. Got knocked out by some seriously evil oyster-related food poisoning on Sunday night, keeping me from being able to flesh out that entry on Monday. Captions and links will be added to that post later on in the week.)
Lookit!!! You can tell I'm in Full Raving FanGirl Mode because you can see all my huge gums.
Around here the woman above is referred to as The Magnificent CCH Pounder. The first thing I remember seeing her on was Hill Street Blues, but it was Bagdad Cafe, one of my most favorite movies, which sealed her in my mind. I am such a fan that even though I'm not into superdude stuff I watched a few of Justice League cartoons she was in when I friend told me she does one of the voices. I have seen just about all of her movies and a good chunk of the tv shows she appears in (even the tv shows I think are crap) just because she's in them. If the world were more Just than it is she would be a superstar like Streep or Keaton. Whatever she's in, she tends to be the best thing on the screen. Unlike Dad I like The Shield (though I must point out that for all of his alleged not liking the show he seems to have watched just about every episode) if you haven't seen her run on it, rent them. It is pure joy to watch her and Chiklis' characters go at each other. Gladiators is the only term I can think of at the moment.
I still can't believe I actually got to meet her in real life!! I think
the appropriate term here is "Muppet Dance," a phrase I learned
recently from RedHead Dread. If I'm understanding that phrase
correctly, when she walked in the door, internally I began doing a Muppet
Dance. Even cooler? The Official Dad of BGF Central was all !!!!! when I told him about it and sent him the pictures. Update! (several days later...dunno why I didn't put this in first time around): Dad's exact words were "you met The Boss?!!" That's what he calls her. My Dad does not impress easily. One
of the things he asked me that day when I accidentally came across a
shoot for The Shield downtown was if CCH Pounder was there.
He was kinda disappointed when the answer was No. We have long hoped that she
would show up in The Wire, but she hasn't. Since they're wrapping that show up chances are she's not gonna. <pout>
Okay, here's something only one person knew until now. Aint June is CCH Pounder, only fatter. That's the one and only time I have ever created a prose character partially informed by an actor. I can tell you that will never happen again.
Many eternal thanks to Esowon J (not to be confused with EsoWon James) for making the photos I have of me and TMCCHP possible, what with my thinking that she had left when in reality she was just sitting back in the office. As I was leaving, EsoWon J asked if I had gotten a picture with TMCCHP that I wanted. I told her no because it looked like she left. EsoWon J said she's in the office. I tell her I don't know them well enough to just walk into the store office! And then I make puppy dog eyes and quiver my bottom lip. EsoWon J gives me the same look I know I have given others trying to get at my guests at CCI, then she goes into the office, brings out TMCCHP and makes with the pictures. Yay! (I have great shots of EsoWon J, but there's the potential of her pounding me into the dirt if I posted them so I'm gonna be a wuss and keep them to myself until she says it's okay. ahahahaha)
Here's a slightly reconstructed exchange of what I said to TMCCHP while at the event. Yes, my Geek was on and I'm fully aware that I probably sounded like an idiot, but when might I have this chance again? Never, that's when!
Me: I love your work! I call you The Magnificent CCH Pounder! I think you're one of the greatest actresses on the planet!
TMCCHP: Thank you. <polite smile.>
Me: You know, when they killed you off on Millennium? I wrote an angry letter.
TMCCHP: <pause. belly laugh.>
Me: I don't know if you've ever heard of 'Stagecoach' Mary Fields but she was a hero of the Old West in Montana and if anybody ever did a movie on her you should be Mary.
TMCCHP: Somebody sent me that script once.
Me: <pause> THERE'S A SCRIPT??
And then she walked off to greet someone she knew, and as I had taken up enough of her time I didn't follow her to get the details. Was someone planning to do a movie about Mary Fields?? Who?! When?! I HAVE TO FIND THAT SCRIPT!!
Maybe I need to learn how to write movies. If I knew how to write movies I could write a Mary Fields movie for TMCCHP (though in truth I'd be a little worried doing so before doing my huge nonfiction book on Fields and Mother Amadeus). And we could get Charles Brunett to direct it! Somehow. Or maybe that guy who did Citizen X! Again, somehow. Granted, no one would go see it because it would be an arty, violent western about an Old West black woman and you know they say audiences don't like westerns in general anymore and folks in general still have trouble accepting anything that goes beyond The Myth of the White West when it comes to westerns as truth, but I wouldn't care! They'd love it in France! We'd make back our investors' money in Europe and on the cult dvd circuit!
Yeah. I'll put that on the list of things to Do.
Meanwhile, more random shots from this event!
The woman on the right is a well-known fixture on 94.7 The Wave, a local kick ass radio station. When I can confirm the proper spelling of her name I'll update this caption.
This was one of my many attempts to get Due & Barnes with the same shot without one or the other of them appearing blurry. Never did manage to pull it off. I'm still learning how to use the slr. I'll get the hang of it, eventually.
I was supposed to email all of the shots of Underwood & the Wave DJ to her handler for her use, but I lost his card. If on the off chance she or he stumbles across this entry, drop a note with an email addy and I'll send you the images. Or just download the pictures you want from here.
I moved to the side to take this one because I felt they both had nice profiles. Rather proud of this shot even though I didn't get the full profiles.
I'd be happier with this shot if he were not blurry. What am I doing wrong?
Because he's THAT gorgeous, that's why. If I had thought to take a full length shot you'd be able to see the impressive coordination of his outfit, down to how the shirt matched the shoes and the socks matched everything else.
Bernard Parks, who also attended the recent Mosley signing and is the politician behind the Leimert Park Book Fair. He said he'd look into getting Degnan shut down for the next event. Yay, because I don't think I can endure listening for the screech/thud that is just waiting to happen next time around. The city has to close off the street for safety come next fair.
Even my crowd shots turned out blurry. Dammit.
Not the greatest of compositions, but I like it because all three creators plus EsoWon James and EsoWon Tom are in the same shot.
Another shot of The Magnificent CCH Pounder and my huge gums. Did I mention that she was there and I met her and that my Dad is jealous and everything? <! Muppet Dance !>
Tonight Jermaine Dupri is appearing at EsoWon on tour for his new book. My original plan was not to go because, you know, not my thing, but I have capitulated to the begging from friends who don't live here and will attend just long enough to snap a few picts to send them, if I can get out of the office in time. Elliot Lewis and Marco Villalobos are also appearing at the store this week. Both of those works are my kind of thing but I don't have time to hit up both. Need to decide soon which one I can fit in.
Once the first year anniversary of his death hits this December I will stop mentioning him here, but one of the many things that factored into the bond James & I had was mutual deep love for Pounder's work. It is not fair that I can't call my best friend and tell him that I met her - and REVEL in what would surely be his Envy, but that's how things work out sometimes.
