Home » Film & TV » Film & TV Reviews » The Legend of Zorro

The Legend of Zorro

© James C. Hess

Processo della scoperta. Over the past several months I have taken notice of an interesting trend occuring with regards to the popular culture of the United States of America: If you want to know what people are thinking don't bother with the mainstream news media, comprised mostly of unnamed sources, faceless experts, and garden-variety arm-chair pundits. Instead, go to the places where many people can be found and listen to snippets of conversation as they pass by.

A few weeks ago, for example, I found myself in my favorite local bookstore, which, incidentially, is independently owned and operated. A large number of patrons--about five hundred, conservatively--had gathered because a Writer of some merit and talent was scheduled to make an appearance, in which he would read excerpts from his latest novel, and talk about writing and publishing at some length.

Because I rather enjoy and greatly respect this particular Writer's work and talent I decided I should arrive early not only to get a good seat but because I secretly believed he might arrive early and allow me the opportunity to speak with him beyond the context of the event at hand.

I was wandering among the stacks, superficially considering all the titles available when I overhead a conversation between two women, apparently in their mid-40s, who were in the bookstore, awaiting the arrival of the Writer. What I heard went exactly as follows:

Woman Number One: I am so glad he's coming to do this today.

Woman Number Two: So am I. I love his writing.

Woman Number One: I hope I can ask him a question. I want to know where he gets his ideas from. They're just so original.

Woman Number Two: Don't you know? He did an interview last year in which he revealed that most of his ideas come from the fact he doesn't own a television, a cell phone, a computer, or a fax machine.

Woman Number One: Does that mean he doesn't have electricity? How do you live like that?

Woman Number Two: I don't know. But it sounds wonderful. A life without all those distractions and interruptions.

At this point I moved on because I got the impression both women were aware of my presence and the probability I was eavesdropping. So I moved on to the next aisle, and encounter three young women, of college age, who were also awaiting the arrival of the Writer. Although I cannot repeat their conservation exactly the overall tone and impression of it was that they were about to encounter a rock star on the level of a Bruce Springsteen or a Mick Jagger. And they were excited about the Writer coming not only because they found his writing enjoyable and engaging but because of the romantic element of his work, stemming from what some call 'a Western sensibility'. Furthermore, there was an element of thrill to this event for them because they were also attending to fulfill a requirement for a class the three of them were taking at the nearby university: Apparently their instructor had learned of the Writer's visit and their plans to attend and told them that if each of them asked him a question relevant to writing, if each of them got his autograph, and if each of them got their picture taken with him this particular day they would earn extra credit for the class in question.