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In the Christian tradition, for example, the only model for faith is Jesus of Nazareth. His proclamation, one observes in the New Testament, was not particularly religious: he spoke of God, certainly, but only in relation to ordinary human life with its quotidian struggle and suffering. Nor did he speak or preach in especially religious or secretarian terms; in fact, it maybe be said that Jesus came to set the world free from enslavement to..
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Donald Spoto |
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Centuries later, it is often presumed that such a pious tone and environment would create boredom, cynicism, and even open rebellion among any militia. But in an era when faith was a fact of life, prayer was ubiquitous, ritual respected, and the presence of clergymen taken seriously, the result was a fresh discipline and respect - even a chivalric courtliness - among many of the troops. Joan herself was so obviously and sincerely devout tha..
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Donald Spoto |
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When we renounce our fear of life and give up trying to have it under our control--that is, when we acknowledge our contingency and utter dependence on God--then God comes to us and turns us toward Himself.
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Donald Spoto |
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It concerns the point at which courage is the logical and sometimes the only possible outcome of integrity.
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Donald Spoto |
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Less is more" was one of Meisner's mantras. "Silence has myriad meanings. In the theater, silence is an absence of words, but never an absence of meaning." Most of all, Meisner urged his students to think of acting a role as "living truthfully under given imaginary circumstances."
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Donald Spoto |
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Whenever anyone uttered a word against gay men or women, Grace was outspoken. "You shouldn't criticize people who are homosexual," she told her friend Prudy Wise. "It can be very destructive, and it is so easy to become mean without realizing it."
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Donald Spoto |
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I always tell actors not to use their face for nothing. Don't start scribbling on the paper until you have something to write.
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Donald Spoto |
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The idea of Christian perfection, which began in the ancient monasteries and spread to the world as an ideal, is one of the most appealing, demanding and ultimately hopeless notions of the spiritual life. By definition, only God is perfect--that is, complete and independent unto [God's] self. Humans, on the other hand, are radically imperfect, and that, paradoxically, is welcome news, for the recognition of our incompleteness throws us on t..
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perfection
spirituality
community
mercy
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Donald Spoto |
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she began to choose her own projects, Marilyn
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Donald Spoto |
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She had an understanding about people, and compassion--she didn't talk about it, but you heard how she spoke and saw how she behaved.
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Donald Spoto |
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Grace was tough and strong--mentally, emotionally and physically--and she cut through a lot of the nonsense. Hollywood was like a game for her. She was also a good businesswoman, and this allowed her to win in her struggles with MGM. She knew how to play the corporate game, and she played it so that it worked for her.
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Donald Spoto |
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All I want is my own name and a modest job to buy sugar for my coffee! You can't believe it, can you--you can't believe that a woman has to be crazy-out-of-her-mind to live alone--in one room--by herself! (He grips her arm, but she resists him.) GEORGIE. Why are you holding me? I said--you are holding me! Her eyes are suddenly wild with rage and desire. He kisses her "fully on the mouth," according to the stage directions, before they step..
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Donald Spoto |
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Decades later, we do not watch her as a movie star playing at or around a role, nor are we conscious of her gestures, her slight raising of the eyebrows, the sudden drop of her voice. We do not observe an "artiste" struggling to impress. Grace Kelly, the beautiful actress, disappears when we watch Georgie Elgin in The Country Girl; we see only the real weariness of a woman almost out of strength, almost empty of feeling--except that her fee..
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Donald Spoto |
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But she never distanced herself from others, and she was enormously friendly to everyone--no stuffy attitude, no star complex. As for her talents, Grace acted the way Johnny Weissmuller swam or Fred Astaire danced--she made it look easy. And she probably went through life being completely misunderstood, since she usually said exactly what she meant.
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Donald Spoto |
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I put it to him bluntly: 'Look here, Oleg--you're a charming escort, but in my opinion you are a very poor risk for a marriage.'" And then Margaret Kelly said something that might have turned Grace's resentment into loud laughter: "Of course I never interfere, even when I do not approve."
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Donald Spoto |
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In the climactic moments of that spiritual testament to Hitch's own soul, Scottie (James Stewart) confronts Judy (Kim Novak) about her exploitative lover, who turned her into the replica of another woman: "He made you over, didn't he? He made you over just like I made you over--only better. Not only the clothes and the hair, but the looks and the manner and the words. Did he train you? Did he rehearse you? Did he tell you exactly what to do..
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Donald Spoto |
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The gravity of Kennedy's condition was not detailed in the daily press, but the news traveled in New York society. When Kennedy's condition improved slightly, Grace sent a note to Jackie, asking if she could visit the hospital. Mrs. Kennedy thought this was a marvelous idea, and she invited Grace to arrive wearing a nurse's uniform, for Jack had complained that all the nurses were homely old crones. Grace arrived to find a platoon of bustli..
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Donald Spoto |
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And what of Joan's presence among so many young, armed men? Perhaps of all the nobles and military men, the Duke of Alencon - that dedicated, courageous and skillful commander - may be trusted most. Although he was a man who had a keen eye for attractive and available women, he too recognized a rare quality of sincere devotion that deflected any tendency to make sexual overtures. 'Sometimes I lay down to sleep with Joan and the soldiers,' A..
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Donald Spoto |
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What Joan impressed on the men by her faith and her actions, then, had more to do with the things of God that the machinery of war or prevailing politics. For her the struggle against English occupation and the eventual permanent establishment of French sovereignty were matters of justice, and justice was regarded as a major virtue in the Middle Ages. From justice came the origins of chivalry, which was about much more than mere courtesy: i..
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Donald Spoto |
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However we assess the relief of the siege of Orleans and the subsequent successes in the Loire Valley, the military proficiency of the French shocked the English to the point that French victory now seemed almost inevitable. If the English had learned that the French had new materiel or a brilliant new commander, they might have been able to devise counter procedures. But they had underestimated everything, from the loyalty evoked by Joan's..
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Donald Spoto |
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Joan's claim that God had France in HIs care because France was sacred to him may not be merely a medieval trope, embarrassingly old-fashioned language that today we must expunge from our vocabularies. To claim that France is sacred does not imply that only France is sacred. Throughout history, men and women have arisen everywhere who testify to the sacredness of nations. Perhaps today more than ever, we are aware that the identity and inte..
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Donald Spoto |
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About this time, Joan's parents made formal arrangements with a family who had an eligible son, to whom Joan was soon engaged. We know little of this episode in her life--neither the identity of the matrimonial match nor the precise date the ensuing fracas occurred. According to custom, the engagement did not require Joan's permission or approval; nor, it seems, was she introduced to her fiance before the pact was settled. At the time, girl..
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Donald Spoto |
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joined by
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Donald Spoto |
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Va, et advienne que pourra. Go, and come what may.
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Donald Spoto |
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She was determined to go places without leaning on anybody or using influence." Added Judith, "She left a prominent Philadelphia family to become a struggling actress in New York. It was an independent move. She had a certain amount of maverick in her, and she was entirely self-sufficient. She knew how to depend on herself." Grace was single-minded in her ambition to succeed as a professional actress. "I rebelled against my family and went ..
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Donald Spoto |