Fiction author Robin Brande talks about writing, reading, and other vital matters

Obviously if I’d known there would be questions I would have prepared a better story.

Last night I had my first class ever in American Sign Language. I was all ready to just sit there and try to follow along without making too big a fool of myself, when the gracious teacher had the audacity to ask me why I was interested in learning to sign.

“Uh . . .”

“There must be a reason you’re here.”

“Um . . .”

And she looked at me with those kindly teacher eyes, and I just blurted it out.

“You know . . . River Wild.”

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“You know, that movie with Meryl Streep? Where they all know sign language and that’s how they communicate without the killers knowing, and David Strathairn paints those three hand signs on the canyon walls, and Meryl signs something to her son and he nods and we never know what she’s saying?”

“No, I don’t think I saw that one.”

“Oh. Too bad.”

Of course the better reason–the reason I couldn’t for the life of me think of at that moment, but that would have sounded so much more mature–was that it’s been on my Life List for a while now, and when I saw the announcement for the class, I knew I had to take it.

But then, the reason it’s on my Life List to begin with is because of River Wild, so we’re right back to that.

Look, I admit I have a bit of a fascination with that movie. And I happen to know that a lot of you feel the same way. Don’t we all just love Meryl Streep in that role? She’s so entirely buff and kickass–plus she gets to kiss the ever-steamy David Strathairn–and ever since I saw that movie I’ve known I want to look like that when I’m whatever age Meryl was at the time, and I also thought her hands looked so cool whenever she signed and–

Maybe this all seems so shallow.

The other people in the class are taking it because they work in the medical field or they’re teachers or they’re something more noble than a film fan. Like I said, I wish I had thought something better up. But now I’m stuck with it–it’s in my student records somewhere–and all I can do is fully inhabit the role.

“You’re that River Wild chick.”

“Yeah, that’s right, what of it?”

“Nothing. Good flick.”

“Damn straight.”

Or something like that. But in sign language. And as I learned last night, I don’t actually have to sign all of the words, I just have to get the gist across. So if I just stand tall, nod, and make a paddle motion with arms, I may be okay.

Although I’m hoping to do better than that. Because one day Meryl and I are going to be in a room together, and I’m going to flash her those signs she was sneaking to her son Roark in the raft, and she’ll know and I’ll know what we’re both talking about.

And then we’ll be best friends, we’ll do each other’s hair, etc., but you don’t really need to know that part of the story.

As usual, I think I’ve already said too much.

Technorati Tags: River Wild, Meryl Streep, David Strathairn, Movies, Films, American Sign Language

Posted on Friday, September 15th, 2006 at 5:11 am under Life, Movies & TV . Subscribe to responses: RSS 2.0 Comment Feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.