|
|
On Friday, May 20th, the Arts,
Entertainment and Sports Law Committee and the Computer and
Internet Law Committee will be co-sponsoring The
Google Book Settlement; What Now? where two experts
will discuss the courts impact on digital books and the cases and
settlements that have affected potential agreements. Keeping in line
with the topic of the event, BBA Week asked:
"If you could bring a character to
life from your favorite book, who would it be? "
If you would like to respond to a future Voices of
the Bar, make sure you send a headshot, and
contact Eric Fullerton at efullerton@bostonbar.org. |
|
 |
Dallas Cruz - Choate Hall &
Stewart
"If I could bring any character to life,
it would be Emma Bovary. She is flawed, discontent and
dramatically emotional. When I first read Madame Bovary,
I hated her character. However, I think her complexity
would make her a very interesting woman to have lunch
with!"
|
 |
Amanda Kool - Nixon Peabody
"How
about 'the Nose,' from Nikolai Gogol's short story by the same
name? I've always found it impressive that Gogol sets forth
such an improbable story line--a man's nose falls off, then
proceeds to disguise itself as a human and achieve success
beyond that of the man to which it belonged--and yet Gogol
manages to engage the reader in the minutia of the story to
the point of overlooking the improbable premise.
Actually bringing such a character to life, however, would be
quite a feat!"
|
 |
Susan E. Stenger - Burns & Levinson
LLP
"If I may name a 'character' of the nonfiction
sort, I would bring back the young Julia Child from 'My Life
in France' by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme.
Her irrepressible curiosity, determination, and humor would be
a joy to be around and I would love to join in her
adventures."
|
 |
Cynthia Gilbert - Hyperion Law
"I
would bring R. Daneel Olivaw, from Isaac Asimov's
Robots/Foundation series, to life. This humanoid robot
from the year 5020 starts out working with an Earthman to
solve interplanetary crimes; Daneel goes on to save the galaxy
more times than I can keep track of, all the while displaying
warmth, wit, intelligence and real compassion for
humanity. I would love to discuss with him the process
by which he developed the Zeroth Law of Robotics: 'A robot may
not harm humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come
to harm'. Humanity could stand to learn a thing or two
from the laws of robotics!"
|
 |
Kelly Downes - City of Cambridge Police
Department
"I would love to have coffee in a
Paris café with Countess Ellen Olenska, from The Age of
Innocence by Edith Wharton, one of my favorite novels.
Wharton's social critique of the elite of New York during the
late 1800s is a classic. It is unflinching in its
examination of the social conventions of the time and the
rampant hypocrisy. Even the title of the book
exudes irony. Countess Olenska is a fascinating
character to me. She is a free spirit who questions the
rigid social order. Ellen is cruelly cast out by her
family by the end of the novel and returns to Paris, but not
to her abusive husband. I imagine the independent life
she led in Paris to be filled with interesting friends, art,
great food and wine. I would want to talk to her about
feminism, about love and loss. I would want to
know whether she believes, as I do, that sometimes the
unconventional choices we make in our lives can bring us
the most happiness."
|
 |
Catherine Finegan-Dollak - Goodwin
Procter
"I would like to meet Temeraire, of Naomi
Novik's Temeraire series."
|
| |