Short o' cake

Ok, so I've recoloured my blog. It looks ok now I guess.

I'm supposed to bake a cake for someones (or two) birthday which is tomorrow. It's a chocolate cake with some special butter cream orange icing. And chocolate fans!

Well, according to the recipes, the batter is supposed to fill two 8 inch round cake tins. Meaning, I'd end up with two round cakes. Then I'll cut the two cakes horizontally to get 4 layers. Problem is, I don't know what the book means when it says 8 inch round pan. Does it mean 8 inch in diameter or 8 inch in circumference? That's two different sizes, you know.

So, since I was confused, I used a 5.5 inch square pan instead. According to the logic in my brain, i should be able to get 2 cakes from that batter if I use the 5 inch pan. Logically la. But then again, how logical can that conclusion be when I don't even know what the book means by '8 inch round pan' ?

Anyway, I used the square pan and it turns out that the batter is only enough for 1 cake. Does this mean that the batter really was meant for one cake and I was supposed to make 2 batches? Why didn't they just say so!
Now, I have a 5.5 inch square cake that's not really very tall. It won't look birthday cakey at all. So, I have to whip up another batch of batter and bake another cake.

Which is when I realise that I only have 1 egg left. Not a good sign. So, I've sent bro to the shop to get some eggs. He's been gone for a while now. I think he sent his car for servicing too. Mangkuk.

Oh well, I'll just have to wait then. :P

Me lost. You help?

I'm having a little bit of a cosmetic issue with my blog right now. I want it to be colourful and the header to reflect who I am, but it's not going too well. I've changed my layout and template so often; even I don't know what my concept is anymore. I need some serious help!

It used to have a black background with colourful text and what not. I've changed that to white for a lighter look but I'm suddenly lost on the colour. What should I do? Which way should I go? Colourful? Or pick a theme? Should I keep the white background or maybe add some colour? Maybe add a lot of colour??

And what of my header? I can't think of a suitable header or blog title. Right now, it's "A Big Bowl of Something". I chose that in an attempt to capture the variety in my blog but it sounds so... alphabet soupy. I cannot remember what I called it when I first started but I know that for the most part, my blog title was "One Day at a Time", which is really a reflection on how I live my life.

I've toyed around with the idea of just using my name as the title but that seems so generic when I do it. I've tried other stuff too, like "Words" ('cause I my blog is basically a writing blog. No picture, just thousands of words) and "Bloop Bloop Bloop" ('cause Mina says I sometimes look like a fish). These titles I am not satisfied with. They're flat. There's no real life in them at all.

I need something that really pops. Something with some life and some pizazz! Something enticing that will make you go, "Hey now, this sounds like it could be an interesting blog to explore" or "I don't mind spending sometime reading something with a title like that!"

I need a header that captures the essence of who I am and therefore, what my blog is like. I am an idealistic, old fashioned, food loving over thinker with an unusual love of words who is sort of anti social. How to I get that all in a few short words? This is going to require the help of many brains at work.

Anyone, anyone at all who has any suggestions whatsoever as to what might work in this part of cyberspace, please drop a comment! :) Anything at all will be helpful. Maybe you have some ideas on a title or even a theme I could consider. All is welcomed. I just need some fresh ideas to get my own juices flowing.

Cheers!

Kaleidoscope.
Yes? No? Maybe?

I Want My 0.3!!

Dinesh taught us something in school today. It's one of the exercises he had to do for T4YP. Some theater thing to help with pronunciation.

We have to say 'everybody' then 'verybody' followed by 'erybody' and so on. Do you get it? We start with the word 'everybody'. Then, that is followed by the word 'verybody' which is 'everybody' minus the 1st alphabet. This, then, continues on till you are only left with the last alphabet.

It's a real work out for you jaw-muscles!. Try saying it over and over again, increasing your speed as you go!

Fuuh! My cheeks are aching right now. But it was a lot of fun! :)

Anyway, school was ok. Mina was absent (after telling me to make sure I turn up for school!). But things were still ok. We had some major dramas, though. Our CGPA's were affected because the computer system churned out the wrong marks for all of us. Seriously! Many of our CGPA's really dropped! When they fix this, and I hope they do, my CGPA will go up by 0.3. I know that sounds small but trust me, it's plenty.

Another thing was that our Literature marks weren't included. Which means, our CGPA is based on only 3 subjects as opposed to every one's 4 subjects. The SU Peperiksaan insisted that we find a way to include Literature in our trials. And we did! We made sure our teacher had a question paper for us and that she marked in in time for our class teacher to key it all in. But they didn't! Susah, susah only la.. :(

Apparently there's a reason for this but we couldn't find the SU Peperiksaan to ask her. I'm going to make sure I ask her tomorrow. I'm really upset. This is so unfair! How are we supposed to apply for any early scholarships or early acceptance without Lit? Lit was the whole reason for me going to La Salle in the first place. For the course I want to do, Lit is a major upside. Without that on my trial results, it's useless!

Gimme my Sijil Berhenti Sekolah! Hmph.... :(

p.s: Nesh loved his present and so did Visha. Mina, well, we'll find out tomorrow.

Only 39 DAYS to the beginning of the end!!

I Am Sam

I am Sam is a movie about a developmentally challenged father raising his 7 year old daughter. Sam Dawson (Sean Penn) had the mental capacity of a 7 year old and he has been raising his daughter, Lucy (Dakota Fanning) all on his own. Sam is a nice guy who tries very hard and learns. He has a huge capacity for love. You cry, he hugs you. Lucy is small and bright and full of love. No matter how terrible it seemed, she always loves her father and she didn’t want anyone else.

One day, Sam was approached by a prostitute and because he didn’t know better, Sam almost went with her. A policeman saw them and took Sam to the police station. They knew it wasn’t his fault, so they let him go. However, there was a Social Services officer at the station. After seeing Sam, she thought something should be done because he seemed incapable of raising a child.

On the day of Lucy’s 7^th birthday, Sam decided to throw a surprise party for her. Sadly, the officer came to took her away. There was some drama. The judge then ruled that Sam gets visiting rights, twice a week.

Sam, then, found himself a lawyer who drove herself into a corner and had no choice but to work for him pro bono. They try to come up with a witness list that can help Sam out. These witnesses included Sam’s best friends who are similarly challenged and some other people that can help.

All the while, Lucy was placed under foster care. She didn’t like it at all, obviously. Sam and his lawyer, they tried so hard. All he wanted was to give her love. He just wanted his child and she wanted her father. This whole movie is very raw and basic. It’s about love and friendship. That’s it, nothing else. It’s not clouded with anything else.

There is one part when the opposition attorney, Mr. Turner (Richard Schiff who played Toby in The West Wing [mama will appreciate that]) asked Sam if he thinks he can raise Lucy. Sam quoted a Beatles song; Paul McCartney wrote the first verse and handed it over to John Lennon to write the rest. Lennon wrote, “I love you, I love you, I love you.” That’s what you need, Sam said. That’s what you need.

Also, Mr. Turner asked Sam if he could provide Lucy with everything she needs as she grows up. Sam said no, he couldn’t give Lucy everything. He wants to but can’t. It’s important that I mention now just how stressed Sam was feeling by this time. He was being bombarded with questions from this almost hostile lawyer and Sam felt overwhelmed. He was afraid and overwhelmed.

I think Mr. Turner was trying to prove that Sam, who had the capacity of a 7 year old, was incapable of raising a child. He was trying to prove that she could get everything she needed, somewhere else.

Here’s what I think: Sam was right. He cannot give Lucy everything she needs. But then again, no one can. No one can give their child the best school, the best toys, the best food the best care and the best everything else, all at the same time. It’s impossible. Every parent wants that for their child but they just can’t do it. They can try but it’s unlikely that they can give everything. And Sam is just like every other parent, in that aspect. Are you telling me you’re going to drag all the other families to court too on these ground?

Anyway, Sam reached a point where he almost gave up. Lucy seemed ok with her foster family and he felt hopeless. But his lawyer, Rita Williams (Michele Pfieffer) got his hopes up. She helped him get a job he can enjoy (dog walker). Things started to look fine, until the foster family decided to try and adopt Lucy.

Sam decided to move closer to Lucy because he missed her and also taking the bus really wasted a lot of time. So, he bought an apartment nearby. Lucy found out about this while selling Girl Scout Cookies in the neighbourhood and started sneaking out of her room. She would walk to her father’s apartment. Sam, surprised as he was, didn’t keep her. He didn’t let her stay there nor did he take her away some place far. Instead, he took her back to her foster family. This became some sort of a routine until the family decided to fix bars on Lucy’s windows (nice ones).

Her foster mother told her that she only had to ask if she wanted to see her father. Any time, any day, she could see her father. They would take her.

The foster family wanted to prove to the court that they could provide her with the kind of love that she has never had before. They change their minds, however, when they see just how much Lucy and Sam love each other. They see just how much they need each other to survive. Lucy already has that kind of love and nothing can replace it.

This movie didn’t exactly get very great reviews but I think it’s a great movie. Yes, it’s kind of sappy and predictable but it’s a happy ending that we all want to see. Also, some people say this movie is  "Undone by its best intentions, I Am Sam is an especially insipid example of the Hollywood message movie.” I think it is, but I also think that there’s nothing wrong with that. I love message movies. They’re great.

I cried so much during this movie. Tears rolled down my cheeks when I watched ‘I’m Not Stupid 2’ and ‘Pay It Forward’. But this time, this time I actually cried. By cried, I mean sobs: real sobs and tears and heaving of breath. I was a mess!

This movie, the actors and the ‘predictable’ storyline was all well choreographed. I loved it. I cried throughout almost the entire movie. The entire movie!

Scenes I cried at the most:

• Sam was reading a book to Lucy, something her teacher gave her. He was having difficulty with some words. Lucy ended up saying she didn’t want to listen to that story and asked Sam to read his favourite book instead, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

• Sam learns that Lucy is holding herself back in school because she doesn’t want to be intellectually superior to her father. He gets her to read that hard book. She stops at the word ‘difficult’ (the same word he has trouble with) and pretended not to know it. He then said to her, “I’m your father and I'm telling you to read the word.” He knew he had to push her and eventually, she read it to him. “I like to hear you read. It's makes me happy to hear you read.”

• In the cafeteria, Sam wanted to pay for lunch. His lawyer tried to say no. She said he didn’t have to. She said he didn’t have to pay for lunch just to seem more grown up. He became understandably upset. He told her that she thought they thought (they being the Child and Family Services). She tried to say that what she thought didn’t matter in court but Sam said it mattered to him

• Sam and Lucy in the bus. Lucy conned the social service officer and her father too. She took him on a bus ride and they stayed on the bus and then got down at a park far away. Just the two of them.

• When Sam took the stand.

• When Sam had given up. He stayed in his old apartment, making origami. Rita shows up and tires to talk to him. Sam says that she doesn’t know what it’s like to keep trying and trying and trying and never get there. She was born perfect but he was born like that. People like her didn’t know what it’s like to be hurt. Boy, did she give him a wake up call. She said he wasn’t the only one. People like her feel lost and small and ugly and dispensable. People like her have a son who hates her (not really la, just not a good relationship). She cried and he hugged her.

• When Sam and Lucy were hugging and the officers had to pull them apart.

Sean Penn played his part very well and so did the young Dakota Fanning. She received many awards for her role in this movie. This movie was great. I would watch it again and again.

p.s: I actually wrote this out on Microsoft Word. A whole different thing. But my computer decided to restart itself without my permission just before I clicked the save button. Also, the Autorecovery thing doesn't seem to be working. So, I had to rewrite this from scratch. I don't like this version as much as I liked the first. Sadly, I can't get it back. This will have to do. It was hard to rewrite this, especially when my head was throbbing with anger. Seriously, I just want to stab this PC. I'm trying to concentrate here, HELLO!

:)

Wolves, Princesses and cute Boys!

Sunday:

So, I've obviously been AWOL these past few days. I've actually just been very lazy. I log in to Blogger and end up logging out again because the thought of typing out the words in my head seemed pretty dull work at the time. It still kind of is - mainly because I don't really have anything to rant about. Or, I do, but it's all little stuff that's scrunched up together which requires a certain amount of energy to untangle. 

And yet, here I am, typing. I do this, oddly enough, not when I'm physically fit but when my left arm is screaming out for repose.

Ok. Change of plans. I have to sleep now, so my brother keeps telling me. Continued later.

***

Tuesday:

Hello. I must be some weirdo. I'm supposed to be working, and I thought that since the WIFI connection is down, I might actually move a little faster. Boy, could I be any more wrong. I got the broadband out. :)

Ok, so here's the scoop. My left arm was protesting on Sunday because on Saturday, I carried Dillon around a lot. He's 2 and he's a lot smaller than me but man is he heavy! Or maybe I'm just not fit? A little of both I think.

On Saturday, we were all supposed to go to Port Klang to see the Lugos ship. The Dulos' sister or something. But, big brother had a futsal tournament and we ended up going for that instead. Dillon was so excited. I can see the resemblance between my two brothers very clearly now. If I let Dillon down, he'd run right into the court! He wanted to join then but they're big buffaloes playing a friendly match. They take their futsal very seriously.

So, I had to hold on to Dillon the entire time. And every few seconds, he'd go, "Where's kohkoh?" (which means brother in Chinese, although the spelling might be wrong.) Once, big brother got out of the game because he was really tired, and he couldn't breathe properly. Dillon's attention was totally off the game. He only had eyes for his brother who he knew wasn't ok. So then, I had to carry Dillon to our brother.

So, so cute!

We ended up not going to the ship because by the time the match was over, Dillon was beat. So, they headed back and we did too.

Which then takes me backwards to Thursday. THE BIG BAD WOLF BOOK SALE!

The best book sale ever! Since I won the preview pass (picture above), mum and I got to go a day earlier. Us and another few hundred or so people. But that didn't matter at all because the hall was ENORMOUS and it felt like no one was there.

Anyway, mum and I bought many a book. I completed my Princess Diaries set, found Artemis Fowl: The Atlantic Complex and a few other good looking books. Mama bought quite a few romance novels and we we grabbed tons of recipe books! We even bought a Jamie Oliver Christmas Special Food Magazine. Sweet:)

We spent almost 2 hours in there and we could have spent more time but we didn't want to hurt out wallets too much. So, hard as it was, we dragged ourselves to the cashier and paid for our loot. Only RM200+ for about 30 books. Magical! We kinda took the extremely long way home but it was worth it.

I went to the sale again yesterday! This time, I took Nadiah, Claudine and Maria with me. We went in the evening so there wasn't much of a crowd. We didn't even have to line up to go in. We did get lost on the way though. I took the wrong turning so we ended up on the wrong side of the road from the MARDI entrance. I took one big round and started again. We made it there after 2 hours. *Phew*

The sale was still worth it though. They added more books. I was looking for the fourth Princess Diaries book (apparently I missed that ): ) But I couldn't find it. Nor did I find the Ultimate Cake book mama wanted or her novel. I did find some awesome Princess Diaries extras though. The are 10 books in the series and a few smaller books in between. Found two so far, and I'm going to start looking for the rest! Also, I found a great present for MeshPot:)

Oh, another big news, KINDLE has ARRIVED! I have my own Kindle now! IT'S ALL MINE! muahahahaha! :)

Can't wait to get started! All these books to read, and only 2 months till the end of my school life, it's stoked! :)

Okok, I have to get back to work now. Earn me some $$ :)

*Starstruck*

I have not learnt how to describe the sensation of your insides sighing and swooning. But that's how I felt today and still feeling right now!

Today was a great day. I haven't felt like this in such a long time. In fact, I can't remember when I last had this feeling at all.

School was great. Today was our last day before an 11 day break (because of PMR). Everyone had a ball of a good time. Our P.A teacher was missing in action, which meant 2 free periods. Also, we got our Econs marks back and I didn't do too bad. My CGPA isn't all that good but I feel improvement coming my way:)

Also, I found out that I won 2 media passes to the biggest, baddest book sale in Malaysia! The Big Bad Wolf Books Sale is opened to me and a few lucky others, one day earlier! :) I am pumped!

After school, my brother and I headed to the mall where he works. It was his off day so we hung out. That in itself was awesome because I really miss him! Anyway, we had something to eat and then we headed to the cinema, planning to watch a movie. However, there was nothing nice on. So that's the plan scuppered.

Anyway, on our way out, guess who I saw? Yusuf Amin! Some of you are probably wondering who this Yususf Amin person is. Well, let me fill you in. Yusuf Amin is part of the T4YP Alumni. T4YP stands for Theatre for Young People. It's a Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) thing. Yusuf joined the ensemble last year, with Dinesh. I first saw him in Twelfth Night as Orsino, Duke of Illyria. I remember thinking how great he was. The only other play I've seen him in is their latest T4YP production, Much Ado About Nothing. This time, Yusuf was in the alumni. He played Claudio. Again, amazing. He's has this presence about him.

I saw Yusuf Amin sitting in a restaurant, using his laptop. At first I didn't know if it really was him, but then I kept right on looking and, I think he sensed the power of my gaze because he suddenly turned his face towards me. I knew right then it was him. Also, my reflex action was to look away, which I did, after that split second recognition. That was starstruck moment number one.

Here comes starstruck moment number 2.

When we got home, I immediately went online, as usual. I checked my twitter account and I saw that someone replied to one of my tweets. It was none other than Nick Dorian himself! Wow! Two KLPAC encounters in one day? Phew!

Nick Dorian joined T4YP in 2009, but I first saw him in Twelfth Night too. He was Feste, the clown. And in Much Ado About Nothing, he played the part of Benedict. Nick Dorian has a really nice singing voice. It's beautiful! I just loved the part when he sang in those plays.

So, after watching Much Ado About Nothing, I tweeted about it, tagging T4YP. Nick Dorian replied to that tweet. My tweet! Then I replied to that which he then replied to. This went on for a few more tweets. I had a mini conversation with Nick Dorian! To me, this is akin to talking to Orlando Bloom. I was, honestly just so excited and in disbelief. Me, he replied to me! Just some random girl who saw him in a play. Wow! I felt so starstruck.

Awesome Possum man!

Those two encounters were amazing. Seeing one actor in real life, and having a conversation with another via twitter. No, they're not Hans Isaac or Siti Nurhaliza famous but I'd take KLPAC actors over the other kind anytime. They're stars to me.

I know, I shouldn't be so excited seeing as one of my classmates in an actor at KLPAC but this is just, argh! I know Dinesh, but I don't know Nick Dorian or Yusuf Amin. It's just different.

Anyway, because of the days events, I am on cloud nine. Nothing has brought me down, and nothing will. Not today at least:)

HAPPY!!!!!!!

Sad Case :(

Aww man :(
I don't know what's going to happen. My results are out, some of them. No improvement on PA. None at all. I got the same marks as in the previous exam. I really have to work on my essays :(

As for BM, it got worse. My essay was terrible! I thought I did good. I really did. I don't know how I went wrong.  I was really counting on this to be one of my better subjects. I feel like I failed. I'm angry about it :(

Micro wasn' too good either but I didn't expect any better. So, no surprise there. I'm working on it but at the same time I know that it won't be all that right now. As for Macro, I did quite OK for paper 1 which is great. I hope paper 2 is just as good.

This is terrible. Hmm...
Just needed to get that out.
:(

Facebook's Facelifts

I have to rant about Facebook. Just to make myself feel better.

Mark Zuckerberg is a genius, what with creating Facebook and all, but he seriously needs to relax. Facebook is getting too much plastic surgery for one who is only 7 years old. It's had, oh I don't know, 4 to 5 facelifts now. That's just too much, even for an adult.

OK folks, seriously, Facebook is changing too much. Yes, change is good. Esther Dyson (whoever she is) said, "Change means that what was before wasn't perfect. People want things to be better," and she's right. In fact, change is vital for the survival of any social network in this ever changing, ever growing world of cyber space, but, c'mon, don't you think changing the layout 3 times in about as many months is just too much change? (Notice how many times I used the word 'change' or some form of it? It's a literary device called alliteration, or some form of it la) ("La." That's another one, it's called using colloquialisms).

I created my own Facebook profile about 2 years ago. I was super excited. Here was a new social networking site that I could enter in without lying about my age and reconnect with people who I went to kindergarden with. It was a cyber space miracle, an entity of major proportions.

It was great, and it still is. More and more people started using Facebook and I began to climb the all-new social ladder of "who's got more 'friends'". There were games that I could waste my time on like Farmville and arcade-type games my mother is still addicted to. I can just log in (using my ultra childish and embarrassing, but secretly cool, email that my mother created for me when I was 11) and I'm instantly connected to the rest of the world! Everything I post, like pictures and status updates, are out there for the world to see. Now, even creepy, anti social, stalker-type, cyber punks half-way around the world will know that the chocolate I just had was "sooooo goood!!!!!!!." It's every parent's nightmare.

Anyway, Mr. Zuckerberg, then, introduced new security settings. Great, just what the police ordered. Now, I can make sure that only my friends are informed about the astounding goodness of the chocolate I just had. That's pretty harmless. The most they would do is come knocking on my door, demanding for a piece of that awesome chocolate. But, we're veering of course here. The more secure settings were an awesome addition. Parents, now, didn't have to worry too much. Everyone felt more protected and cyber space was a safer place.

However, the change kept on coming. Our 'walls', then, received a new design. The layout was different. Not exactly better but we got used to it and everyone survived, almost unscathed. You would have thought they were smart enough to stop there after getting dozens of messages about how terrible the new design was but we'd put up with it anyway because the service was invaluable (much more valuable than MySpace or Friendster, at any rate). But no, they didn't. They went on to adding groups, where people can share information with just a select group. Also, lists, where.. I don't exactly know what for. They even changed the chat box. It was now sleek and inadvertently connected to your message inbox (I still don't understand that). There were now dozens of notifications to be dealt with and more privacy settings to be readjusted. Everything every one does, every 'like', every 'comment', every friend made and every game played was plastered on your wall. It gives a whole new meaning to "Spam." Whenever I log in, which is quite frequently, I'm greeted by a mountain-high pile (cyber-ly speaking) of notifications and "recent news".

Now, do I really have time to scroll through 300+ recent news updates from people I rarely talk to? Well, yes, I do. And so, I sit there on my terribly comfortable, plastic-on-wheels, Ikea chair, looking through what everyone had been doing since I last logged off. If that doesn't already sound stalker-ish, then keep reading. If it does, well, keep reading la! :)

After going through those updates, I'm now pressured by society to post something of my own. Being me, I ignore that pressure and keep doing what I do; keep cyber silence and post what I wish, when I wish it. After all these major upgrades, I thought that Mr. Zuckerberg and his team of technical geniuses would take a break. Maybe go on a year long tour of the Amazon Jungle or something (I'm sure they could afford it).

Once again, I'm wrong. Those technophiles (new word I learnt) kept right on rollin'. Now, after a graceful few months of allowing the general public to, finally, get used to this new 'Face' of Facebook, we are awarded with another big bang. A facelift! This time, we can 'subscribe' to people. It's not enough that we can 'Like' various things such as TV shows, movies, jokes, phrases and even celebrities, now, we can also subscribe to people. I pity the famous. They don't stand a chance against this.

With this new subscription scheme, comes a little box on the top right corner of your screen. This box's sole duty is to give you a constant stream of updates depending on whom and what you are subscribed to. For example, I can subscribe to be constantly updated on friends' life activities, games they play, statuses, photos and videos. Who needs a wall with news feeds when I have this. One of my friend very bluntly posted this on her page, "Facebook, Stalking you always." Apt, exceedingly so, if you ask me. (And still, we stick to Facebook with every ounce of binary strength that we possess because, to be honest, it's totally useful. Also, we're all secretly dependent on this whole being-connected thing)

I understand the need for Facebook to be current and sophisticated. It's competing in a global market of social networking sites. It can fall just as quickly as it took down MySpace. What I don't get is this: Facebook was initially invented to connect people from a university with their families, via the internet. It started off on the right track. Connecting people and bringing old friends together is what it does. Now, however, everyone is turned into a cyber-stalker, whether you like it or not. Your privacy is no longer completely in your hands. You can opt not to subscribe to someone's every move, but you cannot opt to stop people from subscribing to you. That's a whole lot of privacy violations right there. It's like people have placed CCTV's in your room, without your permission.

Change is good, but there is a line. There is always a line. It cannot be crossed. The line will gradually move farther away, in which case, more change is required. This weird too-closely-timed change notwithstanding, I think Mark Zuckerberg and his team have done quite well. What they need to learn is that "All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." So says Ms. Ellen Glasgow (whoever she is)

Time for a KitKat, guys. A hiatus might be in order. Why not give us some time to get acquainted and maybe even comfortable with this new "Face" before going under the knife again.

****

I did some research:

Esther Dyson - A 60 year old Swiss journalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Ellen Glasgow - Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist who lived till 72 years of age, telling the story of the changing south.