The Pre-Moment

 A COMING CATACLYSM?

THE NEWS of late has been giving off a vibe of impending doom. As if the house of cards we call the global economy will receive one shock too many and collapse.

I'm reminded of movies which portray what I call "the pre-moment." The days right before a life-changing historical event. To name three of them:

1.)  San Francisco (1936). Starring Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald. We become absorbed in the personal dramas of the two lead characters, then suddenly-- bang!-- comes the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Featuring amazing-for-its-day special effects and stunning editing.

2.)  From Here to Eternity (1953). Starring Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Montgomery Clift. Set at the U.S. Army base in Hawaii during the final moments of peace before America's entry into a giant tumultuous war. Lurking offscreen. We know the attack is coming. . .

3.)  Splendor in the Grass (1961). Starring Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood. In this film the approaching calamity is the 1929 stock market crash. A warning for our own moment in time?
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What's coming now? Financial crash, ground war, or natural disaster? Or all three? Signs aren't promising. (Though my forebodings could be misplaced.) 

A QUESTION: How will our literature respond? Will it?