Ah, the life of a wandering artist.
Even if you lack talent, time and well, funds, you can still indulge in looking @ the world through an entirely new lens.
Gabriel Campanario has compiled a gorgeous collection of inspiration.
He also gives tips on how to make the most of your sketch fest, while meeting tourists and locals alike.
Love the book...don't miss the great interview w/first time (!) novelist David Lukas.
KQED Forum's beloved Michael Krasny does his usual stellar job...check it out here.
If you slept through World History, here’s the crash course.
Cool photos and commentary on, you guessed it, 100 objects. Globally sourced, they now live in the British Museum of History and each one has a multi-layered story...from the handaxe to the credit card. Here’s another hint: sex, drugs and war feature prominently.
A little hefty @ 600+ pages, it’s actually a quick read that will make you look like the quirky genius you are.
Cruising is not for everyone. Just ask the surviving passengers on the Costa Concordia who barely escaped with their lives.
But not so long ago, ships were the only way to travel between most continents. Especially if the journey involved crossing multiple oceans say, from Sri Lanka to London.
Michael Ondaatje’s The Cat’s Table sails magnificently from the pitch black port of Colombo to the winding river Thames, all through the eyes of an eleven year old, coincidentally (or not) named Michael.
More than a standard coming of age novel, The Cat’s Table illuminates twenty one seminal days and their impact on multiple lifetimes.
The audio book is read by the author is his melodious Sri Lankan Burgher accent…don’t miss it.
Does living in the tropics make you preternaturally wise?
According to the rightfully ballyhooed The Descendants, and an equally compelling recent book, Birds of Paradise (Diana Abu-Jaber)...yes!
Both jump head first into the challenges of modern day parenting, the issues of loss and sometimes, a trusted adult can make all the difference.
Grab either one and you'll feel like you've plopped down under a virtual palm tree.
The book was originally written in the 1960s as a way for groups to communicate with each other about differing topics and divergent opinions. The style was used from groups around the world as different as Japanese auto manufacturers to the South African government during apartheid reconciliation.
The premise is that emotions can’t be decoupled from opinions and the presentation of “facts” during business and other objectives. The author proactively offers an “out” for navigating the spectrum of data and passion by encouraging users to metaphorically, if not physically wear differently colored “hats”.
White = logic, facts
Black = risk
Yellow = optimism
Green = creativity
Red = emotion
Blue = process
With the endless series of debates and yapping about who’s failed and why, I wish politicians would take a cue from this wise and timeless guide.
Love the lighter -than-LV cutie in the Crystals window display.
Reminds me of one of my fave books, Going To See The Elephant. Written by my friend Rodes Fishburne, this was a hands-down favorite of book clubs across the country in 2011.
Now available on Kindle or in paperback...for all of you, who like me, still prefer to kick it old school. (-:
If the 2 hour 9 minute movie version of the great detective isn't enough, grab your Kindle and get crackin'.
Famous for her extended homages to Dr. Watson's companion, writer Laurie King has co-edited (along with Leslie Klinger), A Study in Sherlock: Stories inspired by the Holmes canon.
The tome contains short stories by a range of mystery writers, including my dear uncle, Thomas Perry. Of course I love his story best, shipping Sherlock across the pond for some assassination sleuthing, McKinley style.
Other stories also take place in unusual settings and there's even an extended cartoon.
This is a perfect stocking stuffer for die-hard fans as well as those just discovering Sherlock.
If you don't understand this comic or if the word chemistry sends shivers down your spine, there's a book you need to read!
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements...long title, awesome stories.
Author Sam Kean has performed the impossible feat of making chemistry fascinating, by telling the tales behind the periodic table.
Who knew that there was such drama behind every discovery? I promise, the NJ Housewives, The Good Wife and CSI: Miami rolled together have nothing on back stabbing scientists in hot pursuit of Nobel Prize glory. I listened to this on audio book, but the short story format works equally well for reading.
Get your daily dose of drama and pick up some serious knowledge...gratis.
Until now, I didn't understand the self-imposed Sunday night barricades in front of the TV to watch Homeland. Neither a fan of the machinations of government, nor Claire Danes for that matter, I couldn't explain the magnetic pull of the telly around 8 PM.
After hearing John Powers' rapturous piece on NPR today, though, I get it. As a product of the Cold War and living in London for part of the 80s, I discovered John LeCarre and never looked back.
Evidently, so did a few other folks and his anti-Bond take on intelligence world has inspired numerous other writers to get real. He’s still my fave writer and although the world has changed, his writing has not. He’s just slowed down a bit and I’ve had to branch out to feed my habit.
Homeland is one exceedingly well written and generally well acted (thanks to a host of stage actors) where I still get my dopamine drip of complexity and intrigue.
According to Powers, another option is about to drop--Page Eight, a new film written and directed by legendary British playwright David Hare. Add in the solid cast of Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes and you've got the makings of a classic.
Can’t wait.
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/01/141682602/tinker-tailor-the-greatest-spy-story-ever-told?ft=1&f=1008
Recent Comments