Nonfiction

The Polysyllabic Spree ~Nick Hornby

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The Polysyllabic Spree ~Nick Hornby

–2004, Believer Books
–143 pages
–4.25/5 stars

There are times when I am in the mood for something that I know will make me feel very good. Sometimes that ‘something’ is one of those large candy bars. You know the kind, the fancy ones that cost a bit more. Rich dark chocolate with real berries and possibly the tiniest bits of nut mixed liberally throughout (insert your own favorite here). These candy bars are generally scored in such a way that you can break off a little piece at a time and just savor it over the course of several days. And often that is exactly what I do. But then there are times when one bite leads to another which leads to another…and before I know it I am surprised to find myself licking my fingers and looking for the shavings that might be left over in the wrapper. And sometimes it is no surprise at all because I realize that eating the entire thing in one sitting was exactly what I wanted to do in the first place.

To all outward appearances, this day at work was a particularly nonchalant, calm and pleasant day. The reality is that the quiet simply left more time for inner doubt and turmoil to threaten to drown me. Thus I found myself stopping by Barnes and Noble for my first session of retail therapy in a long, long time. One of the books I came home with was Nick Hornby’s The Polysyllabic Spree. After reading Nymeth’s review and, later, Chris’ review, I knew this was one that I would enjoy. While this book is a series of 14 bite sized essays, I knew on the drive home that my intention was to eat my way through the entire book tonight. I needed something to get lost in (besides my hour reprieve for Fringe), and this book proved to be a satisfactory distraction while being enriching at the same time.

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Friday Favorites, Young Adult

Friday Favorites: Shaun Tan

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It is a special thing to immerse oneself in the work of a creator of illustrated stories when that creator is highly skilled at both aspects of the work: the art AND the story. I have discussed just such an artist on Monday, David Mack. It seemed perfectly fitting to end the work week with another creative individual, who for years has inspired that same kind of excitement for me: Australian artist/storyteller Shaun Tan.

Rather than displaying examples of Tan’s work from a variety of sources, I am going to bookend the week by mimicking my David Mack discussion and discuss the wonder of Shaun Tan’s work by reviewing his latest book, which I read for the first time (and again a second time) this week:

Tales from Outer Suburbia.

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Home

Wednesday Wanderings

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(image from Antler Magazine)

“I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with.”
~Plato

It has been too long since I’ve taken you on a journey around the world wide web, searching for the shiny things: things that are fun, inspirational, or just plain cool. On this first day of the month, traditionally April Fool’s Day, I will forgo the pranks and instead provide you with worthwhile distractions to get you over the hump! Let us begin.

I have always considered fashion a form of art and there are companies that have this same view, shooting their ads in such a way that they are as much pieces of art as the clothes are. Andi Strand has a similar desire to combine fashion and art and that desire has led her to create the online magazing, Antler.

“ANTLER is an online magazine which focuses on composing a collection of beautiful, inspiring ideas and designs from all aspects of life. We come in the body of a fashion magazine, but are more than just that. We look for ways to inspire through not only fashion, but art, design, literature, and culture. We strive to compile a new collection each month that meets this criteria.”

I thumbed through it online yesterday and was very impressed. Andi Strand has brought together some fantastic designers and photographers to create a truly interesting magazine. She has raised the standard of online zines to a new level, a level of extremely high quality.

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Art/Photography, Comics

Kabuki: The Alchemy ~David Mack

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Kabuki: The Alchemy ~David Mack
2009, Marvel Publishing, Inc
320 pages
5/5 stars

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
~Mahatma Gandhi

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it now. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.”
~Goethe

I have stepped away from the “new and improved” review format for a very important reason. This review is as much a statement on creativity and change as it is a review of David Mack’s latest graphic novel. Why? Because Kabuki: The Alchemy, is as much a treatise on the creative process and an encouragement to “move your ass and make it happen” as it is the next chapter in the life of Mack’s seminal creation.

One of the many points David Mack makes in this semi-autobiographical work is that we often wait for some form of external validation before we will overcome the many and varied barriers that we erect to keep us from exploring our talents, from reaching our creative potential, and from being an agent of change in our own lives. Many forms of literature and art have layers of meaning. I am not sure that I have seen anything quite as obviously multi-layered that works so well from start to finish. The execution of this story is incredible.

Though the seventh volume in the graphic novel series chronicling the life of this female Japanese assassin, it is meant to function as a starting off point for new readers as well as a rewarding new direction in the storyline for those who have faithfully followed the series. Mack expertly weaves threads from the previous graphic novels into this tale and does so in a way that propels the story forward instead of it feeling like a series of flashbacks. I promise you this, The Alchemy is like nothing you have ever read before.

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Fantasy

J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Collection

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“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
~J.R.R. Tolkien

I became a fan of The Lord of the Rings in December 2001 after seeing The Fellowship of the Ring. From there I became a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, the man. Over the course of the last few years I have received numerous volumes written by or about J.R.R. Tolkien as gifts from family and friends and in addition I have collected a number of items related to the films. When it comes to shopping for me, it is safe to say that anything related to the films or books is a sure fire hit! What makes it even more surprising is when I receive something that was not on my radar, was not on any wish list…was something I did not even know I was looking for. Such was the case with the J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Collection.

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Eclectic Musings of a Renaissance Geek