Books
I Saw You…
There seems to be a lot of romance in the air at the moment….I was tipped off about I Saw You, which is a collection of graphic-art ‘missed you’ cartoons based on the sweet, weird and downright delusional ‘missed connections’ ads on Craigslist. The cartoonists range from Jesse Reklaw to Peter Bagge and Ken Dahl. […]
Spread the Word Book Day
In advance of World Book Day on 5th March, Spread the Word have selected the ten top contemporary books with word-of-mouth appeal from a long list of 50 books that not “merely entertain, but give greater food for thought.” The books are listed on the website and you are invited to vote for the winner. […]
Classified: The Secret History of the Personal Column
Classified: The Secret History of the Personal Column by the marvellously named (under the circumstances) HG Cocks, is a history of love, sex and relationships in Britain. Explored through the column inches of the classified personal ads, it’s a story that takes us from lonely WWI soldiers through to Internet dating junkies, via swingers, porn […]
The Working Couple’s Cookbook
Back in 1971, Peggy Treadwell (who sounds like someone out of Mad Men) published a the Working Couple’s Cookbook, which advocated togetherness in the kitchen (no doubt as a prelude to togetherness elsewhere in the home…). There are loads of ‘time-saving recipes’ and easy-to-do recipes, or you could just look at Craig Torlucci’ fab graphics. […]
Catalogue of a Relationship Gone Wrong
Leanne Shapton is an artist who has just published a book Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry that catalogues – literally in the form of an auction catalogue – the failure of a relationship. It contains all the ephemera and trinkets […]
American Buffalo
American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon, by Steve Rinella is his account of winning a permit to hunt and kill wild American bison in Alaska, in which he embarks on a journey through history, science and popular culture. He detours to England to get a bison skull carbon dated, looks for signs of […]
The Women by TC Boyle
The Women by T.C. Boyle is a biography of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright as seen through the eyes of his wives and mistresses. Nice biographical device – what other well-known figures might benefit from the same treatment?
Shaking the World for Jesus
In Shaking the World for Jesus: Media and Conservative Evangelical Culture Heather Hendershot explores how evangelical Christians’ rejection of mainstream media has produced a massive industry that spreads their message via videos, films, magazines and religious kitsch, which are sold in their millions through Wal-Mart, websites and mail order catalogues. This is an objective portrait of a white, middle-class […]
The Canon: The Beautiful Basics of Science
The Canon: The Beautiful Basics of Science, Natalie Angier – NYTimes and Pulitzer-Prize-winning science writer takes us on a “guided whirligig tour” of science with the aim of enchanting and engaging ‘cultured adults’ in a world where “salt grains look like scattered glass pillows”.
Creative Hell
Dreams on Spec (NTSC), directed by Daniel Snyder look at the pain involved in the creative process of making movies. It is a feature doc that follows three aspiring screenwriters for a year as they try to pitch their scripts. Their trials are interspersed with interviews with industry greats, including Nora Ephron (You’ve Got Mail, […]
Fake Memoirs
Jossip’s A Brief History of Modern Lying Authors explores the burgeoning world of fake memoirs.
13 Things That Don’t Make Sense
13 Things That Don’t Make Sense: The Most Intriguing Scientific Mysteries of Our Time by Michael Brooks looks at the scientific mysteries that science might crack in the next scientific revolution, such as the placebo effect and the Pioneer space probes that veer off course. He also asks whether we’ll ever find the ‘missing’ 96% […]
Rock, Paper Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life
Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life by Len Fisher examines game theory as it applies to global warming, deforestation and overfishing. Entertainment Weekly called Fisher the man who puts ‘the fizz in physics”.
From CBGB to the Roundhouse
From CBGB to the Roundhouse, by Tim Burrows is a history of music venues including Cloudlands Ballroom, Brisbane, the Grande Ballroom, Detroit and the London Astoria. Published 1 May 09 (Marion Boyars).
Change your Life
Many people are seeing these straitened times as an opportunity for artists and entrepreneurs to flourish. If you are currently ‘considering your options’ you could do worse than consult the following resources – and then follow your dream.
Living Under Las Vegas
I’d heard of the people living in NYC’s subway tunnels, but this is the first time I’ve heard of people living in tunnels and storm drains under Las Vegas. In Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas Matthew O’Brien goes underground to chart the history of Las Vegas and the […]
