If I were my uncle, I might start this by wishing you a happy
Memorial Day Cain (just as Saturday was Memorial Day Adam), but that
would be a lazy way to start things. Lazy could never describe the
writing of Mary Roach, however, as I note in my review of her new book Gulp. My copy's currently out on loan -- should you want to borrow it -- but it made me want to read more of her books.
And in a very different kind of science review, my second piece for the Atlantic looks at a novel view of debt put forth in Mating Intelligence Unleashed: 'Overspending Has Become a Modern Form of Mating Deception.' I'll have more to come on that book.
Otherwise, I'm between book reviews, which means tonight's commute presents a choice of knitting or a mystery. Currently reading my third Cliff Janeway novel, part of a series set in the rare books world that I'm really enjoying.
:: your stuff ::
- Matt's documentary film about Dave Young Kim's Oakland mural work — Eighth Street — debuts at the Parkway on June 22 at 3 p.m. Will you be there? I sure plan to. The clip looks great. Buy tickets
- Carolyn has a gig at the Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph, June 26. Buy tickets
- New First Listen: You probably haven't heard of the Spanish singer Buika, but that shouldn't stop you from giving her new album a listen. Getz and Gilberto are usually my go-to soundtrack for those summer nights when I have time for a little reading and a glass of sangria before sunset ... but they might get bumped by her album this year.
- Yes, there are subway-busker auditions, as this piece in the Journal recounts.
- 65 free songs! Noisetrade has pulled together an expansive summer mixtape so big, I almost feel guilty sharing it. Let it inspire you to tip your favorite artists generously!
:: visual art & film ::
- Until reading this story, I'd never thought much about the typical handicap logo and what it implies. This was a fascinating look at how graphic designers gave the symbol a more-active update that's being adopted in New York City.
- This NYT profile of the painter Eric Fischl, known for doing celebrity and beach-side portraits, included a shout-out to my old boss, Peter Halley. You can view quite a number of his portraits on his website.
- Whether or not you've seen his films, these Tarkovsky polaroids are pretty nice. If you want to see more of them, or see them closer up, you can buy the book from which they're excerpted: Instant Light.
- The Google Doodle for May 8 featured the work of designer Saul Bass, known for his work on the opening titles of films. See 10 of his best titles.
- I haven't watched this yet, but Jimmy Fallon's lip-synch off with John Krasinski sounds promising.
- A controversial New York photography show raises questions of possibly privacy violation (LA Times)
:: reading/food for thought ::
- Fresno appoints its first poet laureate -- and it's not the only city to do so (NYT)
- Mako Fujimura's address to Messiah College graduates: "Would you give your life for beauty?"
- Jon Ortberg wrote a rich and moving tribute to Dallas Willard (author of Spirit of the Disciplines and other books) -- worth reading whether you know his work well or not. Mark Scandrette had a nice tribute as well that provided a very different perspective.
- As 1950s as this might sound, it's hard to beat the payoffs a good crockpot provides. Meal prep rarely takes longer than a few minutes (depending on how much chopping's involved), then you turn it on in the morning and come home to a nice, flavorful supper. This coming weekend, I plan to try this promising-looking recipe for slow-cooker chicken paprikash, since my folks will be in town and I've got a busy Sunday scheduled.
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