BOOKS
There isn’t much in the world that can capture the feeling of being happily lost in the world of books. The journey to worlds we may never see is one that can start at any age. Simply picking up a book opens us up to new ideas and makes us a part of stories more grand than the universe we know. It’s hard to capture the years of wonder lining our bookshelves. That, however, hasn’t stopped a brilliant Canada-based photographer from trying, and making parts of that sensation wonderful and real.
Joel Robison, also known as boywonder (a user name we’re pretty fond of), creates some wonder of his own with photos based around the world of books. He explores both the comfort of reading and the worlds books open up for their readers. Paper dragons, whales that travel through pages, and worlds imbued with the magic created by books are only a few of the sights to see in the boy wonder’s photography. His self-portraits are at once cozy and mystifying. Tea cups and books welcome the viewer into a world just ever so slightly different for our own. In some pictures, Robison is tiny and the world is big. They capture how vast and engulfing some story worlds are--how small we are when peeking into worlds that are not our own, worlds that may not exist.
There’s something wonderful and inviting about book stores. Like a candy shop for avid readers, book stores entice with affordable treats and as well as some beautiful books well out of price range. It’s hard to walk into a book store and leave with just the item you’ve been looking for. Shelves and shelves of books, comfortable seats, and even swank coffee shops and bakeries make it hard for anyone to walk in and out. The only thing more enticing than a book store is an exceptionally beautiful book store. Throughout the world there are a handful of bookstores and libraries known for their beauty and unconventional outer shells. Old firehouses, night clubs and more have been converted into book stores.
How do you diffuse a potentially creepy situation? You draw cute pictures and romanticize it, of course. Australian-born Sophie Blackall is a Brooklyn based artist who has done just that. Over the course of her career she has illustrated over twenty children's books; and has won several awards including the Ezra Jack Keats Award, a BCCB Blue Ribbon Picture Book Award, and the Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators.
Her latest book Missed Connections veers of her normal path and delves into the hidden romance on Craigslist, believe it or not. In 2009 she started a blog where she posted a series of paintings based off actual anonymous Craigslist 'Missed Connections' postings. For anyone not familiar with Craigslist's 'Missed Connections,' it's a forum where one can post anonymous messages to strangers they were attracted to but failed to approach. Example: "Saw you in the subway, stared at you from Canal to 103rd Street. You looked a little uncomfortable, but I kept staring anyway as sweat beaded up on my upper lip. Hope I didn't creep you out. If you felt the spark too, get in touch. (p.s I swear I've never done this before.)"
October 1st is World Vegetarian Day according to the North American Vegetarian Society, which has celebrated it every year since 1977.
Try some meatless meals this October to participate in Vegetarian Awareness Month. You might not miss meat as much as you'd think.
Here to help is a list of some highly-recommended Veggie-friendly eateries around Miami:
SpecialTEA Lounge | 10766 SW 24 St., Miami, FL 33165 | (305) 554-8327
This place has a chill, college-y vibe, no doubt because of it's proximity to FIU. They have fun board games to play and any meat on the menu can be substituted with a textured vegetarian protein. Try the Coco Curry.
Hey, owner. It's me, Marcus. I know I've been dragging you into a lot of vintage clothes shops lately. And yes, I've been marking my territory on Bedford Avenue. And sure, I begged you to buy me the Sonic Youth Album. But if you take me to the Hipster Dog Pageant tonight, I swear I will never ask you for another doggy treat ever again.
The pageant, ignorant human, is the brainchild of Christopher R. Weingarten, who began a tumblr stream of hipsterized doggies in 2010. He began with photos of my friends Terrence and Lola, and eventually began creating portraits of other members of the doggie Hipster community.
CollegeHumor, one of the internet’s major sources for a daily dose of humor, is stepping out of digital and into print. The website has long been known for its parodies, spoof articles, and videos. With over ten years of success in making people laugh, it’s no wonder that the site is providing fans with a solid collection of their favorites.
Although readers can’t skim the archives with the click of a few buttons, they’re guaranteed to drop a few hours that were meant to be for work on it. The book features fan favorites along with all the spoof images, charts, and graphs that went along with the original articles online. Although its creators and editors don’t give away too much of what was chosen for print, it’s clear the book has a taste of all different aspects of the site. Here’s the official statement on the book’s page:
Most people can spend hours every day checking their email inbox without ever coming away with any useful information. The good folks at the DailyLit are looking to change that. After a quick (and free!) registration process you can have a wide selection of books emailed to you section by section.
The book selection ranges from classics like "Dracula" and "Robin Hood" to books on parenting and politics. Classic writers such as Leo Tolstoy and Walt Whitman are featured prominently alongside quirky authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Keith Laumer. While the selection isn't quite as vast as Amazon or Barnes and Noble, the DailyLit offers up the classics and, of course, you can't argue with the price.
We have just returned from a desperately needed editor's re-see of the Twinkle By Wenlan Fall 2010 bevy, for the runway show at Bryant Park didn't nearly do the collection justice.
Though the showroom may have been a tad bit toasty, the heat couldn't stop us from wanting to run and jump into the Twinkle By Wenlan bedding decor and wrap ourselves in the strings of yarn the label offers for ordering.
The staff coordinated a stellar presentation of the Fall and Pre-Fall 2010 looks for editors' and buyers' viewing pleasure. Observing the garments up close and personal, we were amazed by the quirky and admirable details that we didn't catch from our seats at the runway show. For example, a one crew-neck mesh dress (with prints along the mid-drift) came equipped with thumb holes at the end of the sleeves.
We all have seen and heard of President Barack Obama stopping at certain fast food spots and surprising diners in restaurants. Now someone has put all that into a book. TCB café has just published The Obama Menu: Dining with Barack Obama. In this bizarre, but rapidly selling new publication, author A.K. Krump has published menus and dinner plans from all of President Obama’s 2008 campaign fundraising dinners.
On top of that he has included the stories that were passed around at the table, first-hand accounts from diners, as well as photographs and recipes of the food that was shared. Is this something that we all want to read about? What the President eats? We all know we Americans love our food, but who knew this much. [NYmag]
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