In addition to our daily internet finds, we actually had 4 full seasons of a weekly video show. In that process I did a great deal of work to find the things that would let me film on the go. While I had the distinct honor of working with the very talented Stephen McFadden, there were times when I needed to film myself in the snowy Manhattan evening, far away from Stephen's amazing camera.
So here are 5 video gadgets I discovered along the way.
Sharing books you love with people you like/love/admire/appreciate is one of the most delicious things. You walk around with a shared interior room. You establish an invisible tribe of the heart and head. So, I like/love/admire/appreciate you. Here are the books about ideas, art, aesthetics I want to share with you.
If you want to share with me yours I would be so grateful.
by Nelson Goodman
I got this book referred to me by a professor of ancient Chinese calligraphy ( a bit about that experience). It is cerebral and lovely and trusts the reader immensely with discussions of the invisible, the dynamic, the hidden flows that make art move the way it does.
by Umberto Eco
With a playful approach Eco gets me to a thoughtful reckoning of the heavy cognitive burden that language bears.
I have actually bought copies of this book and sent them to friends because I wanted to talk with them about it.
by Robert Hass
With a wide range of subjects (from the image/thought of haiku, to contemplations of Tranströmer and Checkov) poet Robert Hass writes clearly and generously about the poetry he has found resources in.
by Steven Pinker
Very much interested in the way we learn and develop language and the way that language overruns the rules we think define it, Pinker puts forth the notion that language isn't a cultural artefact, isn't an invention that set our societies off from their pre-linguistic past through its instrumentality, but instead that language is an inbuilt biological activity that has shaped our evolution as it evolved beside us.
by Junichiro Tanizaki
The way we approach beauty, the things we allow it to say about us, the way it contributes to the moment-to-moment experience of living, this is what Japanese novelist Tanizaki discusses in this brief little discussion on everything from tableware to architecture to space and light.
I have a short list of novels that I hold close to my heart, for their sheer imaginative bravery, for their expansive curiosity and confident communion with the reader.
I would love to hear your list of novels you love.
Sure it is a National Book Award winner, but Johnson's fierce, unrelenting imagination dashes any danger of it being broad or boring.
Tree of Smoke
Transporting the creator of the Atomic Bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, inexplicably into our day, Millet begins a narrative, that like a rip tide, nearly invisible pulls you into deep water without your even being aware of it.
Oh Pure and Radiant Heart
Taking a simple premise, that with instructions embedded in an alien communication, the Jesuit build and set out to meet them on their own planet. Sci-fi and fantasy with a tinge of high lit.
The Sparrow
The first of Mishima's final novel cycle (read about his ending here), it follows a pair of characters through generations as the symbolism of Buddhism becomes quite literal.
Spring Snow
Runaway Horses
The Temple of Dawn
The Decay of Angels
Ben Marcus' work is daringly conceptual that trust the intelligence of its reader with a type of storytelling unique amongst his peers.
Notable American Women
I was so excited to be asked to think about and then offer “5 things” for this wonderful project. I thought about poets like Bisop and Frost who changed my life and the way I wrote. I thought about Albums like Coltane’s Transitions or Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours that are currently helping me re-imagine what my work might look like. I thought about making a list of friends and kind people who are always giving me the opportunity to wonder at my good fortune (that list would have gone on for days). It’s hard to pick 5 things and yet it’s such a pleasure, as well. Here are 5 books by poets of my generation. They inspire me with their risk and generosity and intellectual rigor. They seem to me to be the work of artists & intellectuals with a sense of adventure and responsibility. In the case of Sean Singer, there is the great lesson that perhaps the great book you haven’t read is still waiting to find a home and how one needs to be the kind of citizen who fights for the things they love. Here are 5 (and I could go on and on) books from my generation. I’m excited to be growing up with all of these folks.
(Ryan's note: Gabrielle's pick isn't published yet, but here is Sean's 2001 Yale Series of Younger Poets winning first book, Discography )
Gabrielle Calvocoressi
Gabrielle Calvocoressi is the author of The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart (Persea. 2005) and Apocalyptic Swing (Persea. 2009), which was a finalist for The Los Angeles Times Book Award.
She is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships including a Stegner Fellowship and Jones Lectureship from Stanford University, a Rona Jaffe Woman Writer's Award and a fellowship to Civitella di Ranieri in Umbria. Her poems have been featured in the Washington Post and on Garrison Keillor's Poet's Almanac and in numerous journals. She also writes the Sports Desk column for The Best American Poetry blog (http://blog.bestamericanpoetry.com/the_best_american_poetry/sports-desk/) and is the Virtual Editor for Broadsided Press. She tweets @gabbat, @broadsidedpress and may be writing her third book @caracaraoriole. She is on the advisory board of The Rumpus' Poetry Book Club (http://therumpus.net/the-rumpus-poetry-book-club/). She lives in Los Angeles and is the poetry editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books (http://www.lareviewofbooks.org ).
We are revisiting the original post, published last year, with our new format.
Good Stuff these interesting folks picked for our gift guides:
Surfer, Designer, Video Guy, Traveller, Dancer, Yogi, Golfer, Comedian, Screenwriter, Director, Runner, SCUBA Diver, Architect, Journalist, Photographer.
Chris Gardner currently serves as an Editor for Wonderwall, overseeing breaking news coverage and social media pages, as well as hosting a web series called Celebs Gone Social. During his career, he has covered film, fashion, celebrities, nightlife and entertainment as an editor, reporter and columnist. Prior to Wonderwall, Gardner was on staff at People, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. He also launched a celebrity blog for Cosmopolitan.com and has held editorial positions for such publications as FashionWeekDaily, Movieline's Hollywood Life and MediaBistro. He also wrote a relationship advice column for The Des Moines Register's Juice newspaper.
Read More"Every dive is an adventure. Guaranteed. Scuba diving can be practiced by people of almost all ages, shapes and fitness levels. Scuba diving can be easily practiced in thousands of locations around the world. For some, diving and travel go hand in hand. I dive mostly in South Florida and the Caribbean where the water is warm and calm. You don’t need to buy pricier equipment like a BCD, air tanks and regulator because they are all easily rented."
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The discipline and training involved in the art of dance is sometimes staggering. It is more than just a rehearsal routine, it is a lifestyle.
We've asked our dear friend and dancer, Jessica Pope Pinelli, to pick 5 things everyone aspiring to the dancer lifestyle could use.
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Video is the new reading, the new literacy. And that makes videographers (camera operators, directors of photography, etc etc) the new scribes, wielding immense power in the capturing and communication of ideas and experiences.
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PHILIP GAWTHORNE
A screenwriter and playwright from the United Kingdom, Gawthorne has written extensively for BBC television, his stage plays have been performed throughout London and New York, and he is now working primarily in film.
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"I've been running for about two years. The first couple months were in shoes. The next month was spent recuperating from a swollen knee, during which time I found some YouTube videos about barefoot running and read 'Born to Run.' I've been running (and living) barefoot ever since.
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In his 1500 miles road trip to play 13 rounds of Golf Digest's Top U.S. Public Courses, our friend and golfer, David Burgess, has learned a thing or two. We asked him to pick 5 things that have helped him in his pursuit of ever better scores and more memorable golf experiences.
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"Yoga is my passion. My purpose in opening up Body Heat Yoga studio was to share yoga with as many people that I could. The benefits of this practice have gone far beyond my expectations. My job is to share that with you! Besides a great studio to practice at there are also so many things to choose from to make your yoga practice enjoyable. Here is the list of my 5 favorite yoga items that I bring with me to every yoga practice!"
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"As an aspiring Writer-Director, I love my camera, lenses, fancy computer programs, etc. for filmmaking in general, but I get the most mileage out of my writing gear. Here are a few tools I couldn’t live without."
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Surfing has such a place in our national imagination, and rightly so, if you ask me. It is addictive and simple. It is relaxing and exciting. It is showy and low-key.
With that in mind, we've asked our surfer-cum-writer friend, Ashton Goggans to pick 5 things to get anyone aspiring to a wet life.
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It may seem counter-intuitive to many, but designing digital experiences, for the web, iPhone and Android apps, doesn't necessarily begin with computer software. In my experience as a UX Designer, the really great designs are unlocked through a massive amount of exploration and communication.
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