Books: from Round Top Festival

I picked up four new books by the featured readers at the festival. Lots to read and be inspired by.
Naomi Shihab Nye - Red Suitcase
Marie Howe - What The Living Do
Cyrus Cassells - Soul Make a Path Through Shouting
Nick Flynn - Blind Huber

Poetry: Round Top Poetry Festival

I attended the Round Top Poetry Festival. A series of readings and workshops in the beautiful buildings and environs of Festival Hill. Wow! It was so wonderful to be in this supportive space - with other poets. It was inspiring. Poetry is back in my life and I am so happy about it.

Art (Photos): The Mirror Project - Cigar shop

I took this last week - a cigar shop on the corner of 8th and Congress in downtown Austin. There are a couple other window displays. One has horses and the other has dogs.

8 ball, originally uploaded by Shrez.

6th Street. Austin. March 2005.

Music: New Order, Stereolab, Doves

Three new cds:
New Order: Waiting for the Siren's Call - New release by my fave band
Stereolab: Oscillons from the Anti-sun - 3 cds and 1 dvd of previously unreleased material. Another fave band.
Doves: Live at Eden EP - Only released in indie stores. Could not resist.

Music: Better Propaganda

Tim told me about this music review and download site: Better Propaganda. I have some 'sploring to do.

Poetry: Sudeep Sen

His book - Lunar Visitations - was one of the first few books of Indian poets that I read in the early 90s. http://www.sudeepsen.com/

This or That, originally uploaded by Shrez.

NYC. March 2005.

Books: Self-publishing

Article in today's NT Times: How To Be Your Own Publisher.
Three print-on-demand publishers:
iUniverse
Xlibris
AuthorHouse

Untitled, originally uploaded by Shrez.

Providence, RI. March 2005.

Quotes: Shadow

Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (1685-1732)

Technology: The Maccult

Robin sent me this BBC story - Apple a day keeps the music at play - about the cult of Mac. Umberto Eco says Mac is Catholic and Microsoft is protestant.
One week to OSX Tiger!

Art (Theater): Jason SVT on NPR

Jason was on All Things Considered this evening. He was interviewed in a story about regional theaters and talked about his Salvage Vangaurd Theater and how they bring new works to young audiences. Way to go Jason!

Quotes: Night and memory

I cannot walk through the suburbs in the solitude of the night without thinking that the night pleases us because it suppresses idle details, just as our memory does. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (1899-1986)

Untitled, originally uploaded by Shrez.

Soho, NYC. March 2005.

Art (Film): Animation Show

I saw the Animation Show at the new Alamo Drafthouse South. These three shorts were very good - Hello, When The Day Breaks and The F.E.D.S.

Technology: Blogs are the new reality TV (Flow TV)

Robin pointed me to an article about blogging on Flow TV (it is co-edited by Chris Lucas) - Blogs are the new reality TV. Why do I blog? I link therefore I blog :-)

Art: Letters to an Artist

An article: Letters to an Artist I found on a project management wiki about art and work. It could use some editing, but it has some gems:
"Artists surf their work, riding each instructive wave. They are better positioned to extract the insights continually visiting us all."
"Being an artist is no more just about creating works of art than living is just about thinking. A remarkable array of complementary activities must occur if you are going to usefully create art. For the artists and for the rest of us also, learning to more skillfully shift between the necessary work and our essential work becomes the defining skill in our lives."

Poetry: Billy Collins

Diane and I went to see Billy Collins last night at Hogg Auditorium (UT). He funny, irreverent and wise - like a jester in the court of a king - using humor to snap you out of your complacent reverie.

Design: Prefab homes

FlatPak House - prefab modern
Clever Homes - prefad modern and green
Read about both of these on Treehugger

Boy tshirt, originally uploaded by Shrez.

Takeshitadori, Tokyo. December 2004.

Art (Photos): The Mirror Project - Nice & Spicey

A second submission to the Mirror Project got posted. Woo hoo!

Quotes : Learning

Today's AWAD quote.
Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (1920- )

Technology: Media convergence in Lawrence, KS

This was on Monring Edition today about what a media company in Lawrence, KS is doing to combine their newspaper, online and cable efforts. Go Lawrence! (I went to KU undergrad)

Technology: Mac OSX Tiger out on 4/29

I thought they were going to release "Tiger" later this fall. Glad it is coming out at the end of the month. Read about it on the unofficial google blog.

Yangry, originally uploaded by Shrez.

More Matthew Rodriguez street art. 7th Street, Austin, March 2005.

Ma cherie, originally uploaded by Shrez.

Matthew Rodriguez's street art. Near 6th Street, Austin, March 2005.

Music: New CDs - Fischerspooner & Doug Martsch

Fisherspooner: Odessey - new wavey - good ear candy. Reminds me of 80s stuff I loved.
Doug Martsch: Now you know - I love Built to Spill and this is Doug's solo work - more stripped down and bluesy.

Art: About A Girl - Gallery Lombardi

Robin and I went to check out About A Girl - Pop Music inspires Pop Art. It was neat to discover that I have taken a few photos of Matthew Rodriguez's work around town. See pictures above.

Art: Color, Pattern, Grid - Gajin Fujita

Gajin Fujita had a piece in the AMOA show I saw last weekend - Robin found a couple links and I found one. I like the contrast between Japanese woodblock art and graffiti street art. I really enjoyed the ukiyo-e prints I saw in Tokyo and I have been taking pics of a lot of street art recently.

Quotes: The days....

The days come and go like muffled and veiled figures sent from a distant friendly party, but they say nothing, and if we do not use the gifts they bring, they carry them as silently away. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
From today's AWAD.

Art / Zeitgeist: Gay-Themed Film Tests Sensibilities in India

From today's NY Times.
Gay-Themed Film Tests Sensibilities in India
Good to see that there is a broader palette of films coming out for the urban audience.

Photos: The Mirror Project - Marine Drive sideview

The Mirror Project is a site where you can submit photo self-portraits of yourself taken in reflective surfaces. I submitted and ....Marine Drive sideview

Scooby Doo Meditator, originally uploaded by Shrez.

Outside Museum. Bombay, December 2004.

Art: Color, Pattern, Grid - AMOA

Zach and I went to the new show at AMOA - Color, Pattern, Grid. Awesome!!! I need to go again.
"Color/Pattern/Grid highlights the richness and diversity of modern and contemporary art in Austin collections. Drawing from the permanent collection of the Austin Museum of Art and from seventeen exceptional Austin collections, this exhibition investigates the wide range of creative responses that both modern and contemporary artists have had to the ideas of color, pattern, and grid."

Art (Theatre): Ghenghis Khan

Robin and I went to see Ghenghis Khan (SVT's new production). A mini opera - three singers, 5 piece chamber orchestra. I am not a fan of the opera, but this was a great show. It had a compelling story that kept me engaged. And the singing was awesome. Well done Jason and Graham! I am a new SVT fan.