A Paperbook Mystery in Edinburgh

Someone spent much of last year creating a mystery around the literary world of Edinburgh, Scotland. Mysterious paper sculptures started appearing at the Scottish Poetry Society, and at other major literary venues around the city. I love both book arts and mysteries, and this was a good one. Read a detailed account of this magical story at thisiscentralstation.com's blog here.

Inspiration: Mila's Daydreams

                                                                          Copyright ©Adele Enersen

When I was pregnant, I read that babies start dreaming long before they are born. I always wondered what those first dreams were like. My son makes soft little sounds when he sleeps, and moves his arms and legs as though he is always in the middle of an adventure. I stumbled across the blog Mila's Daydreams a few months ago, and have really enjoyed watching as Adele Enerson imagines her daughter's daydreams to life with elaborate sets she creates from fabrics and other props she has around her home. This seems like a project that would be incredibly fun, and leaves her with the most amazing collection of photos of her baby. She compiled them into this lovely little book, which was just released at the beginning of January.

Wait...don't I have a blog around here somewhere?

Um, yeah. So I haven't been coming around all that much lately. In part, it's because I've been busy over here working on a new project. In part, it's because I have been frustrated by some technical issues with the blog and trying to move it to a new location, which I haven't been too successful with. Oh, yeah, and I had a baby. So far, he seems to be taking after me.

But I find myself missing this corner of the blogosphere, and I am feeling a bit more energized about writing these days. So, you may be seeing me around a bit more...

Inspiration: Rebirth by Samuel Guiton

Rebirth from Samuel Guiton on Vimeo.


Silent. Beautiful.

Khary Jackson: Slam Poetry

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of watching Khary Jackson perform his poetry. An accomplished performance artist, he held the room captive with his words. Enjoy this performance from the 2009 St Paul Grand Slam.

Inspiration: Guillermo del Toro

Recently, an article in The New Yorker by Daniel Zalewski celebrated the imaginative monster creations of Guillermo del Toro. I remember watching Pan's Labyrinth and being simultaneously horrified and fascinated by his lurid and labyrinthine world, and was thrilled to come across this video exploration of his journals that accompanies the New Yorker article. Enjoy!

Snowdrop Watch 2011!

All signs indicate that Spring is coming to the Northeast! Warm winds and soft rain all day were just enough to coax a bloom out of this early snowdrop.

Inspiration: Supakitch & Koralie

SUPAKITCH & KORALIE - VÄRLDSKULTUR MUSEET GÖTEBORG from elr°y on Vimeo.

Supakitch and Koralee are two French street artists who have joined together in a powerful artistic partnership inspired by Japanese manga. Due to my not remembering anything from freshman year German class, I'm not exactly sure what/where this video takes place, but I love the energy behind their work, and the chance to watch their process in action.

Inspiration: Kseniya Simonova’s “You Are Always Nearby”

Check out this lovely piece of sand animation as featured on "Ukraine's Got Talent", in which Simonova tells the wrenching story of a young couple separated by the horrors of WWII. Bonus points for her use of Metallica's "Nothing Else Mattters"(recorded and arranged by Apocalyptica) in the final sequence...

texture

A few weeks ago we had a warm spell and PK and I went out to the beach for a walk. I was feeling a little cranky for some reason, and had left my camera at home, perhaps thinking "same old beach, same old photo opportunities, blah blah blah..." We drove down the long entrance road to the nature preserve, past hordes of people walking along the sides of the trails and generally clogging up our progress. The road turned to dirt, and we dodged potholes full of thick grey mud that splashed over the windshield and smeared across the hood. Eventually, we left the crowds behind and made our way out to the end of a lonely spit of land. As we walked around the corner of the beach, the sun slipped down on the horizon, and I kept finding my attention drawn to the little ripples of windswept sand. Over and over, I "borrowed" PK's camera and lagged behind, watching the way the sand grains moved with the wind, caught on a ridge and sank into one another. Though I never quite captured the moment, I realized the importance of letting go of preconceived notions and sinking in the moment and its opportunities. Such a simple idea, but one that is too easy for me to forget...