It’s all the rage

Kindle, it’s everywhere. E-readers are inescapable and aren’t going anywhere.

As a matter of fact they’re multiplying, like bunnies.

Barnes and Noble announced that they’re jumping into the fray and effectively sucker punching Amazon and Sony with their increase in e-book titles. The advocate watch groups are heralding this turn of events.  Increases in competition, lower prices and insures more e-readers all kinds of new toys.

But really, is this a good thing?

Amazon came under fire this week for an Orwellian action, they removed copies of 1984 from owners devices. Without prior notice.  Which brings into question ownership rights.

This would never happen with the old fashion models! it’s illegal to come into a readers sanctuary and remove their prized property.

Along with legal ramifications, what about the cultural ramifications?

James Walcott muses in this months Vanity Fair on ‘cultural snobbery’ and how the up-ward mobility of digitizing is working to erase it.

He comments on the audacity of a women reading a Kindle on the subway, the subway being the natural cultural highway, ” An anonymous block of pixels on a screen, making it impossible to surmise the state of her inner being, erotic proclivities and intellectual caliber.”

On the other-side of the argument, Walcott asks “How can I impress strangers with the gem-like flame of my literary passion if it’s a digitized slate that I am carrying around trying not to get all thumbprinty?”

As a passionate reader and an owner of 426 books, including 1984 and  ( yes I counted and no this doesn’t include all the loaned out copies which could be any where from 20 to 50) all I can say is that it will be a long, long time before you see me without a shiny, hefty book cradled in my arms.

And if you think this makes me a cultural snob, thank you!

“Lady Lazarus”

Upon finishing Andrew Foster Altschul’s debut novel Lady Lazarus, the only thing to do is contemplate.

Contemplate the novels strange narrative, the cacophony of the characters and the haunting sense of loss, grief and “scambiguity”.

The story revolves around mythic rock stars, the art of poetry, poetics, psychological theory, Zen Buddhism as well as a worthy chronology of past, present and loosely made- up pop culture.

The story of Calliope Bird Morath parallels the beginnings of Francis Bean Cobain, Sylvia Plath and a hot of modern pseudo-celebs.  Calliope’s story is not her own however, she shares time with her Biographer/Author.

The novel is meticulous with the construction of it’s epic journey, even cleverly including footnotes. The characters could have been one dimensional parodies but Altschul’s deft hand they become rich, full people you might even have sympathy for them they messes they created.

Other than Calliope, the second most interesting character is Roshi Bob.  The Zen Buddhist monk is the heart of the story.  Whether he is repeating his story about the “Sprint Cell Phone Tower”, talking of “Lost” as “Very conducive to Zen Buddhist state of mind” or imparting the circular Zen Buddhist wisdom.  He is clearly the man behind the curtain of this erstwhile tale.

It’s a read worth not missing

The History of Coloring Books

my coloring books

Coloring books are slowly disappearing off store shelves or priced right out of the average American family’s budget. It’s a shame the art of the coloring book is being phased out.

Sure they’ve gotten so expensive, but only because they are tied in with so many other products. Movies, TV, Toys.

At there conception they were used as tools to enhance education. A British artist and two Swiss educators created the concept, they hypothesized that an arts education strengthened cognitive abilities and conceptual idea’s of the tangible.

The first coloring books were created to be painted, it wasn’t until the 1930’s that crayons became popular. The first coloring book was “The Little Folks’ Painting Book”

The brothers who created it produced it with Kate Greenway.

It was in 1907 that Coloring Books became the tool for advertising that they are today. For that, you can thank the Milton Bradley Company, as well as, the Stokes Company.

No matter the purpose of creation, Coloring Books mean more and have had more impact on our society other than to sell the latest kids movie. (though I did own four Finding Nemo coloring books and I’m itching to turn EVE purple)

The education uses have moved beyond kindergarten right up to the graduate level in the 1980’s. Grad students took a cue from the younger generation to teach themselves anatomy and physiology.

This idea may have stemmed from the political uses of the 1970’s. The FBI used coloring pages secretly as propaganda against the Black Panther Party.

Also feminist artist, Tee Corinne, used them to promote female exploration.

Today, coloring books might be disappearing of book shelves but there are now computer coloring programs and also, more adults are using them for stress relief.

I do. Right now, I own 10 coloring books and with the research of this blog, I have found a handful of websites that offer free coloring pages for print.

For me, coloring allows my mind to switch off in a good way, not a reality TV way.

It’s a return to a time when the only thing that mattered was completing something that was pleasing to me.

Also in a strange way, it reminds me what matters and what doesn’t.

So next time you’re stressed, take 20 minutes, print out a coloring page, grab whatever is handy to color with and unleash your creative spirit.

And if anyone says anything about it, tell ‘em it’s therapy.

Nothing shuts people up faster than therapy!