Mushroom

Mushroom Rona Chang

I just put in my order for Amy Stein's new book, Domesticated. She shot this series near my (former) house upstate.

Base

Base Rona Chang

The New Yorker story, Late Bloomers, reflects some of what I and several of my friends have been thinking about at this junction in our lives. It's much of the same sentiment I felt when I read Murakami's memoir, What I talk About When I Talk About Running.

Reading the Tao at 80

My dear friend, Ann B. Knox, is putting out a new book of poetry titled, Reading the Tao at 80. You can prepurchase it at Finishing Line Press.

Summer reading

Two weeks ago, J gave me Atonement, by Ian McEwan to read. It was better than I expected, a bit wordy in the beginning but interesting throughout. She also gave me a copy of the movie, which I saw this weekend. Unfortunately, that was a disappointment. The acting was pretty good, but the directing left more to be desired.

This morning, R gave me Murakami's new memoir, What I talk About When I Talk About Running. I read the piece ( an excert from the book) he had in the New Yorker a couple of weeks ago and put the book on my wish list. It's exactly what I wanted. Thanks for spoiling me. What a sweet gift. Thank you!

Relax time

Yesterday when I walked through the park in the morning, the tulips were closed, by afternoon, they were wide open. It's SPRING!!! Because of the good weather and Passover, hordes of families and dogs are romping around the park this week. After work today, I plan on spending some relax time just hanging out on the big lawn before heading to Fairway to grab some weekend groceries.

Last night I watched Jane Campion's An Angel at my Table, the biography of New Zealand poet Janet Frame. Does anyone know her work? I'd like to start reading it, where should I start?

Kent Rogowski's Bears

I met Kent at fotofest and loved his series and book Bears. Here is a brief description from Kent:

Bears, is a series of portraits of the most unusual sort: ordinary teddy bears that have been turned inside out and restuffed. Each animal's appearance is determined by the necessities of the manufacturing process. Simple patterns and devices never meant to be seen are now prominent physical characteristics, giving each one a distinctly quirky personality: their fasteners become eyes, their seams become scars, and their stuffing creeps out in the most unexpected places. Together these images form a topology of strange yet oddly familiar creatures. They are at once hideous yet cuddly, disturbing yet endearing, absurd yet adorable, while offering a metaphor for us all to consider. These bears, which have lived and loved and lost as much as their owners, have suffered and endured through it all. It is by virtue of revealing their inner core might we better understand our own.

(image copyright Kent Rogowski)

Oh some Indian fragrances

Ever since I got my Unaccustomed Earth in the mail, along with Malgudi Days, I had been craving Indian food. No problem, I live in Queens, the most diverse place on earth. I had brunch on Sunday at the Jackson Diner, in Jackson Heights. It was lovely, especially the fresh dosa that my Mom queued up for. I have to say though, I still prefer my Karma Kafe in Hoboken.

A quick tip: leave your precious clothes at home when eating at the Jackson Diner. My cashmere sweater definitely reeked of onion and potatoes when I walked out.

Jhumpa Lahiri

Thanks to a tip from Nina I was able to go down to the Barnes and Noble at Union Square to hear Jhumpa Lahiri read from her new book Unaccustomed Earth last night. It was completely packed. So packed that I didn't even get a glimpse of Ms. Lahiri. I sat in one of the rows of books and just listened to her voice flow over the microphone. I am looking forward to reading her new book!

Two gifts for me from me

I just bought Jason Schmidt's "Artists" and Joel Sternfeld's reprinted version of "American Prospects" from Amazon. I've wanted these two books for a while now and decided that today is the day to splurge on inspiration. I'm psyched!

(image via Amazon)

Tyler Bender books

Holly blogged about Tyler Bender's repurposed books crafted from vintage bookcovers this morning. I looked them up and fell for this one. I'm on a budget though these days so I'll just have to admire for now.

(images from Tyler Bender's etsy shop)

Late Summer Break

Just finished reading Ann's Late Summer Break. It's a wonderful book of short stories that weaves tales of family relationships. It's no longer in print but I found my copy on Amazon.

After Dark

Haruki Murakami is my all-time favorite author. Robyn turned me on seven years ago with South of the Border, West of the Sun. His latest book, After Dark, was released in the US just three months ago. I put off buying the book so I could savor the idea of a new Murakami book to read and have something of his to look forward to. I started the book mid-week, and of course it's so hard to put down. Last night I stayed up with it and woke up early this morning to finish it. The time frame of the novel is in the span of one night, making it a good night time read. You can order it on amazon.

(image from amazon.)

West of Then

I'm currently reading an amazing book, "West of Then" by Tara Bray Smith and have not been able to put it down. I met her two months ago, she is a super sweetheart. It's available on Amazon.

Publisher Comments:
A dazzling, devastating memoir about one woman's search for her wayward mother, whose past is inextricably linked with the bittersweet history of their home, Hawaii.

At the center of West of Then is Karen Morgan - island flower, fifth generation haole (white) Hawaiian, Mayflower descendant - now living on the streets of downtown Honolulu. Despite her recklessness, Karen inspires fierce loyalty and love in her three daughters. When she goes missing in the spring of 2002, Tara, the eldest, sets out to find andhopefully save her mother. Her journey explores what you give up when you try to renounce your past, whether personal, familial, or historical, and what you gain when you confront it.

A tender story that lays bare the anguish, candor, and humor of growing up a half-step off the beat, West of Then is a striking literary debut from a perceptive and original writer. By turns tough and touching, Smith's modern detective story unravels the rich history of the fiftieth state and the realities of contemporary Hawaii - its sizable homeless population, its drug subculture - as well as its generous, diverse humanity and astonishing beauty. In this land of so many ghosts, the author's search for her mother becomes a reckoning with herself, her family, and with the meaning of home.

(image via Powell's Books.)