Books last week.

Books Read Last Week

When I was in Europe, I read John Howard Yoder and only Yoder.

Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex

By Brad Warner (2007) I lined up with the codeterminates of Hardcore (maybe straight egde) and Zen. As an english teacher, the jargon and slang seemed off-putting, but I am going to ask our High School Librarian to order several for my students. It will rock some of their minds and for that I am always grateful.

The Garden of Truth: The Vision and Promise of Sufism, Islam's Mystical ...By Seyyed Hossein Nasr (2007). 

I am not generally a huge fan of Sufi mysticism outside of the translations of Rumi and other poets. This book was approachable and well done. I am learning more.

UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity and Why by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. (2007)

Barna research usually leaves me cold. Of course the politics of Jesus has an image problem and I hope it always has it's image problem. Marketing and spectacle are not the notational means of grace for me.

The Wooden Horse: The Liberation of the Western Mind from Odysseus to Socrates by Keld Zeruneith (2007) Not a book for dipping. But I believe in the evolution of consciousness as laid out by Owen Barfield and others.

 

The Head Trip: Adventures on the Wheel of Consciousness By Jeff Warren (2007)

I am trying several techniques and am going to investigate neurofeedback for mental tuning. I use several of the sleeping one. I agree with the eye-roll indicator of personality and probably will use for some students. It is interesting and I wonder if their is an intelligence type at work for intra-personal wisdom. MInd Hacking, Life Hacking and Steven Johnson's Mind Wide Open. I like this stuff because I am a teacher and because I work my brain like mad consumer of stuff.

 

Bambi Vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business by David Mamet

This book rocked my socks. Honest, Practical and willing to speak the truth. What more could a person want. His syllogisms for production of dramaturgy and classical erudition of narrative was/is something I will teach my students. I believe in a corollary theory that the many of the items/media/technologies we love owes its development to people with Asperger's syndrome.

 

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto: By Michael Pollan.

Eating is a moral act. We are going to starve a bunch of people so we can drive more and eat more meat. I am convicted that eating and food is the moral charge of the church. Green Ribbon anyone? Slow Food for Jesus? Farm Aid for reducing addiction to High Fructose Corn Syrup.

 

Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunee. I picked this up because of Jim Harrison's blurb. I don't think she is MFK, yet, but purposeful. The recipies are pretty good. I tested two and would make the quick Kim Chee again in a heartbeat.

 

Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time By Rob Sheffield (2007)

I remember many of the songs and lovingly remember making mix tapes for girls, road trips, everything! We used to be OCD about specific brands of tapes. Making sure to record vinyl onto tape the first time we played it. Then putting the vinyl away and listening to the tape until it stretched out. Darcy Steinke is a hero of mine as well. I was knocked down seeing her in the acknowledgements. I also was a redneck, Southern Baptist raised, country boy poet with a love for Lou Reed, Blondie, Hank Williams (all of them) 50's and 60's pop and all of the inbetweens. He writes about love of music that is hard to find. Shape of a woman, temptation of egg as Giant Sand would say.

 

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon )2007) Enjoy every sandwich is what I tell my students at the end of EVERY class. It is a touchstone philosophy of my life. Kiss every girl, dance every dance, enjoy every sandwich. We may never pass this way again (loggins and messina) I am an excitable boy, OCD, Asperger's the works. I also am superstitious but not quite as hardcore. Fanboy stuff for sure, but Hell, why not be a fanboy of Zevon. If you are not a fan of Zevon, I probably wouldn't like you anyway and certainly wouldn't trust you in my house.

 

Altered Books Workshop. I am making my own books. They are layered and held together with piano hinge.

 

 

 

Masonite on bottom. Glue photograph/collage onto board. Encaustic/spastics/joint compound/polymer clay go on top, mess it up, split it up, wash, sand distress, heat, burn whatever. Then a layer of mylar overhead transparency with calligraphic prayers. Old prayers.

Then onion skin with doodles from my notes. Organic, baroque, erotic

Then a board from an old book/something that is the right size. Then bolt the thing together.

I do want to start swapping books with people though. and this book gave me the go ahead.