Novel Poster has taken classic world literature and used the text to create negative space art.
Brilliant idea.
Gorgeous product. I want one (Actually, several all of them).
Fascinating Tedx talk by Jacques Vallée in Brussels on A Theory of Everything(Else).
On Curiosity
I’ve been enamored with the writings and films of Alejendro Jodorowsky lately. This also rekindled my interest in Surrealism and Andre Bretón.
The intellectual improvisation of mind, following it’s natural curiosity, has led me to some of my greatest discoveries of music, film and culture. Any time I encounter an artistic form that speaks to me, I listen intently and let myself meander and traverse whatever path the Daemon wants me to take. I am always astonished where I end up.
Years ago Trane led to Miles. Miles led to Bird. Bop led to Sonny Rollins and back to Trane which led to Mingus, Monk, Rouse, Blakey, Clifford Brown, Dolphy, Ornette Coleman and scores of other jazz giants. The same has been true in literature and philosophy, even spirituality which went through paths of Buddhism, Zen, Tao, Gnostic, Alchemical, Western Esoteric, Vedic, and on and on and—
To never limit the possibilities of what might be just around the next curve is infinite in its potential for growth and self-discovery. That curiosity is the greatest gift. The illuminative. Even the most shattering and paradigm shifting. But, that’s the idea, right?
The Storyverse Comes Alive
Small Demons, who’s tagline is Welcome to the Storyverse, is a vast expanse of possibility for the curious. It contains, “The people, places and things from books, and everywhere they can take you.” According to the site, which is in Beta test mode,
It all begins here. Suppose someone took every meaningful detail from all the books you love. Every song mentioned, every person, every food or place or movie title. And what if they did that for all the books everyone else loves, too. The ones you’ve never heard of. Suddenly you’ve got a whole world of seemingly random people, places and things, all gathered in one place.
Together they create something vast, wonderful and entirely new. A Storyverse. A place where details touch, overlap and lead you further. To new music to listen to. New movies to watch. Places to visit. People to know. And of course, new books to read. Getting started is simple. Just choose a book. See where it takes you.
Sign me up. I can’t wait to dive into this.
Another thing I need to do, when I’m near the end of a book, is sleep in the same room with it. Somehow the book doesn’t leave you when you’re asleep right next to it.
Joan Didion said this and I adore it. Besides, books are sexy.
JaxTypeBlog.com
A very, very cool new site. What writer doesn’t love great typography?
Where Good Ideas Come From
I love this video. Great animation and great narrative on the cultivation and emergence of ideas. Working in an idea business, I found the thinking to be compelling and shed light on a few areas that were dark to my thinking.
What Jacksonville needs to do is become the center of a new cultural renaissance. No politics, no B.S., just people who give a damn coming together to create the kind of city we want to live in, work in and play in. Spark arts, spark culture, spark creativity. Spark giving back. I’m just saying.
Slavoj-Zizek: The World’s Hippest Philosopher
From The Telegraph in London comes this fantastic interview with Zizek, the one philosopher my friend Greg Richards keeps telling me to read. Based on the Telegraph’s description of him, I can see why:
Slavoj Žižek has got an opinion on every subject from decaffeinated coffee to sex, from seagulls and swearing to the end of the world.