Earth Day Tribute to Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was a woman way ahead of her time.  She studied to become a marine biologist in the 20s, a time when women in science was not only unexpected, but scoffed at.  Her love of writing and of nature helped her create some of the most beautifuly written works about nature, including Under the Sea Wind and The Edge of the Sea.

What Carson is known for is her book, Silent Spring, in which she attacks the use of petrochemicals in farming and agriculture.  Published in 1962, this book still rings true today about caring for our environment and the adverse effects of using pesticides and fertilizers.  Any environmentalist should read her books, it will renew your love of nature and reinvigorate your resolve to protect the precious resource we have.

Have a happy Earth Day!

A Book for the Reading Pile: Everything is Illuminated

Honestly, I was skeptical about Jonathan Safran Foer.  I just wasn't ready to accept that this twenty-five year-old kid could have written such a lovely AND tragic AND hopeful AND disjointed AND seamless tome.

Upon urgings from Supermodel and that our friendship would be rendered moot if I did not take the time to read this book, I took a Sunday to devote to Jonathan and Alex, two young men on the brink of, well, everything.  The butchered prose that Alex, a Ukrainian translator, uses is hilarious and oftentimes even BETTER at emoting and describing than proper English grammar would allow.  I found myself waiting for the chapters that were narrated by Alex and even more so for the letters he penned to Jonathan as he reads Jonathan's first draft of his book.

I would finish passages and seriously thank my lucky stars that I existed long enough to read Foer's description of sex viewed from outer space or the view of a small grandchild from underneath his grandmother's protective skirt.  It is staggeringly beautiful as it is honest and raw.  The human need to love, be close, rage, and protect...that is the thread, or umbilical cord rather, that connects progeny to progenitor in this book.  We are taken far back to a shetl celebration in the 1700s and then fast forwarded to the 21st century where vegetarianism is being defended in a matter of pages.  And, you know, it really works.

If you read just one book this year, let it be this one, Everything Is Illuminated: A Novel.

Ruby Sunday

What are you doing today?

I'm going to finish a very good book Supermodel lent to me!

I'll tell you all about it next week!

xo.

CoverSpy

Have you seen this new blog Coverspy?

It's made by people who snoop on other riders on the subways of New York!

It's kinda brilliant and kinda embarrassing.

I'd HATE to be caught reading a lame book, aka ANYthing by Stephanie Meyer.

What would you be caught reading right now?

I'm reading Everything Is Illuminated. Sooo good.

A book for the reading pile: Look at Me

I thought it only fitting to celebrate my Bestest Best's birthday today by posting about a book I loved...she is one of a sadly dwindling population of voracious book readers in a society of text-based communication and Twitter, where you get 140 characters to tell your story.

Look at Me is truly a modern classic. Written in 2001, on the cusp of the explosion of MySpace, facebook, Twitter, and blogging, it's a cautionary tale about the duality of the American life: what we want people to see and what goes on behind the facade.

The book begins following a traumatic automobile accident in which Charlotte, an aging model, has smashed every bone in her face. Surgery and 80 titanium screws later, she is repaired, but looks so unlike herself even her sister and agent don't recognize her. We follow Charlotte thorough her recovery and attempts to salvage an already waning modeling career.

The book also allows us to peek inside the mind of a partially-deranged history professor that has written study upon study linking the invention of glass windows and reflective surfaces (i.e. mirrors) to the conception of self-image and self-awareness...and how damaging that has been for society.

The book even postulates a society where there are websites for "Ordinary People" and "Extraordinary People," where online readers can learn about the intricacies and minutia of other people's lives. Voyeuristic and interactive. Sound familiar?

Read Look at Me. It explores the unfair advantage that beauty has in our society and how we've let it take the reigns of our morals and values, all while keeping the ride exciting and fast-paced. It will have you thinking about it for days after you finish the last page.

P.S. Happiest Birthday to Bestest Best!

48 Hour Break!

It's a celebration! Why you ask?

Because not only is my paper on time,
but I received a cookbook in the mail.


This isn't just any ol' cookbook.
.
.
.
.
.
It's a gluten-free cupcake cookbook.

I know.
I just died a little myself.

So, I'm going to occupy myself with a few baking experiments and reading this.

What are your plans?

Photo via Cupcake Social.

Mushroom Cloud Layin' Mutha'effer

Only the very unlucky have had to listen to me cry and whine about a required class I've taken this semester. Not only is this an online class and I am involved in post-graduate work that is probably the most diametrically opposed subject to internet-only communication, but the instructor and I...well, we're not buddies.

We're not biffs for many, many, many reasons, but the main reason is that I go to a public university known for it's open-minded approach to politics, lifestyles and the like. Usually, my classes are sure to cover the entire spectrum of human nature, but this online class has managed to remain staunchly ignorant to about 90% of the population and the way they choose to live.

So, yeah, I've had a few aneurysms over this class this semester.

But things got a lot worse at about 9:46pm last night.

To premise: every single one of our online postings and assignments have been due at midnight over the course of the semester. And when glancing at the syllabus, I THOUGHT our behemoth of a term paper was indeed due at midnight, as well. Natch, right? BUT, the syllabus did say the words "midnight" for all of the previous assignments, as opposed to 12:00am. For some reason, the syllabus said just 12:00 for the big ol' final paper, which, preceded by all of our other assignments, I assumed was midnight, as well. This would be the kind of midnight where carriages turn back into pumpkins and I would be finished with the most abominable term paper to date.

Well, it wasn't. This mental heavyweight I have had the horrible luck of studying under had posted that our assignments were due at 12:00pm. As in: high noon. As in: not midnight. I had just posted my term paper 9 hours and 46 minutes late. I know this may sound insane, but when the big hand and the little hand are on the "12" it could be either midnight or noon...That's why we have those little letters to follow the time, just to let all the imbecile students know when they need to turn in a paper worth HALF of their grade.

If she doesn't accept this as "on time," a screed has already been scribbled to the department on HOW TO TELL TIME.

Image via Language is the People's

Oh hell YES.

n/a



I really can't wait for this one!

ANOTHER Book to Stay Far, Far Away From...

So I knew that a few people would be disappointed in me for my extreme distaste for "Eat, Pray, Love." And I could continue in my arguments that she still is one of the most self-centered women in the world*, but instead I decided to read the other side of the story.

Let me first alert you to the fact that "Drink, Play, F#@k" is a FICTITIOUS account by a comedic writer who wrote something he thought Ms. Gilbert's jilted ex SHOULD have written. I totally didn't know this until after I'd researched the book...and this research occurred after the fact. This changed my thoughts on this book completely. The real Slim Shady is publishing a memoir in January of 2010 about his divorce disembowelment and I'll probably read that too!

At first, I was absolutely rooting for Bob (that's Mr. Elizabeth Gilbert). He was just a hard-working schmuck who liked his Audi and loved his wife. He never cheats on Ms. Gilbert, provides for her new-agey pursuits, and only looks at her sister's ass once, but claims it was to marvel at the body-shaping powers of bulimia. Nice guy, right?

Mmmmm, not really. He's just kind of...boring. He goes to Ireland and drinks. He goes to Vegas and gambles. He goes to Thailand and falls in with a Hollywood screenwriter and has the opportunity to have an orgy. So essentially this book was supposed to be the BEST. REVENGE. EVER. Supposed to be, anyway.

He is just as vacuous and greedy as his ex. Knowing now that this is a fictitious account, the "Get Out of Jail Free" card I was going to award Ms. Gilbert is still in the deck. I reeeeealy want that written affirmation that she's super-horrible, but after reading "Drink, Play, F#@k," I would have left Mr. Elizabeth Gilbert, too.

*Yes, Ms. Gilbert did raise money for a single mom in Indonesia, but then waffled on her "generosity" (read: the money her friends gave her) when the single mom decides she needs to take Ms. Gilbert for all she was: an American Cash Cow. It comes as a shock to Ms. Gilbert that ANYone in an impoverished country couldn't see her halo radiating from afar. Luckily, we have Gilbert's rich boyfriend to verify, that indeed people are in need in Indonesia and will find any way to survive - and if that means bleeding a self-righteous American dry, than so be it! The power differential, where the white westerner holds the key for a native Indonesian's salvation just grosses me out.

Sun...finally!

Happy Sunday!
I like to use my Sundays to catch up on some reading.
Right now I'm engrossed with We Were the Mulvaneys.
I don't care that it was made into a made-for-tv-movie.
It's good.

I also like to try to avoid the panic that is setting in about certain someones getting married.
In.
Two.
Months.

Photo via Lolita SE.

Woo hoo! I won!

Em from Ruffling Feathers was a dear and awarded me with this!

To pass on the loveliness, here are the rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

It was so nice to be surprised with this awesomeness when we were on the road!

So here are my 15...

1. nienie - Because she is strong, beautiful, and inspiring.
2. hunting for porkchops - Always a trustworthy source of comedy and sick fashion sense!
3. $10,000 Wedding - Cause I'm getting married...
4. childhood flames - Camille already has a cult following and I'm part of it!
5. GlutenFreeinSLC - I can't eat wheat and this is a great resource!
6. Cannelle et Vanille - Food porn.
7. Root Down - Hilariousness and horticulture.
8. Dog Eared - Fashion and photos that are top notch!
9. Ruffling Feathers - Pretty, awesome, headbands, more! Check her out!
10. New Voyager - Pirates, the sea, and excellent taste.
11. Straight into Bed, Cakefree and Dried - More gluten-free goodness!!
12. Lolita SE - Beautiful pics and interior decorating sense!
13. PacingthePanicRoom - A photographer dad with a great writing style.
14. le love - Cause I'm a girl and eat this stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
15. the selby - Great photos and great inspiration about people that are way cooler than me.

I know some of these blogs may have huge readerships...but I've got to pass the love to blogs that I truly read every day!
xo.

Flocked and Awesome

Fuzzy and chartreuse!?!?!
From Paperhill on Etsy.

Belated birthday presents....

...are the best! Look at what my bestest gave me to help plan for Shug's and my honeymoon road trip! The best gifts are always the most thoughtful ones! She's an avid reader, like me, and also gave me this.

I'm a little excited that I get to read a book that's not a textbook in t-minus 14 days...!

Where should we go on our travels? Any great places in Oregon and Washington we absolutely must see??

Poet

There was so much I took home with me after my study abroad in Valparaiso, Chile (and none of it needed antibiotics!)...But one of my most favorite things was a new-found love for Pablo Neruda.

I was able to visit his cottage by the sea, Casa la Isla Negra and walk the same route to university he took every day in Valpo...chills!

One evening after too much wine and broken Spanish with some friends, I stopped in a bookstore and bought Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada (Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair). It was a small chapbook and you had to rip the folded pages apart to get to the prose inside. I felt like I was opening a love letter written just for me each time I ripped a new page and read a new poem.

I struggled through the Spanish, well into the early morning.

Read this.

He was an activist, a lover, and one of the best poets to grace published pages.

Photo from the Selby.