Author Archives: maedez

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About maedez

Writer, biographer, poet. History nerd, silent movie maven. Punk rocker, amateur baker, bookworm. Cricket fan, Scotch drinker, craft beer snob.

A Year in Books/Day 104: London The Biography

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  • Title: London The Biography
  • Author: Peter Ackroyd
  • Year Published: 2000 (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday)
  • Year Purchased: 2001-2003
  • Source: History Book Club
  • About: A city is a living, breathing, changing thing; it makes sturdy sense to give the biographical treatment to one of the world’s leading capitals. At nearly 800 pages, this account of London from pre-history to the late twentieth century is exhaustively comprehensive. Ackroyd manages to keep the pace quick without sacrificing detail or context. This is as good as anything he’s ever written, which is large praise indeed.
  • Motivation: Anglophile in the house here. I’m also a life-long history nerd.
  • Times Read: 2
  • Random Excerpt/Page 51: “On either side of the southern entrance to that bridge, there now rear two griffins daubed in red and silver. They are the totems of the city, raised at all its entrances and thresholds, and are singularly appropriate. The griffin was the monster which protected gold mines and buried treasure; it has now flown out of classical mythology in order to guard the city of London. The presiding deity of this place has always been money.”
  • Happiness Scale: 9 1/2
    The Great Fire of London destroyed 80% of the ...

    The Great Fire of London destroyed 80% of the city in 1666. The Guildhall was damaged in this and other great fires. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     

Diversions-15 April 2012

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  • The Fictional Characters Birthday Calendar on Flavorwire  is the best thing I have seen all year! Unfortunately, I share a birthday with a character from Type-Moon. Oh, well, it is still a fun bit of fluff.
    • When I saw the amazing band Alabama Shakes in concert back in December, I knew they were standing on the edge of big-time success. Their free show at a local dive bar brought out a few hundred of us die-hards. My friend and I were lucky enough to spend about 40 minutes chatting with the entire band; we even shared pet pics with Brittany (she has a bunny!). Now their first album has dropped and the Alabama Shakes are everywhere. Including on Letterman. Check out this brief profile of the band on Bust Magazine‘s blog, which includes footage of their recent Late Show performance.
    • I’ve been doing yoga and pilates for years. When I recently saw my first pair of Blake Brody In-Studio Footwear  ballerina flats, I squealed. Meant to be worn while working out, they combine comfort and eco-consciousness with serious style. They’re slightly pricey (for me, anyway) but I’m eager to invest in a pair, as I know I will get more than my money’s worth. By the time I decide between the Amanda and the Daryl, I should have enough dosh to make the purchase!
      The Daryl in Leopard by Blake Brody

      The Daryl in Leopard by Blake Brody. Image courtesy of blakebrody.com.

      • The closer I get to going home, the more homesick I become! I’m really looking forward to my (brief) visit in early May. Until then, I’m stalking Etsy for reminders of Columbus. I love this photo by illumiquest.

        Columbus Ohio Downtown Photograph by illumisquest

        Columbus Ohio Downtown Photograph by illumisquest. Photo courtesy of illumiquest on Etsy.

A Year in Books/Day 103: Art Nouveau

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  • Title: Art Nouveau A Fascinating Guide to One of the Most Notable Periods of Decorative Art
  • Year Published: 2002 (A Quantum Book/Published in the United States by TODTRI Book Publishers)
  • Year Purchased: 2004
  • Source: Barnes & Noble clearance rack
  • About: The average level of craftsmanship involved in Art Nouveau creations-from jewelry to illustration, textiles to furniture-is exquisite. This mini coffee table book is one part history, one part design eye candy and one hundred percent stunning. I know that I am tossing out superlatives like they are going out of business but we’re discussing Art Nouveau here. Nothing less than poetic turns of phrase will do! No matter how many times I see the still modern looking periodical illustrations or the sensuous, undulating lines of a Rene Lalique brooch or Georges Fouquet hair comb, I’m gobsmacked. Don’t even get me started on the architecture, where the tiniest detail is impeccable. It’s all covered here.
  • Motivation: It’s Art Nouveau, hello!
  • Times Read: 1
  • Random Excerpt/Page 14: “Nature was to be the ultimate source book of the Art Nouveau artist, particularly the plant world, for many artists had a scientist’s depth of knowledge of botany. Flowers, stems, and leaves were chosen for their curving silhouettes. Naturally, lilies, irises, and orchids were favored, although any and every form, from palm fronds to seaweed, offered potential for development into an animated pattern.”
  • Happiness Scale: 7 1/2

    La Plume, 15 January 1898. Cover composition by Mucha.

    La Plume, 15 January 1898. Cover composition by Mucha.

[Resources] Starlight Echoes

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 Starlight Echoes-A music, writing & art group* is an open, highly interactive community on Facebook. Whether you are a new or untried artist looking for a safe, supportive and encouraging community or a professional interested in expanding your network or widening your platform, you will find a warm reception. Artists, writers and musicians from around the world post their work. Taken as a whole the offerings are impressive; viewed individually, they are stunningly varied. It’s heartening to see strangers, united only by a common passion for creativity, be so open and eager to welcome the art of others. It is never easy to put yourself out there; it requires an emotional nudity and brazen nerve that never entirely resolves itself. If you are in need of a critique of your work, then you will have to look elsewhere. There are plenty of forums for that. Starlight Echoes is a place where positivity reigns; it is inclusive and inspiring. Who can’t use a little of that in their lives?

*FYI-This is NOT my Facebook group. It was started and is administered by a lovely, spirited woman named Angela Muchmore.

A Year in Books/Day 102: LIFE Goes to the Movies

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  • Title: LIFE Goes to the Movies
  • Editor: David E. Scherman
  • Year Published: 1975/This Edition: 1986 (Time-Life Books, Inc./Pocket Books)
  • Year Purchased: 1990s
  • Source: On clearance at a forgotten store (likely Waldenbooks).
  • About: The binding of this book is falling apart; if you pick it up carelessly, random pages tumble to your feet. I’ve retrieved the disordered middle third of the book from the floor more than once. It’s that kind of volume-delightful, informative, unique and just damn good to ogle. It’s light on text but big on informatively captioned photographs. The staff of this quintessentially American periodical had a degree of privileged access to film studios and stars that today would be unthinkable. The best of forty years of their coverage is stuffed into 304 kaleidoscopic pages.
  • Motivation: LIFE magazine employed top-notch photographers; many of the images they published are instantly recognizable classics. I knew that I would never tire of looking through it, which I haven’t (apparently to the point of nearly destroying it from the inside out).
  • Times Read: Countless
  • Random Excerpt/Page 86: “In the Hollywood of the ’30s and ’40s, stars were not born; they were mass produced. The machinery that swallowed up legions of girls with pretty midwestern faces and that ground out sultry vamps and sexy hoydens gave each young hopeful a buildup that can only be described as relentless.”
  • Happiness Scale: 9

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