Category Archives: Books

books: enjoyed, reviewed, otherwise

Rackham’s Zankiwank, and more

Posted on November 10, 2007 by cicada

The Zankiwank and the Bletherwitch Written by S.J.A. Fitz-Gerald, 1896 Illustrated by Arthur Rackham Maude and Willie felt themselves dropping, dropping, dropping, until the Zankiwank bounced up and caught them both in his arms, saying as he rushed forward:- “Quick, … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Books | 1 Comment

Christmas gifts! for the creative, picky, or perverse

Posted on November 10, 2007 by cicada

I’ve been running across an unusually large number of things I covet lately, and it occurred to me that if you are reading my blog, you (or your friends/family) might have similar tastes. So I thought I’d post a list … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Books, Conspicuous consumption, Frivolity | 2 Comments

Personal histories

Posted on October 4, 2007 by cicada

I just finished Eric Kandel’s new book, In Search of Memory. For those of you who don’t recognize his name, Kandel won the Nobel Prize in physiology/medicine for his work on the cellular basis of learning and memory. He is … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Books, Department of the Drama, Science | 4 Comments

Fever dreams

Posted on October 1, 2007 by cicada

The Sower Robert Parkeharrison Have you ever encountered an artist whose work seems so familiar, you feel as if he or she has ensnared your memories? I had that feeling when I first saw Robert Parkeharrison’s

Posted in Artists & Art, Books, Photography | 3 Comments

Poem of the Week: De Vermis

Posted on September 22, 2007 by cicada

Fantasy author Robert Jordan died this week, without completing his 12-book Wheel of Time saga. His death is the sort of event I most feared as a lonely teenager, when I lived in books: that an author would die before … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Poetry | 3 Comments

Darwin for Kids

Posted on September 16, 2007 by cicada

Author and illustrator Peter Sis has written a beautiful book called The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin which follows Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle and re-creates the naturalist’s travel-stained maps and notebooks. The book was released in 2003, and got … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Books | 2 Comments

Curious Expeditions’ Librophiliac Love Letter

Posted on September 10, 2007 by cicada

Bibliophiles: bookmark this link! Librophiliac Love Letter: A Compendium of Beautiful Libraries. One of my favorite blogs, Curious Expeditions, has written what may be the definitive blog post for library lovers. I’ve only been to four of the libraries on … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Destinations, Museum Lust, Photography | 1 Comment

There is such a thing as a tesseract

Posted on September 8, 2007 by cicada

“Why does anybody tell a story?” Ms. L’Engle once asked, even though she knew the answer. “It does indeed have something to do with faith,” she said, “faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 4 Comments

The divine Museum Gottwaldianum

Posted on September 8, 2007 by cicada

I saw this at Bibliodyssey. The next day I had to go back and click the link again. A few days later I went shopping at the always-inspiring Anthropologie, and on returning home, had to go back and browse again. … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Books, Cephalopodmania, Museum Lust, Wonder Cabinets | 1 Comment

Human nature, 4×6

Posted on September 6, 2007 by cicada

Even if you already know all about PostSecret, this promo video is a little work of art worth watching. The postcard that made me cry: I like to remember my Dad as a boy so I won’t remember him suffering … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Blogs and Blogging, Books, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Photography | Comments Off