inspiration books + zines
photo: manny howard
Yesterday had us jumping all over the web checking out reports of Hurricane Sandy, including the startling report on Manny Howard‘s startling FB page about a Brooklyn chicken coop being mauled by the storm. (As you may remember from My Empire of Dirt: How One Man Turned His Big-City Backyard into a Farm
, Manny’s fledgling chicken coop was obliterated by a tornado that picked it as its place to land in Brooklyn.)
While we were poking around Manny’s page we came across this photo of the aftermath of an al fresco dinner party — Manny is the master of fabulous impromptu, out-of-control parties. We post it as a relief from the dire reports of Sandy’s havoc and a reminder of other days to come, of ease and joy.
Thanks Manny!
Related posts: …after the storm…
summer tubing party: out-there al fresco entertaining
stout + ice cream floats (for grownups)
smoky, bacon-infused spirits for holiday cocktails
‘what’s not wrong?’ and other ways to start your day
10.30.12 |
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in celebrations, entertaining, inspiration books + zines, nature, outside, people, sightings |
A while back, we accidentally ordered a book of poems
by the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. We love his poetry, especially his odes, but weren’t crazy about the selections in this particular book. Or so we thought. We’ve discovered that opening it randomly often yields treasures we could have sworn weren’t there when we first looked through it.
Recently, we stumbled on a poem about how poetry “arrived” in Neruda’s life one day. To us, it perfectly describes the way the creative process often happens: an idea appears, sparks…tiny often at first… but if listened and attended to — however tentative and bumpy the start — it can become an illuminating and nourishing path. read more…
10.09.12 |
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in inspiration books + zines, paths + processes, people, quotes |
We are big fans of Junot Diaz, whose novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
was so original, we didn’t want to give it away (as we usually do with fiction we’ve read); we knew we’d go back to it to dive back into its wild language. With the release of Diaz’ latest book This Is How You Lose Her
, Sam Anderson of the New York Times interviewed Diaz about his writing process. Diaz describes his “creative metabolism” as being SLOW and painful — he often throws out whole hunks of work he’s slaved over — and admires writers who seem to write both quickly and well. Since we consider ourselves SLOW compared to the “real” world in all sorts of ways— and know a lot of people who feel the same way about themselves — we found Diaz’ words heartening:
The thing is, you try your best, and what else you got? You try your best, really, that’s all you can do. And for me, my best happens really so rarely. I was so always heartened by people like Michael Chabon who write so well and seem to write so fast. Edwidge Danticat writes really well and really fast. I was always heartened by them. I keep thinking one day it’ll happen. It might.
Now we’re going to check out our free sample first chapter of This Is How You Lose Her…
Related posts: t.s. eliot on the creative process
how to slow down, via leo widrich and bill murray
isamu noguchi’s creative process
the role of magic in the creative processx
10.04.12 |
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in inspiration books + zines, paths + processes, people, quotes |
maira kalman ‘the principles of uncertainty’
Zen Habits recently published the very useful Finding Peace with Uncertainty, about one of our favorite subjects. It made us go back and leaf through the great Maira Kalman’s wonderful book The Principles of Uncertainty
. We clipped this image from it imagining, for sure, she naturally applies Zen Habits’ 8 practices herself (we’ve summed them up below):
Try something new, but small and safe.
When you mess up, don’t see it as painful failure. See the wonder and opportunity in change.
Ask “what’s the worst-case scenario”?
Develop a change toolset.
Become aware of your clinging.
See the downsides of clinging.
Experience the joy in the unknown.
via zenhabits
Related posts: elizabeth streb on the necessity of risk-taking
what is failure?
vacation (or weekend) mental prep
4-step algorithm for change
how do you know when to take the leap?
10.02.12 |
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in inspiration books + zines, paths + processes, people, principles, quotes, rules for living |
(Video link here.) As an artist in residence at MIT, Trevor Paglen worked with materials scientists to develop an ultra-archival disc of images, capable of lasting in space for billions of years. He meant this disc to contain a “cultural mark”, that would portray our world long after it might have disappeared altogether. He interviewed scientists, artists, anthropologists, and philosophers to consider what such a cultural mark should be, and ultimately settled on 100 photos. The disc of photos will be sent into space this month.
To be sure, they are an odd assortment. You can check out some here, and in the The Last Pictures, a book that has been made about the project
. One of our favorites: read more…
09.17.12 |
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in art, community, gifts, identity, inspiration books + zines, outside, people, technology |
Curiously, this man in a bacon costume inspires us. He epitomizes the out-of-the-box, sometimes silly, sometimes outrageous, sometimes-even-embarassing creative thinking that we love so much. We could view this man as a fool or brilliant, and realize sometimes they are the same thing.
via Retronaut
Related posts: why not half a mustache?xwhat helps you see things differently?
powerful words: devise, invent, create, change…
‘the tutu project’ explores identity, change and love
howard rheingold: on becoming (“life…forks every day, in every moment”)our lives, in brief (secrets, 6-word memoirs, even obits)
09.17.12 |
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in apparel, inspiration books + zines, playing, sightings, why not? |
This Vancouver house carved out of stumps in the early 1900′s is our idea of swell, the perfect eccentric, elemental, minimalist retreat:
“…3 rooms.The lower stump on right was the kitchen, the lower part of the highter stump on the left was the living room. The bedroom, doorless, was reached by a ladder removed in daytime to the kitchen…”
It reminds us a favorite young adult novel we’ve read a million times: read more…
08.31.12 |
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in buildings, cool spaces, dream houses, inspiration books + zines, outside, sightings |
photo: ellen silverman
There’s one week left to enter our giveaway, Mindy Fox’s Salads: Beyond the Bowl. Summer is the perfect season for this book, though there’s a ton of ideas for all year (think Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Olive Oil, Lemon and Peppered Sheep’s Milk Cheese, or Shredded Celery Root, Manchego and Pistachios…).
To enter the giveaway, leave us a comment telling us what goes into your favorite salad. On Tuesday, July 17th, we’ll randomly pick a winner to receive this beautiful book.
This evening, we’re going to try Mindy’s Blueberries, Feta and Mint recipe, Mindy’s riff on the classic ever-surprising combo, watermelon and feta cheese: read more…
07.11.12 |
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in entertaining, food, inspiration books + zines, people, recipes |
Every morning, a friend calls me, or I call him, with a poem to start the day. This seven-month-old tradition arose out of an ‘improvised life’ post called “What’s NOT wrong?” about NOT jumping out of bed to check email or read the news first thing in the morning. Instead, start with a few minutes of reading something really GREAT…anything that reminds you of possibilities, other ways of thinking, grounds you.
My friend and I discovered that reading – or listening to – a poem or two has the effect of placing us right IN the moment, while casting a great deal of light on things, often bringing Nature right into our apartments. Of all the books of poems we read from – of Mary Oliver
and Pablo Neruda
and Su Tung-P’o
to name a few- we’ve found the most treasures in The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry
. I’m not sure “sacred” describes the selection of poems; were I to see the book in a store, I might pass it by, thinking “sacred” to mean religious. The books editor, Stephen Mitchell, calls them “poems of fulfillment.”
Here’s a great, teeny one by Issa: read more…
07.11.12 |
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in gifts, inspiration books + zines, paths + processes, people, quotes |
Our giveaway contest is over and our winner has been selected at random–Marti will be receiving the signed, first edition of A New Way to Cook! Congrats Marti. We hope you it comes in useful for the farmer’s market treasures you mentioned in your comment:
“Bring it. Today’s Farmer’s Market basket full of ruby red rhubarb, juicy Michigan strawberries, and a rainbow of chard. Would love that cookbook to lead me to the newness. Abundance reigns.”
06.21.12 |
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in community, food, inspiration books + zines, recipes, resources books + zines |
'crabcakes n' slaw' photo: maria robledo
Before picking the winner of our latest book giveaway on June 19 (a signed, first edition copy of Sally’s A New Way to Cook), we’ve been 
posting recipes from the book that fit the season. With summer fast approaching, slaws are the inevitable – and perfect – accompaniment to barbeques, picnics, and porch suppers. We serve this recipe for Classic Coleslaw all summer long. It rolls several Southern slaws into one, while fudging the overrich ingredients. read more…
06.13.12 |
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in community, eating, entertaining, family + friends, food, inspiration books + zines, recipes, resources books + zines |
pedro guerrero
Sleep doctors say that it’s important to wind down before going to sleep: no TV or computer that activates the brain, no magazines full of dire ‘reality’. Read fiction to get your mind in a quieter zone…
My solution is, often, to look at picture books of interiors, houses, furniture design: an adult version of a bedtime story. I’ve gathered a pile of favorites over the years that, like a kid, I never seem to tire of. They relax my mind, and seem to activate some dreamy center.
One of my favorites is Calder at Home: The Joyous Environment of Alexander Calder by Pedro Guerrero. read more…
06.06.12 |
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in art, cool spaces, dream houses, inspiration, inspiration books + zines, paths + processes, people, rooms |
Last week we posted a recipe for Strawberries in Beaujolais Sauce from Sally’s A New Way to Cook, and thought: what better way to kick-off the summer than to give the book away?! And a signed first-edition copy at that. These hardcover editions with the jazzy stripe-ed covers are now out of print and hard to find.
When A New Way to Cook was first published in 2001, it completely turned the idea of “healthy eating,” on its head. Instead of telling you what you can and can’t eat, and what foods are “good” and “bad,” the book explores how to use “taboo” ingredients like butter, oil, and animal fats in often radical new ways to make healthy and satisfying dishes. It’s also the book where Sally started to play with improvising in the kitchen, years before The Improvisational Cook
hit the shelves. In 2009, A New Way to Cook was voted one of the best food books of the decade by the Guardian. We know a lot of people who use it as their “basic” cookbook. read more…
05.30.12 |
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in eating, entertaining, food, health, how-to, inspiration books + zines, learn |
photo: maria robledo
May offers a brief window when the markets are flush with fragrant local strawberries. We’ve been given a couple of cartons by friends who actually had time to get to the greenmarket: sublime little sweet bites perfect as is. But we were reminded of a recipe for Strawberries in Beaujolais Sauce from Sally’s A New Way to Cook that would be the perfect way to use up what remains of the spring’s strawberry harvest.
It’s a versatile sauce/stew that can be served hot or cold, and alongside or over any number of plain cakes and desserts, as well pancakes, french toast, and especially a fine vanilla ice cream. (We like to eat it by the spoonful as a midnight snack). It’s simple to make, and the flavors of beaujolais (or other fruity young red wines) and strawberries marry beautifully; it’s an excellent way to use up an open bottle of wine. read more…
05.25.12 |
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in d-i-y, eating, entertaining, food, how-to, inspiration books + zines, recipes |
hipgirlshome.com
We’ve come to the end of our most popular giveaway ever. Over 190 of you told us what projects you were intending to tackle over the summer in your home or garden in order to win a copy of Kate Payne’s fab The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking
, with its trustworthy, no-nonsense information on everything from knot tying to fridge pickles to foraging. Needless to say, we were blown away by your creativity and spirit. If you haven’t yet, check out each of the four posts to see what other readers’s projects are.
But our randomly selected winner made our day with his plan. Timothy Foss wrote:
I have such a long list of hopefuls in this category, but my favorite is this: My grandfather invented a pickle grabber in the 50s that never made it to market. I have one of 3 prototypes. My hope is to launch a local line of garden made pickles from my grandmother’s pickle recipes and manufacture the pickle grabber to go with it. Wish me luck! read more…
05.24.12 |
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in community, d-i-y, entertaining, inspiration books + zines, recipes, resources, share, strategies |
