I just finished my summer reading - West of Jesus - Surfing, Science and the Origins of Belief by Steven Kotler. It's not just about surfing - anyone interested in spirituality, the human spirit, or just wants a good non-fiction read that is laugh out loud funny on occasion would enjoy this.
West of Jesus review.
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Sunday, December 07, 2008
The Latest Words & Ear Snacks
Words:
Big Wave: Stories of Riding the World's Wildest Water Ed. Clint Willis
Yoga Masters by M. Forstater and J. Manuel
Three Cups of Tea by G. Mortenson and D.O. Relin
Ear Snacks:
- Anything by anyone from Daptone Records www.daptonerecords.com
- Na Palapalai (Ke 'Ala Beauty)
Big Wave: Stories of Riding the World's Wildest Water Ed. Clint Willis
Yoga Masters by M. Forstater and J. Manuel
Three Cups of Tea by G. Mortenson and D.O. Relin
Ear Snacks:
- Anything by anyone from Daptone Records www.daptonerecords.com
- Na Palapalai (Ke 'Ala Beauty)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Day 3 of being on the couch. This virus is kicking my ass. I did get up and take a shower, eat breakfast, fix a cup of tea, in hopes that it would give me the push to get to work, at least for a couple hours, but no go. My sinuses hurt like a muther and I can't stop sneezing or blowing my nose. And I'm just tired and miserable. So. Here I am. Another beautiful Indian summer day and I'm stuck on the godsdamn couch.
At least there's food in the house. And I have plenty of cold drugs, Riccola and hard-ass lozenges, 2 new boxes of soft tissue, and a full bottle of Tylenol. And of course, mounds of tea. Irish Breakfast for the morning, Echinacea Cold Care for the afternoon.
I finished writing that Space: 1999 novella I started in February. It just needs some technobabble added to it, and I have a source for that (a guy into the tech stuff for sci fi and 1999 in particular. His site for 1999 is on the sidebar.)
I know it's just a piece of fan fiction, but it was a great experience for me, to write something that long beginning to end, and go through the revision process. It helped me to apply screenwriting to prose writing - especially dialogue. In screenwriting there's a mantra: cut, cut, cut. Even when you think it's "just right," you cut. Too much talky dialogue not only makes a shitty movie, it makes a boring read. Too much over-explanation, or driving home the same idea over and over, or, worst of all, relentless exposition, will suck the marrow out of any story. So this was a great experience for me to not let that happen to my story. At least, I think I accomplished that much. I essentially wrote something the length and breadth of an episode (the concept and story are mine) but without the "cut to commercial cliff-hangers with ominous horns."
As to my sci fi script - I have temporarily suspended slogging through notes in a final revision. I got swept up in my other script - the 1950s beauty school story - which is now giving me a problem in the second act. I have some plot points to hammer out before I continue writing.
I've been reading THE DANCE OF 17 LIVES, about His Holiness the Karmapa (spiritual leader of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism). It's a great read; well-researched and well-written, though it can be disappointing to read about how these high lamas, rinpoches and tulkus are just like the rest of us - human with human failings. The book tells how Tibetans never had that kind of idealistic view of the lamas; Westerners applied that impossible state of perfection to their gurus and masters when Buddhism was first introduced to the West in the 60s. Damned hippies.
I've expended all my "sitting upright in a vertical position" energy for now. Must lie down. More later.
At least there's food in the house. And I have plenty of cold drugs, Riccola and hard-ass lozenges, 2 new boxes of soft tissue, and a full bottle of Tylenol. And of course, mounds of tea. Irish Breakfast for the morning, Echinacea Cold Care for the afternoon.
I finished writing that Space: 1999 novella I started in February. It just needs some technobabble added to it, and I have a source for that (a guy into the tech stuff for sci fi and 1999 in particular. His site for 1999 is on the sidebar.)
I know it's just a piece of fan fiction, but it was a great experience for me, to write something that long beginning to end, and go through the revision process. It helped me to apply screenwriting to prose writing - especially dialogue. In screenwriting there's a mantra: cut, cut, cut. Even when you think it's "just right," you cut. Too much talky dialogue not only makes a shitty movie, it makes a boring read. Too much over-explanation, or driving home the same idea over and over, or, worst of all, relentless exposition, will suck the marrow out of any story. So this was a great experience for me to not let that happen to my story. At least, I think I accomplished that much. I essentially wrote something the length and breadth of an episode (the concept and story are mine) but without the "cut to commercial cliff-hangers with ominous horns."
As to my sci fi script - I have temporarily suspended slogging through notes in a final revision. I got swept up in my other script - the 1950s beauty school story - which is now giving me a problem in the second act. I have some plot points to hammer out before I continue writing.
I've been reading THE DANCE OF 17 LIVES, about His Holiness the Karmapa (spiritual leader of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism). It's a great read; well-researched and well-written, though it can be disappointing to read about how these high lamas, rinpoches and tulkus are just like the rest of us - human with human failings. The book tells how Tibetans never had that kind of idealistic view of the lamas; Westerners applied that impossible state of perfection to their gurus and masters when Buddhism was first introduced to the West in the 60s. Damned hippies.
I've expended all my "sitting upright in a vertical position" energy for now. Must lie down. More later.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Birthday or Whatever, by Annie Choi
Go out and read this book! It's delightful, hilarious, touching, and if you've ever spent time in Korea like I have, it will give you flashbacks. Here's the author's site: Annietown.com.
Her descriptions of her mother are priceless, and on more than one occasion brought to mind my Filipina mother-in-law - particularly with the controlling, you're-not-good-enough antics combined with the many ways she can be cute and manipulative at the same time. And the noraebang (karaoke) scenes had me rolling on the floor (once you have that reverb-powered mic in your hand, you won't ever want to speak without it!). Assah!!
Annie Choi's book inspires me. JET and I have been saying since our reconciliation that we need to write a memoir - told in the voice of funny-yet-poignant. JET is a master of this and I could learn so much from her in this regard. Mostly I just whine, as evidenced on this here blarg.
Another project in the wings... after I clear off a couple of my other items.
Her descriptions of her mother are priceless, and on more than one occasion brought to mind my Filipina mother-in-law - particularly with the controlling, you're-not-good-enough antics combined with the many ways she can be cute and manipulative at the same time. And the noraebang (karaoke) scenes had me rolling on the floor (once you have that reverb-powered mic in your hand, you won't ever want to speak without it!). Assah!!
Annie Choi's book inspires me. JET and I have been saying since our reconciliation that we need to write a memoir - told in the voice of funny-yet-poignant. JET is a master of this and I could learn so much from her in this regard. Mostly I just whine, as evidenced on this here blarg.
Another project in the wings... after I clear off a couple of my other items.
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