El libro salió a la venta, si no le erro, en 1952, escrito por el norteamericano Ray Bradbury. Es sorprendente qué visión de futuro tenía Bradbury por aquellas épocas. Aunque la historia está posicionada un par de siglos después del 2000, describe con detalle muchas de las cosas que hoy en día solemos usar y que, según el autor, tanto nos alejan de la realidad (sí, los auriculares por ejemplo >.<).

El tema principal de la historia es como la sociedad puede ser controlada mediante tecnología y censura, creando esclavos ciegos y generando una ingenua felicidad en la gente.

En fin, leanlo que está muy bueno. Es corto, y te hace pensar mucho, que es lo importante ;) .

Salutes!

That’s right, our very own harrysaxon seems to have a long-lost, near-look-alike brother from Wisconsin in the person of fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss. I first saw Rothfuss at VCon 33 on Friday as part of the panel in the “How Stories End” session and I had to do a double-take.

Rothfuss is a good deal hairier than harrysaxon, and if harrysaxon grows out his hair, it tends to be wavy rather than curly like Rothfuss’. Rothfuss’ hand gestures are also more expansive, where harrsaxon’s involve more pointing or cutting motions, usually brandishing a cigarette, rather like some kind of wizard in a duel wielding his carcinogenic wand.

But those are trivial differences. Their facial features and body shapes are pretty much identical. Even their voices are similar – although Rothfuss’ is just a touch lower and not flavoured with the slight huskiness harrysaxon’s has that comes from my friend sucking on about 900 Dunhills a day.

For a minute there I had to tell myself “Self,” (because, in the words of George Carlin, I do so enjoy good conversation) “that can’t be harrysaxon. There’s no way. He can’t be here because he’s closeted with RockBand at home perfecting a kazoo solo for an extra 5,000 points or something.” But still… I couldn’t shake a nagging doubt.

Next time I stop by harrysaxon’s parents’ place for a beer, I think it may be necessary to interrogate his father about whether he made any business trip stopovers in the mid-west a couple of decades ago.

Or maybe Ray Bradbury was right in his short story “Nothing Changes” and faces just have a habit of repeating themselves.

Written in 1953 and still frighteningly relevant today, Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a dystopian future in which books are forbidden and firemen do not put out fires but set them to the homes in which books are found. Guy Montag is one such firefighter, but he is struggling with the temptation to secretly take and hide books, to read them and discover what is so powerful and forbidden. After burning down a house whose owner chose to be burned with it rather than go on living without her books, he wonders:

There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing.

When Montag is traumatized by this event and is unable to go to work, his boss, Captain Beatty, visits his home and tells him the history of how books became forbidden. We learn that the ban on books grew out of movements in which citizens chose to stop reading because it emphasized the differences between them and seemed to cause more problems than it solved. Eventually, the goverment got involved, endorsing the idea that it was best for citizens not to think too much. Just tell me this paragraph wasn't a prophetic prediction of what American society would become:

If the government is inefficient, topheavy, and tax-mad, better it be all those than that people worry over it...Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs or the names of state capitals or how much corn Iowa grew last year. Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change. Dont give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy.

Fahrenheit 451 (the hypothetical temperature at which books burn) was hugely controversial upon its original publication, and it continues to ruffle feathers today.  In 2007, individuals in Texas complained that the book's references to drinking, smoking, and "dirty talk" (whatever that is), and its discussion of the Bible went against their "religious beliefs" (see here).

I find it so ironic that a book about censorship should be challenged and banned, but I suppose that's what happens when authors present the idea that banning books is dangerous---the people who want the power to control what we read and who are afraid of having their ideas challenged get upset and want to remove the offending material. Fahrenheit 451 is one of the books on my "required reading for life" list.  It's too imporant to be ignored.

 If you're missed my weeklong celebration of banned books, see my daily features here:  The Perks of Being a Wallflower—And Tango Makes Three—Catch-22—The Giver–The Things They Carried--The Bluest Eye--It's Perfectly Normal

Devourer of Books has also done daily spotlights.  Check these out: Kaffir Boy—The Grapes of Wrath—The Handmaid’s Tale—Native Son--In Cold Blood--To Kill a Mockingbird--Lord of the Flies. Visit her this afternoon at 2pm Central for her final banned book feature.

Thanks for celebrating banned books with The Book Lady's Blog!

Oare ce-i opreste sa deschida o carte de Ray Bradbury? Le-o pun in fata si ei inchid ochii si ii tin stransi cu incapatanare. Din cand in cand verifica printre gene sa prinda clipa cand nu mai e acolo si apoi intorc capul, ridica nasul si privind dintr-o parte intreaba: Cine? Ray cum? Pfffff. Sau poate au auzit de Fahrenheit 451, dar aia nu e sf ma informeaza condescendent.

Si povestirile? strecor timid si ei le indeparteaza cu o fluturare plictisita de mana. Dar si eu ma incapatanez si le strang cu amandoua mainile la piept si le indes bine inapoi in inima mea.

O iubesc pe cea cu gerul si focul, unde oameni esuati pe o planeta cu conditii extreme isi inghesuie vietile in 8 zile. Au involuat, dar au pastrat amintirile speciei. Stiu unde este nava care i-ar putea scoate din fundatura in care doar supravietuiesc, dar striviti de imposibilitatea de a ajunge la ea intr-o ora, s-au resemnat sa manance, sa se inmulteasca si sa taie elanul visatorilor. Afara din pestera lor au o singura ora intre parjolul si gerul ce se succed invariabil. Si apoi se naste un om, unul singur, care nu se lasa zdrobit de resemnare, si nu atat zbaterea lui pentru a-si recastiga conditia umana a trimis-o in biblioteca sufletului meu, cat insistenta in a da un sens unei vieti ce arde in doar 8 zile.

O iubesc pe cea cu planeta vie. O planeta ca o femeie tesandu-si mrejele cu care sa-si atraga iubitii, exploratori sositi de la milioane de ani lumina in cautare de resurse naturale. Indeplinindu-le orice dorinta in chiar clipa in care prinde contur in mintea lor. Dar numai celor ce o iubesc. Aratandu-si fata necrutatoare si hada celor care o tradeaza. Perspectiva unei vieti incadrata doar in ramele propriei imaginatii ii nelinisteste pe astronauti. Si atunci toti in afara de unul pleaca, trecand-o pe lista planetelor interzise. Prea periculoasa pentru a fi exploatata.

Literatura sf nu e proasta. Deschide doar un univers ametitor de larg, in care orice dorinta de cititor flamand poate fi astamparata. Si pentru ca asta ii sperie, unii oameni zic: Aici sunt tigri.

Never being fully sure if I am pronouncing certain words aside, I'm very pleased so far with this book, it details a dark future based completely on rigid caste systems that are decided at birth and forced upon helpless fetuses by controlling the substances and oxygen levels granted to developing test tube babies.  Hatcheries are responsible for making babies smarter or dumber to fit certain caste requirements.  Most of these genetic offspring come from a single egg in a process called the "Bokanovsky's Process" in which a single egg is divided up to 96 times creating a large set of identical twins who are then all forced into the same job.  

"Brave New World" is just another anti-utopian totalitarian book that I am to soon am to have under my belt.  The past month allowed me time (time I have regrettably spent away from writing, though I feel much more refreshed and alert mentally after drowning myself in so many books) to read some very good classic negative utopian books, such as "1984" and "Animal Farm" and once I finish this current book I shall be moving right on to "Fahrenheit 451" which I haven't read since high school.  

I'm not sure what has captivated me with the obsession to read about such dysfunctional societies, though my personal view that the United States is slowly starting to mimic Oceania in terms of telling us what to think and what to care about instead of allowing us to come to our own conclusions.  They make it a point to force a two party system on us, and televise debates between the two candidates to aid us in making our choice as to who is going to be the next president.  Of course the debates never include candidates from any other party aside from Republican or Democrat, thusly elimanating virtually all chance of the presidential nominee of the Libertarian, Green, or Constitution party from ever being elected.  

Why are these parties barred from such debates?  If we truly lived in a democratic society then no single person should be barred from an event, people like Ron Paul shouldn't be censored from Fox news because the party might now agree with the message he is pushing.  The election is presented as an event where the people shall decide who shall lead them.  Unfortunately Ron Paul stood no chance against McCain since there was a concerted effort to keep him off television until recent times.  He has been on quite a high profile talk shows now that he stands no chance of being voted the presidential candidate of the Republican party.    

I work in a highly political real estate office, where people love to spend hours debating about liberal or conservative views, Republican or Democrat everywhere I look.  Hell most of these people are ignorant to the fact that more then two people even run for president thanks to our media blackout on every third party candidate and local states refusal to place them on Ballots.  I'm looking at you New Jersey.  For anger's sake I'm going to list the three major third parties presidential candidates for everyone.

Libertarian Party - Bob Barr

Green Party - Cynthia McKinney

Constitution Party - Chuck Baldwin

I don't claim to know the policies of any other these people aside from Bob Barr, (since I'm Libertarian I better know what he is about or else make a nice ass myself) but I have the decency to know that they exist and take issue that these candidates are treated more then unfairly with ballot access.  How can a state simply decide that someone isn't allowed to run for president from a legitimate political party?  While I am sure that there is some red tape reason that prohibits them from being on the ballot, what is the harm?  Every single person running for president deserves his or her best chance at being elected.  As far as I am concerned it should be illegal to withhold any person from a legitimate political party who has other elected officials working for our government from running for president.  Anything aside from a truly open ballot allowing all candidates a chance to be voted for president, or at least allow people to know they exist while at the ballot booth simply isn't democracy.  Then again we live in a Republic, so I guess I shouldn't complain much right?  

Before I go I should define the word I used in the title of this entry, Hypnopædia means sleep learning, and in the novel "Brave New World" they use it to imprint certain morals on the various castes of society, such as the impulse to throw out something old and buy something new, spend money on leisure at every opportunity, and that every class below yours is simply horrible and you shouldn't speak to them.  I don't even have to stretch it to find a comparison to modern society.  

...that country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain.

Ray Bradbury, October Country

With apologies to Jane Garmey, editor of The Writer in the Garden, an anthology of garden-related literature.  I read many works about gardens and gardening, and enjoy some more than others.  Among my favorites:  Jenny Uglow’s light hand at heavy subjects (A Little History of British Gardening tops my list), Christopher Lloyd’s acerbic wit and Ursula Buchan brisk style.

            Writers are told that what they read will influence what they write.  It isn’t only garden writers I look to, but good writing in general, in the hope of getting an idea across in an entertaining, insightful and knowledgeable manner without wasting a word.  I’m irritated when reading a book and find myself editing it for style, syntax and word choice.  Some books, both fiction and nonfiction, start with a great idea and they may be full of interesting elements, but overall the writing is thin at best.  Naturally, I always wonder how in the world these books get in print.

            If I’m to try my best at writing about the gardens we visit — be it the famous Hidcote Manor or a private garden open through the National Garden Scheme — then I need to surround myself with good writing.  Without even trying, I came up with three writers who excel at their craft:

Jo Rowling — I don’t write fiction, but if I did I would want to write dialogue like she does.  No wasted words anywhere, and every turn of phrase evokes time, place and character.

Erik Larson — I’m just finishing Thunderstruck.  He’s precise in his research, and careful about not interpreting past events through modern eyes.  It’s true, I did have to skim over the details of the murder, just as I had to skim over a few paragraphs in Devil in the White City, but I admire him for his unsentimental (and unsensational) approach, while holding my interest through all the details.

Ray Bradbury — A deep thanks to the master.  I do not write science fiction or fantasy, but I will be forever grateful to Ray Bradbury, his imagination, and his enthusiasm for writing and for others who write.  I’ve attended four of his talks, the first when I was in 7^th grade (more than 40 years ago), the last just a few years ago.  He’s an inspiration.

Most of you already know we're in smack dab in the middle of Banned Books Week (Sept. 27 - Oct. 4).  I, like every other avid reader out there, despise the very notion of book banning.  It makes me want to kick someone in their shins (I'm looking at you Governor).  Tell me I can't read a book and you might end up having several thrown at your head.

It doesn't surprise me that close-minded people would want to ban books, because there will always be those out there who think it's their responsibility to protect you from yourself.  What surprises me are the stupid and downright ignorant reasons that people challenge and ban books.  And I find it disturbing that some of the greatest literature we have ever known have at one time or another been banned.  What if these books had been banned forever, everywhere?  How much of an anemic and dull culture would we have?  The idea of never having the chance to read To Kill a Mockingbird, The Twelfth Night, or The Odyssey is frankly - and perhaps appropriately given the time of the year - the stuff of nightmares.

In honor of this week, here's a list of a few banned books and the reasons why they were banned/challenged (via The Forbidden Library).  Some of it is just... mindboggling:

A Light in the Attic. Shel Silverstein. Harper. Challenged at the Cunningham Elementary School in Beloit, Wis. (1985) because the book "enourages [sic] children to break dishes so they won't have to dry them." Removed from Minot, N.Dak. Public School libraries when the superintendent found "suggestive illustrations." Challenged at the Big Bend Elementary School library in Mukwonago, Wis. (1986) because some of Silverstein's poems "glorified Satan, suicide and cannibalism, and also encouraged children to be disobedient."  (Really?!  I loved this book as a child.  I guess this means I must have been a devil-worshiping, cannablistic disobedient seven-year-old.  I need to ask my mother about this.)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Ace; Bantam; Crown; Delacorte; Dover; NAL; Norton; Penguin; Random; St. Martin. Banned in China (1931) for portraying animals and humans on the same level, "Animals should not use human language." (Alrighty then...)

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Dee Brown. Holt. Removed in Wild Rose, Wis. (1974) by a district administrator for being "slanted." The administrator also said "if there's a possibility that something might be controversial, then why not eliminate it." (For the same reason you don't eliminate people who say controversial things.  Or, do you? It is, after all, a slippery slope.)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl. Bantam; Knopf; Penguin. Removed from a locked reference collection at the Boulder, Colo. Public Library (1988), where it had been placed because the librarian thought the book espoused a poor philosophy of life.  (No comment.)

Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury. Ballentine. Ironically, students at the Venado Middle School in Irvine, Calif. received copies of the book with scores of words--mostly "hells" and "damns"--blacked out. The novel is about book burning and censorship. Thankfully, after receiving complaints from parents and being contacted by reporters, school officials said the censored copies would no longer be used (1992).  (Oh, the irony. I love it.)

James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl. ABC-Clio; Knopf. Challenged at the Deep Creek Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor, Fla. (1991) because it is "not appropriate reading material for young children." Challenged at the Pederson Elementary School in Altoona, Wis. (1991) and at the Morton Elementary School library in Brooksville, Fla. (1992) because the book contains the word "ass" and "promotes" the use of drugs (tobacco, snuff) and whiskey. Removed from classrooms in Stafford County, Va. Schools (1995) and placed in restricted access in the library because the story contains crude language and encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults.  (Wow! I thought I'd read this book, but I don't remember all of that.  Perhaps a re-read is in order.  They've made it sound good.)

Where's Waldo?. Martin Handford. Little. Challenged at the Public Libraries of Saginaw, Mich. (1989), Removed from the Springs Public School library in East Hampton, N.Y. (1993) because there is a tiny drawing of a woman lying on the beach wearing a bikini bottom but no top. Yes, but did they find Waldo? (My question, exactly.)

Amazon.com Review
From "Rocket Summer" to "The Million-Year Picnic," Ray Bradbury's stories of the colonization of Mars form an eerie mesh of past and future. Written in the 1940s, the chronicles drip with nostalgic atmosphere--shady porches with tinkling pitchers of lemonade, grandfather clocks, chintz-covered sofas. But longing for this comfortable past proves dangerous in every way to Bradbury's characters--the golden-eyed Martians as well as the humans. Starting in the far-flung future of 1999, expedition after expedition leaves Earth to investigate Mars. The Martians guard their mysteries well, but they are decimated by the diseases that arrive with the rockets. Colonists appear, most with ideas no more lofty than starting a hot-dog stand, and with no respect for the culture they've displaced. Bradbury's quiet exploration of a future that looks so much like the past is sprinkled with lighter material. In "The Silent Towns," the last man on Mars hears the phone ring and ends up on a comical blind date. But in most of these stories, Bradbury holds up a mirror to humanity that reflects a shameful treatment of "the other," yielding, time after time, a harvest of loneliness and isolation. Yet the collection ends with hope for renewal, as a colonist family turns away from the demise of the Earth towards a new future on Mars. Bradbury is a master fantasist and The Martian Chronicles are an unforgettable work of art. --Blaise Selby

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Konstnären Dave McKean har i en animerad kortfilm låtit ett konstverk läsa upp Shakespeares sonett nummer 138. Jag är redan förälskad i hans version av Bibliotekarien. Nu är jag förälskad i den animerade uttolkaren av sonetten.

Jag vet inte mycket om Dave McKean - men när jag ser skådespelaren/konstverket tänker jag på flera andra konstnärer.

Främst kanske på Brian Dettmer - framförallt känd för sina verk i gamla uppslagsböcker.

Men också Salvador Dalí

En annan konstnär jag associerar till är Picasso och hans tidiga kubism - samarbetet med Juan Gris i början av 1900-talet.

Juan Gris, porträtt målat av Picasso 1912.

Och framsidan på denna utgåva av Ray Bradburys Farenheit 451. Jag vet inte vem som gjort illustrationen .

En sida som hyllar Dave McKean

 En sida som hyllar Brian Dettmer

Bright and early Sunday morning, I dragged myself out of bed and headed off for a quick snack before sauntering over to the Book Fair at West Hollywood park.

Ah, before the sun started to blaze down mid-day and swarms of book enthusiasts filtered in after noon, I managed to get a quick take on the event and got myself oriented right off-the-bat.

There were a lot of scintillating sights and sounds to drink in, as they say.

Quite a few children were enthralled with a captivating live-theatre presentation underway at the "Target Stage" as I headed off to explore willy-nilly.

There were a handful of attractive canopies sprinkled about the fairgrounds - and beneath 'em - clusters of keen writers expounding on their musings and fielding probing questions from rapt audiences.

As I sauntered by one spirited discussion, I overheard one intriguing snippet.

"How much effort do you take in developing surprises in your novels?"

At another tent, one novice sought advice on the heels of a creative crisis.

"My writing group just folded, what should I do?"

Quite a few up-and-coming novelists kicked up a book fuss on the sidelines - from whence they pitched their offerings - with great enthusiasm.

At one perch, I happened across a band of mystery writers anxious to reach out to curious dawdlers who strolled by sporadically, like moi!

"Are you a mystery fan?" one author quizzed.

"Yes. I love the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew," I kidded.

Michael Mallory proceeded to coral me for a moment and bend my ear a tad about a mystery series built around the character of Dr. Watson's second wife.

Allegedly - in the Sherlock Holmes classics - there was just a smidgen of background info on the mystery woman.

But, the character was tough to pin down.

There wasn't any first name to reference, for instance.

So, Mallory christened her Amelia.

"The character has sparked a lot of controversy with the fans of Sherlock Holmes," he gleefully noted.

The flap jacket features a still of the handsome woman - he refers to as a reluctant detective - in a period setting (which triggered some ideas of my own).

"Have you approached PBS about doing an adaptation of the material," I queried.

"Funny you should ask that," he laughed.

"WGBH in Boston has expressed an interest."

Darrell James - a pleasant-looking outgoing writer - stood next to Mallory's stall plugging his collection of "killer" short stories which have appeared in a handful of magazines over the past few years.

"Who wants to Kill Billy Tingle?" is an intriguing tale about a parlor-full of jilted women who plot the fate of a philandering lover.

Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

And - in another one of his pot-boilers - a humble priest decides murder can sometimes be a blessing in " A Miracle for Father Vega."

The collection - "Body Count" - nabbed James a prestigious book award for best new writer in the field, if I recall correctly.

But, don't quote me.

Find out for yourself!

Info: www.authordarrelljames.com

Quite a few authors of children's books were on hand, too.

"The Baffelgagging Blundernagging Brothers" is an illustrated fantasy series that combines the best elements of a picture book with that of a graphic novel.

"Part Dr. Seuss, JRR Tolkien, and Monty Python," authors Aaron Mason and Doug Warr joked from inside the holding area which brimmed full of eye-catching samples of the beautifully-illustrated children's books.

James Watson was the illustrious illustrator.

Just as I was about to stumble off for a snack, I happened across Skip. E. Lowe, foisting his autobiography on curious passers-by.

Mr. Lowe is a bit of folk hero in these parts with deep ties to the film and television industry.

Many of his celebrated friends have appeared on a cable talk show he hosts that has garnered a loyal fan base over the years.

Occasionally, I would spy him in the Silver Spoon cafe on Santa Monica Boulevard, chatting up legendary Shelley Winters before she passed to spirit last year.

As I meandered about the grounds, I stumbled upon a nostalgic little treasure.

Albeit, an updated one.

When I noticed a pair of 3-D glasses on a table top, I was inclined to make a flippant quip.

"Oh, those old 3-D glasses."

"No," the vendor responded, with a slight Chesire-cat smile on his face.

"They're the new 3-D glasses."

Bet your sweet bippy they are!

When I slipped a pair of the funky shades on my snoz - and took a gander at the 3-D greeting cards on display before me - I was taken aback at the delightful sight.

Images of the adorable cats and dogs literally sprung up off the face of the cards - and were not only amazingly 3-dimensional and life-like - but eerily holographic in many respects.

 www.3dDigitalPhoto.com

There were some ecologically-minded activists in tow - and ever-ready to promote the "green philosophy" - too.

The "Tree People" - for instance - were handing out flyers with a bushel-full of information on their tree-planting projects.

Their worthwhile mission?

"To inspire the people of Los Angeles to take personal responsibility for the Urban forest - educating, training and supporting them as they plant and care for trees - and improve the neighbourhoods in which they live, learn, work and play."

"Tree people" invite like-minded citizens to volunteer, donate, and become a member.

Info: www.treepeople.org

In addition to the actual book promotions, there were a number of practical presentations sponsored by groups with close ties to the writing "industry" and in the midst of its creative hub.

Writer's store, for instance, was handing out bookmarks with a great quote:

"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit." (Richard Bach)

The outlet has a great selection of books, software, supplies, courses - well, every little thing - a writer needs to go from the cutting-edge concept to the final edit.

 "The Woman's National Book Association" turned out also.

WNBA serves the Los Angeles area by bringing together women and men who are active in the creation and appreciation of books.

In essence, the dedicated book-lovers provide much-needed informative data on the writing, production, and distribution (and use) of books.

Basically, the organization acts as a friendly forum for those who celebrate books in the community.

Membership is open to all persons allied with authors, editors, publishers, editors designers, agents, publicists, librarians, booksellers, teachers, and - last but not least - avid readers of books.

WNBA turns out their official publication - "The Bookwoman" - three times a year.

The prestigious group also gives out two coveted awards.

The "WNBA" Award  (in honor of Constance Lindsay Skinner) is given biennially to a distinguished "bookwoman" for extraordinary contribution to the "world of books" and "through books" to the world in which we live.

The Lucile Micheels Pannell Award (established in 1982) is bestowed annually - with the ultimate aim of recognizing authors and projects - directly involved in the publication of children's books.

KPFK - operated by the non-profit foundation, Pacifica - was reaching out from the stimulating environs of the book fair, too.

Pacifica was founded in in Berkeley (1949) by well-known pacifist Lewis Hill.

Pacifica promotes world peace.

Their flyer succinctly points out their mission.

"To encourage and provide outlets for the creative skills and energies of the community...which serve the cultural welfare of the community...that engage in any activity that contributes to a lasting understanding between nations and individuals of all nations races, creeds, and colors...which promote the study of political and economic problems and reveal the causes of religious, philosophical, and racial antagonism."

KPFK broadcasts music and features that reflect human diversity - in addition to - putting forth straight talk on alternative approaches to health and the environment without the intrusion (and undue influence of) ads or sponsors.

The KPFK FM signal is the largest in Southern California and reaches from the pretty shores of Santa Barbara to the Mexican/U.S. border.

What would a West Hollywood book event be without gay authors?

Stephen Soucy chatted up friends as he sought to flog a collection of eleven gay-themed short stories (set in West Hollywood) he "selected" and "edited" for the publication - curiously titled - "Nine Hundred and Sixty-Nine".

Patricia Nell Warren (The Front Runner) wrote the introduction to the book which I expect shall be well-received in the community.

"Rainbow Authors" was handing out spiffy materials to enlighten alternative-lifestyle writers about their book publishing outlet that is powered by wordclay.

In essence - wordclay provides gay, lesbian, and transgender authors - with a streamlined user-friendly a-la-carte option - for self-publishing literary works.

"Rainbow" services range from a FREE set-up and sales portal on the wordclay site - to the purchase of worldwide distribution packages - which afford book sales on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Borders.com, respectively.

In addition to straight-forward publishing options, "Rainbow" also contracts out for cover design, in addition to, marketing and editing services.

What good would books be without a place to stock, catalogue, and offer up copies for voracious book lovers in the community to peruse at their leisure?

In view of the obvious, fundraisers for the  West Hollywood Public Library were on hand, to shore up donations and unveil the designs for the new facility which will break ground in April (2009).

One of the volunteers was excited to inform me that the library just received a $1 million-dollar contribution from a long-time West Hollywood resident who made his fortune in computers.

With three million in the kitty - the Library has yet to rustle up the balance - or the whopping sum of $7 million dollars.

Soon, fundraisers will be reaching out to corporate sponsors, so I expect they'll accomplish their altruistic goal.

If you've got some spare cash to toss their way - be an Angel - won't you?

Thanks, HEMAWORSTJE (NSFW)

Bradbury - known for his Sci-Fi musings - has written more than five hundred short stories, novels, plays, screenplays, television scripts and verse.

The celebrated author is best-known for his 1953 classic novel Fahrenheit 451.

The Martian Chronicles is another favorite of his fans.

Critics consider the visionary writer's work timeless, with widespread appeal to both young and old audiences, alike.

Other writers slated to discuss their works include: Robert Wagner (the Pieces of My Heart); Len Wein (Watchman); poet Eloise Klein Healy (Passing; Maryum “May May” Ali); Eve Diamond (mystery series); Denise Hamilton; Ed Begley, Jr.,(activist); and - last but not least - Nina Revoy (The Age of Dreaming).

The Fair, hosted by the City of West Hollywood and the LA Weekly, will feature 12 stages of on-going entertainment.

During the all-day happening, there will be a raft of panel discussions, book signings, storytelling performances, and writing workshops.

And, there is diverse program that that appeals across the board, to all ages and a wide-range of interests.

For instance, there will be teen poetry readings; seniors participation; LGBT panels and exhibitors; a Target Kids’ Stage; Media City Ballet’s debut performance of "The Four Musicians"; crafts for children; Russian-speaking author readings; a panel of comics; live comic book art demonstrations; a manga fashion show; a People,Places & Politics stage; and environmental panels.

The West Hollywood Book Fair is one of Southern California’s largest, most eclectic literary events, which attracts more than 25,000 readers and writers of all ages and interests.

In addition, book sellers and non-profit literary organizations will sponsor exhibits with a keen eye to an ever-growing readership in the rapidly-expanding West Hollywood community.

The West Hollywood Book Fair is gratis.

Free parking is also available at the Pacific Design Center.

Free shuttle service.

The library's latest exhibit is entitled The September Project. The September Project is a grassroots effort to encourage events about freedom and democracy in all libraries in all countries during September. The three events highlighted are: Remembering September 11; Constitution Day (September 17); and Banned Books Week (September 28-October 4, 2008).

This is the first year for the Ursula C. Schwerin Library to participate in the September Project. The library mounted an exhibit using the “Keep It Strong” posters available through The Illinois First Amendment Center .

The posters are eye-catching and promote knowledge and appreciation of the First Amendment. Tying in 9/11, Constitution Day and Banned Books Week, the exhibit features the 10 most banned books of 2007, a definition of intellectual freedom and quotations on democracy, human rights, intellectual freedom and censorship, among other topics. In conjunction with the exhibit, the City Tech community is invited to two showings of Francois Truffaut's 1966 film, Fahrenheit 451, based on Ray Bradbury's novel. Wednesday, Sept 24 (atrium, old bookstore) and Thursday, Set 25 (library projection room, A 431). Both at 12:30 p.m. These showings are part of the library's ongoing Cinem@Tech program.

The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) has also set up a voter registration table in front of the library. Faculty has been encouraged to have their students view the exhibit, since it is a great springboard for discussion and writing assignments on democracy, freedom and civic engagement. The library hopes to make The September Project an annual event at the library and throughout the college. For more information, contact Tess Tobin, Administrative Services Librarian, 718 260-5499.

Mainly, I've figured out the reason why I as a middle-schooler and typically a "tween" do not like the Twilight series (again. Say what you will, but I'm not necessarily interested in Twilight at the moment. Any outraged comments, please post here. If the link doesn't work. Just keep on clicking. ;D ).

So, I've compiled a list of books that I've read and that pretty much have made me the picky reader I am today. They're interesting books, some with real drama, action, suspense, and romance than possible to be found in most of the books we're fantasizing over--put together. I think it's time that kids begin to read stories, both fiction and non-fiction that don't resemble trash--or talk about trash in anyway. I understand some books or for pure enjoyment, and I'm fine with that. But these are the books that I escape to (even if you might think it's another torturous read) and that I have and still love:

1. 1984, George Orwell
2. The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern (Pseudonym of William Goldman)
3. Pride & Predjudice (unabridged version), Jane Austen
4. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
5. Red Scarf Girl, Ji Li Jiang
6. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
7. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith (A bit more of a mature read. Check with your parents. Or something... :/ )
8. James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
9. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
10. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Robert C. O'Brien

They're tales filled with love, hardships, woes, challenges, and nonsense. It's been hard for me to pick out some favorites, but these are great. I earnestly suggest you read them--and love them! For feedback on the stories please comment below; I'd love to see if you like them and your thoughts on some of the more thought provoking material. All in all, I hope to do just that! Provoke your thoughts by suggesting these books. Maybe these books will change your life and you'll become a world renown philosopher or lawyer... or maybe the president of the United States (if you ever are, mention Bella @ Virtualspam~).

Llamado de Emergencia

Texto y Fotos Alonso Vera Cantú

Los humanos, como especie, tenemos un pequeño problema: nos estamos acabando el planeta que habitamos, y su calentamiento acelerado es prueba de lo anterior. Aunque no sería tan grave si estuviesen completadas las estaciones espaciales que Ray Bradbury imaginó, y pudiésemos migrar a la Luna o a Marte. Pero como no es así, tenemos que actuar de inmediato. Ya que se vienen catástrofes naturales sin precedentes. Y cualquier viajero que haya tenido a bien visitar recientemente un arrecife de coral o un glaciar puede constatar lo anterior.

Científicos de todos el mundo afirman que si las emisiones de dióxido de carbono no son reducidas de inmediato, los glaciares se derretirán para el 2030 haciendo que el nivel del mar ascienda 10 metros en el siguiente siglo, inundando ciudades como Venecia y Miami y dejando sin casa a más de 100 millones de personas. También el 95% de los arrecifes de coral desaparecerán para el 2075, generando huracanes insólitos, y casi el 40% de las especias de flora y fauna se extinguirán para el 2050 produciendo, entre muchas otras cosas, hambruna y epidemias. Aunque no faltará el despreocupado que piense que no le tocará vivir los estragos de su conducta. Un zape de mi parte para aquellos.

Pinta mal

La mala noticia es que cuando viajamos inevitablemente contribuimos al calentamiento global y ponemos en riesgo los sitios que visitamos. El dióxido de carbono que sale de nuestros carros y barcos juega un rol substancial en el incremento de la temperatura terrestre. Pero sobre todo el de nuestros aviones, ya que estos emiten tanto CO2 como si cada pasajero manejara seis automóviles a su destino. A eso hay que agregar que las emisiones de dióxido de carbono en grandes altitudes son hasta cuatro veces más dañinas que a nivel del mar.

Muchos podrán afirmar que es un ciclo natural de la Tierra, y que ésta ha vivido ya varias Eras Glaciales en las que la temperatura asciende derritiendo los polos para luego decrecer restableciendo las costas y la vida en general. Pero el hecho es nuestro comportamiento y consumo desmedido de combustibles de origen fósil ha hecho que tan sólo en los últimos 100 años el clima haya cambiado más que en los últimos 100,000. Y aún así queremos ver el mundo. Visitar nuestra playa soñada, conocer gente nueva y aprender de otras culturas.

Prefiera “lo verde”

Lo atractivos del mundo podrían desaparecer antes de que nuestros hijos y nietos los disfruten. Es mucho más inmediato de lo que se pensaba, por lo que quisiera resaltar algunas acciones que se debieran llevar a cabo al viajar.

Empresas de reserva en línea como Expedia y Travelocity ofrecen realizar un cargo extra al pasajero para plantar el número de árboles necesarios para balancear las emisiones de gases carbónicos que causará durante su trayecto. Para un vuelo entre México y Londres, por ejemplo, el costo es de 250 pesos. Así mismo, la UE plantea que la aerolíneas que sobrevuelen su espacio deberán pagar un costo extra para cubrir el daño de sus emisiones de gases carbono. Sin embargo, los Estado Unidos de Norteamérica, que comprende el 4% de la población mundial y genera el 25% de los gases carbono en el planeta, está impidiendo dicha acción.

Qué podemos hacer

Antes que nada preferir los destinos cercanos a nuestro lugar de origen, y de ser posible utilizar medios de transporte como las piernas o la bicicleta. Es mucho más lo que uno puede aprender y observar viajando así. Pero si en verdad tenemos que viajar lejos y emplear un avión, hay algunas técnicas de conservación que, por ridículas que parezcan, hacen la diferencia.

Elegir compañías verdes

Debemos visitar parques nacionales, y preferir los hoteles y compañías que practiquen el turismo sustentable y estén certificadas por terceros por su amistad al ambiente. Así estaremos seguros de que nuestros dinero se empleará para preservar los ecosistemas que visitamos y beneficiar a las comunidades indígenas para que no necesiten explotar su medio ambiente.

Utilizar el transporte público

Al visitar ciudades debemos preferir el transporte público, ya que los transportes a motor de gasolina son los responsable del 50% de las emisiones de CO2 en los últimos años, y compartiendo se reduce el impacto. En caso de rentar un coche, habrá que buscar empresas con vehículos híbridos. 

Viajar ligero

Es imposible la cuantificación del impacto que tiene el peso de nuestro equipaje sobre el consumo de combustible. Pero es un hecho que lo aviones con mayor peso emplean más turbosina y por ende producen más emisiones dañinas, como comprobó la aerolínea Alaskan Airlines el año pasado, que con tan sólo retirar cinco revistas por aeronave ahorró 10 mil dólares en combustible.

Consumir lo local

Comer, beber y comprar bienes locales implica que los productos no tuvieron que ser importados y, por ende, transportados desde su lugar de origen empleando medios de transporte contaminantes. Así que si estando en China extrañas tus chocolates hechos en Suiza, aguántate las ganas y cómete un arroz.

Muchas han sido las experiencias en el mundo general, ya serán suyas si aún hay tiempo, mientras tanto gracias, y hasta la próxima.

Given that it emerges from a smoldering crater left behind by a meteorite, and that it resembles a gigantic Hefty bag with a single eye on a stalk, outer space would certainly be my first guess as to where it came from. Hey, I wasn’t born yesterday. Sure aren’t many single-eyestalk-sporting Hefty bags in my neighborhood. They must be from outer space. And they must be destroyed.

Well, that’s the true evil in this little slice of the dark side of American normalcy. Based upon a screenplay by Ray Bradbury, this plays out like one of those Twilight Zone episodes Serling knocked out when he was in one of his misanthropic moods. In this, it’s fairly distinct from most of the aliens/giant monster movies of the 1950s. If Earth vs. the Flying Saucers tapped into America’s fear of a powerful, unstoppable enemy (*coughUSSRcough*), ICFOS has seen the enemy and it is us.

From the onset, ICFOS has a slightly forbidding feel. The action takes place in a small Arizona town called Sand Rock (appropriate enough, I guess), which is surrounded by desert deadlands. It’s the sort of place where human behavior is going to run unchecked by any larger civilizing influences. One night a meteorite crashes into the countryside. Witnessing this fiery scene is amateur astronomer and freelance journalist John Putnam (Richard Carlson) and his girlfriend Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush). It interrupts their seeming unrequited love, despite the fact they live together. The next day, they rent a helicopter (and what a horrifying ride that must have been in 1953) and check out the crater. “This could be the biggest thing that’s ever happened!” Putnam enthuses. Apparently that whole splitting the atom/ erasing two Japanese cities eight years earlier didn’t leave that big an impression on him. Putnam ventures into the crater and sees what appears to be the hull of a UFO. Unfortunately, an avalanche buries it.

Even more unfortunately, he shoots his mouth off about it to the local cops and press that investigate the scene. Naturally, they think Putnam’s nuts and say so in print. Pretty soon, though, weird stuff starts happening. We see a couple townsfolk (including a pre-Gilligan’s Island Russell Johnson) attacked by something big and, er, foggy. These people show up again, dazed and vaguely catatonic and with a seemingly overriding purpose. When Ellen disappears, Putnam looks into it and discovers that the crashed aliens have taken over the bodies of these people and are being used to repair their ship. The sheriff gets wind of this and leads a posse to destroy the aliens before they kidnap anyone else. Putnam tries to hold off the mob and appeal to the angels of their nature. Of course, that never works, but the aliens manage to fix their ship and pop smoke before the mob can go all Frankenstein on them.

The plot really isn’t much to write home about: it’s pretty much “Aliens have landed!” “No they haven’t.” “Yes they have. And they’re kidnapping people!” “You’re right. Let me get together a posse and burn them up.” “No, they come in peace.” “Oh, never mind they left.” Still, ICFOS has a few moments of unsettling weirdness. The sun-blasted landscape evokes a palpable sense of isolation, and Jack Arnold throws in a few nice directorial flourishes, including a few ominous overhead shots of cars on the empty highway (which Steven Spielberg may or may not have adapted for Close Encounters of the Third Kind).

But what is most interesting about ICFOS are the sexual hazards lingering beneath the surface of the film. I suspect Arnold and screenwriter Harry Essex seeded the movie with glimpses at a more complicated psychosexual play they’d’ve preferred to make. Ellen is the fulcrum of this movie, both for Putnam and for the Sheriff. First off, their relationship has a lot of questions attached to it. Putnam is clearly older than she is (Carlson was a solid 15 years older than Rush was), and they live together out of wedlock. Odd for the 1950s, but Ellen also seems to be pining for Putnam to propose. There’re also a few references to the two of them having moved to a tract community outside of town to get away from the close-mindedness of the town. The Sheriff is either Ellen’s ex boyfriend or has a crush on her—he mentions that he’s “looked after her” since she was a girl, and while “looking after” can have many connotations in the language of males, none of them lead to anything happy. To top it off the Sheriff is only moved to take action when Ellen is kidnapped.

Finally, there is the Ellen clone-replica-thingee Putnam sees when he finally confronts the crashed aliens. Rather than her demure school-teacher wardrobe, the replica is in a black, strapless dress that flows in the desert breeze. Is this Putnam’s fantasy Ellen? Something he or she repressed, now brought to surface by the aliens? Has their cohabitation been chaste thus far? Is that what all the pained, longing looks over the telescope have been about? It’s worth pointing out that the wife of one of the alien-snatched men is played as vampy as possible, dropping fairly obvious double-entendres about his “appetite.” So maybe the irrational fears the filmmakers were warning against weren’t simply from without. Maybe the sexual repression of the 1950s was the real Hefty-bag-eye-stalk monster.

Ah, what the hell. Maybe they just wanted to get the leading lady into an evening gown. Whatever the case, ICFOS is a nice, low-key little sci-fi movie with a clear, direct message: don’t automatically feel that you have to greet visitors from outer space with guns and clubs. They might be harmless.

Of course, the next movie will take issue with that attitude…

"Why is there no opera of The Scarlet Letter?" asked Alfred Kazin in 1992. David Mason and Lori Laitman at the University of Central Arkansas are working on it. "We considered a number of different kinds of books," Mason tells the Log Cabin Democrat. "The shorter novels of Henry James, Willa Cather and Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451,' which I continue to think would make a good opera in an odd way."

Somebody bring that last bit of news to Texas. As part of the Big Read, the NEA's effort to promote classic American literature, David Kipen (an acquaintance) is driving a hybrid around the country and meeting with reading groups. Today he's talking up Fahrenheit 451 in Mesquite, Texas.

Wikipedia trolls, keeping it classy. (David Foster Wallace's entry looks OK now.)

The one I heard was from September 1955 and titled "The Martian Death March." It's set way in the future, in the 1990s, several decades after Earthlings have colonized Mars and confined the Martians to reservations.

Turns out that the X Minus One show was a real trailblazer, an ancestor of shows like "The Outer Limits" and "One Step Beyond" and "The Twilight Zone," and featured episodes based on stories by some great writers, including Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov!

This great link includes two X Minus One episodes you can download for free and a list with very entertaining and intriguing synopses of all of the episodes:

http://www.xminusone.com/scifi.htm

Cum mirosea Timpul? Ca praf, ceasuri si oameni.

Si, daca te intrebai cum suna Timpul, ei bine, Timpul suna ca un rau curgand printr-o pestera intunecata, glasuri plangand, noroi cazand pe capacele unor cutii goale si ploaie.

Mergand mai departe, cum arata Timpul? Timpul era ca o ninsoare tacuta intr-o camera intunecata, sau ca un film mut intr-o sala veche de cinematograf, o suta de miliarde de chipuri cazand ca baloanele de Anul Nou, jos, jos, spre nefiinta.

Asa mirosea, arata si suna Timpul. Iar in noaptea aceea - in noaptea aceea aproape ca puteai atinge Timpul."

Ray Bradbury - Cronici Martiene

"Точно такъв живот живях. Пиян, и в разпореждане на колело, както бяха записали в един ирландски полицейски доклад. Пиян от живот, без да знаеш какво те очаква. Но въпреки това си тръгнал, още преди зазоряване. А самото пътуване? Абсолютно равни дози ужас и весело ликуване.

Когато са на четиринайсет и петнайсет години, много хора се лишават от любовта си, захвърлят един по един древните си интуитивни вкусове, и когато станат възрастни, у тях няма и следа от веселбата, жара, увлечението, живеца. Други са ги критикували, а после те самите са започнали да се критикуват и да се чувстват неудобно. Когато циркът пристигне в пет сутринта в студеното и тъмно лятно утро и се чуят звънците му, те не скачат от леглата си и не тичат навън, а просто се обръщат в съня си. И животът отминава.
Аз обаче скачах и тичах. Научих, че съм прав и че всички останали грешат, когато бях на девет. [...] Оттогава не обръщах внимание на онези, които критикуваха интереса ми към космическите пътешествия, панаирите и горилите. Случи ли се подобно нещо, взимам си динозавъра и напускам стаята.

Мълнията прескочи в мен. А господин Електрико изкрещя: "Живей вечно!"

Така че - вземете си кана с лимонада, излезте на верандата в топлия притихнал следобед, и посетете света на Рей. Ще ви върне обратно към самите вас и ще ви припомни как да чувствате света с клетките си.

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* Рей Бредбъри, 100 разказа, издава се от 'Бард'.