Cinemascope: Super 8

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.

Released in 2011.

Plot line: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

I've been quite disappointed by the newer movies for adults recently - yes, I'm looking at you Interstellar and Boyhood - so have gone back to an oldie but goodie model. This is a movie that the whole family can watch, and most importantly, it actually has a story. Go figure.

You can see the movie trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a movie worth watching.

Recent Reads

40. Paint Mojo, a Mixed-Media Workshop: Creative Layering Techniques for Personal Expression
I picked this up for inspiration, and while I liked the colorful art the author creates, this book did not work for me. None of the text I mean. Simply not my style. There are mini artist essays interspersed in this book, and though I already knew and really love some of their work, I was not moved by any of their essays here. Not a book I'd recommend, though if you are a fan of the author's work and manner of teaching, you'll probably like it. Rating: 1 star.

41. Almost Famous Women: Stories
I love big books and I cannot lie, so short story collections are not my go-to genre. I'd heard great things about this author, who will be attending Booktopia Vermont this year, and I look forward to meeting her then. I listened to this collection well narrated by Lesa Lockford.

This is a collection of stories about Almost Famous Women. Some are longer pieces, while others are so short that I barely had time to register them before they were over. The one thing I will say about this collection is that I knew nothing about all but one of these women, and that in itself was fascinating. Another thing is that the writing is wonderful through out.

My faves in the collections were:
#4 - Romaine remains
#6 - Autobiography of Allegra Byron
#8 - Saving Butterfly McQueen
#11 - Lottery, redux
Rating: 3 stars.

42. Flowers of Evil, Volume 2
This volume continues the story of bookworm Takao, class bully Sawa, and pretty girl Nanako, and picks up right where Volume One ended. It is painful to watch the story unfold, and I kept hoping some adult would step in. But as is usual in middle school, the Takao feels isolated and helpless. I'd be curious what middle school kids think about this Manga novel. Rating: 3 stars.

43. Flowers of Evil, Volume 3
Middle school can be rough enough without being in the situation that our three characters are in. Emotions spill out all over the place, and things come to a head where Takao must pick between the two girls - not the girls themselves, as much as the paths forward they represent to him. The author's last note has an interesting question about adolescence. How do we define it? We cannot control the onset of adolescence, as it is often physically visible, but when does it end? Rating: 3 stars.

CY365 | April Update

Are you playing along with the CY365 project? You can read more about what I'm doing here.

Here is another week of 2015 Captured.

95/365 - 040515 #Assemble #cy365
One part of dinner assembly tonight involved spiralizing zucchini #zoodles

96/365 - 040615 #Bunch #cy365
Tulips in the late afternoon sun. #lovely

97/365 - 040715 #WhereIStand #cy365
Sometimes I have to put down a good book and do some chores. I do not do it gladly.

98/365 - 040815 #Cheers #cy365
Delighted that my sister is in town for a nice long visit.

99/365 - 040915 #YoungArtist #cy365
My nephew Jonah's Square One art entry. Talent runs in the family indeed. #lovethiskid #art #sketches #markers

100/365 - 041015 #StepOutside #cy365
Look Ma, (almost) no snow!

101/365 - 041115 #Prepared #cy365
A beautiful day for an outdoor ramble, so I prepared a playlist from some of my fave podcasts to entertain me. #podcasts #walks

As always, click on photos to view larger. You can also follow along with daily updates on my Instagram and Flickr accounts.

Cinemascope: Wrinkles

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.

Released in 2011.

Plot line: Based on Paco Roca's comic of the same title (2008 Spanish National Comic Prize), WRINKLES is a 2D animated feature-length film for an adult audience. Wrinkles portrays the friendship between Emilio and Miguel, two aged gentlemen shut away in a care home. Recent arrival Emilio, in the early stages of Alzheimer, is helped by Miguel and colleagues to avoid ending up on the feared top floor of the care home, also known as the lost causes or "assisted" floor. Their wild plan infuses their otherwise tedious day-to-day with humor and tenderness, because although for some their lives are coming to an end, for them it is just a new beginning

This is a sad and poignant movie about a topic which many people seem unable to talk or think about. I loved this exploration of families, and aging, and aging healthy versus not. 

You can see the movie trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a movie worth watching.

Wordless Wednesday: 04.22.15

Click image to enlarge. For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Recent Reads

37. Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past
This is a strange and interesting book. The author has a hobby - he collects old photographs of people he does not know. There is a catch though - the photos need text of some kind written on it. This book is a curation of some of the photos from the author's collection. The photos are all black and white, and while the photos are interesting in themselves, it is the text that gives you a peek into these stranger's lives. The handwritten words on either the back or the front of the photos document various things: who, where, when, what, why. The combination of the words and text creates a little tableau on each page that is quite fun, and sometimes disturbing. Will one be able to have such a hobby in the future now that we are all digital? Rating: 3 stars.

38. The Lion and the Bird
This delightful picture book is a quiet meditation on life and friendship. The pacing is lovely, and would work well as a curl up and read aloud story with a little one. Rating: 3 stars.

39. Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Let me start by saying (in case you did not already know), that 300 is one of my all time favorite movies, and I'll probably watch it about that many times before I die. AU!

My love affair with the Spartans goes way back to primary school, so, when Ann Kingman raved about this book on the Books on the Nightstand podcast, I went out and picked it up immediately. 300 is the story of the epic battle of Thermopylae, and this historical novel is told through the eyes of a non-Spartan in the years leading up to that battle. We enter the story after that fateful battle, and find Xeones injured and under the care of Persian surgeons. He is the only survivor of the battle, and King Xerxes has commanded him to recount the story of the Spartans, so as to better understand this worthy adversary. The entire book is the verbal transcript, with some asides by the scribe, of that story. The story starts many years before the Gates of Fire, when Xeones is but a young boy. As Xeo shares his tale we learn all about his life, how he gets to Sparta, the training and lifestyle of the Spartans, and the years that lead up to the Battle of Thermopylae, and its aftermath. 

Yes this is a war novel, but it is surprisingly philosophical as well. The characters are well developed, and while the attention to detail was a little dense at times, I was swept along for the ride. My only complaint is that the pacing was off in certain sections of the book - sometimes way too fast with too little detail, sometimes way too slow and bogged down with minutiae. 

I knew how this story was going to end, and still I was in tears for portions of the book. If you are interested in a compelling, well-written book in which you learn a few historical facts, move this up your TBR pile.

Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here obedient to their laws we lie.
AU! 
Rating: 5 stars.

CY365 | March Done | April Update

Are you playing along with the CY365 project? You can read more about what I'm doing here.

Here is another week of 2015 Captured.

88/365 - 032915 #OffPrompt #cy365
Changed the sheets today, and yes still using flannel ones.

89/365 - 033015 #Blossom #cy365

90/365 - 033115 #Illuminated #cy365
In my happy place. Surrounded by magazines that inspire me and a hot soy chai tea latte. #currentlyreading #timefortea

91/365 - 040115 #Sundown #cy365
Shadows cast on the Boston Harbor Chart. So ready for #sailing season.

92/365 - 040215 #currentlyreading #cy365
#bookstagram

93/365 - 040315 #InTheGarage #cy365
Bikes standing by. Cannot wait.

94/365 - 040415 #LibraryBooks #cy365
So many books, so little time. #shelfie #bookstagram

As always, click o photos to view larger. You can also follow along with daily updates on my Instagram and Flickr accounts.

Currently reading

I've been wonderfully distracted by my sister who is in town for a month long visit, so have not been keeping up with my blog as often.  In the meanwhile, I am posting regularly over on Instagram, so you can see what I'm up to there - including pics of what I'm currently reading.

CY365 | March Update

Are you playing along with the CY365 project? You can read more about what I'm doing here.

Here is another week of 2015 Captured.

81/365 - 032215 #StepOutside #cy365
Heading out to book club on this cold blustery Sunday.

82/365 - 032325 #Weather #cy365
I've got a fondness for the weathered patina on buildings.

83/365 - 032415 #RunDown #cy365
Scaredy Squirrel gives us the run-down of his protective gear. So loved reading these books with my nephews when they were little. #bookstagram #currentlyreading

84/365 - 032515 #OffPrompt #cy365
I continue to be delighted by $2 daffodils.

85/365 -032615 #EscapeFromTheEveryday #cy365
Library books are my go to escape. #bookstagram #shelfie

86/365 - 032715 #Reflections #cy365
Quick sketches of the Quan sisters in my journal. So interesting to see reflections of what is currently beautiful in the fashion world. #sketches #art #draw #journal

87/365 - 032815 #OffPrompt #cy365
#ontheblog today I share a video of some journaling tips. http://kisiwa.blogspot.com #journal #sketchbook #writing #art #draw

As always, click o photos to view larger. You can also follow along with daily updates on my Instagram and Flickr accounts.

Recent Reads

34. Bumperhead
The first thought that came to mind when I closed this graphic novel? So what? This is a meandering coming of age story, about a young boy who is bullied, and abandoned by his parents in various ways. There is a log of the girls he crushes on, the music he loves, and the main events of his life from young boy to older man, but the story lacked any emotional impact. The most interesting thing was the iPad subplot. On the plus side, I did like the black and white artwork. I am clearly not the target audience for this one. Rating: 2 stars.

35. A Life In Hand
Well, I'm not even going to pretend to be objective about this one. This book has been out of print for years, and I've searched high and low to find a copy. Finally got one from a neighboring library system, and it is dog eared, and musty, and marked up, and the mustiness made it hard for me to read, but I loved every single page. It is rare that I read a book, get to the last page, and want to turn around and start reading it again. I have resisted that impulse so as to be kind to my lungs, but this is a book I plan to own.

The author explores keeping a journal of one's entire life - the beautiful, the mundane, lists, sketches, everything but the kitchen sink. There are wonderful writing and sketching exercises, and some of her rather impressively intimidating artwork in the back of the book. I have loved her other work, but this one is my fave. A book I plan to dip into regularly. Rating: 5 stars.

36. The Solitude of Prime Numbers
I love prime numbers, and this is the second book in as many months that has math and prime numbers as a theme. One of the wonderful things about reading translated works (Italian in this case), is that I get a little taste of the culture the story is based on. 

Alice and Mattia experience traumatic events in their childhoods that leave them damaged in ways that most people cannot begin to understand. When they meet as teenagers, each recognizes a kindred spirit in the other, and a friendship blossoms. 

This is a bleak story, so is well suited to reading in the winter, when the weak sun barely warms your skin. The author does a masterful job of inhabiting both the male and female characters in a way that seems authentic. The characters are complex, and awkwardly themselves, and I often felt like shaking them - both could have really used some therapy to work on their wounding. I am not a happily-ever-after junkie, nor do I need things tied up in a bow - after all life is more complicated than that - but while this was a quick read, I found myself not quite satisfied when I turned the last page. Rating: 3 stars.

Dame Stephanie Shirley: Why do ambitious women have flat heads?

It is not often that I feel the urge to courtesy, but if I was in this woman's presence I would.



If the embedded video does not work, click here.

Cinemascope: The Wind Rises

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.

Released in 2013.

Plot line: From Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Best Animated Feature, SPIRITED AWAY, 2002) comes a spellbinding movie beyond compare. Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, he becomes one of the world's most accomplished airplane designers, experiencing key historical events in an epic tale of love, perseverance and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world. 

I loved so many things about this Japanese animated movie. It's the personal story of Jiro and his passions for planes set within a historical context. I loved this window into Japanese culture and aviation history. 

You can see the movie trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a movie worth watching.

Recent Reads

31. 1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations
I'm on a roll with creative, artistic books lately, and revisited this one again. It is a collection of journal pages from various artists, and is a good source of inspiration. I loved this book the first time I read it many years ago, but this time around, found that I merely liked it. Fun, and colorful, but not what I need anymore I guess. Maybe because there is so much available on the web today. Rating: 3 stars.

32. Drawn to Nature: Through the Journals of Clare Walker Leslie
Book blurb: For journal keepers, nature lovers, birdwatchers, artists, and anyone interested in using nature as a source for self-reflection or meditation, this book will be a welcome companion and source of inspiration.

This is probably the third time I have picked up this lovely book. I'm a fan of the author and her work, and this is a collection pulled together from her journal pages - a journal page anthology if you will. A reminder to notice what is around us, and make note of it with text and sketches. Rating: 4 stars.

33. My Favorite Things
Every time I read a book by Maira Kalman, I want to invite the author over for tea and crumpets. Or maybe a glass of sherry. She sees the world in a way that most of us adults lose touch with as we drape ourselves in our serious-grownup-adult cloaks. And our lives are the sadder for it.

This picture book for adults contains paintings, photos, and wonderfully quirky text by the author. We surround ourselves with objects, but how often do we really look at them? The author does just that in "this beautiful pictorial and narrative exploration of the significance of objects in our lives, drawn from her personal artifacts, recollections, and selections from the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum." An ode to the whimsy of collections. Rating: 4 stars.

CY365 | March Update

Are you playing along with the CY365 project? You can read more about what I'm doing here.

Here is another week of 2015 Captured.

74/365 - 031515 #Patterns #cy365
Current bathtowels in use.

75/365 - 031615 #Markings #cy365
These might just the cutest bandaids ever.

76/365 - 031715 #Repeat #cy365

77/365 - 031815 #OffPrompt #cy365
So ready for Spring.

78/365 - 031915 #OffPrompt #cy365
The indoor plants are excited that Spring starts tomorrow. Can they move out onto the porch soon?

79/365 - 032015 #Design #cy365
A peek into my #journal. #sketchbook #art #draw

80/365 - 032115 #Swirl #cy365
How is it that I'm shoveling snow on this second day of Spring? So love these Trader Joe's daffodils. They help keep me sane.

As always, click o photos to view larger. You can also follow along with daily updates on my Instagram and Flickr accounts.

Harry Baker: A love poem for lonely prime numbers

In celebration of April, which is National Poetry Month.

Performance poet (and math student) Harry Baker spins a love poem about his favorite kind of numbers — the lonely, love-lorn prime. Stay on for two more lively, inspiring poems from this charming performer.



If the embedded video does not work, click here.

Cinemascope: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.

Released in 2015.

Plot line: Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon, Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.

Is this the way documentary films are going? This HBO mini-series is a fascinating show, but what I found more interesting is how it changed the news in real time. I knew nothing about Durst, and did not read any articles until I watched the series, and I think that is the experience this story. How it ends opens up so many questions in regards to due process and the legal system.

You can see the series trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is TV worth watching.