#37 - Become the Bonus Art of Your Life
Logitechnophilia; A Graphic Mood; Running Into Religion
Hello, my friends,
Autumn is upon us and the November sumo tournament is starting this Sunday. Though Yokozuna Terunofuji will be out due to his persistent injuries, I’m excited about what will happen. The good thing about sumo tournaments is that no matter who is in or out, there’s always drama in seeing who will have the most victories after 15 days of combat. Hopefully it’ll be either Takakeisho, Hoshoryu, Kotonowaka, or Ura (because he’s Michael’s favorite).
Logitechnophilia
At some point this week I realized that I was a fan of Logitech! It feels odd to write that since I don’t usually go that far with tech companies but looking around I have a Logitech mouse (M325), a Logitech keyboard (K380), a Logitech webcam (an older model I got from work), and a Logitech headset (H390), and I use them all on a daily basis (I’m using them right now!). I didn’t deliberately buy all these products because they were made by a single company, I bought them separately years apart. Mostly, I looked at the range of product offerings in each category and chose the one that fit my (typically basic) needs and budget. The important thing is that years later, all of these peripherals still meet my needs and work perfectly!
The only downside is that Logitech (or logi) makes a relatively limited selection of products — mice, keyboards, headphones, and a few smaller items (digital pens, presentation remotes, and tablet cases) — so I can’t also have a Logitech monitor, laptop, and desk. Oh, well. Maybe they’ll read this and send me a t-shirt. I bet it’ll be comfortable and last a long time!
This is all to say, if you’re looking for any of the above, you don’t need to go crazy with research, just see which level of Logitech product fits your needs and hit Buy Now. You won’t regret it.
A Graphic Mood
A few times a year I get into a frenzy of reading graphic novels where I order a bunch from the library and go through them one-by-one like a wolf. I enjoy the format because they don’t take a long time to read, they’re often beautiful, and the best of them are a memorable multi-sensory experience. Here are the graphic novels I’ve read during this rush with very short reviews:
Light Carries On by Ray Nadine - The creative story of a romance between an up-and-coming photographer and the ghost of a long-dead punk rock star set in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. It’s touching to see the main characters develop a friendship that sustains each one’s emotional needs. Ultimately, Light Carries On is a tender tale that rides on the likability of the protagonist pair.
The Contradictions by Sophie Yanow - A sheltered art student studying abroad in Paris hitchhikes to Berlin with a new friend. The main character’s awakening to political ideas and their real world counterparts is what’s distinctive about The Contradictions, though it’s length and limited plot made it feel like a short story I’ll likely forget in a few months.
Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo and Juan Caviar
- Conversely, this book — a story of a curmudgeonly pop star relaying the tale of his rise to fame and obsession with fellow pianist to an earnest reporter — feels like a novel in scale. With a mood that’s somewhere between the movie A Star is Born, the novel The Prestige, and the graphic novel Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá. I enjoyed this one and its surprise ending.
Shoplifter by Michael Cho - Another small-scale tale about an ad writer who, through a series of events over a couple of days, realizes that she needs to take some risks to live her dreams. Corinna is a sad character exhibiting little control over her life yet, Michael Cho manages to make her and every single character, even those who appear on a single page, feel like real people with full lives.
Under-Earth by Chris Gooch - An outstanding triangle plot (two storylines that meet at the end) taking place in an isolated penal colony with no way out. The hopelessly realistic prison environment, well-rounded characters, and effective art made Under-Earth a book that is both raw and memorable.
I’m currently reading The Eight-Fold Path by Charles Johnson and Steven Barnes (illustrated by Bryan Christopher Moss) and have a bunch of others on-hold at the library so I may end up reviewing some more graphic novels next week. Are you interested in seeing more little book reviews in HMF? I’m always reading something or other and wouldn’t mind sharing my takes.
Running Into Religion
Random illnesses and lack of time have kept me out of the gym for the past few weeks. I thought about going on Thursday but I decided to take advantage of the weather and ran outside instead. I started slow and eventually reached a slightly faster pace, feeling like I could keep at it for a long time. Then I decided to stop at the bookstore in town which did not make my legs happy! They said: “Keep running, okay. Sudden stops, that’s going to be a dollop of discomfort for you, son.” Alas, the sound of birdsong in the bookshop (Lost Books has fish, birds, and a store cat!) made it all worthwhile.
During my jog, I finished listening to an mp3 version of my library’s virtual event, “Community Care: Libraries & Faith Organizations in Conversations #3 (Putting it Into Practice),” an insightful panel on how various faiths (in this case, Jews and Sikhs) define and serve their (and other) communities ably hosted by reference librarian and friend of the newsletter, Karen Noyes (well done, Karen!). I’ve downloaded and listened to three of the four panels so far and am happy that the LA County Library has decided to engage religious folks in this way. Personally, I find it very fulfilling to learn about how different religions approach service and life in general especially when the representatives of those religions are as articulate and charismatic as the ones who have been featured thus far. Now that I’m done with number three, I need to download and convert episode #4 and stuff it into my phone.
Some readers are probably wondering whether I bought any books before continuing my jog. I didn’t this time, though I did pick up a copy of the Crescenta Valley Weekly (our local paper) which comes out every Thursday. It’s nice to exercise both body and mind, my friends.
Bonus Art
I finally hung our “missed connections” art by Sophie Blackall in the reading corner of our living room. Here’s a photo of a local Sophie lounging (as undoubtedly a teenager would) beneath the art:
I end up in that chair many evenings. I’ve even written HMF from there!
Little book reviews - yes!
Thank you for the kind words. #4 of the series is fantastic. Enjoy.