I am going to post a short blurb about each of the books I've read
this year, mainly to keep track for my own interest. Maybe someone else
will find the quick reviews useful in choosing something new to read, or
starting a discussion. Of course, it's already February, and I've
finished 2 books, but procrastinated on posting them... but I'm catching
up today:
ps - For some reason the pictures of the books that
should be under each title won't load. I'm going to post this anyway,
and assume that you can look the books up on Chapter's or Amazon
yourself if you want more info. Happy Reading! ;)
The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht
Set
in an unnamed Balkan country like the the Czech Republic or something,
the main character is a young female doctor and her relationship with
her grandfather, who is also a doctor. Near the beginning of the story,
the grandfather dies under somewhat mysterious circumstances, and the
young woman sets out to try and understand his life and his death. The
chapters flip back and forth between the present and the past, revealing
a number of events and circumstances that are meant to shed light on
the older man's identity. This is Obreht's first novel (she's only 25!)
and I got the feeling that she was trying hard not to spell things out
too much on the one hand, and to include as many major philosophical
themes as possible on the other. We deal with it all:
mortality/immortality, war/peace, aging, tradition vs. change, science
vs. faith, truth vs. myth, ...the list goes on! All the themes left me
wondering what the author really wanted me to take away from the book. I
also would have appreciated some more clarity on time and place as she
switched between what I think was around WWII, the Balkan war in the
'90s, and the present; and since I don't know much about the Balkan
situation, I never really felt like I had enough information to imagine
myself in the characters' shoes. Over all, I did finish it, and I did
enjoy a lot of the little stories within, but there just wasn't enough
for me to feel like I got the "bigger picture".
Out Of The Deep I Cry, by Julia Spencer-Fleming
I don't usually go for murder-mysteries, but this one was recommended
by a good-friend, so I found myself in the Mystery shelves of Chapter's
hunting for this one. It's part of a series of books about a young,
female Anglican Priest in a small town in New York State. Because of her
unstoppable need to help people, and her friendship with the local
police officer, she evidently finds herself in the middle of all kinds
of sticky situations. This one, for example, starts with a leaky
church-roof and an anti-vaccination protest at the medical clinic, and
leads to the possible solving of the town's longest-open murder case...
with a LOT of soggy twists-and-turns in between! FYI: Water is an
ever-present element in this story. Although it took a long time to get
the meat of the story going, this book is worth a read if you've ever
been in ministry or worked for a church. I was laughing out loud at the
description of the emergency building & property committee meeting!
(yes, I am a church geek). This was an easy read with just enough
references to the main characters' past adventures that I might just
pick up another one of the series sometime when I need a laugh.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sunday, November 25, 2012
What Have You Made Lately? (WHYML)
Welcome to the first of what I hope is a series of posts documenting some of my own experiments in creative expression. I put these pieces in the Good Shepherd Art Studio show and sale this month, and all THREE of the pieces I had for sale went to new homes!!! I have to say, even though I didn't paint any of them with a final outcome in mind (and I definitely didn't think about making something to sell), it felt pretty great to know that other folks liked my work enough to choose to have it in their house. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the Christina Lake Series yet; it might find a place on my own walls, or if may become a Christmas present... ;)
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| The Raven and the Moon Mixed Media - 10"x8" (c)2012 J.Negropontes |
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| The Visitor 6"x8" (c) J.Negropontes 2012 |
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| Christina Lake Series 5"x5" each (c) J.Negropontes 2012 |
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| The Other Side 8"x10" (c) J.Negropontes 2012 |
Saturday, September 29, 2012
New Year's should switch with Labour Day
Fall has been cautious in its arrival this year, with summery sunny days and warmer-than-usual nights for the entire month of September. Yet somehow my inner calendar remembers the season, and I am stepping into the "New Year" feeling that I always have at this time of year.This involves my usual list of thoughts to keep me awake at night, such as: Do I want to go back to school, or just get a new notebook and pen? What fall/winter employment opportunities might be on the horizon? Did I accomplish anything meaningful this year? Will I make (and keep) any "resolutions"? and -most important- How can I manage a trip to somewhere warm this winter?
Well, I'm not sure it's really a resolution, but I do want to try and contribute to my blog more often - even just short updates or a photo with a comment - and most transitions for me involve an intense need to feel organized, hence this new blog address and title. I hope Leonard Cohen doesn't mind me borrowing his song-lyric, but I figure anyone who shares a birthday on the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) must automatically have a special bond.
Another new thing in my life is my furry little roommate:
Morgan is a 6 1/2 year-old Yorkshire Terrier. She is a retired Show-Dog from Sherwood Park, and so far we have been getting along really well! It's an adjustment to go from living alone to sharing space, even if it is only with a 5-pound pooch! One thing I have learned: show-dogs are not taught to "sit" on command, because you always want them standing to show off their perfect proportions to the judges. So that is one of the things we are working on now. I've never worked with a terrier breed before, but so far I concur with the stereotype that they are smart-but-stubborn - she only follows the commands she wants to, even though she knows exactly what I mean. I'm sure
we're in for a few adventures!
As for all the other questions on my "new-year" list, they are going to have to float around my brain for a bit longer.
Take care, JN
Oops! I wrote this post weeks ago, when fall was gentle warm and golden, and didn't post because I needed to upload a photo of Morgan. Suddenly, it's below zero, the ground is white, there's a snowfall warning, and I'm waiting for Morgan to get a haircut... Which means the photo below is now outdated! Think of it as the "before" picture:
Friday, September 7, 2012
5 Reasons Why I LOVE uppercase Magazine
DATE: 03/13/2012 11:09:25 PM
1. The Concept: How could I not pick up and fall in love with something that describes itself as "a magazine for the creative and curious"? It might as well be "a magazine for Jessie"! Each quarterly publication takes a random theme and stretches it like elastic bands in all different directions. The "eye spy" issue (#12) contains articles and photography about mail-art, vintage cameras, carrier pigeons, artist retreats, origami...
2. Local Colour: Uppercase is born and raised in Calgary! Their head office and gallery-space is located in ArtCentral downtown where inspired and hard-working editor, Janine Vangool can often be found doing at least three of the many tasks it takes to produce a magazine, run a small bookshop, raise a family, and generally be a cool person.
3. Global Perspective: Although made in Calgary, there's no worry about being overloaded with stampede-themed designs when reading this mag. Uppercase takes advantage of technology to connect and represent talented artists, designers, craftspeople and collectors from all over the world! Reading it (and the uppercase blog) makes me feel like I am part of a networked community of friends I haven't met - yet!
4. Abecedaries! Abecedary: adj. Pertaining to, or formed by the letters of the alphabet; alphabetic; hence, rudimentary. noun: A primer; the first principle or rudiment of anything. Each issue of Uppercase contains an "abc list" related to the theme in some way; for starters, issue #12's Abecedary of Maps and Map-making includes Alidade, Bench Mark, Cartography, Diapositive and Elevation. For definitions and the rest of the alphabet, see the magazine!
5. Quality: This is too nice to be called a "magazine". The pages are thick, and printing & design are rich. Only 4 issues per year, and each inch of page space is carefully taken advantage of. There are very few ads, and the ones included are beautiful examples of design in themselves. I have been heard saying I'd like to live inside this magazine; I can't wait for the new issue to arrive in my mailbox every few months so I can disappear between its covers for an adventure of inspiration.
I obviously highly recommend that you take a look at, and subscribe to Uppercase as soon as possible! If you access the Uppercase website through this blog, then I get to save up "referral points" that I can cash in on more lovely issues, so PLEASE click here:
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1. The Concept: How could I not pick up and fall in love with something that describes itself as "a magazine for the creative and curious"? It might as well be "a magazine for Jessie"! Each quarterly publication takes a random theme and stretches it like elastic bands in all different directions. The "eye spy" issue (#12) contains articles and photography about mail-art, vintage cameras, carrier pigeons, artist retreats, origami...
2. Local Colour: Uppercase is born and raised in Calgary! Their head office and gallery-space is located in ArtCentral downtown where inspired and hard-working editor, Janine Vangool can often be found doing at least three of the many tasks it takes to produce a magazine, run a small bookshop, raise a family, and generally be a cool person.
3. Global Perspective: Although made in Calgary, there's no worry about being overloaded with stampede-themed designs when reading this mag. Uppercase takes advantage of technology to connect and represent talented artists, designers, craftspeople and collectors from all over the world! Reading it (and the uppercase blog) makes me feel like I am part of a networked community of friends I haven't met - yet!
4. Abecedaries! Abecedary: adj. Pertaining to, or formed by the letters of the alphabet; alphabetic; hence, rudimentary. noun: A primer; the first principle or rudiment of anything. Each issue of Uppercase contains an "abc list" related to the theme in some way; for starters, issue #12's Abecedary of Maps and Map-making includes Alidade, Bench Mark, Cartography, Diapositive and Elevation. For definitions and the rest of the alphabet, see the magazine!
5. Quality: This is too nice to be called a "magazine". The pages are thick, and printing & design are rich. Only 4 issues per year, and each inch of page space is carefully taken advantage of. There are very few ads, and the ones included are beautiful examples of design in themselves. I have been heard saying I'd like to live inside this magazine; I can't wait for the new issue to arrive in my mailbox every few months so I can disappear between its covers for an adventure of inspiration.
I obviously highly recommend that you take a look at, and subscribe to Uppercase as soon as possible! If you access the Uppercase website through this blog, then I get to save up "referral points" that I can cash in on more lovely issues, so PLEASE click here:
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Yes, This is a REAL Pencil...
DATE: 10/22/2011 02:55:46 AM
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Every once in a while I come across something that reminds me that we all have gifts - no matter our circumstance, and we need to follow our passion - no matter how obscure. It is truly what makes the world a beautiful place: Waiting for my ride to the airport in San Francisco last week, I watched a man across the street going about his business dressed in cut-off jeans and a leopard tail; it gave his walk a certain swagger and made me smile. In the airport, I bought an activity kit called "The World's Smallest Postal Service" which contains everything needed to write teeny tiny letters and pack itty bitty parcels (including envelopes and miniature packing material for those fragile items) and I felt a special kinship with the person who could create such a wonderful thing. Her name is Lea Redmond, and she regularly sets up her miniature post office at coffee shops and transcribes tiny letters for passersby. At home, I was reading about folk artists and discovered the work of Dalton Ghetti. This amazing man won't sell any of his work (he even keeps a graveyard of pieces that break in-progress) but plans to donate the entire collection to a museum someday; that is one lucky museum! So tell me, what is it that YOU love to do? are you doing it? and if not, what's stopping you?
More of Dalton's work can be seen at http://www.daltonmghetti.com/index.asp
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More of Dalton's work can be seen at http://www.daltonmghetti.com/index.asp
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People's Poetry
DATE: 08/23/2011 03:23:10 AM
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Driving home from my sister's farm last week, Mom and I were listening to CBC describe the veritable plenty of activities to take in in Calgary on the weekend. All of the items on the "things to do" menu sounded great, but it was exhausting just hearing them rattled off one after another; by the time the radio segment was over, I thought I would probably just stay in (as usual). Yet, as Saturday rolled past, I started thinking how a lot of the events described on the air were various ways of inviting people to participate in the life of their community, and several of them included opportunities to connect with each other through creative activities; so yesterday I dragged myself out the door to enjoy the Sunday sunshine and I am so glad I did! Out of all the choices that lay before me: ReggaeFest, GlobalFest, the People's Poetry Festival, new exhibits at the Glenbow and Art Gallery of Calgary, X-Fest, Bow River Flow, Calgary Wellness Festival, ..., you can guess which one I chose...
The People's Poetry Festival was conceived as a small "let's do it ourselves" event by a couple poet/artists in town. They wanted to showcase the local poetry and spoken word scene, as well as promote the accessibility of poetry. The main goal of the festival is to send the message that, "poetry is not something mysterious to be left for English majors and sophisticates. It builds on the understanding that poetry is simply a creative use of words to express ourselves with the potential of connection to other people and building community." Thanks to some generous sponsors for providing supplies and venues, and the Calgary's ubiquitous "volunteer spirit" it was free!
The event lasted for 3 days, and included opportunities to read, write, watch, hear, paint, speak and think about the beauty, fun and potential of words. In the short hour-and-a-half that I was there, I experienced the familar shopping district in a totally new way: I read offbeat poems scrawled on alley walls, pinned a haiku to a poeTREE, added to a poem someone started on a vintage typewriter, spied some folks comfortably "silent reading" on a sidewalk-couch, perused "the People's Journal", and collaged one of my favourite words (GAZEBO) on a wall. I was struck by the diversity of ways people participated: some dove right in, some watched from a distance with puzzled expressions, some asked many questions, and some timidly made their mark; a variety of ages, cultures, and ethnicities played along, and everyone I saw was having a great time!
On my way home, I realized this is EXACTLY the kind of thing I want this blog to be about and I am kicking myself for not seeing more, taking photos, and writing things down. I asked if it was going to become an annual event, and the organizer said "It started as this small little idea, and it just sort of took off! I hope somebody takes it on next year!" I hope so too. - jn
DATE: 08/23/2011 04:37:54 AM
The People's Poetry Festival website can be found at http://peoplespoetryfestival.com
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Driving home from my sister's farm last week, Mom and I were listening to CBC describe the veritable plenty of activities to take in in Calgary on the weekend. All of the items on the "things to do" menu sounded great, but it was exhausting just hearing them rattled off one after another; by the time the radio segment was over, I thought I would probably just stay in (as usual). Yet, as Saturday rolled past, I started thinking how a lot of the events described on the air were various ways of inviting people to participate in the life of their community, and several of them included opportunities to connect with each other through creative activities; so yesterday I dragged myself out the door to enjoy the Sunday sunshine and I am so glad I did! Out of all the choices that lay before me: ReggaeFest, GlobalFest, the People's Poetry Festival, new exhibits at the Glenbow and Art Gallery of Calgary, X-Fest, Bow River Flow, Calgary Wellness Festival, ..., you can guess which one I chose...
The People's Poetry Festival was conceived as a small "let's do it ourselves" event by a couple poet/artists in town. They wanted to showcase the local poetry and spoken word scene, as well as promote the accessibility of poetry. The main goal of the festival is to send the message that, "poetry is not something mysterious to be left for English majors and sophisticates. It builds on the understanding that poetry is simply a creative use of words to express ourselves with the potential of connection to other people and building community." Thanks to some generous sponsors for providing supplies and venues, and the Calgary's ubiquitous "volunteer spirit" it was free!
The event lasted for 3 days, and included opportunities to read, write, watch, hear, paint, speak and think about the beauty, fun and potential of words. In the short hour-and-a-half that I was there, I experienced the familar shopping district in a totally new way: I read offbeat poems scrawled on alley walls, pinned a haiku to a poeTREE, added to a poem someone started on a vintage typewriter, spied some folks comfortably "silent reading" on a sidewalk-couch, perused "the People's Journal", and collaged one of my favourite words (GAZEBO) on a wall. I was struck by the diversity of ways people participated: some dove right in, some watched from a distance with puzzled expressions, some asked many questions, and some timidly made their mark; a variety of ages, cultures, and ethnicities played along, and everyone I saw was having a great time!
On my way home, I realized this is EXACTLY the kind of thing I want this blog to be about and I am kicking myself for not seeing more, taking photos, and writing things down. I asked if it was going to become an annual event, and the organizer said "It started as this small little idea, and it just sort of took off! I hope somebody takes it on next year!" I hope so too. - jn
DATE: 08/23/2011 04:37:54 AM
The People's Poetry Festival website can be found at http://peoplespoetryfestival.com
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