Books

Activist Arts

February 24, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

[su_quote cite=”John F. Kennedy “]If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him… We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.[/su_quote]

[su_dropcap]T[/su_dropcap]hroughout history, art has been created by people for many different reasons and purposes, both non-motivated (no specific-purpose other than a basic human instinct to create) and motivated (e.g., the artist intends to communicate a specific emotion, comment on an aspect of society, or bring about political or cultural change), and works of art have often been controversial for a variety of reasons, provoking intense debate, criticism and indignation as well as influencing new ideas and shifts in prevailing sentiment.

An art movement is art with a specific common goal among a group of artists for a certain period of time (months, years or decades). There have been many diverse art movements during the 19^th and 20^th centuries, their meanings and objectives explained by the artists involved in the movement or art critics and historians.

In the US, the ‘60s were years of social unrest and cultural change, and contemporary artists responded to the turmoil and addressed the issues by producing creative works of activism. The Black Arts Movement (1965-75), aka Black Aesthetics Movement or BAM, emerged when a group of African American artists were inspired by the Black Power movement to create expressive works of poetry, novels, visual arts, and theater that reflected pride in black history and culture and explored the African American experience as a means of arousing black consciousness. Although it began in New York, BAM spread across the country and influenced a generation of artists.

In Southern California, the Black Arts Movement generated new forms of artistic and cultural expression and the development of community-based arts organizations in an effort to end discrimination in entertainment industries and focus attention on the conditions within black working class neighborhoods.

In her book South of Pico*, MacArthur winner and Columbia University professor Kellie Jones explores how artists in Los Angeles black communities during the 1960s and 1970s created a vibrant, engaged activist arts scene amidst racism and social upheaval. Building on her research and work on the Hammer Museum exhibition Now Dig This! Art and Black Los Angeles, 1960–1980, Dr. Jones, along with a discussion panel including UCLA professor Robin D.G. Kelly, will expand your understanding of the history of black arts in Los Angeles and beyond. If you missed the live broadcast of this event, there’s still time to watch a video recording. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the post located on the video player below ↓

Creative Perspectives – artists reveal thoughts and feelings about their work and living a creative life in this On2In2™ video collection, available to watch free & on-demand.

Find out how you can help with art history research right from home, and discover the life of an artist using a very cool, free to
use online tool “AnnoTate”

Information/Resources:

Political Change from the 1960’s to Now: Connections Between Arts and Activist Movements by Andrea Assuf (The Public Humanist, Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, October 30, 2009)
On Black Aesthetics: The Black Arts Movement by Candice Frederick (New York Public Library, July 15, 2016)
The Black Arts Movement (blacklist.org)
Witness: Art and Civil Rights in the Sixties (Brooklyn Museum)
Wikipedia (Art and Art movement)

*Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via the link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this post, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy.

Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay CC0

Legendary Lovers

February 1, 2020 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

“If two people love each other, there can be no happy end to it.” — Ernest Hemingway

Love is an emotion…. a powerful emotion that creates in the human mind a longing and psychological dependence on a romantic partner. And, great loves make great reading. Here’s a list of Zola’s all-time favorites. All non-fiction.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton lived very public, extravagant lives (Hollywood glitz, glamour and scandal), but Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, provides more to the story of these lustful lovers with an intimate look at the obsessions, conflict, and heartache in their tumultuous private lives and a view of the players and deals involved in the business of movie-making. When I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down.

I first got interested in the DiMaggio – Monroe love story after reading Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life by Richard Ben Cramer. It was a ‘true love’ marriage of a sports icon and Hollywood super-star, but not so surprisingly, it was ill-fated. In fact, they were tragically mismatch, and the relationship became volatile and abusive. Joe and Marilyn: Legends in Love by C. David Heymann fills in the details.

The 40 year marriage of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt was controversial because it seemed so out of the norm at the time, leading to much speculation about their relationship with one another and others. It was certainly complicated, and filled with tragedy, turmoil, and betrayal as well as devotion and commitment. Doris Kearns Goodwin recounts the Roosevelt presidency during the war years (1940-45) through the telling of their intriguing personal story in No Ordinary Time (Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II).

King Henry VIII’s love letters to Anne Boleyn are a fascinating read. Written in the years 1527-29, Henry professes his love and devotion to Anne beautifully, but the drama is in the knowing that by the year 1536, Henry had found a new mistress and Anne was beheaded. You can read the letters (including historical notes) online, free → HERE

Much has been written about these scandalous lovers, and it’s never enough. King Edward VIII’s love affair with the married American, Wallis Simpson, and his subsequent abdication in 1936 changed the course of history. Start with The Windsor Story by Charles J.V. Murphy/J. Bryan III and Wallis and Edward: Letters (1931- 1937), then move on and find more to the story. [A couple of these books were first published 25+ years ago, so you might have some luck finding them at your local, public library]

You’ve probably never heard of Sara and Gerald Murphy. I hadn’t when I picked up Everybody Was So Young (Gerald and Sara Murphy, A Lost Generation Love Story) by Amanda Vaill, but was immediately fascinated with the story of their love and friendships with artists and writers (including Hemingway, Fitzgerald & Picasso) while living in Paris and the French Riviera during the 1920’s. It seemed the party would never end, but it did, and the Murphy’s were forever changed after enduring the sufferings of great loss and facing financial trouble during the Depression.

Do you have a book recommendation to share with us? We’d love to hear from you! First, join our community of playmakers by registering via the ‘Engage page’, and let us know what you’re reading. Don’t worry, it’s FREE & and easy. Unless you’re a robot.

Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via a link to Amazon within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Feature photo is edited image provided by Josh Felise/Unspash CC0

Love Conquers All

January 27, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Love conquers all things; yield we too to love! —Virgil, Eclogue X, line 69

Resolved am I
In the woods, rather, with wild beasts to couch,
And bear my doom, and character my love
Upon the tender tree-trunks: they will grow,
And you, my love, grow with them. (excerpt, Eclogue X, Gallus)

Considered one of Rome’s greatest poets, Publius Vergilius Maro (aka ‘Virgil’) (70 -19BC) wrote three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: Eclogues (also called ‘Bucolics’), Georgics, and the Aeneid.

The first, Eclogues (a Greek word for “selections”), is a group of ten poems featuring a mix of visionary politics and eroticism that made Virgil a celebrity and legend in his own lifetime.

In Eclogue X (Gallus), Virgil creates a myth using the impassioned voice of his friend, the poet Gallus, imagined dying of love in Arcadia, celebrated in Roman times as an unspoiled, harmonious wilderness and the home of Pan, Greek god of nature, the wild, shepherds, flocks, of mountain wilds.

♥ Go to Project Gutenberg for English translation of Virgil’s Eclogues (Free to Read)

Take a look at the On2In2™ article Contemporary Poetry. You’ll find both live and recorded readings featuring unique and inspiring literary voices of today.

Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

Hallelujah

December 16, 2019 By Zola Zeester

“Many different hallelujahs exist.” — Leonard Cohen (1934 – 2016)

It was a cold, early December day walking the streets of the Strasbourg Christmas Markets when my friends and I stumbled upon the 2,000 year old St. Thomas Church and decided to take a look inside. The interior was stunningly beautiful, welcoming and warm, and stagehands were busy setting up while a small choir began rehearsing. We decided to take a seat in the pews and watch. Then, a lovely performance of Hallelujah filled the church and touched us all with its powerful message.

Written by Canadian singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen, after years of torturous writing sessions and 80 draft versions, Hallelujah has been covered and performed by over 300 singers since its first release in 1984 on Cohen’s album Various Positions, using a mix of different lyrics and a variety of interpretations and tones ranging from the melancholic, inspirational to joyous. [Recommended reading: The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah”]* Here are just two of the 300+ versions, both with the power to inspire and move you to tears.

Information/Resources:

St. Thomas Church Strasbourg Église Saint-Thomas (nicknamed the ‘Protestant Cathedral’ and ‘Die Late Dame’ (the Old Lady) is a historical building in Strasbourg, France, and has been the city’s primary Lutheran church since the Strasbourg Cathedral became Catholic after annexation of the city by France in 1681. St. Thomas today is an impressive example of Alsatian Gothic architecture, and contains the Maréchal de Saxe, a masterpiece of 18th-century baroque funerary art.

Hallelujah – BBC Radio Soul Music – Series 20, a music and lyrical analysis (April 14, 2015), artists tell their personal stories of the song’s affect on their lives

The word ‘hallelujah’ is used in both Jewish and Christian prayer, and often spoken in modern English to express happiness that a thing hoped or waited for has happened.

*Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book or music purchase you make via the links within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Feature photo is courtesy of Zac Durant/Unsplash CC0

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this article, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

A Thousand Sparks

December 8, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

“If you watch a thousand sparks cascading,
They’re all wee thoughts,
or possibilities,
or ideas;
And, if you could think like that……….”

Robert Fullerton

At 13 years old, his formal education ended, and at 17, he started working at a shipyard in Govan, Scotland. An early start to a life of grueling labor, but Robert Fullerton looked through the reflecting glass visor of his welding helmet and found inspiration in the spirit of the shipyard.

In the video documentary, “Mining Poems or Odes” from the Scottish Documentary Institute (produced by Jack Cocker, directed by Jack Cocker), Robert Fullerton reveals how he learned to write, his creative process, and ‘tools of the trade’.

Robert Fullerton’s story reminds us that sparks of inspiration are everywhere, and the real magic is in a book. His passion for books and writing began when his workmate and mentor, Archie, gave him a copy of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists* by Robert Tressell**, the pen name of author Robert Noonan (1870-1911), an Irish-born house painter.

The novel is set in the fictional town of Mugsborough, and based on Noonan’s personal experiences of poverty and exploitation and his views on the relationship between working-class people and their employers, the gross injustice and inequalities of society, and workers’ acceptance of the status quo. Out of work and ill, Noonan was in dire straits during the writing, and there are traces of the anger and bitterness he was feeling in the Ragged story, along with compassion and a sense of humor.

Widely regarded a classic of modern British literature and ranked as a ‘best loved’ novel in a 2003 BBC survey, the completed manuscript originally called, The Ragged Arsed Philanthropists, was rejected by three publishing houses before Noonan died in 1911 at age 40. His daughter was able to sell the book rights to a publisher for £25, and an edited version (with most of the socialist ideology cut out) was published in 1914. Forty years later, Robert Noonan’s original manuscript was found, and the unabridged edition was published in 1955.

*Editor’s Note: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is available to read free in ebook form or online, and is also free to download and print, courtesy of Project Gutenberg. The volunteer organization founded in 1971 by American Michael S. Hart (1947-2011), inventor of the ebook, has created a digital library offering over 53,000 ebooks of literary works in the public domain that can be accessed, read, downloaded and printed—all free of charge.

Information/Resources:
Wikipedia: Robert Tressell, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Govan, Project Gutenberg, Michael S. Hart
“Welder Turned Poet….”, The Daily Record (February 14, 2016)

The historical works created during times of social unrest and cultural change continue to inspire today Activist Arts

There’s more inspiration here→ Watch: Creative Perspectives,
an On2In2™ collection of short videos

Feature photo of welder is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels, CC0

**Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via the link to this Robert Noonan biography “One of the Damned: The Life & Times of Robert Tressell” by F.C. Ball. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Cookie Crunch

November 8, 2019 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

Traditions of cookie decorating can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and got a start in North America during the 17^th century with the introduction of cookie cutters, molds and holiday decorating by Dutch and German settlers. About 200 years later, decorating cookies for Christmas gained popularity in America as more German-imported cookie cutters became available and cookbooks featured cookies cut in holiday inspired shapes sparked creativity in home kitchens. Today, the popularity of cookie decorating continues to grow during holidays throughout the world with all sorts of creations.

This holiday season, Zandy R (@pillbug) has been working on a cookie cookbook and experimenting with different iced cookie recipes and techniques (sugar cookie cut-outs decorated with royal icing). You can do it, too. Here are her cookie decorating tips:

• Use your favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipes, try something new or go nostalgic with a family recipe. Find Zandy R’s (@pillbug) absolute favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipes here → Roll & Cut Sugar Cookies. If this is your first cookie decorating adventure, best to do a little research before starting. The Complete Photo Guide to Cookie Decorating by Autumn Carpenter

• It helps (a lot) to have the right equipment. To decorate cookies with royal icing, you’ll need piping bags and/or squeeze bottles (a bunch, if using different colors) and a small offset spatula or rounded butter knife (to help spread the icing). Also, toothpicks come in handy for tiny, precision work.

See Zandy’s favorite cookie baking tools below. The stainless steel rolling pin eliminates the sticky dough problem by keeping the dough cool, the battery-powered sifter is genius, the 4-tier cooling rack is a great space saver during mega cookie baking projects, and the Kitchen Aid mixer—well, that’s really a dream machine. For more information on any item, click/tap on the photo within the in the ad, and there’s a search box to help you find anything else your heart desires.

• Roll out cookie dough with a chilled rolling pin to avoid sticking. Have fun cutting out a variety of cookie shapes Holiday Cookie Cutters

• After cookies are baked and cooled, keep at least overnight (loosely covered with a sheet of parchment paper) before decorating.

• If using royal icing (as Zandy R did for her cookies), there are no quick short-cuts. Let each application dry before applying the next one. Check out Betty Crocker’s advice for decorating cookies with icing ⇒ here

• It’s a creative process of experimentation and experience, and that takes time and patience. Don’t be afraid to try different techniques and colors because you’ll get better and better the more you decorate.

• When something goes wrong and you totally mess up a cookie, eat it immediately.

This page includes affiliate links to a shop website. If you purchase a product or service directly through the link, Zeester Media LLC may earn a small commission. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Decorate Valentine Day cookies with these helpful tips

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It's fun to bake and decorate holiday cookies with these On2In2™ recipes and tips.

Cookie decorating for Thanksgiving holiday

Feature photo courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

The Good Life

September 22, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Life certainly has its up and downs. How do we make the best of it?

That’s the million dollar question we’ve all asked ourselves one time or another, and there’s plenty of ‘how to’ advice out there: Be a success, Get a better job, Make more money, Start exercising more, Eat healthy, Find your passion, Find purpose, making the solution seem like a long list of aspirations. But, we all discover sooner or later there is no quick fix, and personal or professional accomplishments do not necessarily result in health and happiness. So, what’s the answer? Let’s explore.

Family, Friends and Community

Robert Waldinger is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priest, and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest continuing study on adult life and happiness. A valuable lesson emerged from the 75 years of study — Good relationships with family, friends and community keep us healthier and happier, and it’s the quality, not quantity, of the relationships that matter most.

Information/Resources:
Robert Waldinger Ted Talk, courtesy of TED, CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International
Robert Waldinger website (updated Harvard study findings and insights)
Feature photo is courtesy of Derek Thomson/Unsplash CC0

Live in the Moment

When I met Fernando, I was trying to find my way through grief and upheaval, and struggling with what to do next. I’d been told he had been very ill, suffering a heart attack while being treated for cancer, and he was still recovering when he sat next to me at a hair salon. The first thing I noticed was his gaunt appearance, but then it was the look in his eyes — a joyful peace, and I remember thinking ‘this guy has been hit hard, but he somehow manages to look like the happiest person in the room’. I wanted to know how he did it. What’s his secret? During our talk, Fernando asked me, “Have you ever read ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle?” When I said no (I hadn’t even heard of it), he told me, “It will change your life”. I didn’t believe that, but I got the book anyway and discovered he was right.

In The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle speaks to the topic of personal happiness in a question and answer format, and recommends methods for living in the moment without troubling thoughts of past regrets and worries about the future. The book was first published in the late 1990’s, and remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for years afterward. Some people find the book hard to read, and get more from listening to the audio book. *[Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via the links on this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.]

Laugh Without Reason

Laughter has great short-term as well as long-term effects on both the mind and body that can make you feel happier in some amazing ways.

Stimulates heart, lungs and muscles, and increases endorphins (pain relieving, hormone-like substances that are produced and released by your brain)
Increases circulation and helps muscle relaxation
Releases neuropeptides (protein-like molecules) that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses

Go ahead – Give it a try. Watch the Comedy: People & Phones channel, an On2In2™ collection of short videos about the use/misuse of phones – always good for a laugh.

Martin, a dog with some issues, makes everybody laugh as he tells his story in the comedy ‘mockumentary’ series “Downward Dog”. Watch it here → Dog Speak

Information/Resources: Stress Relief From Laughter? It’s No Joke, Mayo Clinic (April 21, 2016)

Connect to Nature

There’s an enduring belief among many cultures that being outdoors and viewing nature are good for mind and body. But, what to do when you’re trapped indoors?

Research has shown just looking at trees from a window can lighten a hospital patient’s recovery time after surgery, and a study conducted by BBC Earth and the University of California-Berkley revealed that viewing nature in images and video footage triggers a feel good response in people. As a result of these findings, the free-to-watch & share ⇒ Planet Earth video series was produced by BBC Earth. The series consists of 40 hours of visual soundscapes taken from footage filmed by the BBC Planet Earth II camera teams while on location. No commentary on these videos, only breathtaking sights and sounds of nature: Island Sounds, Mountain Sounds, Jungle Sounds, and Desert Sounds.

Information/Resources: View Through a Window May Influence Recovery From Surgery by R.S. Ulrich, The Center For Health Design (1984)

There’s more nature to see on the Natural Beauty video channel, an On2In2™ collection of favorite short videos. Amazing views of the extraordinary and Free to Watch, On-Demand

It’s Never Too Late

“For what it’s worth: It’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

Benjamin Button’s letter to his daughter
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008 film)
Story/Screenplay by Eric Roth & Robin Swicord
Based on short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Eat without gluttony, drink without getting drunk, love without jealousy, and occasionally, with great discretion, misbehave.”*

*Lessons Learned on the Quest for a Longer, Happier Life by Dan Buettner, The Aspen Institute – Global Health (June 1, 2018) Start with making small changes to downshift through each day – Take more vacation, do not check emails after work hours, eat dinner with family and friends at a table without any distractions, go on a long walk with a friend over your lunch break.

Feature photo is courtesy of Derek Thomson/Unsplash CC0

Birds of America

September 19, 2019 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Some time around 1820, French-American artist and naturalist, John James Audubon (1785-1851) started work on a personal project to paint every bird species located in North America, using unique methods and materials as well as extensive field observations. It was a tremendously challenging and costly endeavor, and many doubted Audubon’s ability to pull it off. In fact, the idea would seem a little wild & crazy even today with 21st century technology. But, Audubon was no ordinary guy. He was also totally committed to finding and illustrating every bird in North America for publication, working more than 15 years toward his goal and raising cash by teaching, selling art works, taking oil painting commissions, hunting and selling animal skins, and conducting exhibitions and demonstrations.

How to view and download John Audubon's extraordinarily beautiful illustrations in The Birds of America. — Common American Swan (The Birds of America, plate 411) is courtesy of the National Audubon Society, John James Audubon Center and Montgomery County Audubon Collection

The result of Audubon’s work is The Birds of America, first published in England as a series of 87 sets of prints between the years 1827 and 1838. Now considered to be the greatest study of birds in history as well as one of the greatest examples of book art, the original publication included 435 hand-colored, life-sized prints of North American birds on handmade paper that were produced from copperplate etchings and engravings with water-coloring applied by assembly-line colorists. An accompanying text (‘Ornithological Biography’) was written by Audubon and the Scottish ornithologist William MacGillvray and published separately in five volumes (1831-1839).

The cost of printing the first edition of The Birds of America was an amount equivalent to more than $2 million US dollars in today’s money. Audubon financed the massive print project with pre-paid subscriptions, but only the wealthy could afford the subscription price which limited the publication to no more than 200 complete sets. Consequently, more affordable editions were later produced using lithography and published during the mid-19^th century.

“The Birds of America’ will then raise in value as much as they are now depreciated by certain fools and envious persons.” — John James Audubon

Almost two centuries later, Audubon’s bird art is still captivating and revered among birders and art collectors, and his influence on ornithology and natural history has been widespread and enduring as The Birds of America and Ornithological Biography significantly contributed to the understanding of bird anatomy and behavior. Watching the short video, ‘Audubon’s Birds of America’ from the Lost Birds Project, you’ll get a sense of the massive beauty of these works of art as David W. Carson, curator of the History of Science Collection at Cornell University, conducts a private viewing of The Birds of America.

Six of the birds illustrated by John Audubon in The Birds of America are now extinct, and many more are endangered. Also — According to a recent study, North America has lost more than a quarter of its entire bird population during the past 50 years. [North America Has Lost 3 Billion Birds, Scientist Say by Nell Greefieldboyce (NPR, September 19, 2019)] ⇒⇒ Learn how you can help by visiting the National Audubon Society’s Action Center.

A copy of the complete The Birds of America series is available FREE of charge for viewing and high-resolution downloading via ⇒⇒ the National Audubon Society’s digital library, courtesy of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Audubon, Pennsylvania and the Montgomery County Audubon Collection. Be sure to check it out, and let John Audubon inspire your own creative work.

Audubon’s personal copy of The Birds of America is held within the Stark Museum of Art Rare Books & Manuscripts Collections in Orange, Texas. An original, complete series is on public display (one page is turned each week) in the Audubon Room of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. It was purchased by the university in 1839 for the astonishing price of $970 (equivalent to approximately $80,000 today). Undoubtedly, a wise investment. In December 2010, a complete first edition from a private collection was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in London for US$ 11.5 million (a record breaking auction price).

Other permanent public display locations: Trinity College (Watkinson Library) in Hartford, Connecticut; University of Pittsburg (Hillman Library); Liverpool Central Library; Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, Vermont; and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (Ewell Sale Stewart Library) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Look around– there are surely more opportunities for viewing a first edition as there are currently 107 held by institutions, and many periodically offer special exhibits.

Information/Resources:
The Life of John James Audubon: The Naturalist (1869) [FREE ebook] The primary source material for this biography was Audubon’s notes and journals, written/edited by Lucy Green Bakewell Audubon and Robert Williams Buchanan. The JJ Audubon image is an engraving by H.B. Hall based on a portrait by Henry Inman that appears in the book.
John James Audubon – The Making of an American (2004) by Richard Rhodes*
Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ at Yale: Creating a masterwork one feather at a time. Article by Mike Cummings, Yale News, June 30, 2015
“Ornithological Biography” or an Account of the Habits of the Birds of the United States of America Vol 4, (1838) by John James Audubon [FREE ebook].
Featured photo of Columbian Hummingbirds is from plate 425 of The Birds of America
Wikipedia: The Birds of America

If you just can’t get enough about birds, there’s more here ⇒ Bird ID Challenge (test your birding skills); Birdsong Melody (the music and magic of the mockingbird); The California Brown Pelican; and Fast and Fearless (the Hummingbird).

Audubon was the first, but there’s a new illustration of birds to get excited about! The Wall of Birds* tells the remarkable story of artist Jane Kim’s 2,500 square-foot mural celebrating the diversity and evolution of birds at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It took her 2 1/2 years to create the one-of-a-kind, life-size mural showcasing all 243 modern families of birds, and the book “is a visual feast, essential for those who love art, birds, and our natural world”.

*Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via a link to Amazon within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

The Last Bookstore

September 6, 2019 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Josh Spencer, owner/operator of “The Last Bookstore” in downtown Los Angeles, has achieved a lot in his life. His story, however, is about more than books and the business of book selling. It’s also about personal challenges, changing lives, facing failure, and finding the courage to overcome great adversity. Yes, all that in an 11½ minute video! A gripping reminder that success in business and life requires the ability to “re-adjust” to dire circumstances.

Despite closures of mega bookstore chains as well as small independents and the rise of eBooks and online shopping, Josh was able to develop his passion for books into a successful business buying, selling, and trading books from a brick and mortar retail space. Since 2005, The Last Bookstore has become the largest book and record store in California and one of the largest independent bookstores in the world. There are over 250,000 new and used books on two floors, including an art & rare book annex, and tens of thousands of vinyl records and graphic novels. Most importantly, Josh enjoys the work (not easy to sort and organize thousands of books every day), and he’s created a unique place for the printed word to thrive and book lovers to explore.

“I think books are going to become sort of like vinyl is now: the province of people who appreciate things that are well made, appreciate craft in graphics and creativity they can feel.” — Josh Spencer

Despite predictions of the inevitable death of independent bookstores, many are alive and doing quite well. The bookstore scene around the world is mixed, but they’re still treasured in communities, and in a number of European countries, independent counts have remained consistent in the last decade. For example, France, where laws protect against predatory pricing, bookstores in Paris can be found just about every other city block, including the famous English-language shop “Shakespeare and Company”, open 7 days a week.

Like most of us, filmmaker Max Joseph just couldn’t seem to find enough time to read a book, and visiting a book store created a lot of anxiety for him because the shelves full of books were a reminder of all the books he hadn’t, and probably never would, read. So, he decided to make a video documentary about it (‘Book Stores’), and found inspiration while talking to expert readers and visiting some of the most beautiful book stores in the world.

Inspired to browse a local bookstore?

Use Indie Bookstore Finder to locate US independent bookstores in your area

In the UK, try the search tools at Local Bookshops

Find a bookshop in Australia via the Australian Booksellers Association online search

If you find yourself wandering the streets of an unfamiliar place, look for these unique bookstores:

Powys, Wales, Hay-on-Wye (small village on the border between England and Wales is “world renowned for books and bookshops”)

Porto, Portugal, Livraria Lello (a beautiful bookstore with a long history)

Mumbai, India, Trilogy

Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand, Unity Books

Buenos Aires, Argentina, El Ateneo Grand Splendid (Early 20th century theater, turned bookshop, and one of the most beautiful book shops in the world)

Venice, Italy – Libreria Acqua Alta (The “high water bookshop” you must see to believe)

Milan, Italy – Corso Como (a mix of art, architecture and fashion)

Lisbon, Portugal – Ler Devagar (a large space located in former printing shop, LX Factory)

Budapest, Hungary – Massolit

Mexico City, Mexico – El Pendulo

Books For Love – Zola’s all-time favorite love stories are full of lust, scandal, heartbreak, betrayal, and tragedy

You’ll find more inspiration from the stories told by this diverse group of pathfinders on the video bio-documentary channel “Life Inspired“, an On2In2™ special collection of short videos.

Bookstore photo, courtesy of Glen Noble/Unsplash

Rowing Regatta LIVE

August 16, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

The competitive sport of rowing (‘crew’ in the US) is one of the oldest Olympic sports, and has a history dating back to early 10th century when races were held between professional watermen on the River Thames in London. At the end of the 18th century, amateur competition began with the organization of “boat clubs” at British public schools and universities. Inter-colonial racing began in Australia in 1833 when a Sydney crew raced against a Hobart crew in whalers. The first rowing club in the US was the Detroit Boat Club, founded in 1839, and the first American college rowing club was formed in 1843 at Yale University. Rowing in New Zealand has been a competitive sport since the 1850’s.

Competitive rowing events are divided into two disciplines: sweep rowing and sculling.

Rowers with two oars, one in each hand, are called ‘scullers’. There are three sculling events: the single – 1x (one person), the double – 2x (two), and the quad – 4x (four).

Rowers with just one oar are ‘sweep rowers’. Sweep boats sometimes include a ‘coxswain’ to steer the boat, and those without, are steered by one of the rowers moving the rudder with a foot. Sweep rowers come in pairs with a coxswain (2+) and without (2-), fours with a coxswain (4+) and without (4-), and the eight (8+) always have a coxswain. The eight is the fastest boat on the water, capable of moving almost 14 miles per hour.

When watching a race and the graceful rowing of the competitors, many of us don’t see the physical and mental demands of the sport. A 2,000-meter (approx 1.25 miles) rowing race, demands extraordinary athletic capabilities: “aerobic ability, technical talent, exceptional mental discipline, ability to utilize oxygen efficiently and in huge amounts, balance, pain tolerance, and the ability to continue to work when the body is demanding that you stop.” (US Rowing) Just try it sometime, and you’ll understand soon enough what it takes.

RACE WATCHING – What To Look For

While you’re watching, look for a continuous, fluid motion of the rowers, with no discernible end or beginning. The crew making it look easy will likely be the winner of the race.
Synchronization. Rowers strive for perfect synchronization in the boat.
Clean catches of the oarblade. If you see a lot of splash, the oarblades aren’t entering the water correctly. The ‘catch’ (oarblade is placed in water) should happen at the end of the recovery, when the hands are as far ahead of the rower as possible. Rowers who uncoil before they drop the oarblades do not get a complete drive, and that sacrifices speed.
Even oarblade feathering. When the blades are brought out of the water, they should all move horizontally close to the water and at the same height. It’s not easy, especially if the water is rough.
The most consistent speed. Shells are slowest at the catch (when oarblade is placed in the water) , quickest at the release (when oarblade is removed from water). Good crews time the catch at exactly the right moment to maintain speed.

RACE WATCHING TIPS

Race times vary depending upon the course and weather conditions. Tailwinds will improve times, while headwinds and crosswinds will slow down a boat.
If a crew “catches a crab,” it means the oarblade has entered the water at an angle instead of perpendicularly. The oarblade gets caught under the surface and will slow or even stop a shell.
A “Power 10” is a call by the coxswain for 10 of the crew’s best, most powerful strokes. Good coxswains read the course to know how many strokes remain for their crew to count down to the finish.
Crews are identified by their oarblade design. The USA blades are red on top and blue on the bottom, with a white triangle at the tip. List of national team oars
It doesn’t matter whether you’ve won an Olympic medal or don’t make the finals, each and every crew carries the boat back to the rack.
A worldwide tradition – coxswains from first-place boats are thrown into the water by their crews.
Coxswains don’t yell out “stroke! stroke!”, and probably never did. Their job is to steer the boat, implement the coach’s strategy during the race, and keep rowers aware of where they stand in the race and what they need to do to win.

Information/Resources:
Viewers Guide, US Rowing
Rowing 101, US Rowing (quick facts, glossary of terms, fundamentals, and equipment)
International Rowing Rule Book, World Rowing Federation (‘FISA’ from the French, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron), governing body of the international sport of rowing
Rowing development projects and Training Camps, FISA website
Find a rowing club in US, (search tool and club information)
Rowing New Zealand, The New Zealand Rowing Association
Rowing Ireland (formerly Irish Amateur Rowing Union) is the governing body of rowing in Ireland. There are more than 100 affiliated clubs.

⇒ ⇒ Recommended Reading: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown – It’s the poignant story of personal and physical struggles faced by a University of Washington eight-oared crew during the Depression, and triumph as the team made it to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Regardless of your experience or interest in rowing, it’s a compelling read and Zola favorite. Sure to inspire as well as give you some history and understanding of the commitment required in the sport of competitive rowing. [Editor’s Note: Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for the purchase of a book made via the Amazon link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.]

WATCH LIVE & FREE On2In2™

Coastal rowing in Ireland is something you’ll see along coastlines as well as on some lakes. Equipment varies from area to area, from traditional boats which have been used for centuries to specifically designed racing boats. Crews race over different distances depending on the event. The Irish Coastal Rowing Federation Ltd. is the governing body of coastal rowing in Ireland, and there are seven affiliated associations.

If you missed the 2019 All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the racing competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below.

Southern California teams competed in the beautiful Newport Harbour at the 54th Annual Newport Regatta on Sunday, March 24, 2019. If you missed the live stream broadcast of the event, there’s still time to watch a video recording. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓

If you missed the big season opener on March 2 as teams from UC Irvine, Berkeley, Davis, UCLA, San Diego and Santa Barbara competed at the 2019 UC Challenge Cup, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the races. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓

First organized in 1965, the Head Of The Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR, is a rowing head race* held each October on the Charles River, separating Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it’s the largest 2-day regatta in the world, with 11,000 athletes rowing in over 1,900 boats in 61 events.

A *head race is a time-trial competition in the sport of rowing. Rowers race against the clock where the crew or rower completing the course in the shortest time in their age, ability and boat-class category is deemed the winner.

The challenging 3-mile course (4,800 meters) of the HOCR starts at Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse near the Charles River Basin and finishes just after the Eliot Bridge and before Northeastern University’s Henderson Boathouse.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2018 HOCR, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the races. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts on the media player below ↓

Watch as 8 paddlers set out to break the rafting speed record through the Grand Canyon on the wild and dangerous Colorado River in The Time Travelers video

Feature sculling race photo, by Flickr user, Annie C, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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Rowing Regatta LIVE

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