Thought I'd chime in, since Melanie pleaded. ;)
First: Erik, I LOVE the bookshelf-stairs. What a neat idea. Also, props on citing Neil Postman as a "favorite modern social critic-observer." Have you read "Amusing Ourselves to Death"? I just finished this a few months back, and it's a wonderful(ly depressing) book about the shift in epistemology that comes from TV. In other words, the book is playing exactly into my personal beliefs. I highly recommend it.
In somewhat related news, M. and I are embarking on one of our periodic "media fasts." We're not watching any TV or movies in September. Unsurprisingly, this frees up a lot of time. What shall we do? Cook, play guitar/piano, write letters, and of course, read. Oh, the places you'll go!
Secondly, in response to Melanie's favorite contemporary artist, I thought I'd mention my own: Jessica Drenk (http://jessicadrenk.com/). I would encourage you to go check out her galleries. I especially like the "Reading our Remains" section. Here's an example:
M. and I have two of her more modern pieces, as well as an older painting. (One minor factor in this is that she's been my best friend since we were four, but that doesn't stop the art from being fabulous.)
1 comment:
Thanks for the post, Norah!
I like your friend's artwork.
As for NP, in addition to his insights on society and culture (media and the culture of mind in particular), I very much like his companionable writing style. He's as great for a sunny afternoon read as your typical beach novel. My only complaint is that his criticisms of science's limitations are naive and shopworn. (Though I do think science does need to be kept from getting "too big for its britches" -- in terms of its sense of its own meaning-generating abilities -- as my great-grandmother would say.)
At the house: Amusing Ourselves to Death, The Disappearance of Childhood, Technopoly, and Building a Bridge to the 18th Century. All recommended.
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