Monday, March 25, 2013
Paper Books Still Alive and Well
Monday, January 28, 2013
See the Colourful Streets of 1900s Paris
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Organized Reading: A classic, An alternative, A mind-expander, An industry book and A guilty pleasure
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my post about
killing the post-holiday blues, I’m more than a bit of a bookworm. But I’ve
decided to put this book-devouring nature of mine to good use. To do this, I
devised a simple plan to become more well-rounded in my book selections.
My system is simple. I will alternate between reading :
- a classic novel
- an alternative book (this can be a graphic novel, poetry, essays, or just a post-modern style novel)
- a mind-expanding non fiction
- an industry book – something related to my field (advertising, marketing, writing in general)
- a guilty pleasure
Courtesy of the Ottawa Public Library, and one Christmas
gift, my first 5 have been selected.
A Tree Grows in
Brooklyn – Betty SmithWritten in 1943, this is a classic novel about poverty, alcoholism, sexuality, honesty and the need for optimism and tenacity in early 20th century Brooklyn.
The Complete
Cosmicomics – Italo Calvino
A collection of postmodern short stories loosely following the creation and history of earth and the universe from the point of view of characters that have lived and experienced the entire thing. A major theme is love and evolution. Unlike anything I have ever read, by the genius author of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler
A collection of postmodern short stories loosely following the creation and history of earth and the universe from the point of view of characters that have lived and experienced the entire thing. A major theme is love and evolution. Unlike anything I have ever read, by the genius author of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler
The God Delusion –
Richard Dawkins
The blockbuster, non-fiction book by genius Richard Dawkins that argues
that the belief in a “nonexistent personal God” qualifies as a delusion - a
persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. I
know almost everyone and their mother has read this book, which shows just how
necessary organizing my reading really is.
The Idea Writers –
Teressa Iezzi
This guide to copywriting in the ever-evolving world of
advertising and marketing, discusses the change from the static ad to the
interactive, multiplatform ads of today. Can’t wait to learn what this great
book has to teach me on sharpening my creative writing skills for today’s
changing industry.
And Finally…
The Hunger Games –
Suzanne Collins
It’s finally time I read the book that everyone is talking about. I mean, it’s already an award-winning film. Gosh. This is my chosen guilty pleasure, a novel that people have been rightfully shoving in my face for ages. Apparently once I start, I won’t be stopping till I’ve turned the last page. Looking forward to this one, if for no other reason than to shut up my sister.
It’s finally time I read the book that everyone is talking about. I mean, it’s already an award-winning film. Gosh. This is my chosen guilty pleasure, a novel that people have been rightfully shoving in my face for ages. Apparently once I start, I won’t be stopping till I’ve turned the last page. Looking forward to this one, if for no other reason than to shut up my sister.
Wish me luck!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Is there a future for public libraries?
How will they evolve
as E-books eclipse the paper book?
In the battle between traditional books and E-books, many
would say traditional books are on the path to retreat. While Kindles and Kobos
provide a simple, compact, technological alternative to the burden and clutter
of weighty paper tomes, it may be hard to argue in favour of the traditional
book. E-books and E-readers make accessing literature as simple and convenient
as the click of a mouse. Compare that to the tactile experience of traveling to
a book store or library, searching bodily for a volume and physically carrying
it to and fro.
But do the boons of the changing literary technology render
the traditional book and it’s once ubiquitous community outlet - the library,
obsolete?
To me, a frequent library patron and lover of books, it
would be a crying shame to close the communities’ libraries. In the matter of
the physical book versus the electronic version, it can be a matter of personal
preference. Some prefer to collect and build up their bookshelves, some just
like the feel of thumbing the pages, for others it goes further involving
nostalgia and childhood memories. But is the practicality of housing,
transporting and manufacturing the paper book becoming simply not worth it?
I could go on about the virtues of the paper book and how I
believe enthusiasts like myself will ensure they never completely fade away.
But the library issue is about more than paper vs click. Many would argue that
as long as people are reading, what matters the format? E-books are cheaper,
easier on the environment, available at a click. True, all true. But let’s get
back to libraries.
If E-books, and the receding popularity of reading in its
traditional sense are to blame for the closure of libraries then the libraries
must evolve. And many are. Many libraries across the modern world are
digitizing their collections. Unfortunately government cuts in funding to
public libraries have been increasing steadily since the 1990s. Ironically,
this makes it difficult for libraries to modernize, making themselves more
accessible to today’s public.
Many of you might be thinking back on the last time you set
foot in a public library. Was it that research paper in 4th year?
Yes, library attendance is going down. But for a large segment of the
population it provides a much needed haven. For years libraries have been
providing a bridge over the digital divide, providing computer and internet
access freely to the public. Providing a warm place to go, learn and feel
connected is a vital service our community needs.
So all that to pose
the question:
Do you see an evolution or an extinction of the world’s
public libraries?
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Killing the Post-Holiday Blues
Your pocketbook is empty and your Visa bill high, the shops and bars are ghost towns, you’ve packed on a few extra pounds and it’s freezing out. The cheerfulness of the holiday season is over and the rest of the bleak winter is before us. Here come the post-holiday blues.
For as long as I can remember the weeks following New Year’s Day have been filled with a devastating holiday hangover. The weeks-long build-up of holiday cheer, shopping, eating, drinking, socializing, spending, reaches a crescendo over the week of Christmas and New Years and promptly drops us off the other side into a bleak, icy-cold abyss. Perhaps you think I’m being a bit dramatic. I am. But truthfully, this time of year can be an awfully depressing one. A lot of people throw themselves into the ambition of resolutions and new beginnings. This sounds like a lot of work.
So how do we make it fun?
Similar to the resolutions, I have devised a plan. A 5 Step Plan. Some things I will do to enjoy the winter, rebound my bank account, lose some holiday pounds and have a good time doing it.
Step 1: Write More
First things first, I will write more. Writing is what I love to do, so why not start there? My goal is for one extra piece of writing per week - be it short story, poem, essay, journal entry, what have you. Some of these gems I will share with you here.
Step 2: Organized Reading
I have no problem picking up a book. I love reading as much as I love writing. Some might even say I devour books. I will read most things thrown at me and do. So here, my plan is to have a plan when it comes to what I read over the coming frigid weeks. Alternating between mind-expanding non-fiction, business-related non-fiction, classic fiction, alternative (ex: graphic novels, essay collections, etc), and of course guilty pleasures. I’ll keep you posted on my reading list.
Step 3: New Opportunities
I will make a conscious effort to seek out and experience new opportunities. In my career, socially, and by trying things outside my comfort zone. Skydiving anyone?
Step 4: Improve my French
My enthusiasm to learn a second language goes way back to my early childhood when my bilingual babysitter would speak to me in French and English. I continued my French studies all through elementary and high school, learning the basics. But why go only half way? Algonquin College Language Institute, here I come.
Step 5: Make Winter My Friend
Winter and I have been frenemies for most of my life. Though I’ve always enjoyed winter activities like sledding and skating, over the years the cold temperatures have become more and more of a deterrent. This winter I aim to stop dashing from door as quickly as possible and whole up in my warm and cozy apartment. I will bundle the hell up and face the cold head on. I will hit the canal with sharpened skates, resume my burgeoning love affair with snowboarding, and maybe even take up cross country skiing. Take that winter!
And just like that I will put to rest the post-holiday blues. How will you beat the blues?
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Pinterest Mania
And now I understand why.
I joined Pinterest months ago, in fact, almost a year ago to the day, and quickly forgot about it. My boards went unpinned for ages. That all changed a few weeks ago when a friend mentioned an awesome fitness site she had pinned and recommended I check out her boards.
Clicking that pin led to clicking others, which lead to clicking others, which led to repinning, which lead to adding boards, which lead to liking pins and following other pinners. Soon I was even finding unique content to pin myself and my profile was growing from 3 boards to 10 to 25. I was spending hours on Pinterest, telling others about Pinterest and even TRYING things I'd found on Pinterest. That's right....I was using the knowledge I'd gained from Pinterest. A monster was born.
A couple of weeks ago I had friends over for dinner and when asked where I came up with the recipes? PINTEREST. I went camping with friends and bought more recipes from PINTEREST. I was working out to PINTEREST-found work outs, trying out PINTEREST-discovered hairstyles and trying PINTEREST-viewed DIY cleaning tricks. I went camping with friends and bought more recipes from PINTEREST.
This all segued to an interesting conversation. While I was touting the treasure-hunting bounty of Pinterest, a friend of mine mentioned that she had been to a fabulous wedding recently and, being engaged herself and working on her plans, marvelled at the ingenuity of the happy couple. There were home made this n' thats, great guest gifts, creative decorations. She was envious of their skill and resourcefulness. And then...
she peered at their Pinterest boards.
It turns out that none of their ideas were original. ALL were lifted directly from Pinterest pins. I am of two minds on this. On the one hand, why wouldn't you take to a place like Pinterest to find inspiration for creative, crafty ways to personalize your wedding? On the other hand...do you want your guests to potentially see the origin of all of these little personal touches that made your big day special? Do you want to be unoriginal in your originalness?
This week, I thought, something to think about.
Oh, and follow me on Pinterest...http://pinterest.com/pamelahyatt/