5 things I learned today

Sunday 2 pm for The Great Beyond @ Beyond Baroque

Ryan Nance — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:39:46 +0000

If you are in the Los Angeles area this Sunday May 19, you should catch my reading at 2pm as a featured poet for the Great Beyond at Beyond Baroque On Venice Blvd in Venice.

Macro Insects by Photographer Nicolas Reusens

Ryan Nance — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:53:24 +0000

Photographer Nicolas Reusens uses a technique known as focus stacking — combining several images taken at different depths of field. These photos are from Costa Rica, Malaysia, South Africa, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico and more.

Post-Punk Superheros by Billy Butcher

Ryan Nance — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:17:13 +0000

There is something so pitch-perfect about this work from mashup artist Butcher Billy that elevates it. Certainly its style and wit help quite a bit, but even more than that, there is some thing about identity and fame here. Just great.

Visit Billy’s Behance for more work.

See also Super Secret Lives & The Justice League of Parks and Rec

via Chome Yellow

Authors' Handwritten Charts and Outlines

Ryan Nance — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:57:22 +0000

Norman Mailer’s character timeline for Harlot’s Ghost.

A lot of the work of novel making is the handling of an immensely complex imaginary system of people, incidents and actions. Not surprising, a lot of writers resort to charts, outlines and graphs to handle it.

See also Harsh First Reviews of Now Cherished Books

Joseph Heller’s chart outline for Catch-22.

J.K Rowling's chart for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

James Salter’s outline for Light Years.

Sylvia Plath’s outline for The Bell Jar.

William Faulkner’s outline for A Fable — written on his office walls.

Part of Jennifer Egan’s plan for her short story “Black Box.”

Henry Miller’s manuscript plan for Tropic of Capricorn.

All the Books Mentioned

The Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath
Catch-22: 50th Anniversary Edition By Joseph Heller
A Fable (Vintage International) By William Faulkner
Tropic of Capricorn By Henry Miller
A Visit from the Goon Squad By Jennifer Egan
Light Years By James Salter
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix By J.K.: Mary Grandpre (Illustrator) Rowling
Harlot's Ghost: A Novel By Norman Mailer via The Paris Review tumblr

IndieGoGo Projects We Love - W.S. Merwin Doc: EVEN THOUGH THE WHOLE WORLD IS BURNING

Ryan Nance — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:32:26 +0000

See also: Air by W.S. Mervin - Exclusive Video and Photos

From the PROJECT PAGE:

Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin has won almost every major poetry prize that exists, including two Pulitzers. His legacy is based not only upon his writings, however, but also the singular form of environmental activism and land stewardship he embodies.

Now in his 86th year, Merwin has dedicated over three decades to preserving and regenerating native plants and palms on a 19-acre site on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. Called the Merwin Conservancy, the preserve holds the most comprehensive private collection of palms in the world, with over 800 species. These tangible actions for the environment go hand-in-hand with his poetry, offering important insights for an era marked by environmental degradation, human disconnect with natural processes, and rapid climate change.

Merwin is a vibrant, humorous and challenging subject, and has not been involved in a feature documentary before. EVEN THOUGH THE WHOLE WORLD IS BURNING is an intimate portrait of a man who is often called a “national treasure.”

Contribute now (I just did) »

POTD - On the Coast Near Sausalito by Robert Hass former Poet Laureate

Ryan Nance — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:12:44 +0000

I was made to think of this poem by today's post: Moving Endangered Ecuadorian Frog Portraits by Peter Lipton

On the Coast Near Sausalito

by Robert Hass

1.
I won’t say much for the sea,
except that it was, almost,
the color of sour milk.
The sun in that clear
unmenacing sky was low,
angled off the gray fissure of the cliffs,
hills dark green with manzanita.

Low tide: slimed rocks
mottled brown and thick with kelp
merged with the gray stone
of the breakwater, sliding off
to antediluvian depths.
The old story: here filthy life begins.

2.
Fish-
ing, as Melville said,
“to purge the spleen,”
to put to task my clumsy hands
my hands that bruise by
not touching
pluck the legs from a prawn,
peel the shell off,
and curl the body twice about a hook.

3.
The cabezone is not highly regarded
by fishermen, except Italians
who have the grace
to fry the pale, almost bluish flesh
in olive oil with a sprig
of fresh rosemary.

The cabezone, an ugly atavistic fish,
as old as the coastal shelf
it feeds upon
has fins of duck’s-web thickness,
resembles a prehistoric toad,
and is delicately sweet.

Catching one, the fierce quiver of surprise
and the line’s tension
are a recognition.

4.
But it’s strange to kill
for the sudden feel of life.
The danger is
to moralize
that strangeness.
Holding the spiny monster in my hands
his bulging purple eyes
were eyes and the sun was
almost tangent to the planet
on our uneasy coast.
Creature and creatures,
we stared down centuries.

Hass' clear human voice, full of curiosity and attentiveness, has always been a deep source of inspiration for me. This poem from his first collection was one of the first of his I began to connect with in that way.

Mirrored Mannequins by Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen

Ryan Nance — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:34:44 +0000

Artist Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen fashioned these four reflective mannequins covered in mirrors. Each was lit like a disco ball, and a person in a reflective body suit moved through the space during the reception.

Via Christian Larsen Gallery:

"The mirror surfaces of the mannequins turn our gaze back onto ourselves, forcing us to become aware of our own bodies and consumption habits. This way revealed, we can see ourselves as part of a much larger system, as complex and chaotic as ever the sculptures’ reflections on the walls."

via Colossal

Moving Endangered Ecuadorian Frog Portraits by Peter Lipton

Ryan Nance — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:13:36 +0000

Home to almost 9% of amphibian species in the world (a third of which are endangered) , Ecuador has a program called Balsa de los Sapos (Life raft of the frogs), and these photos from photographer Peter Lipton aim to educate and document in this effort.

via 22 Words

Paris In Motion - Beautiful Timelapses of the City of Light

Ryan Nance — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:32:59 +0000

Mayeul Akpovi has created these three stunning time-lapse stop-motion videos as part of his “Paris in Motion” series.

via Design Taxi

Feline Superheros by Jenny Parks

Ryan Nance — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:04:32 +0000

Jenny Parks, a freelance scientific illustrator in San Francisco, has this outstanding set of feline superheros.

via Visual News

Song of the Day - Keep Your Eyes Peeled by Queens of the Stone Age

Ryan Nance — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:25:49 +0000

The Queens of the Stone Age have a new album coming, and this imaginative animated video is for their latest single, Keep Your Eyes Peeled.

Pre-order the album »

Animated Visualization of Earth's Meteor Strikes

Ryan Nance — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:59:13 +0000

Carlo Zapponi created this astounding (and fun) animated visualization of all meteorites that have ever been reported to hit the earth: about 1,042 meteorites in total.

Click through to see the whole experience.

via Lost at E Minor

Absolutely Stunning Animal Photos from the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Ryan Nance — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:38:56 +0000

Hanging Around

A two year old Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) of the Sabinyo family, plays in the bamboo forest of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. In 1981, this population fell to 240 because of rampent poaching and habitat loss. Today the population is estimated to be around 800 and rising and this photograph represents the exciting turn around and hope for the next generation. Thank you to the conservationists, rangers and educators working to protect these magnificent cousins of ours and their habitat in the Virunga massif.

Photo and caption by Peter Stanley/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Amongst the many adventure and historic photos in the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest are an amazing collection of animal portraits.

Curious Whaleshark

Whaleshark encounter in the Bohol Sea, Philippines.

Photo and caption by Jonne Seijdel/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Gentoo Chicks

Two newly hatched Gentoo Penguin chicks get their first glimpse at the Antarctic wilderness.

Photo and caption by Richard Sidey/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Osprey Launching

I clicked this photo as the osprey was taking off from his perch.

Photo and caption by Mark Gottlieb/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Togetherness

A family of snow monkeys cuddling up together for security and warmth. They appeared very protective of one another and seemed unsure of my presence.

Photo and caption by Petra Bensted/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Unexpected Alliance

I have seen alligators and turtles together in ponds before, but never like this! I was at Bluebill Pond in Harris Neck NWR when I saw what I thought was an alligator sunning itself on a stump. As I got closer I realized that it was actually perched on the back of a turtle! I wish I had been there to witness how this surprising esprit de corps had came to pass!

Photo and caption by Mary Ellen Urbanski/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

Looking Into My Eyes

This picture was taken on a game drive in the Addo Elephant National Park, the third largest national park in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The park contains a wide diversity of fauna, flora and landscapes and incorporates semi-arid landscapes all the way to a marine reserve. These zebra were so calm and you just got the feeling they wanted to be photographed!

Photo and caption by Natalie Murray/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

In the Rain

This photograph was taken while I was on vacation in South Carolina. It was a rainy miserable day until I happened upon this alligator hanging out in a local pond.

Photo and caption by Kandace Stroupe/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Ruffled Feather Inspection

A cafe outside of Aquas Calientes in the Cuzco region of Peru has perches for wild parrots that come and feed on seed and fruit left out for them. This curious little fella was peeking out from behind a leaf to get a better look at me. Apparently he was entertained by the odd human with the camera because he let me get only a few inches away, where my ring light could better illuminate his beautiful feathers.

Photo and caption by Adam Lichtcsien/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Oregon Lion

Sea lion on Pacific coast of Oregon.

Photo and caption by Gary Migues/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Fighter

Two vultures in action. From Massai Mara in Kenya, while they are fighting.

Photo and caption by Majed Ali/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

One Mothers Love

Photo and caption by Graham McGeorge

I love watching the affection and attention that Bonobos have for their young. They truly are a wonderful species of ape.

Morning Game Drive

Our first morning game drive on safari in South Africa brought us this magnificent leopard. He was bathed in the orange hues of the sunrise and it was breathtaking.

Photo and caption by Douglas Croft/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contestvia My Modern Met

Vibrant Landscapes Seen from Space

Ryan Nance — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:59:36 +0000

Ganges Delta

Time Magazine has launched in partnership with Google a Timelapse site to show the impact, in as clear terms as possible, we have had on our planet.

As part of the project there is this gorgeous collection of vibrant landscapes caught from space.

Guinea Bissau

Yukon Delta

Mayn River (Russia)

Kansas

Syrian Desert

Lena Delta (Russia)

Malaspina Glacier (Alaska)

Florida Everglades

Niger River

Dhofar (Oman)

Baltic Sea

via Doobybrain

Google Break Out Easter Egg

Ryan Nance — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:05:49 +0000

Gotta love the whimsy of the Google Easter eggs. Here's a new one. Search for Atari Breakout and suddenly you're playing the old favorite.

Give it a shot!

via Doobybrain

Euphoric Vision of the Future of Personal Media

Ryan Nance — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:43:29 +0000

This moving and impactful video footage, paired with this is a speech by Antoine Cartier-Wells, founder of Memorize, a Paris based corporation, leading this technological revolution with their Sensen technology.

Dynamic Black and White Underwater Photos by Hengki Koentjoro

Ryan Nance — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:32:43 +0000

Seems a bit counter intuitive to me, but these black and white underwater photos from Indonesian photographer Hengki Koentjoro seem even more vibrant and dynamic than so much underwater photography I've seen. There is a sense of moment, presence and space that often gets obscured by the saturated tones in full color photography. Or maybe it's just this photographer's eye.

via Colossal

Shaolin Monks in A Stunning Dance on Boxes

Ryan Nance — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:05:30 +0000

Contemporary choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and 17 Buddhist monks ages 10-26, from the Shaolin Temple in China, present Sutra.

PERU & BOLIVIA - a stop-motion journey

Ryan Nance — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:46:39 +0000

LOCATIONS: Arequipa, Chivay, Colca Canyon, Cusco, Huacachina, Ica, Laguna Colorada, La Paz, Lima, Machu Picchu, Puno, Salar de Uyuni, Solar de Manana geysers, Termas de Polques, Valles de Rocas

Hong Kong is Home: Timelapse

Ryan Nance — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:53:51 +0000

From filmmakers Javin Lau:

"My intent with this project was to illustrate the grandeur of Hong Kong that most people would never get to see. When I had recently watched the movie Oblivion, it had somehow starkly reminded me of Hong Kong, with the feeling of being so insignificantly small -- almost irrelevant to my surroundings. Hong Kong is an unbelievably dense city, where much of the world can be accessed at your fingertips. But in a city where you can access the material world in a matter of seconds, it also has the ability to isolate you from the 8 million people around you as well.

With this piece, I hope that you are able to engage in this contradiction."

via Lost at E Minor