Recent Digital Reads
An eclectic mix of texts I've liked online this month
Lately, I’ve been catching up with some reading during my son’s gymnastics class. I really wanted him to do this, but it also meant an afternoon off of work (and not one I’d get to spend with him; instead just toting him around…or that’s what I imagined). Funny how it has turned out not only as a selfless act that is enjoyable for him (and might keep him from breaking something when he falls from the trees the Swiss let them climb on the playgrounds? or…as my husband hopes…turn him into a professional footballer? - aka soccer player) but also a pretty cool afternoon for me. And not only for the nostalgia of my own memories as a tiny gymnast learning how to cartwheel and forward roll.
So, besides the transference of his own tiny joy, what makes it so good? It’s fun taking him on the tram and checking out the Basel city life together, sometimes extended with a little outing on the way home. The gym itself has a warm feeling. The other parents invited me for a coffee the first time I showed up; it’s hard to meet people outside of my neighborhood since I work from home. The encounters are random; people of different cultural backgrounds and experiences. But sometimes I also just sit and do some reading. No distractions. A known time limit. It’s like the old days on my commutes from Hong Kong Central to Heng On when I read at least a book a week atop the double decker bus.
Where and when have you been finding time to read? What have you discovered? Here are a few really quick takes on stuff I’ve found recently.
Inua Ellem’s New Adaptation of Antigone Casts Zainab Hasan in the Title Role
in Theatre Weekly
I brought Inua Ellams to do a reading and workshop at Vienna International School at the suggestion of one of my colleagues. Wow, he was awesome. He had the complete attention of teenagers both onstage and in writing sessions, and was completely comfortable showing a sort of wise vulnerability.
His poetry and theatre deal with all sorts of questions of identity as a ‘third culture kid’ / immigrant / Londoner / artist as well as queerness, race, community, and more. Ellams writes of the truths around him and of his own truth. He uses everyday experiences to understand bigger issues in the world. And he does it all with a lot of kindness. Even if you can’t get to London for this show (I can’t either, sadly), check out some of his other stuff online.
Quantum Physics Could Finally Explain Consciousness, Scientists Say
Robert Lea in Popular Mechanics
The mind-body dualism suggested by quantum consciousness can be a potentially slippery slope that has led some proponents away from science and into the supernatural.
The concept has also been seized upon to explain the existence of the soul, life after death, and even the existence of ghosts, giving rise to a cottage industry of “quantum mysticism.”
“There’s lots of literature that uses the authority of physics and in particular quantum physics in order to make all sorts of claims,” Danielsson explains. “You can earn a lot of money by fooling people in various ways to buy not only books but also various products. It gives the wrong view of what science is.”
I’m not sure if I want to fully understand my consciousness, but I like the idea of trying to figure it out. Quantum physics is really cool to read about and has so many applications in everyday lives as well as philosophy. It’s just fun to think about things on a new and deep level — that Brian Greene stuff is awesome.
This article tackles the question from three perspectives. I love these kinds of published conversations vs. more linear interviews, where the reader really gets to draw some of their own conclusions or perhaps walk away with more questions than answers.
Omofemi Oluwole: How I was chosen to paint portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
OsaMbonu-Amadi in Vanguard
The Nigerian artist Omofemi Oluwole was asked to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth for the platinum jubilee cover of Tattler. “He ‘Nigerianized’ the portrait with black hair,” which is a signature of his other works. I read this interview with Omofemi online after reading a feature in the FT Weekend.
After that, I began to think: The queen achieved all the great things she had achieved when she was young. At that young age, I thought, she had a black hair. That was when she had that power, the strength to move around and all that. So, I decided to capture her at that young age when she had all that power. So, my portrait of the queen signifies power, strength and liberty for women.
I love the idea of hair as a symbol. Omofemi’s portrait uses the hair as its central symbol, yet its shape and texturing are incredibly simple compared to the colors and shapes he employs in the rest of the image. It almost looks like paper cutouts, emphasizing the aesthetic of their design: the dress, sash, crown, fan, necklace, elbow, and, yes, the hair.
It’s fascinating the way artistry can change our understanding of monarchy and colonization all with the design of a hairstyle.
The Joys of Influence: In Praise of Intertextuality
Dur e Aziz Amna in Literary Hub
As a writer raised in Urdu and Punjabi and now writing exclusively in English, I feel particularly interested in intertextuality. Writers from minority backgrounds constantly face questions of loyalty to their culture or language, posed sometimes by their audience and often by themselves. This question of “authenticity” frequently becomes the only measure of excellence when it comes to their work. Did they put in enough “untranslated words” in the text, as a calculated shrug of indifference towards the monoglot? Did they throw in an array of food items and exclamations in the other tongue? Is there at least one character speaking broken English, in a performative disruption of linguistic hegemony? Did they, God forbid, italicize non-English words?
As a publication of intertextuality, it’s nice to see people writing about it! Interesting to think about the inherent connections with multilingualism as well. I really want texts to be alive…and to do this they have to speak to each other.
Relatedly, here’s a bunch of professors discussing the best way to discuss (anything) in their classrooms.
A couple other super quick takes:
RM of Korean pop group BTS is collecting and championing Korean art. I guess I may have crossed paths with him this June in Basel without knowing it:
A 35-minute vlog that he recorded about his visit to the Art Basel fair in Switzerland this past summer has racked up almost 6 million views. For the insular, impenetrable world, he may be a dream ambassador.
The Minnesota State Fair was on a couple weeks ago, and Gerry Kulzer makes amazing sculptures out of butter. Apparently, it’s a residency passed down from sculptor to sculptor. Below is his sculpture of Prince from memory (but not from butter):
And finally as reported in reasons to be cheerful, some cities are turning to street art (on the actual pavement) to curb pedestrian accidents: “Overall, according to the Initiative, ‘the data showed a 50 percent drop in crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists and a 37 percent drop in crashes leading to injuries. Intersections with asphalt art saw a 17 percent reduction in total accidents.’
Thanks for reading! Let us know of any hot reads you’ve had lately in the comments.
Kathleen Waller is a novelist with a PhD in Comparative Literature. She previously taught literature, cultural studies, art, ethics, and epistemology to high school and university students for twenty years. For more information: kathleenwaller.com
I may have already written this, but public transportation is my favorite place for reading - even because, not owning a smartphone, I'm completely off-line so I have no distractions whatsoever. Otherwise, I sometimes read at home in the evening though lately I tend to fall asleep... zzz... zzz...