Julio Cortàzar
h/t Anisa Makhoul
Driving in Iceland is not for the fainthearted. Route 1 north of Hofn in southeastern Iceland passing Eystrahorn Mountain.
Charles Bukowski
Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores
Pictured: Illustration of Words on Water (London) by Bob Eckstein
h/t Wild Detectives Books
According to the 2020 Global Peace Index, Iceland is the most peaceful nation on the planet. Since 2008, the Institute for Economics and Peace has ranked Iceland first. This year, it is followed by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark on the list.
Each year, 163 countries and independent states are rated across three domains: Societal safety and security domain, Ongoing domestic and international conflict domain, and militarization domain. Countries are also evaluated according to their economic cost of violence.
Since the list has been published, European countries consistently rank in the top 20. In fact, for 2020 13 of the top 20 most peaceful nations are in Europe. For comparison, the United States ranked number 121 again this year.
You can view the full report here.
The unfolding events of recent weeks in the United States have fostered a long overdue interest in the writings of many Black American authors. Few African American writers have had the deep and lasting impact on our culture that James Baldwin demonstrated for more than six decades. More than thirty years since his death, Baldwin’s work continues to resonate for us all.
The animated video below from political science Professor Christina Green is an excellent introduction to the iconic author, his life and his writings.
A big thanks and a tip of the hat to TBTP reader Lucy from the UK for sending me the marvelous Dickens cartoon (below) by the great Tom Gauld. If you follow this humble blog, you will be aware that this week marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens.
Yesterday marked the 150th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens. Among the commemorations, there was this stunning sound and light installation which was projected onto Westminster Abbey’s iconic West Towers last weekend. The projection was created by light and sound specialists, Luxmuralis, in collaboration with the Charles Dickens Museum and Westminster Abbey.
The work is rich and vivid, saturated in color and dense with visual effects set against a stirring soundtrack which builds to form a dramatic and poignant tribute to the writer. It features illustrations, quotes and a new colorised photograph of the author taken from the exhibition ‘Technicolour Dickens: The Living Image of Charles Dickens’ which will launch at the Charles Dickens Museum as soon as it is able to re-open.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser commissioned 16th Street N.W. near the White House to be painted with the words “Black Lives Matter,” and renamed the nearby street, “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”
If you would like to help the Black Lives Matter movement but don’t know how, or are not able to contribute financially, a group of thoughtful YouTubers have created monetized videos that directly support affiliated organizations — all you need to do is stream.
According to Tone Deaf, Zoe Amira created the first video (below) — an hour-long clip comprising music, poetry, and art from black artists. One-hundred percent of the advertising revenue will be donated to various organizations offering bail funds, financial support for families affected by police brutality, and advocacy groups.
In order for the video to be profitable, you must disable ad-blocker and keep the video volume on (you can mute the tab though, to keep it running in the background).
This striking performance (below)of North Carolina-born drummer Max Roach’s “Freedom Now Suite,” a medley of “Tears for Johannesburg” and the triptych “PRAYER / PROTEST / PEACE,” was recorded by a television station in 1964—the same year the Civil Rights Act deemed discrimination based on race, color, religion, and gender illegal. Referred to as “an early soundtrack to Black Lives Matter” by the North Carolina Arts Council, the tracks addressed injustices in the US and in South Africa—including repulsive reactions to sit-ins in Greenboro’s Woolworth’s Department Store and the Sharpeville Massacre in the apartheid-stricken African nation. Roach, with Abbey Lincoln (vocals), Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (piano), Eddie Khan (bass) and Clifford Jordan (saxophone) dedicated their artistic abilities to justice. Largely improvised, the piece struck a nerve among white jazz-listeners and was praised within Black communities as revolutionary and representative. In the liners notes of We Insist! (the album on which the tracks appeared), the triptych is explained as the “uncontrollable unleashing of rage and anger that have been compressed in fear for so long.
Over the years I have spent more time in Amsterdam than any other city outside of the United States. It was one of the first European cities that I visited and captured my imagination from the very first time that I arrived at the wonderful Central Station. Sometimes I arrange my flight just so I have an excuse to spend a few days in this magical place. In recent years, overtourism has put a damper on my enthusiasm, but I just try and visit out of season. The fabulous 4k timelapse below was artfully filmed in his hometown by Albert Dros. I challenge you to view the film and not consider a trip to Amsterdam. Here’s what the filmmaker had to say about his project:
“My long awaited timelapse film about my current hometown Amsterdam is finally finished! This film consists of footage shot during a 2 year period (mostly before COVID), has all different seasons transitioning into each other and even has a lunar eclipse above the city skyline. With this timelapse film I wanted to create something unique. I wanted to create a visual experience with beauty, flow and emotion. I want locals to be proud of their city when they watch this film, and tourists wanting to visit (even more). I put this all in a film packed with little details. There’s a big ‘fun facts’ list that can all be read on a dedicated page I created. Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful (and relatively little) cities in the world. Our city is not ‘spectacular’ as it does not have impressive skyscrapers and hyper modern buildings. But It’s just the whole atmosphere with our beautiful old buildings, romantic canals and everything that comes with it. I’m super excited to finally release this film and I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed creating it. For more info, gear, image galleries and fun facts, please check the whole project at http://www.timelapseamsterdam.com
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