Never Again The Same
Speaking of sunsets,
last night’s was shocking.
I mean, sunsets aren’t supposed to frighten you, are they?
Well, this one was terrifying.
Sure, it was beautiful, but far too beautiful.
It wasn’t natural.
One climax followed another and then another
until your knees went weak
and you couldn’t breathe.
The colors were definitely not of this world,
peaches dripping opium,
pandemonium of tangerines,
inferno of irises,
Plutonian emeralds,
all swirling and churning, swabbing,
like it was playing with us,
like we were nothing,
as if our whole lives were a preparation for this,
this for which nothing could have prepared us
and for which we could not have been less prepared.
The mockery of it all stung us bitterly.
And when it was finally over
we whimpered and cried and howled.
And then the streetlights came on as always
and we looked into one another’s eyes–
ancient caves with still pools
and those little transparent fish
who have never seen even one ray of light.
And the calm that returned to us
was not even our own.
James Tate
I have only been to Las Vegas once for a conference. Although I don’t gamble or drink, I actually had a great time. It’s worth a visit just to see the glitzy hotel and casino design and decor. Now it seems that there may be a good reason for a return visit.
Officially launched in the 4th of July, the MSG Sphere unveiled its $2.3 billion LED capabilities for the first time. A series of video demonstrations – among them fireworks, the American flag and the moon – dominated the Nevada night sky. The 17,600-seat Sphere, promises to “bring wonder to the world and redefine the future of live entertainment”.
The unique venue will offer music, film and sports, the Sphere aims to step far beyond the immersive VR and AR experiences which have dominated the art world over the past year. Speaking to Rolling Stone, MSG Ventures CEO David Dibble summed up the concept behind the venture: “We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have VR experiences without those damn goggles?’ That’s what the Sphere is.”
Film director Darren Aronofsky is one of the first artists signed up to create a “Sphere Experience”. Postcard From Earth comes to the Sphere in autumn and will make use of additional sensory elements like wind and scent.
nb: if the video fails to launch, please click here.
The new Sol Reader is a clever device that looks like a VR headset, but instead of immersion in virtual reality it offers the user the opportunity to get lost in a good book. The digital device streams e-books from one’s smartphone to their eyes. The developers describe it as “noise-canceling for your eyes.”
The text will be displayed in dual-sided e-ink screens—one for each eye—that allows users to immerse themselves in the book while retaining sight of their surroundings through peripheral vision. To avoid glare they have designed the warm-white LED lights to be adjustable, with the option of using an external light sensor to automatically adjust the brightness of the device depending on surrounding ambient lighting.
Nearsighted users may not even need to wear their glasses or contact lens when using the Sol Reader since the diopter range for each eyepiece can be individually tweaked. The gadget also comes with an adjustable soft nosepiece and wireless handheld remote to scroll and flip pages.
A 2 hour charge offers readers an estimated 25 hours of reading time. Click here for more information on the Sol Reader, which can be preordered for US$350.
I just learned from a friend’s social media posts that in the middle of a horrific war the book community in Ukraine actual held the nation’s largest annual book festival. The poster above is for the 2023 International Book Arsenal Festival which recently took place in Kyiv, Ukraine. The poster was designed by Art Studio Agrafka from an illustration they originally did for the cover of Linkiesta Magazine.
It’s a testament to Ukraine’s love of books and the resilience of the Ukrainian people that they managed to not only keep publishing new books, but also held a festival in a capital still under attack by Russia.
André Kertész, Discarded Books, New York City, 1974
Indie bookstores in Montana have collaborated to develop the first-ever Montana Bookstore Trail. The mapping project was coordinated by Rachel Elliott-Burg, owner of Reading Leaves in Townsend, and designed with Elk River Books in Livingston, the map features 21 independent bookstores across the Big Sky state.
Visitors can get their passports initialed or stamped at each participating store, and once the trail is complete they can scan the QR code on the back of the passport to access a short quiz. Completing the quiz will enter the customer into a drawing for a Bookstore Trail tote bag full of books and other prizes.
Chelsia Rice, owner of Montana Book Company in Helena, noted that while not every Montana indie opted-in, “there is an awesome selection this year and surely more to come next year.”
Way back in 1961 a 14 year-old writer had the audacity to submit an unsolicited short story to Spaceman Magazine. That bold young author was undeterred by the rejection of his work and kept at it. Stephen King has gone on to become one of the world’s bestselling authors. Unsurprisingly, Forrest Ackerman, the editor who gave King his first rejection, eventually published the story in a new periodical thirty-three years later.
A big tip of the hat to loyal Travel Between The Pages follower Bonnie B. for sharing the wonderful video below titled “Making A Medieval Book.” In just 24 minutes the video demonstrates the 60 hour process of creating a gorgeous handmade book. I’ve seen other bookmaking videos, but this one from Four Keys Book Arts in Canada is by far the most interesting and comprehensive.
Travel Between The Pages 