inspired adjective
- of extraordinary quality, as if arising from some external creative impulse

Thursday, April 19, 2012

World Book Night


Last night I was walking down my street to pick up a bottle of wine when I saw that my local independent bookstore was hosting an event with Nicole Krauss, the author of one of my favorite books The History of Love. Add to the list of reasons why I love being back in New York City: stumbling upon wonderful & spontaneous events that make for unexpected evenings.

The bookstore is an absolute gem, and I'm glad that it seems to be thriving even with the Barnes & Noble that stands not too far down the street. Nicole Krauss was there for a small pre-party leading up to World Book Night, which will be next Monday. This year will be the first World Book Night in the United States, after having launched in the U.K. and Ireland last year, and will start an annual celebration of spreading the love of reading. Special editions of a variety of selected favorite books have been printed and will be gifted to people who would not describe themselves as readers. By the end of the night, there will have been one million books given away, in the hopes that those receiving the books will catch the bug.

I absolutely love the focus on the person-to-person gifting that is the foundation of this initiative. There is something truly special about someone gifting a book--I find that books are always my favorite gifts from others because there always seems to be more meaning behind the selection of a certain title. 

The History of Love joins a fantastic list of books chosen specifically for Monday's event. Nicole Krauss read a section from the book last night (while we enjoyed wine & cheese from the wonderful Community Bookstore staff) and I was reminded of how much I love the characters and how she so brilliantly intersects their lives together. I would definitely recommend adding it to your book-list.

Check out World Book Night and join in by giving away a book you love to someone next Monday! 

Also, see this great article in The Atlantic on a Slow-Books Manifesto.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Spring in New York


Having always considered Fall my favorite season, this current Spring may be changing my mind. Virginia Woolf wrote “I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older.” Perhaps that's what it is? Getting older? I suppose it could be. 

I took my first class with Brooklyn Brainery last week on Tree Identification. It was a great experience mainly because (besides really loving trees) I love the whole idea behind the Brainery: shared knowledge. The woman who ran the class was not only knowledgeable about forestry, she was passionate about trees. It had no connection to her day job in the least, it was instead her hobby and passion, the class giving her an outlet to share with people like me who have an interest but no knowledge.  The strongest impression the class made on me was exactly that--I was thankful to participate in the community that exists among people who have knowledge to share and those eager to soak it up. It is such a beautiful idea and celebrates the appreciation of all that we can learn from other people. 

The other thing I took away from the class was that the first step of identifying a tree is to take note of its details. Clues like bark and the pattern of its leaves speak to what type of tree it is, however, I'm more focused on the first part: take note. Its easy to lose sight of the nature surrounding you in a big city. Something about the buildings and the people and all of the activities to get lost in doesn't put 'nature' and 'New York City' in the same sentence. However, by seeking it out and taking note of the details, it is amazing the sense of nature that you can feel here. It takes a bit more effort than being confronted with trees everywhere you turn in a place like Oregon, sure, but it is there if you have the intention to seek it.

The trees that line the streets of New York are survivors. The less-than-ideal conditions they live in make them pretty impressive. The parks that dot the city become each their own small oasis for a clear mind. And now--with everything in bloom and bursting with color--is a wonderful time to stroll the park, visit the gardens and take note of the details of nature that exist at every turn. I think that is the most wonderful aspect of Spring:  the ability it allows for us to find ourselves again in the beauty of the world around us. 

sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love --e.e.cummings