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Let me start by saying that this grouping is little more than a list of some of my favorite books. It in no way purports to be comprehensive in any sense, nor are the books presented in any particular order.

Many are distinctly Modern (I’m looking at you, Dave Eggers, Nicole Krauss and Lauren Slater). Others employ a favorite story-telling technique, Magical Realism, that I personally, can’t get enough of (thanks Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie and Gabriel Garcia Marquez). Still others are included because they’re beautifully told, utterly unique or just plain cool.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers)
Eggers’ first novel is part memoir, part fiction and all modern. This book is bigger than itself. Eggers’ wildly experimental prose, self-conscious narrative and sheer humanity make this one of my all time favorites. The story details his family’s struggle to adjust to the death of both their father and mother in the span of just 32 days- yet much of the book is sheer fantasy and Eggers takes creative liberties in calling this story a “memoir.” (See “Lying: Lauren Slater, below) I would highly recommend this book to aspiring writers.

100 Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
A legend in and of itself, this book traces the lineage of a family in a small, supposedly South American town “on the edge of nowhere.” Employing some stunning examples of Magical Realism, a literary technique that has one character literally being drawn into the sky never to return, Marquez’ style is resonant of a fairy-tale so that the impossible is readily, even eagerly accepted. The opening line alone speaks volumes about the way this book hooks you: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”

Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison)
Morrison needs little introduction on my part, and I had a difficult time choosing just one of her novels to highlight. However, Song of Solomon, to me, is perhaps her most experimental yet down-to-earth story to date. The story is a part coming-of-age, part alamentation of the lasting effects of slavery and part an examination of love, in all its strange and often distorted manifestations. Oh, and you’ll find some gorgeous instances of magical realism thrown in there for good measure as well.

Midnight’s Children (Salman Rushdie)
Hilarious, beautifully written, and impeccably structured, Rushdie constantly teases and tests his readers. The story, which traces a young man, Saleem, and his family as he grows up during India’s independence movement has been called a metaphor for the growth, and coming of age, of the country. Rushdie is truly a unique voice and Midnight’s Children is unabashedly accessible.

The History of Love (Nicole Krauss) 2005
A beautifully understated story with distinctly modernist leanings, The History of Love braids together the lives of three characters inextricably, yet distantly tied to each other: Leo, an old man who fears he is disappearing; Alma, a young girl on a quest to find happiness for her withdrawn mother; and Litvinoff, a mysterious and brooding Chilean man from another time. The History of Love truly stuns with some of it’s passages, one in particular stays with me:

“The first language humans had was gestures. There was nothing primitive about this language that flowed from people’s hands, nothing we say now that could not be said in the endless array of movements possible with the fine bones of the fingers and wrists. The gestures were complex and subtle, involving a delicacy of motion that has since been lost completely…”

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Milan Kundera)
Perhaps a bit pretentious, this work of modern/post-modern fiction examines the insignificance of each and every one of us through a couple and their various infidelities. Uplifting, no? While it’s fair to say that not much actually *happens* in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, so much is said. Kundera believes this “lightness” (our insignificance) to be somewhat wrenching. I myself find it a bit liberating. Whether or not you enjoy the story, Kundera’s structure and prose make this piece worth reading, and the points it raises might send you on a philosophical quest of your own.

The Ear, the Eye and the Arm (Nancy Farmer)
I’m biased because this was a childhood favorite. Set in Zimbabwe in the year 2194, this story follows three royal youths through the various underbellies, subcultures and cults they encounter after they’ve been kidnapped. Three detectives with genetic deformities (super sensitive ears; excessively perceptive eyes and the third with a sense of empathy that often causes him to break down in tears) are assigned to find the children. Yes, it’s science fiction. Yes, it’s a children’s book. Yes, it’s worth reading. Take it to the beach!

The Darling (Russell Banks)
Russell Banks is a beautiful storyteller with the unique ability to put himself in the shoes, and heart, of almost anyone. The Darling is the story of Dawn/Hannah, a middle-aged woman whose rebellious past led her into the depths of Liberia where she experienced all manner of horror and beauty. A striking story told with the fresh rawness of a new wound, passages from the Darling will haunt you for years after you put it down.

Ulysses (James Joyce)
Read this book just to say you did it. Ulysses is an epic novel, yet spans just one day in the life of its protagonist, Leopold Bloom. Some say the book is pure genius. Others denigrate it as over-hyped fluff. Personally, I’d need to read it about five more times to make a fair assessment… But one thing is certain: Joyce went places with Ulysses (which was banned in the United States for obscenity in 1933) that few writers had gone before, and few have gone since. From his topical choices to his stylistic ones, Joyce has a voice and character all his own.

Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir (Lauren Slater)
This book will change the way you think of the term “memoir.” Slater challenges the concepts of truth, its contexts and even its very existence at the core of the human experience. Beautifully written and constructed with a modern twist, Lying has been called “metaphorical memoir,” (though she begs throughout to be understood as non-fiction.) This book continues to frustrate and enchant me, yet Slater’s beautiful prose and (here it is again) modernist tendencies keep me coming back for second, third and fourth readings.

Honorable Mention:
The Angel on the Roof (a collection of short stories by Russell Banks), How We are Hungry (a collection of short stories by Dave Eggers), What is the What (a creative non-fiction account of the life of one of Sudan’s Lost Boys, as told to and expanded upon by none other than Dave Eggers)

Note: If my liberal use of terms like “modernism” and “magical realism” annoyed or offended you, please see my upcoming post detailing these literary techniques and my interpretation of them. Until then, click the links, fool! Modernism - Magical Realism

Nothing makes you think harder about the quality of your life than having the shits. Truly. Nothing gives you more pause for thought than when your colon is doing things you know damn well it oughtn’t do at all.
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On the recommendation of a friend, I watched this earlier and was left with many thoughts. Many questions. Anything that raises questions is of interest.

The following video is intended for audiences who are willing to ask questions. Questions about religion. Questions about authority. Questions about government. Questions about the world all live in. The author of this post takes no responsibility for the contents herein, and furthermore does not claim to believe in part or full the views expressed herein. However, the author does have strong interest in all the covered subjects. It is best you go into this blind. For if I were to explain the outline of this video to you, you would surely form prejudgement and that is not ideal at all. The author very much wishes to know your thoughts regarding this film, and have discussion about it. We here at RKNet are willing to entertain any and all view points. Moderation will be conducted by Giania. The other authors of RKNet will express their own views. Regardless of disagreement all (non-spam) comments will be allowed and encouraged. The point of asking questions is to get answers. Every person’s answer is important to us. Please help us explore these ideas by giving your feedback.

Caution, this film is 2 hours long. It is recommended that you visit the film’s site for source information and larger formats of the film.

I think I mentioned once before that I’m not dreadfully astute when it comes to the world of hip-hop, mainstream, underground, or otherwise. I fibbed a little there. I am a budding fan of what’s been dubbed as “nerdcore”. While I’m sure anyone familiar with nerdcore has heard the name MC Chris (and possibly controversy surrounding his involvement with the term/movement nerdcore), I’m not as sure you’ve heard this spacey, minimalist remix of his better known track: Fett’s ‘Vette. N8ur also did a pretty sweet job remixing MC Chris’ Tractor Beam.

The voice samples come straight from MC Chris’ website. Where acapella versions of several of his songs are available for download. N8ur took a moment to praise the TV/comedy/music mastermind for his open support of remixers.

For more on MC Chris, check out his Slashdot interview, or really any of the resources listed at the bottom of the wiki page. Also, be sure to let n8ur know what you think of the remixes!

This time he is taking aim at the global warming issue, as it has been stirred up lately by both An Inconvenient Truth and the subsequent answering television ads claiming that CO2 is a way of life.

This isn’t as decisive and cutting as I am accustomed to reading from Mr. Long, but as he himself admits, it is a very complicated and difficult for Joe Average to approach in an impartial and a well-informed manner.

Still, if you ask me, it ties back into personal responsibility. His assessment was very neutral, very info-gathering oriented rather than firing off his usual heavy slug of strong opinion. This was more of a buckshot approach, scattering some lead over this very broad and dangerous topic to make sure to hit at least a few key points.

One approach that he only hinted at, and I would have loved to see him persue, would definitely have been for him to raise the flag of Personal Responsibility. Little steps will help immensely in this situation, and people who are passionate about the environment (or claim to be so) need to take more action if they really do have ideas. To some degree, the early 90’s thought process of “it takes everybody to save mother earth!” is correct. However, realisitically, not everyone can devote the kind of time necessary to finding cures for our greatest sources of pollution. In this case, it really is up to the vocal, independant movements to muster up the courage to get out there and support the fine minds that will bring us alternatives to our current mode of life.

Which is really what it takes. Science got us into this particular postion. The industrial revolution’s brand of science, anyhow. Interchangable parts lead to disposable parts, the study of electricity leading to power plants of varying degress of smoke-belching, the development of vehicular advancements, the invention of plastic, the machinery that allows us to automate and speed up production of goods, and the list really does go on and on.

Realistically there are a lot of things that could stand to be shifted around. I myself don’t have a whole lot of ideas, but I know when something is a flat-out wasteful idea! In that light I myself do some little things which will in some way help. I won’t be toppling any major issues or winning a Nobel prize for my efforts, but it’s surely better than nothing.

Soon, I think it’d be a good idea for a lot of us to do a little inventory and see how many wasteful and how many useful things we do every day. The idea there is to knock a few items off that wasteful list, and add a few to the useful list. How about Monday? As of Monday morning, start making a few mental notes on your habits and - if you can - jot them down or type them out and see how you’re doing.

I will if you will. Who is with me?