Sunday, May 11, 2008

bodies experiencing

Hey everyone-

Here's a delayed post about the book that I talked about during my presentation. It's called The Spell of the Sensuous, by David Abram. I have the library's copy right now, but if you ever run into it anywhere, or have time next semester, I would highly recommend flipping through it a little. He talks about his experiences of re-entering the bland Western environment after having traveled through Asia where he was very stimulated by his surroundings, and his attempt to re-connect to or explore the "reciprocal relationship" that humans have with nature. It's a really delightful read because of his writing, but for me especially because of his discussion of the subjective, emotional daily experience--which is often overlooked in a world where hard sciences and non-subjective truths are prioritized.

Also, congratulations with Feet to the Fire--I was very impressed with everyone's work!

Monday, May 5, 2008

The Earth From Above

While I was avoiding my term paper by googling random stuff in the library last night, I stumbled upon the French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and was really taken by his work. His series 'La Terre vue du Ciel' [The Earth From Above], is an aerial portrait of the world and is quite striking. Check out his website. He also founded the non-profit organization GoodPlanet.org, an advocate for environmental sustainability.