New artwork: Prepare Your Minds for the Morrow.
Blog
Booknotes 3.1
Nonfiction
- Writing into the Dark, by Dean Wesley Smith (2015). A reread (though apparently I never added it to my reading log). Some useful techniques. While I want to be an outliner, lately I only seem to be able to finish stories when I write them into the dark this way (cycling, etc.).
- Reflections on the Psalms, by C. S. Lewis (1958). One of the few by CSL that I’d never read before. Short and fairly interesting. There’s a bit near the end about wanting a more clearly defined, systematic, nigh mathematical theology, but that maybe that’s not what’s best for us, and that what we really need is a Personality instead (Christ). Also liked this: “For we are so little reconciled to time that we are even astonished at it. ‘How he’s grown!’ we exclaim, ‘How time flies!’ as though the universal form of our experience were again and again a novelty. It is as strange as if a fish were repeatedly surprised at the wetness of water. And that would be strange indeed; unless of course the fish were destined to become, one day, a land animal.”
- Biomimicry, by Janine Benyus (1997). A fascinating book, lots of interesting ideas, similar in some respects to Ways of Being. Quite liked it. Found myself wondering how many of these innovations have gone mainstream since 1997 and I’ve just not been aware of them. Also, I had no idea 3D printing started so early.
Fiction
- Beneath the Sugar Sky, by Seanan McGuire (2018, fantasy). Novella, Wayward Children book 3. Some earthy bits, but outside of that there’s great worldbuilding and great writing. The dark fairy tale vibe is right up my alley, too.
- Chosen, by Benedict Jacka (2013, fantasy). Alex Verus book 4. I’m enjoying the series more and more as I get further into it. At this point it feels kind of like Dresden but without the awkward parts.
Links #90
Whew, didn’t realize it’s been two months since I last posted one of these. Starting to catch up, and going light on commentary to facilitate that:
Dave Karpf on Marc Andreesen’s techno-optimist manifesto.
Dieter Rams Palette. Love this.
Chris Coyier on some new CSS functions.
Hilton F. Japyassú and Kevin N. Laland on spider cognition.
Ben Coxworth on a ten-second voice test that apparently can detect type 2 diabetes.
Roger Pimentel on patriotism and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Agreed.
Guardian writers on school lunches across Europe. This is great.
Jason Kottke on how some English birds were given people’s names. This is also great.
Benjamin Breen on the Herculaneum scroll and cash prizes for historical mysteries.
Jake Lazaroff on web components outliving JavaScript frameworks.
Joanna Thompson on how many animals have ever existed on Earth. Whew! That’s a lot!
John Gruber on the aftermath of gun violence always being the time to push for gun legislation. Yes, yes, yes, 100%.
Vasilis van Gemert on the UX of HTML.
Simon K. Jones on the story loom, an interesting idea about writing.
New artwork: Annunciation III. Experimenting with a looser style.
New artwork: She Knew That It Was the Power of God. I’ve wanted to do an Abish piece for a while. (Earlier attempts failed.)
New artwork: Nevertheless III. Inordinately pleased with how the texture turned out on the red square.
I’ll be doing another ARTbook signing at 6 pm next Thursday, December 21, at Havenlight Frameworks Gallery inside University Place Mall in Orem (next to RC Willey). And thanks to those of you who stopped by at the last signing! I enjoyed visiting with you.
New artwork: A Welding Link.
New artwork: How Oft Will I Gather You.
New artwork: In the Midst of Them. (I almost called this one There Am I II, but the Roman numerals don’t work quite so well there.)
