Codex Seraphinianus is a 400-page book written in an imaginary language accompanied by illustrations that seem to be of a remixed earth. Italian artist and former architect, Luigi Serafini made the book as an attempt to get out of the art gallery scene .The pen-and-ink and colored-pencil images seem self-explanatory. There’s a white mountainous car with melting tires covered in ants. A seed grows to become a tree-chair. A deer head emerges out of a flowerpot. The impersonating text is handwritten …
Author: Tracy Jones
The intricate and surreal visuals of Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski’s stop-animated story Madame Tutli-Putli are alluring from the very first frames. Stadium lights are the only evidence given that the first scene takes place at a train station. They turn on like a controlled explosion to illuminate a foggy world. The camera pans along the ground where random objects are lined up: a record player, empty picture frames, a rocking chair, stacked books and piles of suitcases. They have sentimental value. They …
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz reads Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss on the Senate floor during his 22-hour filibuster against ObamaCare. In response, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer is “appalled.” To a crowd of reporters he said, “Green Eggs and Ham has a moral: Don’t criticize something, don’t reject something, until you actually try it. Sam said he didn’t like green eggs and ham for a long time. And then when he finally tried it, he liked it.” …
At my daughter, Kantra’s school they have a “crazy hair day” where kids come to school wearing funny hair styles. Last school year, new to the game, we just bought Kantra a fluorescent orange wig. She looked ready for a rave. I couldn’t help noticing the dichotomy of the kids wearing afro wigs and calling it crazy while my daughter wore white girl hair under the same banner. “I think its just a joke,” my wife, Haruki, said. “I know,” …
Here’s my BBC interview. It starts at minute 48. I talk about my latest Tokyo Weekender article, Japanese Hip-Hop Has Sectioned Itself Off and my life in Japan. You’ll hear my four-year-old daughter, Kantra, wildin’ out in the background. She was climbing and jumping on the couch. I was motioning her to chill while pushing words out of my mouth. She says “hi.” Thank you Subi Star, good looking out. It was definitely a learning experience. It made me consider making audio …