Jessica Zafra's Blog, page 25

7 or more ways to look at the Bibliophibians Reading Group selection for August: Dune

The Bibliophibians Reading Group discussion and coffee (And melange, maybe) will be held on 1 September 2018, Saturday, at Tin-Aw Art Gallery in Somerset Olympia on Makati Avenue, beside the Manila Peninsula (Old Swiss Inn is in the same building). Everyone is welcome, provided you’ve read Dune by Frank Herbert, OR have designed and are […]

Tarot readings by Jodorowsky. First question: What question should I ask the tarot cards?

My friends and I like to consult tarot card readers. Such readings can bring up alternative outcomes that would never have occurred to us. Some readings are as good as psychotherapy. Of course, 90 percent of professional tarot card readings are bullshit. The charlatan will fish for information, guess at what you really want, and […]

On the tenth day, images begin to ooze like confessions.

The avatar of Chris Marker’s cat Guillaume-en-Egypte, who represents Chris Marker in machinima. The photograph of Linda Hamilton on the set of the new Terminator movie reminds me of the only time in my life I ever considered enrolling at a gym (so I could do one-arm chin-ups and fire a shotgun with one arm), […]

Are you drowning in unread books? Here is a word you need in your life.

From Brain Pickings If there is a word for what you’re facing, life seems so much more rational. After months of floundering, I am back to my reading habit. Everything is manageable if you read books—your mind sounds more orderly. I tried various countermeasures: declaring a moratorium on book-buying, reading the short books first, reading […]

For the Bibliophibians Reading Group selection for August, I nominate Dune by Frank Herbert

1. It is possibly the greatest science-novel ever written. 2. Published in 1965, it presages the political turmoil and climate disasters of our time. Not a joke: In the near future we may be wearing stillsuits that recycle sweat and urine for drinking. 3. Never have we needed the Litany Against Fear more. 4. David […]

What does Twisted mean to you?

Let us know on your Instagram and Facebook. #twisted25 (The Twisted books are now out of print. We’re gauging interest to see if there’s any point in reissuing the Twisted books, hence our request to repost this on Instagram and Facebook. Apparently the readers of this blog don’t care, but lots of reaction on Instagram.)

Yoko Tawada does not dream in words—a Bibliophibians interview

Bibliophibians live partly in the real world and partly in books. Follow us on YouTube and on Instagram.

Society needs some cognitive recalibration: Satoshi Kon’s Paranoia Agent

We were talking about sleep (My real talent), which led to dreams (I don’t remember mine), which led to Paprika (I cannot forget my friend Jay yelling “Etchosera!” during a screening of Inception), which led to the late Japanese filmmaker Satoshi Kon, which led to his television series, Paranoia Agent. This weekend I saw the […]

In which I admit the failure of my Reading Backlog Clearing Plan and move to short stories

Yes, I failed. Not only did I violate my self-imposed moratorium and buy a new book within days of announcing the plan to clear my reading backlog, but I cheated constantly on my selection of short books. One minute I’m reading The Perfect Nanny when my eyes wander over to the shelf where Durrell’s Justine […]

Dance Epidemics and The Last Days of Disco

These appeared in my newsfeeds on the same day. St John’s Dancers in Molenbeeck, by a follower of Pieter Bruegel the Elder 500 years ago this month, a strange mania seized the city of Strasbourg. Citizens by the hundreds became compelled to dance, seemingly for no reason — jigging trance-like for days, until unconsciousness or, […]