When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content — and speedier means could make up for unimproved ends — Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.” Even half a century ago, Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself.” Thomas Merton struck a chord with millions, by not just noting that “Man was made for the highest activity, which is, in fact, his rest,” but by also acting on it, and stepping out of the rat race and into a Cistercian cloister.Yet few of those voices can be heard these days, precisely because “breaking news” is coming through (perpetually) on CNN and Debbie is just posting images of her summer vacation and the phone is ringing. We barely have enough time to see how little time we have (most Web pages, researchers find, are visited for 10 seconds or less). And the more that floods in on us (the Kardashians, Obamacare, “Dancing with the Stars”), the less of ourselves we have to give to every snippet. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us — between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there — are gone.We have more and more ways to communicate, as Thoreau noted, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating. And — as he might also have said — we’re rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.
The Joy of Quiet
Portraits of the Homeless - Lee Jeffries
Capturing searing profiles of over 100 different homeless people, U.K.-born photographer, Lee Jeffries has recently showcased this stunning collection of photographs. His images are very dark, detailed and descriptive of the subjects' character and life.
A new year...
Embracing a new beginning is always some sort of a challenge, but to embrace it in its definition alone brings comfort and hope in the "possible". In the changes. In the detours. In the inevitable ends.
I hope and pray we move forward in every aspect, be it - humanness, education, gratitude, grief etc.
Carpe Annum.
Alexander Rodchenko
Alexander Rodchenko is probably most well-known for his involvement in the Russian movement called Constructivism, which came about shortly after the Russian Revolution and lasted up to about 1934, when it was replaced by Socialist Realism.
His photographic style took the form of documentary, and he photographed his subjects at odd angles in many cases with the intention to shock the viewer. He wrote:
“One has to take several different shots of a subject, from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again.”
Flavorwire: Best-Selling books that were originally rejected.
Anyone who has ever wanted to work in a creative field, be it writing, painting or playing music has been told they’d better develop thick skin. After all, it doesn’t matter how good you are, someone will always be there to tear you down. It’s hard to think of a better example of this than to look at some rejected books that would later become some of the best-selling titles in the world. From the Twilight saga to Anne Frank’s Diary, the success of these books shows that even people paid to evaluate the commercial potential of a work of art sometimes underestimate the most valuable titles.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Despite its having sold 40 million copies since 1970, publishers originally thought that the concept of a book being told from the point of view of a seagull was simply ridiculous. As a result, Jonathan Livingston Seagull was rejected a total of eighteen times.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
These days, Anne Frank has one of the best-known holocaust stories and the book has sold 30 million copies around the world. Surprisingly, the tale wasn’t too popular with publishers though, and was rejected sixteen times. One publisher even noted the story was barely worth reading because, “The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the ‘curiosity’ level.”
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Sure, it launched an empire that resulted in the sale of 450 million books and some of the highest grossing films of all time, but if Rowling wasn’t so dedicated to the book’s first installment, none of that would have happened. That’s because she received eight rejection letters before Bloomsbury agreed to print the story. Really though, the true credit in this tale goes to Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of the publisher’s chairman, who read the first chapter and insisted her father get a hold of the rest of the story as soon as possible.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Despite its having sold 40 million copies since 1970, publishers originally thought that the concept of a book being told from the point of view of a seagull was simply ridiculous. As a result, Jonathan Livingston Seagull was rejected a total of eighteen times.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
These days, Anne Frank has one of the best-known holocaust stories and the book has sold 30 million copies around the world. Surprisingly, the tale wasn’t too popular with publishers though, and was rejected sixteen times. One publisher even noted the story was barely worth reading because, “The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the ‘curiosity’ level.”
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Sure, it launched an empire that resulted in the sale of 450 million books and some of the highest grossing films of all time, but if Rowling wasn’t so dedicated to the book’s first installment, none of that would have happened. That’s because she received eight rejection letters before Bloomsbury agreed to print the story. Really though, the true credit in this tale goes to Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of the publisher’s chairman, who read the first chapter and insisted her father get a hold of the rest of the story as soon as possible.
Ottoman Empire FTW!
Ninety male and female Somalis will come to Turkey to be trained on how to raise livestock, use tractors and other agricultural equipment, manage complexes, slaughter animals and fish as part of efforts of the Turkish Agriculture Ministry for its “Somali Action Plan.”
“No word is sufficient to describe the agony there,” Erdoğan said while addressing the 66th session of the General Assembly of United Nations last month. He said Turkey’s approach to Somalia was grounded firmly in humanitarian principles. “Along with emergency humanitarian aid, Turkey is also determined to help build the infrastructure facilities that will enable this country to stand on its feet.”
Source
“No word is sufficient to describe the agony there,” Erdoğan said while addressing the 66th session of the General Assembly of United Nations last month. He said Turkey’s approach to Somalia was grounded firmly in humanitarian principles. “Along with emergency humanitarian aid, Turkey is also determined to help build the infrastructure facilities that will enable this country to stand on its feet.”
In related news...
Thoughts & prayers to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey. Güçlü kalmak!
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