Squirrel Tao

Writers as Myth-Makers, Artists as Shamans

Jennifer Franklin Elrod — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 21:45:53 +0000

In A Short History of Myth, Karen Armstrong writes that writers and artists, not religious leaders, are filling the age-old human psychological need for myth in the contemporary world. Writers and artists are filling the vacuum that was left by the suppression of mythos in the wake of the Enlightenment. Logos is all well and good, but it can’t deal with our deepest, darkest imaginings, yearnings and feelings. The need for myth lives on and, when not filled by something better, results in everything from Nazism to Elvis worship. It will be expressed, one way or another.

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Amadelio: A Fantastic New Interview Vlog

Jennifer Franklin Elrod — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:59:42 +0000

I’ve just learned of a fantastic new interview vlog called amadelio. Based in Germany, it has both English and German versions of all interviews. The mission of amadelio is not so much to entertain you as to get you to think. Interviewees are individuals who are culturally influential yet not necessarily featured in mass media. The latest person to be interviewed is war photographer James Nachtwey. Previous interviewees have included photographer Carla van de Puttelaar, photographer/painter Will McBride and dancer Damien Diaz. Get your dose of culture from German vloggers! Free your psyche from the mind-forged-manacles of the American mass media! Check out the amadelio vlog.

James Nachtwey

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Interview with Lelia Katherine Thomas

Jennifer Franklin Elrod — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:18:57 +0000

I sometimes tire of social websites that perpetuate the popular and blogs that regurgitate the issues du jour, so my interest was piqued when I recently chanced upon LeliaThomas.com on the 9Rules network. I was drawn into the blog of Lelia Katherine Thomas by the exceptional thoughtfulness and creativity she brings to it. Lelia is an original artist of the internet who calls herself a new artist with an old style and old spirit. Born in the United States in Mississippi, she is currently working on obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in multimedia studies at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to doing painting, photography, computer graphics and website design, Lelia also writes creatively. She posts in her blog her own works of art and pieces of creative writing, whenever she finishes them. She also brings us the work of others through her blog, when she highlights artists and musicians in her regular MP3 Thursday and Artist Spotlight Friday blog entries. Moral Matters Monday brings us her own considered opinions on moral and social issues, and her whimsical and humorous sides come out in Del.icio.us Tuesdays and Hump Day Funnies. When I interviewed her for Squirrel Tao, it was Lelia’s turn to be in spotlighted.

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Vintage Travel Posters

Jennifer Franklin Elrod — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:09:43 +0000

The Los Angeles Public Library is exhibiting a collection of vintage travel posters from the golden age of travel posters, the 1920s and 1930s.

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Mark Jenkins’ Street Installations (Sculptures)

Jennifer Franklin Elrod — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:26:34 +0000

Check out the street installations of artist Mark Jenkins. Can you tell they’re sculptures?

street installations

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