Reposting: "Zine Librarianship and the infinite madness"...

A very stirring essay on the significance of Zines written by Irish librarian Mick O'Dwyer and posted on the blog libfocus. A quote: "By making and distributing zines, the zine community is creating its own historical records. It is shining a light on undocumented aspects of society that might otherwise go unnoticed or be forgotten. Zine archives preserve the parts of history that do not make it into books or blogs. They provide links to disenfranchised communities and offer them a platform so their collective voice is given extra weight". You can read the full post here.

Abandoned Greenhouses (from Messy Nessy Chic blog)

The high quality blog Messy Nessy Chic has a terrific new post featuring photographs of abandoned greenhouses, spanning a variety of locations, including England, Germany, Holland, Italy, and the US.

Taylor Negron - "California Gothic"

You've likely seen the work at some point of the comedian and character actor Taylor Negron who died Saturday at the age of 57, even if you might not place his name. I just reacquainted myself with Negron's disarming and utterly charming presence through various clips posted online, the most riveting being this fifteen minute spoken narrative involving hippies, a circus monkey, and the power of rock and roll. Rest in peace Mr. Negron. 

Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man"

I was thinking about Jim Jarmusch's great film Dead Man which was one of the best films of the 1990s and one of my all-time favorites. Jarmusch conducted a Q and A in NYC after a screening in the context of a retrospective of his films at Lincoln Center which is well worth watching and I just reread critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's review of the film. Rosenbaum later contributed a terrific extended critical analysis of the film for a volume in the BFI's Modern Classics series.

The Lumiere Reader's Best in Film 2014

Just a quick plug for the year-end round-up of 2014's Best Films chosen by the editors and contributors of the excellent online journal The Lumiere Reader. Good advice, snappy writing, and great design.