Ray Bradbury: Stuff Your Head

openculture.com · There are a lot of interesting 'advice to writers' lists online —several collected here, for example— but few are as entertaining and flat-out inspiring as this 2001 address by Ray Bradbury that I recently came across. One of the most celebrated American writers of speculative fiction, Bradbury offers insightful anecdotes, practical advice and puckish encouragement for writers and artists alike. Don't miss it.

Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist

orionmagazine.org · Paul Kingsnorth's personal, twenty-year journey through the world’s wild places and the movements to protect them has also become an education in the limits of a project that has forgotten nature and lost its soul. In this excellent recent essay, he eloquently articulates a growing concern that 'environmentalism' has come to mean something other than protecting the world’s wildest and most beautiful landscapes.

Unspooling The Wire

npr.org · The "astonishingly sophisticated" HBO series The Wire is one of the only creative works I’ve recently encountered that actually exceeds the surrounding hype and acclaim. The show’s gripping, grim portrait of inner-city life is Dickensian in scope, unfolding like an onscreen novel while remaining true to the realities it depicts. Once you’ve seen the 5-season epic, check out the Fresh Air interview with creator David Simon, his finale letter to fans, and other discussions from NPR. (Note: all contain spoilers.)

"You Can Perform Neurosurgery on Yourself"

buddhistgeeks.com · I'm grateful to have recently discovered the Buddhist Geeks podcast, a growing collection of discussions with contemporary contemplative scholars and practicioners. This is a remarkable resource for meditators and psychonauts of any tradition. Enjoy your explorations, the well runs deep. The Judith Simmer-Brown, Kenneth Folk, Ken Wilber and Dark Night Project episodes are all recommended.

Who are the One Percent?

#OCCUPY · The Occupy movement claims to represent the 99% of Americans who’ve been left behind while a tiny minority of wealthy earners pull ahead. So who are the One Percent? Though numbers vary, the consensus seems to put the figure at a minimum annual income of about $500,000. As these charts reveal, this 1% isn't just Wall Street financiers. Even among the wealthy there is increasing disparity, and this infographic from The Guardian asserts that the movement more accurately represents the 99.9%...

Taking America by Drum Circle

#OCCUPY · Despite an apparently intentional lack of coherent ideology, the Occupy Wall Street protests have attracted attention and support around the world (including, in a 21st Century twist, a Reality TV casting call). As this insightful NYT piece illustrates, the unifying theme is our country's staggering economic inequality. If nothing else, the movement is vaulting this issue to the forefront of our national conversation, as On the Media highlights, and perhaps even beta testing new ways of organizing society?

David Foster Wallace and The Thing Itself

04.15.2011 · With the posthumous publication of Wallace's unfinished novel, The Pale King, readers now have another opportunity to inhabit the celebrated writer's brightly flaring mind. This insightful Time review describes the process of editing the fragmented manuscript, and fellow writers discuss Wallace's achievement in this Bookworm episode. The DFW Audio Project is also worth checking out.

Play It Like Your Hair's on Fire

Ted.com · On a recent episode of Radiolab, writer Elizabeth Gilbert explains how she and Tom Waits share similar ideas about the creative muse. Gilbert expands on her notion that inspiration comes through us, rather than strictly from us, in this engaging TED Talk. The 2002 interview/profile Gilbert did with Tom Waits is itself not to be missed, and neither is this great video of Waits from 1977. Step right up...

Cult and Culture

NewYorker.com · In August 2009, Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis left the Church of Scientology after 25 years of committed involvement. Lawrence Wright's remarkable cover story chronicles the bizarre evolution of Scientology and its followers, including Hollywood elites like Haggis himself. Carefully researched, the disturbing story of this uniquely American cult itself reads like something only possible in the movies...

Books Behind Bars

Prisonbookprogram.org · I recently donated books and a year's magazines to a nearby penitentiary, and learned that there is constant demand for quality reading materials in prison libraries across the country. Many regional nonprofits help provide books to prisoners, so check this list for one near you. Or contact prisons directly; though dated, this info may be a good place to start. Donating was easier than I thought, and much appreciated. Books can be mailed cheaply via USPS Media Mail. Send yours today!

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

Factmag.com · This groundbreaking 1981 album by Brian Eno and David Byrne introduced some of the first sample-based music, and is probably my most exciting musical discovery this year. Reissued in 2006, My Life is remarkably contemporary, combining densely layered rhythms with found voice recordings to create a haunting, compelling trip...

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts at Wikipedia | 'Making of' essay by David Byrne

The Return of Psychedelics Research

TTBOOK, 06.06.2010 · Timothy Leary probably did more than anyone to popularize LSD in the 1960's, but this indiscriminate promotion of mind-altering substances created a backlash, making scientific study almost impossible. Now a new generation of scientists is studying psychedelics' potential for treating problems and illuminating consciousness. This hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge explores the cutting edge of this new research.

TTBOOK's 'Psychedelics' Episode and Real Audio | (Click here for MP3)
Related New York Times Article: 'Hallucinogens Have Doctors Tuning In Again'

The Future of Books and Publishing

Bob Edwards Weekend · This engaging series investigates how the publishing industry is changing in the digital age. In his conversations with writers, readers, publishers and media theorists, host Bob Edwards explores the increasingly dramatic effects of technology on the future of reading, writing, and selling books. Listen now:

The Future of Publishing Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Featured: Richard Nash, Future of the Book and Jason Epstein's Essay