A highly researched essay on how Greek myths morphed over time to further a cultural suppression of women. Each chapter is devoted to an (in)famous female protagonist: her storyline, how it was perceived originally, and how it changed or was even erased, over time. Take Pandora: the unwitting vessel of Zeus’s revenge. Pandora is singlehandedly... Continue Reading →
Books: “Klara and The Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro
The story begins with a mother and daughter who are living out the consequences of a futuristic dilemma. The wealthy are afforded with a choice to enhance their children to meet the intellectual demands of the new world. However, it is a huge gamble. A family has rolled the die and lost heavily already. They... Continue Reading →
Books: “At The End Of The Matinee” by Keiichiro Hirano
This is my first book by the author. His previous novel A Man was hugely successful in Japan and has since been made into a movie and translated into English. After reading At The End Of The Matinee, which is his second book to be translated to English, I thought the same thing – it... Continue Reading →
Books: “The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories” by Ken Liu
I regret not writing my entry soon after reading. I look in upon the collection through the lens of misty memory - the sentiment beautiful; yet I know the subtle brilliance of each gem has been lost. Still, it is an apt feeling, as the idea of quantum measurement – the philosophy in which measurements... Continue Reading →
Books: “The New Wilderness” by Diane Cook
Despite this title being on so many “books of the year” lists and displayed on prime shelves at bookstores, I kept passing on it - until a friend physically handed the book to me. She had a straight-forward, one-line answer to my open-ended question about her thoughts on the book; “It made me wonder what... Continue Reading →
Books: “The Shipping News” by Annie Proulx
Already now May and I am seven books behind in writing. Hard to get back into the groove…I have been reading books still steaming from the press, which is new terrain for me. Hardy, Tolstoy was the entry point, went back for Milton, Maugham is my safe place. Last year I was on a WWII... Continue Reading →
Books: “Chess” by Stefan Zweig
Book of the month @ BooksActually, and a really great choice given that the world had come off the chess frenzy of “The Queen’s Gambit.” It was last month’s book choice, and here I must confess there is a small collection of books that require book entries that are piling up on my desk, and... Continue Reading →
Books: The Woman in the Dunes, by Kobo Abe
It was rather – a difficult read. In that I am not sure I understood all of the existential arguments. Written in 1962, it has elements of Kafka where Abe replaces the infinite office corridors with grains of sand. Defined as sediment of certain measurements (ie: if it’s too big, it’s a pebble, too small... Continue Reading →
Books: “Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves” by James Nestor
It is incredible to think we have managed to explore outer space but not our own Mariana Trench. While we can’t dive down to those levels, our bodies CAN, go deeper than we once believed. And here is why: once your body is deprived of oxygen, our mammalian “Master Switch of Life” kicks in –... Continue Reading →
28 Blocks of Colonial Singapore
The Hidden Meaning Behind the Names of the Wessex Estate BlocksA photo documentary book by Ana Menchen Edited by Johanna Airth I met Ana about two years ago at an intimate gathering for photography enthusiasts. It was one of those sweet seemingly spontaneous meetings, that was meticulously organized in its goal to bring like-spirited people... Continue Reading →