Mad Hungry Mind

Soon to Be a Blackberry

Now a blossom, but soon to be a fruit:

Bad Hungry Mind?

The post silence here at MHM does not mean I have not been blogging.  Instead, it means I have been working hard to get a good pace going at my health care blog, Rural Doctoring.

I made a decision some time ago to keep creativity and healthcare blogging separate from each other. I don't think most people want to hear about long labors and difficult births when they are looking for posts about poetry or keeping a journal. Likewise, most healthcare workers don't want to be confronted by posts about conceptual art or breakthroughs on the Shakespearean stage.

However, divided blogging means divided attention. Now that I have a good pace going at Rural Doctoring, I'm going to resume posting several times a week here, especially since I get to go back to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival at the end of the month.

NYT: Unease About E-Books

In an article about the NY Book Expo, the NYT reports booksellers and publishers are worried about the future of the printed book in light of the popularity of e-Book readers such as the Kindle.

Now, I love my Kindle. Since getting it, I'm reading more than I ever did before. But have I stopped buying print-and-paper books? No! Since Kindle entered my life, I have bought the following:

• Three books about childbirth practices, from used booksellers
• Two anthologies of American Splendor
• A copy of Taking Care of Our Own, by Susan Garrett
• Several books about information marketing

And I have plans to purchase other books. What the worriers forget is that reading begets reading. The more we read, the more we read in all formats.

I'm a New Convert: Harvey Pekar/American Splendor

Perhaps you'll think I just crawled out of a cave, but I never heard of American Splendor until my friend convinced me to watch the film based on Harvey Pekar's life.  I loved it!

Now I'm reading some of the anthologies still in print.  I'm amazed at how deeply his stories of everyday life resonate.  His voice unifies the different styles of artwork in which American Splendor was illustrated.

I have a feeling I'll be more involved with comics/graphic novels from now on.