readings at Brave New Films

Ursula K. Le Guin - Reading from her new novel, LAVINIA

2008-10-28T15:30:23Z

Some of you, upon reading the previous few posts, asked me what authors I felt were responsible and on-target regarding issues of race, ethnicity and gender in their fantasy writings for children.

At the top of my list would have to be the incomparable Ursula K. Le Guin. I spent countless hours as a teen reading her work, and often revisit it as a grownup now. Le Guin uses the fantasy genre to tell stories that make important points about humanity in general. She blends anthropology and sociology into her fiction about "other" worlds or creatures, and in the process helps us to think critically about our own society, and our role in it, and how we treat one another.

Le Guin's award and accolades are too numerous to list here, but can be viewed on her Web site.

Personally, I'd love to see someone in Hollywood - or at MTV - take the kind of interest in Le Guin that they seem to have taken in Stephenie Meyer. In particular I think the Earthsea series would make a spectacular movie or movies. (I am aware of the weak SciFi channel series based upon the books, and also know that Le Guin disliked how it turned out.)

Interestingly, no one takes issue with reviewers of Le Guin who say she draws upon Jungian psychology and anthropology in her writings - with many reviewers making reference to the fact that Le Guin's father was an anthropologist. Yet make one mention that Stephenie Meyer might similarly have been influenced by the teachings of the Mormon Church that she herself lists on her Web site biography as being a huge influence, and you are nearly run out of town by, one presumes, the "faithful".

I wonder how many of you will suddenly chime in now, accusing me of unfairly assuming Le Guin meant to convey Jungian, sociological, anthropological messages in her work...?

Double standard, anyone?

Anyhow, Le Guin also writes absolutely brilliant adult fiction, with this year's incredible "Lavinia," a notable standout among standouts, from which she reads in the video posted here.

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Roger Housden Recites Rilke's "Sonnet to Orpheus Pt 2, XII"

2008-10-21T03:30:50Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Bestselling author and poet Roger Housden recites Rainer Maria Rilke's "Sonnet to Orpheus Pt. 2, XII."

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Roger Housden talks about "Ten Poems to Change Your Life Again and Again." Housden examines the simple joys in life while exploring love, loss, and the importance of embracing change. Through his appreciation of poetry, Housden inspires each of us to cherish life, treasure the world, and admire the clear beauty of words. He highlights the magic of poetry, and encourages readers to embrace a poem's words and feel their meaning. In doing so, Housden shows how poetry enables each of us to see the beauty of life and better understand not only the world around us, but also the world within us. Housden's choice of poems and his radiant essays provide an elegant and accessible passage into the sometimes daunting world of our truest emotions. Provocative and thought-provoking, Ten Poems to Change Your Life Again and Again is a book you will turn to again and again. - Book Passage

Roger Housden gives public recitals of ecstatic poetry from the world's great literary and spiritual traditions. He lives in Northern California with his wife, Maria. He is the author of nine books and is a lifelong student of the beauty of the word, including poetry. His previous books include Sacred America: The Emerging Spirit of the People and Travels Through Sacred India.

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Authors@Google: Junot Díaz

2008-10-23T21:31:17Z

Junot Díaz visits Google's Mountain View, CA, headquarters to discuss his novel "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." This event took place September 26, 2007, as part of the Authors@Google Series.

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William Gibson - Excerpt from "Spook Country"

2008-10-25T03:31:14Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Bestselling science-fiction author William Gibson reads an excerpt from his novel, "Spook Country."

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William Gibson discusses "Spook Country."

William Gibson has long been recognized as a literary pioneer with an eye for technological and social change. From his 1984 debut novel "Neuromancer", in which he envisioned both the Internet and virtual reality before either existed, to his most recent novel, "Pattern Recognition", which probed cultural changes in the US since 9/11, Gibson has repeatedly demonstrated a unique ability to see the odd shapes, bulges, and empty spaces created by information as it leaks out, indicators of events of extreme weirdness and secrecy.

His exploration of our chaotic present continues in "Spook Country", a contemporary novel of political paranoia. - Cody's Books

William Ford Gibson is an American-born science fiction author who has been called the father of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction, partly due to coining the term "cyberspace" in 1982, and partly because of the success of his first novel, "Neuromancer," which has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide since its publication in 1984.

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