Five Bullets 2.7.25
Artist's Books, Yussef Dayes, Vending Machines & more.
Good Morning & Happy Friday Friends.
It’s a beautiful sunny 40 degree morning here in New York City.
After finishing Mensun Bound’s account of the 2019 and 2022 expeditions to locate the Endurance shipwreck I had to revisit Alfred Lansing’s book on the Shackleton story. I first read the book several years ago and was completely captivated by Lansing’s writing which makes you feel as if you’re there with the men. I’ll be writing a blog post soon about Bound’s book.
A few concerts this week. Last Friday I saw New Orleans funk band Galactic at Brooklyn Bowl and tonight Lettuce hits at Brooklyn Steel. Seeing two of my favorite bands in the same week feels really special. For more Lettuce, check out my blog post on their 2020 album Resonate:
Here’s five bullets which captured my attention this week:
Art: Artist’s Books Unshelved examines the intention and design behind artist’s books at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. What is an artist’s book? An artist’s book can include text, illustrations, photos, overlapping pages, and other mediums that play with the book’s form. The series invites viewers to experience the books, consider the artist’s vision, and learn how or why an artist used the materials to create their book.
Books: Alfred Lansing’s Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage tells the true story of Ernest Shackleton’s fateful Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. When the Endurance became locked in the Weddell Sea ice, the crew spent ten months aboard the ship before it succumbed to the ice. Shackleton guided his men north across the ice floes until they could launch lifeboats to sail 850 miles to the nearest inhabited island at South Georgia. The fact that all men survived such conditions is one of the greatest stories ever told and a testament to Shackleton’s leadership. Lansing, a journalist, felt compelled to write about the story and spent countless hours doing research, reading the crew’s diaries, and interviewing surviving members. Though the book is now a bestseller, it wasn’t an immediate success when published in 1959 and Lansing never wrote another.
Music: Drummer, composer and bandleader Yussef Dayes is back with another live concert film. Dayes and his bandmates perform their densely-lush but minimal jazz-fusion near the slopes of Mt. Fuji. Dayes explores Japan’s rich musical culture and love of jazz and vinyl records while revisiting his own musical heritage as a boy growing up in England. The band also collaborates with Minami Kizuki on sanshin & vocals bringing together their different musical traditions.
New York City: New York City parks are chronically underfunded while serving a public which needs them more than ever. The Gothamist covered a recent report from the Center for an Urban Future which lays the groundwork for a sporting event and performance ticket surcharge to raise much-needed funds for parks. Clean and maintained parks is something all New Yorkers can support.
Travel: Photographer Taylor Bowden’s photo book documents the variety of Japanese vending machines. Located nearly everywhere the vending machines offer everything from ramen to cake to beer. Bowden writes that the project forced him to slow down, pay attention and notice the details. "On a corner in Kyoto I found a can of seasonal hot cocoa, and at a shopping plaza in the Kii Mountains a sweet potato latte. These machines turn travel-by-foot into a neverending treasure hunt."
That’s all for this week! I really enjoy writing this newsletter. I get to explore my interests, learn more, and share it with you. Get five bullets in your inbox every Friday.
Have a great weekend,
Keith.