While creating a Magpie List is designed to be a quick, painless, no-pressure procedure, sometimes someone gleefully throws away any Magpie suggestions to abandon “thinking too much,” and sends along their in-depth explanations. And honestly… we love this. Los Angeles artist Greta Svalberg has eloquently described each item on her list with such consideration that I decided her own words deserved some special Magpie attention.
Greta’s treasures provided me with an entire evening of exploring artists and music about whom I would probably otherwise never have learned. I am excited to explore further, and hope TML readers feel inspired to do the same!
And so. In her own words…
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, TOP 10, By Greta Svalberg
1. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace A sci-fi thriller/ self help addiction recovery book/ grammar lesson/ tennis lesson/ boston epic/ Incandenza family document/ comedic romp. It took me six months to read and I wish it lasted longer.
2. “Echidna’s Arf” & “Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?” by Frank ZappaW on Roxy & Elsewhere I love so much of Zappa. My favorite era is Hot-Rats- Grand Wazoo- Waka/Jawaka. These compositions are so complex, the performances beyond beautiful to the sublime abyss cliff edge explosion distortion echo silence mushroom cloud. He composed these songs while confined to a wheelchair with devastating injuries, after being pushed by a deranged fan into an orchestra pit headfirst.
3. Dan Graham Rock My Religion Most of Dan Grahams work creeps me out. His video Rock My Religion is one of my favorites ever.
4. Jan Svankmajer Darkness/Light/Darkness This film is Surrealist Czechoslovakian stop motion animation. He has many great short films, and also executed the best Alice in Wonderland rendition ever.
5. Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, 10:00 every night on 640 KFI A radio show about paranormal everything, current events, and alternative perspectives in general. They always have great environmental reporting- they were the first I heard to report the BP gulf oil spill. They also talk about physics, history, astronomy, and medicine. Some of their expert guests are silly and entertaining characters, some will blow your mind.
6. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon This book will make you want to consume raw milk, red meat, soaked grains, and fermented vegetables. Throughout the book are anthropological nutrition anecdotes by Weston Price and others. A cookbook with philosophical substance.
7. The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein This book is bleak and filled with horrors, but discusses neoliberalism/ neoconservativism/ free market zealotry in a clear way. The history of economic horribleness in Chile, Argentina, USSR/Russia, Iraq, and New Orleans is laid out in plain language.
8. The World is A Beautiful Place by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t mind happiness
not always being so very much fun
if you don’t mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don’t sing
all the time
The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn’t half bad
if it isn’t you
Oh the world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen
and its various segregations
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to
Yes the world is the best place of all
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs
and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people
and making babies and wearing pants
and waving hats and
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally ’living it up’
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician
9. Paul Thek The Wonderful World That Almost Was For awhile this was the only book on the artist Paul Thek and it was very out of print. It still is out of print, but there are others now… this one is still the best one.
10. Mr. Show I have seen every episode many times. Hilarious to the point of poignant happiness and joy.
See, I told you it was worth acknowledging! Find Gretchen’s Magpie List amongst the many other interesting treasures here at TML, and submit a list of your own. (Explanations appreciated but not expected!)