Katy on Wellbeing

Free Ebooks Galore!!

Books have always been essential to my wellbeing.  Perhaps it's surprising that I haven't blogged about them more.  But the flow of books in and out of my life is like the flow of air in and out of my lungs -- such a natural part of me that it's easy to take for granted until there is some sort of disruption.  My disruption arrived last week, in the form of a Sony Pocket Reader.  And here is the best part so far: FREE BOOKS!!! 

I knew that the Sony device gave access to free books, which could be found through Google Book Search.  But the reality of that was somewhat disappointing.  Overwhelming volume and tons of irrelevant crap to pick through en route to any interesting "public domain" book.  So imagine my delight when last night I found Many Books.  Fantastic site!!!  Extremely well organized (by author, title, genre, language, etc.), it also allows you to search by series, popular downloads, or recommendations.  Books are easily downloadable in 24 different formats to suit a mind-boggling variety of applications and devices.  Here you will find everything from the Bobbsey Twins to the Kama Sutra, from Rabindranath Tagore to Georgette Heyer.

For parents whose kids received electronic readers over the holidays, and are looking to populate them without taking out a second mortgage, I found many dearly beloved books from my childhood.  The Anne of Green Gables series.  The What Katy Did series.  Frances Hodgson Burnett's Little Princess and Secret Garden.  Black Beauty. 

I've also been stocking up on Jane Austen, Tolstoy, Edith Wharton, and Arthur Conan Doyle.  Many Books' most popular downloads list includes The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Alice in Wonderland, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!  And I love that you can also find a list of the series they carry -- Sherlock Holmes, Scarlet Pimpernel, Tarzan .....

In short, I feel like I've just stumbled into Aladdin's Cave, or the Leonidas chocolate factory.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Matthew McClintock who runs the site.  It makes me wonder what else is out there.  Are there other fantastic sites for free ebooks?  Well apparently so, and here's a list!

Any awesome sites you want to share?  Any book gems you have found?  To my surprise, the device itself is almost incidental -- the real fun is in the treasure hunt!!

 

Why Diana Gabaldon Rocks

Tonight I went to hear Diana Gabaldon speak as part of her publicity tour for her newest book in the Outlander series, "An Echo In the Bone".  And while it's fresh in my mind, I must write about why she's so fabulous. 

But before I get to that ..... it's lucky she is/was so good, because the PR geniuses at McNally Robinson had staged the talk OUTSIDE.  TONIGHT.  Temperature in Toronto hovering around 2 degrees celsius.  Fifty minutes of sitting outside freezing our tails off when they have a huge store with a large restaurant area inside that could easily have been reorganized to accommodate the reading.  I mean, come on people.  It's more than an hour later, and my hands are still shaking.

But I digress.  And I've just poured a small dram of Lagavulin 16 to take the chill off.  So here's why she rocks:

3.  She's a terrific speaker.  A legacy, perhaps, of her years as a university professor.  Warm, funny, ribald, smart.  And she's a bloody good sport.  Standing there in the bitching cold, with a throat worn painfully hoarse from last week's flu and the speaking tour, cheerfully holding forth on everything from why women love men in kilts ("you can be up against the wall in three minutes"), to the current Lord Lovatt, head of the Fraser clan ("32, very handsome, and seven feet tall"), to her writing process ("no outline, no straight line, I write in pieces where I see things happening").

2. She's a great example of someone who had a perfectly good academic career in biology (dissertation topic: ‘Nest Site Selection in the Pinyon Jay, Gymnorhynus cyanocephalus’), but had always wanted to write a novel.  So at the age of 35, she decided to start one on her next birthday.  And she did.  And the result, eventually, was Outlander and a 3-book publishing contract.  I love it that she had the courage to imagine herself doing something completely different, and the tenacity to get on with it.  I also appreciate how she started with a basic "core competence" in research, and used it to bring extraordinary historical events, from the Jacobite rebellion to the American revolution, alive for her readers.

1.  She gave us Jamie Fraser.  Every woman who has read Outlander, never mind the entire series, has fallen completely in love with Jamie.  A man who, if among us today, would be sitting his kilted ass in jail with a book full of restraining orders.  But nevertheless the hero who has single-handedly done more for the romantic prospects of red haired guys, Scottish guys, and red haired Scottish guys than anyone else in history.  Plus, I am sure, he has contributed billions of dollars in revenue to the romance publishing and Scottish tourism industries.

If you want to hear more from Diana Gabaldon, here's a recent interview, and a link to her blog. 

If you are a woman who has not read this series (are there any?), run don't walk to your nearest bookstore and buy at least the first two books: Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber.  Then clear your calendar for the next two weeks and retire to your couch with a heap of chocolate and a box of Kleenex.

And if you are somebody who dreams of writing a novel, making a film, picking up a guitar .... give it a shot ....

Julie, Julia and an Enthusiastic, Sensual Life

Last night a friend and I saw Julie & Julia, based on Julie Powell's blog about working her way through Mastering The Art of French Cooking, and Julia Child's autobiography My Life in France.  Great little film.  Interesting contrast between the lost-but-plucky Julie (Amy Adams) making her tentative way in post-9/11 Queens, and the larger-than-life Julia Child (Meryl Streep) vigorously embracing her new life in Paris.

Streep was a delight as Child.  The sight of her descending upon unsuspecting little Parisians, whooping "BONJOUR!", was priceless.  As were the scenes of her and her sister (played by Jane Lynch) hamming it up as big, loud, exuberant American gals in a sea of small, neat, contained, elegant people.  I'm 5'9", so the sister's great line, "you're too big to fit in .... so you don't!" went straight to my heart.  She didn't just mean physical size, although that was part of it.  She was talking about enthusiasm, appetite, the willingness to be herself on a grand scale and take up space.

Watching Child / Streep, I was struck by how sensuality and enthusiasm go hand in hand, and how together they create a powerful point of attraction.  We're so used to the over-processed, pre-packaged offerings that Madison Avenue and Hollywood have told us are sensual.  Young, thin, beautiful, vacant-eyed, still, cookie cutter creatures with puffy lips and chiseled abs.  It's easy to forget, until we see Streep cutting loose as Child, launching herself at everything from a plucked duck to her beloved husband Paul, that real sensuality comes from enthusiastically enjoying all that the senses have to offer.  The word "enthusiasm" comes from the Greek words en(within) and theos(God).  It means literally within God, running that big life-force energy.  This sensuality is about life, passion, movement, and is available to everyone regardless of age or physical appearance.  It's entirely an inside job.

In parallel, the film was a reminder that we are also in danger of mistaking over-processed, pre-packaged "food products" for actual food.  Yet they lack the same qualities as the images mentioned above: life force energy, sensuality, the ability to truly nourish us body and soul.  The truth is I'm not a big cook.  I do it quite well, but not often.  However, I do delight in eating well, and am drawn to people who love to cook and appreciate the pleasures of the table.  In their company and kitchens, I feel grounded.  Inspired.  Cared for.  My favorite blog these days belongs to my friend Dana Joy Altman.  She's a "real food activist" and a regular Huff Post contributor.  Her blog is a continuous celebration of great food -- it's tastes, scents and visual beauty, as well as the memories and emotions it evokes.

In closing, I have three things to say:

1. Enjoy the film
   
2. Live large
3. BON APPETIT!

Valentino, Beauty, Passion and Soul

Yesterday I saw Valentino: the Last Emperor, a documentary about the legendary couture designer Valentino Garavani and his life and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti.  The film was surprisingly funny and touching, showing us the tetchy genius behind the smooth exterior as he contemplated the end of his magnificent career. It also provided a thrilling peek into the lives of people with great wealth, glamour, and privilege.  I was particularly moved by his life-long passion for and commitment to beauty.  Beautiful women, clothes, dogs, living quarters.

The eye-candy was, of course, spectacular.  The sight of his chateau near Versailles was worth the price of admission.  Today I am left dreaming of perfectly tailored clothes in the finest silk and cashmere, sleek cars and yachts, and opulent homes.  (As well as an adorable and patient life partner to take care of all the practicalities, but that is perhaps another blog posting.)

But curious about why I was so touched by the film, I have been musing and reading today about the importance of beauty in our lives.  According to psychotherapist and former Catholic monk Thomas Moore, in Care of the Soul (pp 278-280), our souls actually love beauty.  Why?  Because beauty:

1. Invites us to pause in contemplation.  “Beauty is arresting.  For the soul, it is important to be taken out of the rush of practical life for the contemplation of timeless and eternal realities.  …. A vacation from ordinary activity in favor of a moment of reflection and wonder.”
2. Feeds the imagination.  “Soetsu Yanagi, founder of Japan’s modern craft movement, defines beauty as that which gives unlimited scope to the imagination; beauty is a source of imagination, he says, that never dries up.”
3. Inspires passion.  “An appreciation for beauty is simply an openness to the power of things to stir the soul.  If we can be affected by beauty, then soul is alive and well within us, because the soul’s great talent is for being affected.  The word passion means basically “to be affected”, and passion is the essential energy of the soul.”

In his book Beauty The Invisible Embrace, late theologian John O’Donohue invites us to invoke and awaken beauty as a way to navigate the crises we face in the world.  He echoes Moore regarding the importance of beauty in our lives.

“The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere – in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion and ourselves.  No-one would desire not to be beautiful. ….  In the experience of beauty we awaken and surrender in the same act.  Beauty brings a sense of completion and sureness.  Without any of the usual calculation, we can slip into the Beautiful with the same ease as we slip into the seamless embrace of water; something ancient within us already trusts that this embrace will hold us.” – p. 2

So there’s Valentino, 45 years in the seemingly silly world of surfaces, socialites, and supermodels, living a life that is more consistently and deeply soulful than many of us ever achieve.  That’s interesting.  And maybe it’s part of why people are responding with such pleasure and appreciation to the film: because the radiance of his well-tended soul, and the beauty he has dedicated his life to creating, nourish us also.  Thinking about Valentino, I am reminded of those wonderful lines from Rumi:

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.  There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

Shine Your Fierce Light

(Imported from previous blogging platform, minus comments, 19 May 09)

This weekend a friend and I saw the inspiring, thought-provoking film FIERCE LIGHT: Where Spirit Meets Action. 

In the words of the promotional material:

“The 2006 murder of friend and fellow media-activist Brad Will in protest-torn Oaxaca, Mexico, is the impetus for (director Velcrow) Ripper's journey, which takes him to the flash points  of spiritual activism around the world, including Montgomery, Alabama; Robben Island, South Africa; Andrah, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and South Central Los Angeles.

“En route, Ripper encounters a number of eloquent icons, including American Civil Rights legend Congressman John Lewis, actor turned activist Daryl Hannah, Nobel prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Alice Walker, Buddhist peace activist monk Thich Nhat Hahn, famed tree sitter Julia Butterfly Hill, and dharma punk, Noah Levine.

“Ripper discovers what Paul Hawken (author “Blessed Unrest”) describes as the largest global movement in history - thousands of individuals and organizations connected by a shared commitment to compassionate, positive action.

“Alice Walker calls it "a human sunrise" - Ripper calls it "Fierce Light."  FIERCE LIGHT: When Spirit Meets Action reveals what is possible when human beings, faced with a world in crisis, rise to their absolute best.”

A Few Thoughts

1.  Paraphrasing wildly, one of the central points here is that an enormous source of power for positive change lies with people who are both spiritually inclined and willing to stand up and take non-violent action.

Why “spiritual” action rather than straight-up activism?

• “Spiritual” in this film is shorthand for a degree of unity consciousness (awareness of the interconnectedness, or oneness, of all things) which dictates that our actions be peaceful, non-violent, rooted in love.  Because violence directed at any being (or the earth, for that matter) is violence against all beings including ourselves.  So the focus here is on the kind of non-violent activism associated with Gandhi and Dr. King.
• The courage and commitment needed for this kind of activism over time requires some kind of spiritual practice to give people strength, provide the necessary sense of interconnection, and “fill up the well” so as not to become dry and bitter.

2.  I was heartened at seeing what the people in the film were doing.  And I fervently hope that Paul Hawken is right in saying that this is the largest global movement in history.  But it still felt “fringy” to me.  Seeing the examples, moving as they were, I still came away with the feeling that they were anecdotal events taking place over a long period of time rather than a swelling global trend.  (Although the recent triumph of Barack Obama over Bush, Cheney & Co does suggest a larger shift ....)

From this response, I take away two things.  First, I need to learn more about what’s really happening, the magnitude of the shifts they’re talking about, and evidence of the change.  Second, EVERYBODY who was moved by this film needs to look for ways to translate their spiritual values into concrete actions, political and otherwise.

3.  The comment was made somewhere in the film that this trend is the earth’s immune system, activated by the multiple crises we now face.  The people who are waking up spiritually and moved to take action don’t have to be organized, and indeed we don’t have to all know each other.  Like the immune system, we are self-organizing.  I love this idea!!  The idea that all over the world, people are becoming more conscious, more aware of our interconnection, and looking for ways to reflect and honor that in their behavior.  This collective awakening is explored in Arjuna Ardagh’s book The Translucent Revolution.

Shining Your Own Fierce Light

So where does this leave us?  I’ll be chewing over the film and its implications for some time, so this section is necessarily incomplete.  But here’s what I know for sure: each one of us needs to become more conscious about feeding the light inside us, and shining it fiercely in the world.

Feeding the light:

Time to look at your core values and beliefs, and your spiritual practice.  Do you have one?  Do you have some way of connecting inward to your own humanity, and outward with all other beings and the earth itself?  Are you deepening in this respect, or are you isolated or stagnant?  We must become the change we wish to see in the world.  It has to start inside.

Are you cultivating joy in your life?  Expansion?  Juiciness?  As creativity teacher SARK says, “The succulent person is bursting with juices, stories, animations, ideas, and love.  The dry person looks sideways and says, ‘who do you think you are?’”  If this sounds frivolous given the film topic, think again.  We cannot afford to contract in fear and isolation here.  This game is too challenging, too important, to be played with anything but our biggest selves.

Who are you spending time with?  Cultivate friendships with inspiring, uplifting people.  Pay attention to your “soul friends” -- the people whose company makes your very soul expand in happiness.  Give each other strength, and push each other to dig deeper, to love more, to risk more.

Shining it in the world:

By all means let this film inspire you to get out and march for an important cause.  Hallelujah to that!!  It sends a message to the people in power, and it can work.

And let’s also become more aware of the day to day ways we can shine a fierce light, love, and commitment to peace and fairness.  For example:

• Dedicate ourselves to loving, non-violent thoughts and communication in all our relationships and interactions.
• Make sure our business lives, decisions, and actions are honest, fair, ethical, non-exploitive, and motivated by something higher than greed and self-interest.
• Take care of the earth, and all its plant and animal species.  Reduce waste and resource consumption.  Plant a garden.  We’re all in the same web of life.
• Speak out against injustices when we see them.  Look for opportunities to help other people.
• Welcome new people into our families and communities.  Our neighborhoods.  Our places of work and worship.  Look for ways to include, rather than exclude.
• Teach our kids these values, through discussion and example.  And allow them to teach us.  (Recently my dad referred to a catfish as “ugly”, and received a severe reprimand from his 4 year old grand-daughter.  “You must NEVER call someone ugly!  It HURTS people!”)

What else can we do?  How else can we individually and collectively turn the light on?