#1685

The book is largely about reading between the lines. It’s definitely not about the vernacular usage of #minimalism, which I think disappoints some people (judging by some reader reviews). It’s definitely more interested in the question you’re posing. Though I won’t say “artistic context” is on the nose, as it is more interested in the things behind the artistic context of the artists and thinkers themselves and what it meant in their own lives and why those notions resonate more broadly - or maybe that is what you mean by artistic context? The book is a kind of interesting sandbox for minimalist ideas.

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#1686

@grey I just started reading this (The Twenty Days of Turin) thanks to your recommendation. Been reading a lot of horror recently and this fit perfectly. Reminds me of Borges, one of my favorite authors. Thanks for the note about it!

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#1687

Feels like a classic, and I guess it already was if you can read Italian. :slight_smile:

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#1688

cool, I’ll probably give it a shot then. at this point since every single breath Judd has taken has been published by Zwirner books and theres been a ton of other writing done trying to connect all these dots between the east and west coast and Europe and every other peripherally involved obscure figure looking at these things from a different perspective sounds refreshing. sounds like maybe its doing that while also providing some context for how lifestyle minimalism and where/how this whole austerity as luxury principle is so successfully able to co-opt and commodify artistic ideas through their general appeal.

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#1689

Yeah, that’s a good way to put it. It is a book, so there is space to find what we want within the text. I wouldn’t say the book is about the commodification, but considering austerity and luxury and how those things relate to the seemingly unrelated artists associated with captial-M-inimalism is one of the through lines. It’s also definitely doing dot-connecting, organizing itself around the topics of Reduction, Emptiness, Silence, and Shadow, pulling in poignant figures to suit the themes. The book’s concluding segment, Shadow, shifts it’s focus to Japan to look at how it’s cultural notions of minimalism tie to its history how and some of their influential thinkers were shaped by integration with the west.

I appreciate Chayka relating his perspectives and creating an organized set of ideas but leaving ample room to mix his work to your own processing rather than insuintating, “Here’s your new hot take on minimalism.” All in all, if chewing on these ideas is something you enjoy, it is a good book to put on your list. It has been useful for me.

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#1690

I just finished Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon, who was recently mentioned above in regards to Gravity’s Rainbow.

I love his works, and I think I have read five or six of his books by now. GR is unquestionably dense, frenetic, and absurd - and all the better for it. I think Pynchon is a master of his own unique sort of dark humour, and it can easily be missed or confounded amongst all the conspiracy and paranoia involved in much of his work. Much of his work also deals with the anguish and tension of eras on the edge of extinction or irreversible change. GR is probably the most out there of his works, while also being his most recognized, so it’s naturally the first one people are drawn to (and/or repulsed by.)

Personally, Against the Day is one of my all time favourites, and is emotionally affecting as much as it is outrageous and adventurous. Bleeding edge was good, really hilarious but probably not as deep as his other works, which are things that are shared with his previous novel Inherent Vice. However, they (Bleeding Edge and Inherent Vice) are probably good ‘intros’ into Pynchon as they have much of his style and substance without being too off the deep end. I recommend them all!!!

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#1691

Love love love Gravity’s Rainbow.

Have a real soft-spot for Inherent Vice and Vineland…

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#1692

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#1693

Both insightful reads on different levels if you’re interested in op amps and filter circuits. I can only pretend to understand all the calculus in Franco’s book but the text is detailed and informative even on my plebeian level.

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#1694

Looking for interesting programming books! Can anyone recommend the MIT supercollider book? It seems kind of pricey, but I noticed there isn’t much in print about the language. Can anyone also recommend some LUA print resources? Was trying to sort through amazon and mostly found LUA books related to Roblox lmao

Or books for programming STM32 with C?

#1695

I have the MIT SuperCollider book — but I haven’t had time to read it and apply it yet! The first few chapters I found to be very useful, but of course if you don’t read them with SuperCollider running, nothing sticks in your head.

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#1696

Mark Fisher - Capitalist Realism

One of the most devastating but interesting reads in the last few years. Just excellent cultural-criticism that combines analysis of mass-culture with the aspects of work in the post-fordian, digital age of capitalism, all with excellent examples and personal experiences.

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#1697

Just finished The Hidden Universe by Anthony Peake. Thanks @corpusjonsey for the tip.

A bit sloppy in the logic department, but excellent brain feeding: pineal gland = DMT = serpents = DNA = digital code = we are living in a simulation! Aliens and spirits are other simulated entities reaching over!

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#1698

tiny habits by BJ Fogg
never thought before to design new habits or entangle my bad ones.

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#1699

My interest historically over the last few years has been more recent Cold War history, so I just started this. I’ve already got another one I want to check out based on the first 25 pages of this. Some military exercise in 1983 called Able Archer apparently being one of those ‘on the brink’ moments. When I bought this title a couple years ago I didn’t realize it was written by Reagan’s Secretary of the Navy. Doh!

Anyway, it’s about US naval policy in the Cold War, mostly focused on the 1980s I think, but it hasn’t gotten there yet. I think the first chapter or two is contextualizing things with the background, so I’m at Truman’s anti-naval policies that might’ve had disastrous effects during the Korean War (from the US perspective).

https://wwnorton.com/books/Oceans-Ventured/

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#1700

Took me a moment to remember why this was familiar, then realised it was central to the plot in the series Deutschland 86…

On my reading, I had to give up on Dead Astronauts by Jeff Vandermeer - just found it too frustratingly fragmented. I can usually tolerate this to a good degree, but too tired at the moment with lockdown, work, and childcare pressures.

Have moved on to Rosewater (thanks @infovore) and 100 pages have flown by : )

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#1701

Didn’t know the series, but sounds great. So now I have to add it to the list to check out :slight_smile:

#1702

This book is incredible. I have no real interest in theatre, but it’s amazing about creativity and status and communication:

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#1703

I have to say, I’m finding the Roedelius book slightly hard work, have you found any treasure?

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#1704

Alas not yet — but the reviews are all very positive so going to keep slogging away at it and see if there are any gems.

So far seems like it could have used some serious editing…