Only by the Night: The Chronicle praises Ishiguro's "Nocturnes"

Here is a short, nicely written review of a new book which appears to be worth taking a look at. "Nocturnes" as reviewed in the Duke University daily The Chronicle. Chronicle writer Paul Horak comments in his opening sentence that, "Nocturnes, Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest book, is literature imbued with all the beauty of a Chopin composition." Read the full review here.

Science reveals Art

A fantastic little piece from The New York Times excellent photo-jouranlism blog "Lens". The piece, which includes a nifty slideshow, is entitled In microscopic realms, science reveals art.

Just one more way in which the arts, this time photography in particular, can unite disparate fields of knowing in beautiful and unexpected ways. Check it out, y'all!

From the opening paragraphs:

After about 30 years as a travel and nature photographer, Charles Krebs said he was “yearning to see something new and different.”

He remembered taking pictures with a Polaroid through a microscope when he was nine. So he picked up where he left off, only this time with a digital camera and a microscope found on eBay.

“It enabled me to see a lot of new and fascinating things that didn’t involve a lot of travel and carrying around and shipping lots of equipment all over the place,” Mr. Krebs said.

Music as Ministry // "The Songs They Can't Forget"

Hey everybody!

This is the inaugural post for New Creation's new blog.

To start with: A piece that's a few months old, but absolutely profound in its implications for the intersection of ministry and the arts.

From the third and fourth paragraphs in:

Researchers and clinicians are finding that when all other means of communication have shut down, people remember and respond to music. Familiar songs can help people with dementia relate to others, move more easily and experience joy.

Music memory is preserved better than verbal memory, according to Ms. Clair, because music, unlike language, is not seated in a specific area of the brain but processed across many parts. “You can’t rub out music unless the brain is completely gone.”

Check out this essential piece on music as ministry below in its entirety by clicking below:

The New Old Age: The Songs They Can't Forget

The New York Times

Sara Davidson

April 23, 2009