Welcome to this week's links. Enjoy.
Seamus Heaney Wins David Cohen Prize for Literature
Irish poet Seamus Heaney won the £40,000 prize in recognition of the "sheer scale" of his literary achievements. Writes Alison Flood of the Guardian, "Fellow poet and chair of the award's judges, poet laureate Andrew Motion, honoured Heaney for a body of poetry that over the past 40 years has "crystallised the story of our times, in language which has bravely and memorably continued to extend its imaginative reach", and for his critical writing, his translations and his lecturing, which "have invigorated the whole wider world of poetry". Yay!
Ancient Jokes
Celebrated classics professor Mary Beard recently discovered a copy of Philogelos, or The Laughter Lover, a Roman joke book that dates back to the third or fourth century AD, more than 1,600 years ago. Beard comments that "(i)nterestingly they are quite understandable to us, whereas reading Punch from the 19th century is completely baffling to me." There's even a variation on the Monty Python dead parrot joke, which would seem to show that a sardonic sense of humour is something very old indeed.
A Is For Artwork
Inspiring New York Times story of the wonderful new library of Public School 47 in the Soundview section of the Bronx — with some heavyweight illustrators and designers contributing to make it an exciting and inspiring space for children.
Kite Photography
Scott Haefner takes photographs with a camera attached to a kite. Amazing stuff that's impossible to describe — you really have to see it for yourself. Via Cabinet Magazine.
Apple and Maple Yogurt Cake
It's maple syrup season here, and for many that means a trip to the sugar bush to see the trees tapped, and participating in such traditions as pouring hot maple syrup on snow, then quickly twirling the cooling syrup onto sticks for eating (plus the usual pancake feasts). To get you in the mood, here's a very nice and light cake made with maple sugar, from the lovely Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini.
Seven Lessons From He's Just Not That Into You
What lessons does a Buddhist learn from viewing the recent movie He's Just Not That Into You? Plenty to think about, but the main lesson taken away is a big one — how we're each responsible for our own happiness.
Mustache Mania
Silly slide show of the recent 2009 NYC Beard and Mustache Championships. Some serious facial hair!
Printable Mini File Folders
These are cute — mini file folders that you can download, print, and trim out, designed by Whisker Graphics. Via How About Orange.
Photograph via Domino's Deco Files.