This week's links. Enjoy.
Literary Paint Chips
For their 200th issue The Paris Review created paint sample inspired by colors in literature. Hover over the links under each chip to see the quote from the novel that was the inspiration (note — some quotes are rather racy!). The link above takes you to Gallery 1, you can see Gallery 2 here. Now you can paint your living room in hues of Mrs. Dalloway or Brave New World!
The Power of Unthinking
Intriguing essay on how there are times when it's better to "unthink" situations, such as when making that perfect shot in sport, painting or performing music. Defined as "Unthinking is the ability to apply years of learning at the crucial moment by removing your thinking self from the equation."
100 Years of Whistling in Pop Songs
Fun mashup by cdza, a collective that makes viral videos about music, who combined 26 songs to make this track. Really clever.
Edgar Allan Poe: Hollywood's Favorite Mad Genius
The gothic stories of Edgar Allan Poe have long been popular in Hollywood — films based on his work date back to the silent era. Often credited with creating the detective genre, the release tomorrow of The Raven, the new thriller starring John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe continues a long line of movies infused with his macabre genius.
Farms Without Soil
Fascinating. Via Co.Exist: "Japanese researcher Yuichi Mori at Waseda University is using a plastic "hydrogel" membrane resembling Saran Wrap to grow plants on a transparent, soil-free film. The technique uses one-tenth of the water and a fraction of the fertilizer to grow the same produce as conventional agriculture. The plants are generally free of pathogens, pesticides, and pollutants such as oil or heavy metals because the membrane is selective: Water drawn up by the plant’s roots pass through it, but other compounds are left behind." Great promise for those living in inhospitable climates — and there are currently early tests being conducted in desert greenhouses in the Middle East, with good results so far.
The 10 Best First Lines in Fiction
Nice little slide show of the greatest opening lines of novels in the English language, ranging from Jane Austen to James Joyce. A good reminder to visit (or revisit) them, too.
Steven Spielberg Directs Laser Cats!
That is all.
Swiss Chard and Cheese Dumplings
Strozzapreti is a traditional Corsican dish that's a lovely starter to a light meal.
(photo by bieke claessens via the style files)