around the internets.... somewhere else.

For this edition of "Around the Internets"... well... it's not here. Instead of a weekend list of favorite links and randomness, it morphed itself in to Friday Faves and has a new home this week!

My blogfriend Amy invited me to fill in for her while she took a break this week. Hop on over to Backseat Writer for a guest post on a few of my current favorite things, then check out some of her other posts! I predict some more collaboration between us in the future. Thanks Amy!

And if you're visiting from Backseat Writer... welcome! =)

summer reads

The summer reading lists seem to pop up everywhere, and I ask myself, "What is this free summer reading time that everyone talks about?" Adulthood is tough, guys.

But regardless, I am attempting. Friday night, I started simultaneous book #4 because I'm insane. Right now I have free time, so instead of actually using it to... y'know... read, I present my own little list, both current reads and ones I'd like to accomplish before September makes life crazy.

The Read & Reading...

J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit: Would you believe that in all my years of fantasy nerdiness, I never read this book until just a couple months ago? Alas, it's true, but I have lots to catch up on. This little prequel to The Lord of the Rings has been waiting patiently on my shelf for several years, occasionally started, but never explored past the first chapter or two. This is a delightful adventure story and a magical introduction to Middle Earth. I wish I'd read this first.

A favorite quote: "We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!"


A.S. Peterson - Fiddler's Green: Another one I took way too long to finally pick up, but what a great story it was! Last year, The Fiddler's Gun was my Favorite Fiction Debut, but this one was even better. Peterson's storytelling voice is sure and his characters compelling, and the setting of a world on the brink of revolution brings history to life much better than any class I ever sat through. A worthy, beautiful conclusion to Fin Button's story that leaves me eagerly waiting for the next adventure from this author.

Also, it has knights and pirates! What more could you want in a summer book?


Dorothy Sayers - The Mind of the Maker: I call this Hutchmoot Homework. One of my summer goals was to clear a few things from the Book List so I won't have to hide behind my coffee and pretend I know what everyone's talking about when Rabbit Roomers start a-chinwagging. This would be my first check off the list.

The first chapter was, I admit, quite dense and felt a little like swimming the Amazon upstream, but after a while, it became quite an intriguing read. Very heady, lots of philosophy and theology, but the gist of her thesis is exploring the idea of being a sub-creator made in the image of the ultimate Creator. I'll probably have more thoughts later, but for now, I've learned to just read and let it stretch my mind. And underline and note the margins. A lot.

Kazuo Ishiguro - Nocturnes: Another I'm working through now, short stories by the author of Never Let Me Go. I picked this up at Borders' closing sale (RIP) because the title, the cover, and the concept (five interwoven stories about music and nightfall) was intriguing. Just two stories in, I've found these little tales seem to have more to do with human relationships and malaise than anything else, but whether the characters create it or obsess over it, the mystery of music ties the stories together. (In that way, it reminds me of High Fidelity. But not.)



And on the To-Read Pile...

Andrew Peterson - The Wingfeather Saga: I've been wanting to read The Monster in the Hollows since it showed up in my mailbox, but the neurotic, completist part of me just can't until I revisit the first two books. So, even though I've got, like, other books going, I picked up On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness Friday night and pushed through until I couldn't stay awake. Summer makes me crave fantasy, wonder, and excitement. I doubt I can get through them all before September, but hey, nothing wrong with trying, right?



Steven Pressfield - The War of Art: Another dose of Hutchmoot Homework, one that I expect will be an easier read than The Mind of the Maker, but no less potent and helpful. This book de-mystifies creative blocks (or "Resistance") and offers encouragement and advice for fighting through and creating something beautiful... something I know I could really use right now. :)





Kathleen Norris - Acedia and Me: I picked this up in the library, stood in a corner, and read the first few chapters in one sitting... er... standing. I was tempted to check it out (justifying the temptation with "but it's Hutchmoot Homework!") but seriously... no. I have enough at home I need to read. But perhaps I'll squeeze it in. Those first few chapters were compelling, at least...






Maggie Stiefvater - Forever: Yes, I know. Whatever. Werewolf Action. And after the awful ending of Linger, I must.








As you can see, I have way too many I want to read and could quite possibly be in over my head this summer. Oh, if only I could duck into a closet to Narnia and hide in there until I get them all done...

What are you reading? And what's on your summer list?

returns + experiments

And so, once more, our heroine returns from the faraway lands of blogging vacation...

What? You didn't know I left? Well hi, I did. We all need a summer break, yes? Of course. Or just an excuse to be lazy.

Actually, I realized a while back that I've been bored and stumped with blogging lately, or at least tend to have ideas at inappropriate times... like when I'm showering or driving or trying to accomplish things at the job that pays me. I can write whole posts in my head that sound amazing, but fizzle out the second I turn my computer on. Discovering Evernote has helped a lot, but I can't take my iPod everywhere, and besides... thumb-typing and driving is dangerous.

I've also found that when I publicly whine about this problem, I get a burst of creativity. This is not a useful trait to have. :)

So, when this dilemma comes, it's time to step back and re-evaluate.

Go to the movies. (Harry Potter 7.2 was amazing by the way.)
Read some books. (A post about summer reading coming Wednesday!)
Immerse myself in music. (several new JFH reviews on the way, but for now, here's a teaser preview of the new Downhere record)

Oh, and I've gone and made another blog.

What? Yes. I claimed another corner of the internet for poetry and creativity.


I've always loved writing poems, playing with words, and dabbling in abstraction. Molding words and vague ideas into a little piece of art has always been a fun, therapeutic challenge when good, practical writing that communicates something becomes a chore.

While I've shared poetry here in the past, I realize this is not the best outlet for it. I always feel compelled to explain the disruption and force my little square, triangle, and rhombus poetry pegs into neat round holes. But at the same time, I kind of want these odd little word arrangements to find a home, even if that means letting them run wild through the Internet.

So, here is the experiment. My new blog is called WIP. It's a home for poems, both finished an in progress, as well as whatever bits of creativity and inspiration I find that don't quite fit the Divinest Sense mold.

Eventually, I hope for a better title... but hey, it really is a Work in Progress.

If that sounds like your thing, please come visit! There's a full introduction here, and you can check out a few older poems that I've considered worthy of sharing. I hope maybe something, somewhere will resonate with you.

And if that's not your thing, or you hate poetry, or whatever, no worries. There's always my quasi-frequent, prosey rambling here. =)

deeper.2: harry potter & the end of it all

It's a little later than I hoped, but here is the second installment of Deeper, a series revisiting the art that shapes us. If you're interested in guest posting sometime, let me know! (and check out the intro post for a little more about what this is.)

As of the writing of this blog post, I am nearly halfway through what I've dubbed #CountdownToDeathlyHallows. (sorry. Twitterspeak. Won't happen again.) In anticipation for the release of the eighth and final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, I started re-visiting the series from start to finish, pretty much all of which I haven't seen since they were in theaters.

Thursday night, my sister and I are going to catch Part 1 on the big screen, followed by Part 2 at midnight. I've never been to a midnight movie before -- not too many things I want to lose that kind of sleep over -- but it seems like a fitting way to say goodbye all over again to the world of Hogwarts. I expect to cry. (Especially since it's going to be after 2 am when it's over. But whatevs, it's my birthday.)

It's a bittersweet thing, turning the last page on a series like this... I remember not really wanting the last book to end, but wondering how the whole Voldemort mess was going to be resolved, who would die, and whose side Snape was really on. That kind of emotional investment that I felt, even as an adult reading these books, makes me wish they were around when I was a kid.

This might come as a surprise since I was a homeschool nerd and all, but I actually wasn't an avid reader growing up. Oh, I didn't mind reading. I'd even say I enjoyed it. But I don't recall ever getting into anything too deep... all the stuff I love now like Narnia, The Last Unicorn, and A Wrinkle in Time, were books I read later because I was sorry I missed them.

It wasn't for lack of trying on my mom's part either. She read to me and my sister when we were toddlers, made sure we had plenty of good books on hand, and stressed the importance of reading things we like while being discerning. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (and any sequel) by Judy Blume, The Bunnicula books by James Howe, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl were a few favorites, all imaginative, funny books.

But to lose myself in a series, get so pulled into a world as rich and (dare I say it?) magical as Harry's that I couldn't stand the wait between books? I don't remember anything like that, sadly.

I'd like to think my parents are cool enough that they would've let me read Harry Potter. I'm pretty sure they would have, though I hope they would've held back the later ones until I was a little bit older. (Then again, maybe there's some value in letting kids see glimpses of darkness so they can recognize the light? Hmm.) When concerned parents everywhere were freaking out for fear that their kids would all make a mass exodus to the cult next door, my family wasn't passionate either way. Cautious maybe, but I was in my teens by then, almost "too old" for the core audience.

Finally, to see what all the fuss was about, we rented the first movie and watched it. Then the second. Then I had to read the books. The first five were out, and like many latecomers to the HP universe, I fell in love with the characters, their world, and their story and tore right through them all, only to impatiently wait for the next. Mom asked what I thought. I said I really wasn't sure what the big deal was.... the Harry Potter style of "witchcraft" was no weirder than the sci-fi or more dangerous than Disney fairy tales we grew up on, but rather just another plot device to push a story along.

I understand, respect, and support any person's right to discernment and caution. I am very cautious when parents ask me if something is appropriate for their kids. I am not a parent, and I would never tread on reasonable concerns. But there's a part of me that's saddened when I see a beautiful story that makes kids want to read getting sneers and condemnation from people who have no int it. And while it seems the debate has calmed down, I suspect there's still a good deal of concern among Christian parents who just want to keep their kids safe, and perhaps some who look down on its supporters.

If I'm asked about this one, here's what I'd say: if your child can handle some scary creatures and darkness; if you're willing to read the books too and have deep, honest discussion; if you're okay with a world where evil is real and strong, but love and loyalty are equally real and even stronger; and if that world happens to use magic as a tool and the last and least slay monsters and change the world.... then please, consider giving it a try, and experience the wonder and beauty of Story together.

Then seek out more. Read Lewis, Tolkein, and L'Engle. When the next book phenomenon comes along, honestly investigate before deciding. Inspire a love for beauty, words, stories, and truth that will last forever.

The film version of Deathly Hallows Part 1 ends with a battle lost and a funeral. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione mourn the sacrifice of an innocent life, evil appears to be winning. Voldemort draws a sword, and laughs, and the theater goes dark, and my heart was heavy yet hopeful. The only reason I can accept this ending is because I know it's not the end.

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of places
if one only remembers to turn on the light." ~Albus Dumbledore

Are you a Harry Potter fan? What's something you wish had been around when you were a kid? Oh, and have any advice for surviving my first midnight movie?

around the internets: art, ponies, introverts, and Nashville

Another edition of Around the Internets, in which I share the best and the interesting of my web travels... on a Saturday! Totally mixing it up guys, omg.

• Actually, I was going to dedicate a whole post to the Kickstarter for Womanthology a wonderful project my artist sister Sherri is going to be part of.... but they're funded and beyond! Woot! This is a massive anthology showcasing the work of female comic artists, from the never-before-published to seasoned pros. This will be a chance for many artists and writers to get published for the very first time, and all the proceeds from this book will go to charity, helping even more people!
  
  Over 140 women will be represented, and Sherri's one of them. I'm proud to support this, and if it sounds like something you dig, please consider supporting them too. Even though the goal has been met, more funds will help them print more books and do more exciting things. :)
  
  Here's a video with more about Womanthology
  
  
  
• Speaking of Sherri's art, have you been to her blog yet? If not, go visit! Then check out her new venture, Sherri Draws Ponies, where she draws... um... My Little Ponies.
  
  
• "Why ponies?" you ask? Because she is hopelessly addicted to this show. And she may have me hooked too. If you got 22 minutes to spare, brace yourself for the adorable awesomeness and watch Part 1 of the pilot below. Why do we love it? Why do college-aged GUYS love it? Ask Mr. Owl, I guess....
  
  


• So I've developed a weird fascination with Owl City lately. Fear not... I haven't reached crazy fangirl status, but I got a review copy of his new record, saw him closing for Mat Kearney at House of Blues, and started reading his blog. He's a quirky dude making interesting music that makes me happy. He also re-posted a blog by Carl King called "10 Myths About Introverts" that I found really interesting. Hi, I'm an introvert, and it's nice to be explained like this. (One of my first posts at DivSense was about introversion... perhaps I should explore this topic again soon.)
  
  
• Okay, raise your hand if you've made a list of qualities you hope for in a future spouse. (Probably not the best way to start this, because I haven't. Even when I was 16 and Rebecca St. James said it was cool. I didn't wear a promise ring either.) Apparently, a lot of people have, and Donald Miller said it's an awesome idea, and some people got annoyed with that. Does list-making limit God? Is finding a lifetime love and friendship like shopping for a car? Here's a recap of the discussion and another perspective from Relevant Magazine asking "Should You Have a List?"
  
  
• Fact: you might follow too many Nashville people on Twitter when you feel like everyone is at an event or fighting off mutant cicadas but you. I was super jealous of my friends who got to see U2 at their first Nashville show in 30 years, but happy that they were experiencing the amazing 360 Tour experience I had in October 2009. Stephen Lamb shared a wonderful tribute at The Rabbit Room, well worth reading if you've ever experienced the magic that is U2. Even if you don't read the whole post, be sure to watch the video at the end.
  
  
• Finally, new Hutchmoot details revealed! I'm super happy to find out that the official album release show for Jason Gray's A Way to See in the Dark will be Friday, September 23rd... like U2, he will be in Nashville, and this time I GET TO BE THERE! And not only that, I'll get to meet my Twitter/blog friend Emily. Stoked. This show will be open to the general public as well as Hutchmoot attendees, so if you're missing the 'Moot but within reasonable travel distance of Nash, come! It'll be fun.
  

Read/watch/listen to anything interesting this week?

village facts

So this weekend, my sister and I decided to go find the Barnes & Noble 8 miles from our house. I've always known it was there, even visited once, but for some reason never actually drove there myself. Why not? I love bookstores. So we Google Mapped it and went in search of books and coffee and a quiet place for me to write.

An hour and 30 miles later, we gave it up.

See, the only B&N less than an hour from my house is in The Villages. For those who don't live around here and have never experienced the wonder that is The Villages... basically it's a cross between a touristy theme park and a beach town without a beach. But it's a retirement community.

They have special roads for golf carts. This place is hardcore.

So, after following the directions to the letter, yet driving around and around shopping areas, traffic circles, across bridges, and almost heading straight into more than one gated residential area, I made several conclusions about this magical place.

1) Navigating The Villages is worse than navigating downtown Orlando. I have inside jokes with friends about misadventures in O-Town, with or without GPS. But at least once you find I-4, it's all okay. One way roads aren't quite as scary as circle roads.

2) The Villages is Hotel California. Once I finally broke free from the actual town and found the main road home, we did a little celebrating in the car. And then here I am, driving along, and I see a billboard cheerfully announcing "The Villages! 3 miles then right!" (And yes, I literally screamed, "This place is freakin' Hotel California!!!!")

3) The Zombie Apocalypse will probably begin in The Villages. Actually, Sherri is the one who said this. And if it is, I don't want to be trapped there when Z-Day cometh.

There is one bright spot to this story... we found a yummy froyo place 3 miles from my house. Too bad it took 30 miles of driving to get there.

Moral of the Story: Take GPS next time.

***

Housekeeping/Plugs: New review up at JFH! Some thoughts on Dara Maclean's debut You Have My Attention, a fun soul-pop album for the summer. If you dig Francesca Battistelli with a dash of Motown, check it out.

Also, something fun and different coming in the next week or so. I'm excited to be scheming away with a fellow blogger for a collaboration... but that's all I'm saying for now. =)