Ewen's Newsletter - July 10, 2024
Ewen's Newsletter - July 10, 2024
Hi All
Here’s this week’s newsletter.
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Film: Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
Synopsis: The story of a mistreated donkey and the people around him.
Undervalued Films page - Watch Trailer
Book: Portrait Of A Man Known As Il Condottiere
About: Puckish and playful, Georges Perec infused avant-garde and experimental fiction with a wit and wonder that belied the serious concerns and concepts that underpinned it. A prominent member of the OuLiPo, and an abiding influence on fiction writers today, Perec used formal constraints to dazzling effect in such works as A Void—a murder mystery that contains nary an “e”—and Life A User’s Manual, in which an apartment building, systematically canvassed, unfolds secrets and, ultimately offers a reflection on creation, destruction, and the devotion to art. Before embarking on these experiments, however, Perec tried his hand at a relatively straightforward novel, Portrait of a Man. His first book, it was rejected by publishers when he submitted it in 1960, after which he filed it away. Decades after Perec’s death, David Bellos discovered the manuscript, and through his translation we have a chance to enjoy it in English for the first time. What fans will find here is a thriller that combines themes that would remain prominent in Perec’s later work, such as art forgery, authenticity, and murder, as well as craftsman Gaspard Winckler, who whose namesakes play major roles in Life A User’s Manual and W or The Memory of Childhood. Engaging and entertaining on its own merits, and gaining additional interest when set in the context of Perec’s career, Portrait of a Man is sure to charm the many fans of this postmodern master.
Music: My Winds
Artist: KastomariN
Undervalued Music page - Listen
Reflections
"We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started." - Henry Ward Beecher
"If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it." - Andy Rooney
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." - Henry van Dyke Jr.
"Each man has his own vocation; his talent is his call. There is one direction in which all space is open to him." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention." - Jim Rohn
Longer Reflection
One of the realisations have come to recently is that there is really only one skill worth mastering. And that skill is leaving things alone.
Now, I feel that the first mistake when someone takes this realisation in is that it means to do nothing. But this is not the case. Doing nothing is still doing something. It’s still an act, and is the antithesis of leaving things alone.
And the second mistake that I feel comes from this realisation is that they turn this realisation into their own prescription, a how-to method to achieving peace. And by doing this, they miss the realisation entirely.
Unfortunately, I cannot define what it means to leave things alone for other people on their behalf. Others will have to come to their own realisations for themselves. But for me, I would argue that it’s the only skill worth mastering.
Grateful For
This week, I’m most grateful for Buddhism. Here’s a quote I’ve been pondering quote often recently:
“A wise man once said: A person who is happy has done a worthless work. Achievement is the beginning of failure. Fame is the beginning of disgrace.”
What are you grateful for this week? (You’re welcome to share with me. But I encourage you to share your gratitude with those close to you)
Book Giveaways
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Here’s a snippet of the first reflection:
Birth-Life-Death
Birth is not an isolated event, as if it were, birth wouldn’t flow into life. Life is not an isolated event, as if it were, life wouldn’t flow into death. Death is not an isolated event, as if it were, death wouldn’t flow into birth. Birth flows into life, as life flows into death, as death flows into birth; but not necessarily in any discernible order. Birth, life and death flow into each other because they’re not isolated. And just like birth, life and death…
Film
Watch my film Śūnyatā:
Books
If you haven’t already, grab both my books The Flow of All Things and The Shadow Stalker for free by clicking the covers:
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Have a great rest of your week.
Cheers,
Ewen