A Folktale from Madagascar

by lana lynne on October 27, 2013
The other day we received the following email from the editor at Open Book Publishers, a pretty cool project based in the UK, and decided we would share it with you!
I am delighted to let you know about a new title in our World Oral Literature Series: How to Read a Folktale: The ‘Ibonia’ Epic from Madagascar by Lee Haring, which I thought might be of interest to readers of Recycled Minds. 
How to Read a Folktale offers an English translation of Ibonia, a spellbinding tale of old Madagascar. Recorded when the Malagasy people were experiencing European contact for the first time, Ibonia proclaims the power of the ancestors against the foreigner. Its fairytale elements link it with European folktales, but the story is nonetheless very much a product of Madagascar. Inflating the form of folktale to epic proportions, it combines African-style praise poetry with Indonesian-style riddles and poems. 
Through Ibonia, Lee Haring expertly helps readers to understand the very nature of folktales. His definitive translation, originally published in 1994, has now been fully revised to emphasize its poetic qualities, while his new introduction and detailed notes give insight to the fascinating imagination and symbols of the Malagasy. Haring’s research connects this exotic narrative with fundamental questions not only of anthropology but also of literary criticism. 
Open Book Publishers is a non-profit organization, run by academics in Cambridge and London. We are committed to making high-quality research freely available to readers around the world. We rely on our friends and colleagues to assist in publicizing our books, and we thank you for your support.

Second Friday Picture Show: 20 Miles Around Shohola, Part II

A Second Friday Picture Show
by Jonathan K. Slingluff
Last week, our featured artist for October, Jonathan Slingluff, showcased photographs from an upcoming exhibit in Scranton, PA, "Photographs, Paintings and Gatherings." Today, we're sharing some shots of Slingluff's paintings, including a few detail pieces. Slingluff is well-known for his minimalist paintings of stark landscapes -- a perfect complement to a crisp autumn day. From our curator, Kevin:

I first saw Slingluff’s paintings when I was living in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. I fell in love with how he captured a landscape (oceans and cornfields primarily). His “Oceans” were dominated by an expansive sky taking the viewer away from what you would think of when visiting a beach. The sand and ocean were present in the most minimal way. The skyline taking up 4/5 of the canvas was what drew you in. It was like looking at a world of possibilities, dreams, melancholy wrapped up in blue paint. Why fill up a canvas with sand and water? I get that. How do you make a beach painting not look tacky? How do you make a skyline look classic and modern in the same stroke? Slingluff figured it out. 

The paintings in this month’s Picture Show are not of Oceans, but Slingluff’s cornfields. I feel the same emotions when looking at the cornfields. The snow: the stalks barely holding for life. They are beautiful and speak volumes to me when thinking about the farms where I grew up. The expansive sky lets you know how small and large the world is in a few brush strokes. Years ago when talking to Jonathan about his work he said that he would rather see his “Oceans” on the wall in a cabin in the woods and the “Cornfields” at the beach. I always keep that in mind when I look at the collection of work that I have of his. I live in Philadelphia -- right in between the Atlantic Ocean and miles of cornfields.






First Friday Picture Show: 20 Miles Around Shohola, Part I

Recycled Minds Picture Show
by Jonathan K. Slingluff on October 4, 2013

"20 Miles Around Shohola": Photographs, Paintings & Gatherings
 Our October Artist of the Month is Jonathan K. Slingluff. This is Part I of a two-part Picture Show focusing on Slingluff’s photography. Using medium and digital formats, this collection of photos is part of an upcoming exhibit in Scranton, PA, showcasing his photography, paintings, and “gatherings," which are objects he found within a 20 mile radius of the Shohola Waterfalls in northeastern Pennsylvania. Part II of the Picture Show will be on Recycled Minds next Friday and will focus on his paintings.

Slingluff’s work was featured on Recycled Minds in November 2011. Recycled Minds' curator, Kevin, caught up with him for a brief Q & A to get a little dialogue to go with Kevin's fascination with his Instagram updates. They talked coffee makers, beer, and the reintroduction of an old hobby, fly-fishing. But to get down to knowing person, sometimes it's best to ask the simple questions in life.

Enjoy this week's show, and be sure to check out Part II next week!
What is your favorite music to listen to while you paint?
Jazz or some slow-paced music. I like to avoid lyrics and keep it simple - nothing to hinder the process.

What is the last beer you drank that you loved?
Right now I’m opening Anchor’s Wheat beer. I also like Pepe Nero, Goose Island.