Sonya - The New Yorker's photo department on Instagram

Every week The New Yorker's photography department picks a new photographer to share photos on their Instagram account. I've only been following @newyorkerphoto for a few weeks but I'm already hooked. It's like seeing a mini project unfold over a week.

So far I've seen photos from a photographer who rode a different NY train line each day and posted what he saw (on the train and at the end of the line), and I really enjoyed the week @matteich posted photos from the same Mississippi town he's been visiting on and off for the last 4 years, to document contemporary race relations in America (which conveniently coincided with me reading Murder in Mississippi). It's a novel way to find new and interesting photographers to follow, and a really nicely timed window to showcase work and then introduce someone new.

Instagram is my favourite form of social media. Most people use text minimally, so you don't get rants and the majority of the content is original (except for people who post motivational quotes..) Two of my favourite people to follow are:

@garrytrinh  - he sees ordinary things in surprising ways in his day to day life in Sydney. His posts are entertaining, funny and real. And I reckon if you take a look at some of the past projects on his website, you can see that he was instagramming before the app was even invented.

@midnightgracie - Gracie Lee is an illustrator from Sydney who currently lives in Tokyo. She draws a lot of the things she sees, likes and experiences in a day and shares them on Instagram, often with a short story as a kind of explainer. Sometimes she'll post a photo!

Sonya - Four awesome female bloggers

Full-time blogging is a funny thing, not that I've ever done it, but I've often read blogs that start off casually and over the years become sustainable paid gigs. My pet peeve is when bloggers start referring to their posts as content. It somehow breaks the blogging magic for me, and reminds me a little of work. My second pet peeve is when full time bloggers hint at upcoming exciting and big projects for ages, without telling you what they are. The latter is becoming pretty common, especially as successful bloggers get more and more sponsorship from companies and are invited to collaborate with them.

Here is a short list of four bloggers that I think have the knack for publishing online, who seem to be personal, interesting and funny. They may not in your interest area and some are not blogs I visit daily, but when I do check in, I really enjoy what I read and watch.

• A Cup of Jo is a blog that a wide range of my girlfriends read and it's a blog that friends who are interested in blogging often aim to replicate. It's written by Joanna Goddard who lives in New York and used to work at a women's magazine. Her blog titles and teasers are so good, simple but compelling and though she now has 2 kids, this didn't start out as a mummy blog (I hate that term!) Interestingly, it's one of the few blogs where the blogger isn't an ace photographer. She tends to hire people for particular shoots or borrow pics from other places. She publishes regular and varied blog series, Vanessa you might like the Motherhood around the world series. I did and I'm not even a mum! I also really like her quick weekly wrap of interesting links.

• Garance Dore is a photographer and illustrator who has relocated from Paris to New York (her boyfriend is The Sartorialist) and much of her blog is fashion focused but in a strangely relatable way, even though she's often photographing models and magazine editors. In the last few years her blog has featured videos, and I really like the Pardon My French series, here's a recent one called 'Is everyone a photographer?' She has a really cute accent!

• Smitten Kitchen inspired this post. I'm staying at my friend Sophie's place and she has a copy of her cookbook at home and the intro is about blogging and is excellent. This blog has really reliable recipes (online recipes can be risky) but the stories that go with the recipes are great too, so often I'll read the post even if I'm not interested in the recipe at all. Interestingly, the blogger says the comments she received from readers early on really helped her shape her blog by giving her an idea of what people really want - recipes that work and are worth the time you put into them. 

• Joy the Baker is similar to Smitten Kitchen but younger, seemingly more American and with a bit more attitude. I've made one or two things from her recipe/cooking blog but most of the time I read her blog because she's funny and is honest about what goes into a blog. I really enjoyed this post - 10 real talk blogging tips.

And a semi-related: 'The photographer is my boyfriend', what happens when blogging couples break up and one takes all of the photos. 

Vanessa - The Howie Chronicles: The Final Curtain

In 1994 I was an exchange student at the University of Texas at Austin, and I spent the summer break in New York City, staying in NYU dormitory housing and trying to experience as much of the city as I could whilst spending as little as I could. It's a great city for that - pedestrian friendly, lots of free events like book readings and concerts in Central Park, and of course the endless fascination of people watching. It was in New York that I discovered the simple pleasure of walking across a bridge, something I now love to do when I'm in a new place, a way of making a tangible connection with the geography and architecture.

One thing I loved when I was in New York was the free weekly newspaper, the New York Press. I became completely addicted to one column, The Howie Chronicles, a transcript of writer Howard Kaplan's weekly session with his therapist. There's something compelling in the relationship between the two men: Howie's unabashedly obsessive scrutiny of his daily interactions with the world; and Dr G, who gives little away, but subtly steers Howie toward a deeper reflection on his motives and habits.

Unfortunately, there's only a single entry of the column currently available online, Howie's final session with Dr G. But this one session captures all that I loved about The Howie Chronicles, and why I looked forward each week to the latest edition of the New York Press. I'm hoping that one day they put the series online so I can revisit it, and you guys can experience it too.

http://nypress.com/the-howie-chronicles-the-final-curtain/

Brooklyn Bridge image by Pilettes on de.wikipedia.org

Vanessa - "To hell with this, I want to make roller coasters."

I haven't had much success story-scouting lately, I follow the trail of articles that hold much promise, but turn out to be so-so and not worth recommending.

This article is missing a bit of storytelling oomf, but it can't hurt to expand one's understanding of the evolution of a 20th century cultural icon.

I love that roller coaster design is a profession for engineers who could be earning a fortune if they followed the expected path, but instead decided to drop off the career treadmill and dedicate their working lives to a childhood fascination.

The standout character in the story is Ron Toomer, who left a job as a NASA engineer to become one of the standout roller coaster designers of his time. But poor old Ron suffered from motion sickness and didn't actually enjoy roller coasters. Shame he didn't feature more in this article.

Another nice detail is that while the technology has evolved to the point that they're now developing a magnetic track that makes the cars levitate, there is still a fondness - and market - for the good old fashioned wooden roller coaster track.

And here's a lovely quote from German cultural critic Siegfried Kracauer:
"Here we are, borne aloft in beatitude, zooming ahead in a race that may imply death, but also appeasement."

The Business of Building Roller Coasters

Sean - The Ballad of Geehie and Elvie

NY Times article, on the trail of the phantom women who changed American music and then vanished forever.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/13/magazine/blues.html?_r=0

Sean: A Free-Falling Place: Aids on Fire Island, 1979-1989

Myke Dodge Weiskopf is a sound-artist and radio producer with a fascinating website documenting his interest in short-wave radio through the project ShortWaveMusic - "ShortWaveMusic is a global sound project and documentary series which aims to preserve the sound of regional and international broadcasting around the world. Recordings may include low-power and community stations, pirate and clandestine transmissions, or traditional international broadcasters".

The website also hosts Myke's radio features, produced mainly for the UnFictional series on KCRW. As a starting point I went straight to this feature -

A Free-Falling Place: Aids on Fire Island, 1979-1989

http://www.myke.me/production/fireisland

Ever since my trip to the USA in 1977 with my mum and dad, and our time spent with Gay friends in San Francisco (even being taken to a Sunday morning "disco brunch", as a 12 year old!) I've been interested in American Gay culture, and the many challenges that the culture has faced, from the struggle for Gay rights in the late 1960s as expressed most dramatically at the Stonewall riots in NY, to the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. When we stepped off the plane in March 1977 San Francisco was in it's peak party phase, with AIDS still a few years away, and Harvey Milk soon to take public office. Our friends took us on a tour of the Castro, looking inside the foyer of the Castro Theatre, and I have a hazy memory of going past Milk's store, Castro Camera. I think the store was pointed out as Harvey was already a seminal figure. As much as I search my memory, I can't remember if we actually met Harvey - maybe I just wanted a roll of Kodachrome! I'm not sure what happened to our San Francisco family friends, we lost touch. Hopefully they came through OK. Anyhow, this radio feature is set on the East Coast and the community of Fire Island, and captures those times well, although I wish it had delved even further into Fire Island as a place. The program's page also features extra interviews, videos and info about some of the key players. Myke's other features also look interesting, and I'm sure are worth checking out.

Sonya - Zach's ceremony

A teenager sent me this link, she's doing a bit of writing with me and is interested in making a video down the track that gives a glimpse into what it's like to be a young Indigenous woman living between her hometown and the city.

We've been sending links back and forth and she sent me this as a reference for her story. I found it really moving and hope to see the film in full. Here's a brief description:

‘In Sydney, they call me a blackfella; in Doomadgee they call me a whitefella. I don’t know who I am.’
 

Zach Doomadgee, 2012

 
This is the deeply personal conflict at the core of ‘Zach’s Ceremony,’ a coming-of-age story about a modern- day young Aboriginal kid who straddles two worlds - black and white.
 
Shot over the last five years, Zach’s roller-coaster life brings his turbulent relationship with his father, a proud Aboriginal man, into sharp relief as he attempts to follow in his and his ancestor’s footsteps. This is an emotional story; the narrative is personal but the message is universal.

Trailer: Zach's Ceremony

Sonya - Tokyo-Ga, a documentary by Wim Wenders

"Moved by the work of director Yasujiro Ozu, Wim Wenders travels to Japan in search of the Tokyo seen in his films."


I think this is the documentary of my dreams. It was made in 1983 and the title translates to 'Tokyo Images', it's also been described as Wim Wender's filmic diary of his trip to Tokyo.

I love the intimate and sometimes philosophical narration, the simple lingering shots and the contrast between the slightly unsettling jazz score and the lighter synthesiser track that sometimes replaces it.

I immediately related to the premise of the doco, in hindsight after visiting Tokyo and being totally overwhelmed by the city, I realised that I was looking for the Japan and the Tokyo depicted in Murakami books, many of which were written or are set in the 80s and 90s.

In this film you get to go inside a factory that makes all of the plastic food displays you see all over Japan (I can't tell you how much I loved this part, especially in two parts - when a wax sandwich is made and when a worker makes a tempura prawn!) and hang out with business men who picnic together in the park.

The work of the Japanese filmmaker Ozu is unfamiliar to me, but some of the most moving parts of the doco come from interviews with those who worked with him, including a camera man who stayed with the director from his assistant days until Ozu passed away at 60. Interestingly I don't think the interviews were subtitled, just paraphrased by the director. Also - there's quite a focus on trying out some of the filming techniques Ozu used at points in the film.

The film isn't online in full (sorry) but you can watch the trailer here. You can also read the NY Times review of the film from 1985 (!). And I found the first 6 minutes of the film online here.

You may have already seen this film but it's new to me :) I bought a small collection of Wim Wenders docos in Melbourne late last year and am only getting into them now. I'll be happy to lend them soon.

Sean - John Safran, A Town called Malice

While we're on the subject of John Safran, just in case you missed his great article in the SMH Good Weekend recently. I particularly enjoyed this as Tahmoor is a little town in my region. Although John has done many out-there things in his career, it's interesting that Tahmoor takes him into the most frightened state of mind he's yet experienced. Jill has been reading his book Murder in Mississippi, and she's really enjoying it. It's fascinating to go back to clips of John from the Race Around the World days, on Youtube. Hosted by a much younger Richard Fidler! RATW kind of reminds me of a prototype Open. Although, I reckon the weirdest thing John ever did was in his Music Jamboree (?) series from the early 2000s, confronting his ex-girlfriend and her successful current boyfriend that she left John for, the director of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival. They are really shocked and disturbed by his behaviour, and John experiences true abject humiliation. I'll never forget it. His series for RN was excellent, and although he and Fr. Bob are good on 2JJJ on Sunday nights, I wish John would do more RN type radio. I think he has the ability to be something like Australia's Ira Glass.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/a-town-called-malice-20140317-34waw.html

Vanessa - Snowfall New York Times multimedia feature

A group of highly experienced skiers are caught in an avalanche - likely of their own making - on a steep downhill run at Tunnel Creek, Washington. The article is very thorough (16,000 words), well-researched and well-written. The text is complemented by great design, and videos, photos and graphics that help the reader to understand the terrain, the allure of skiing powder, the science behind what causes avalanches, and the unfolding tragedy. I felt that this medium did justice to the story as well as, or possibly better than a video documentary could have.

Snowfall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek

I came across the piece via the Longform podcast (thanks Sonya for putting me onto this), a weekly interview with a writer/editor of longform journalism. The interviews are a bit hit and miss, I wouldn't recommend the podcast that led me to this story, but they often prompt a discovery of great articles. I really enjoyed this interview with the editors of Mother Jones magazine, and I'm planning to chase up a couple of the articles they mention. My favourite interview so far is with Jon Ronson.

Sean - Tokyo Compression

Series of images of crushed peak hour Tokyo commuters! - both grotesque and strangely beautiful. Some image series concepts just work.

http://www.theworldsbestever.com/2014/03/31/claustrophobic-commuters/

Sonya - Pop quiz: Printed matter

Today I'm curious about some of your offline reading habits. What book did you last read and what are you reading now?

I last read - Eeeee Eee Eeee by Tao Lin (This is my fifth Tao Lin book of his this year! I started reading Tao Lin books after I listened to this interview on Bookworm. Many of his novels and poems are absurd, this one in particular.)

And I'm now reading - California PI by Rachel Sommerville (I've been wanting to read this for ages! She was interviewed on Conversations a few years ago, and I'm starting to realise that I have an interest in true crime...)

Sean - The Dead Zoo Gang

The next in our series of strange and intense stories with an Irish theme. The Dead Zoo Gang courtesy of The Atavist. I'm only halfway through, but it's so bizarre I'm compelled to post. The Atavist website is worth exploring in depth when you get a chance - "Where stories begin".

https://atavist.com/stories/the-dead-zoo-gang/

sonya - the bread cake

following on from our conversation today (and sean's hilarious spherical jupiter cake tutorial), I thought I would share a pic of the toast-shaped cake tin I have my eye on. last year my friend's husband asked me to make her birthday cake and this year I really hope he asks again because she loves fairy bread and novelty cakes (she once made her husband a giant version of this cookie monster cake).

this blog has a fairy bread style cake, while this one makes a super cute jam sandwich style cake. the possibilities are endless ;)

on the subject of toast, here's a link to the TAL story about a schizophrenic woman who opened a toast based cafe in san francisco featuring food items that helped her escape her hallucinations.

and finally, I really enjoyed this silly video that's from wes anderson's new movie the grand budapest hotel. it's a super stylish 'how to make a courtesan cake' tutorial.

Sean - The Presence, the world's rarest comic book

And here's an article from the Trebuchet Magazine - the world's rarest comic book goes on the market. Hmmm, note the date of publishing - yesterday, April 1st.

http://www.trebuchet-magazine.com/worlds-rarest-comic-book/

Sean - NY Times, Spite is good. Spite works.

Interesting article from the NY Times on spite. Due to my celtic disposition, spite has always interested me, but I try not to go there.

"Psychologists are exploring spitefulness in its customary role as a negative trait, a lapse that should be embarrassing but is often sublimated as righteousness, as when you take your own sour time pulling out of a parking space because you notice another car is waiting for it and you’ll show that vulture who’s boss here, even though you’re wasting your own time, too.

Evolutionary theorists, by contrast, are studying what might be viewed as the brighter side of spite, and the role it may have played in the origin of admirable traits like a cooperative spirit and a sense of fair play."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/science/spite-is-good-spite-works.html?_r=0