Reviews

Books, Music, and Film to Wake Up Your Muse and Help You Change the World

A music recording, movie, or book qualifies as a Bard pick if it manifests at least two of the following qualities:

It’s authentic, original, and delightful;
It poses and admirably responds to questions that have a direct bearing on my view of existence;
It stimulates my mind;
It harmoniously unites art with social action, saving me from both seclusion in an ivory tower and slavery to someone else’s political agenda;
It provides respite from a sick and cruel world, a respite enabling me to renew myself for a return to mindful artistic endeavor;
It’s about attainment of the true self;
It inspires an awareness of the sanctity of creation;
It displays an engagement with and compassionate response to suffering;
It gives me artistic tools;
It makes me want to be a better artist;
It gives me tools of campassion, enabling me to respond with compassion and efficacy to the suffering around me;
It renews my enthusiasm for positive social action;
It makes me appreciate that life is a complex and rare phenomena, making living a unique opportunity (Cybiont).

mindfulbardbookimage BOOKS


Committing Theatre — Our Way to Fight — Who’s Afraid of Frances Fox Piven?
The Essential Writings of the Professor Glenn Beck Loves to Hate — Soundtrack for a Revolution — The Third Man Factor: The Secret to Survival in
Extreme Environments — States of Race: Critical Race Feminism for the 21st Century —
Lorcan Roche, The Companion — Paulo Coelho, The Winner Stands Alone — Symon Hill, The No-Nonsense Guide to Religion — John Wall Barger, Pain-Proof Men — Alina Bronsky, Broken Glass Park — Gourmet Rhapsody — Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls — The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom — New World Coming: The Sixties and the
Shaping of Global Consciousness — Louise Gray, The No-Nonsense Guide to World Music — Ian McKay, Reasoning Otherwise: Leftists and the People’s Enlightenment in Canada, 1890-1920 — From Counterculture to Cyberculture — Joseph Gould, An Oral History of Our Time — Peter Doggett, There’s a Riot Going On — Francesco Casetti, Eye of the Century — The Elegance of the Hedgehog — Roddy Doyle, The Deportees —
Elisa Albert, The Book of Dahlia — Reginald Shepherd, Orpheus in the Bronx — The New Layman’s Almanac — Confessions: An Innocent Life in Communist China — Forgetfulness, in Recent Memory — Sebastian Faulks, Engleby — Alberto Manguel, The Iliad and The Odyssey: A Biography — Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation
with Commentary — Richard Rorty and Pascal Engel – What’s the Use of Truth? — Karen Armstrong, The Bible — Rick Mercer, The Book — Steve Erickson, Zeroville — Millard Kaufman, Bowl of Cherries — Clive James – Cultural Amnesia — Kiran Desai – The Inheritance of Loss —
Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future — Michael Jacoby Brown – Building Powerful Community Organizations

venturesalbumcoverMUSIC

Magnetic Ear — Amanda Martinez — Conjunto Roque Moreira — Stacey Kent — The Henry Chinaski’s Ashtray — Gao Hong — Meklit Hadero — Preservation Hall — Valkania — Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra —Cochemea Gastelum — Clothesline Revival — SLAM! — Sam Baker — Miller-Kelton — Corin Raymond — Gordie Tentrees — Cynthia Sayer, Attractions — Garage á Trois — Allen Toussaint — Marco Benevento —  Gurf Morlix, Last Exit to Happyland —Ravi Coltrane —
BettySoo, Heat Sin Water Skin — Greg Herriges — Spookey Ruben — Rah Rah — Rose Laughlin, The Chicago Sessions — The Mindful Bard — Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Ries —
The Spinney Brothers,  — Jonathan Byrd, The Law and the Lonesome — Todd Snider — The Handsome Family — T@B — Jon and Roy — Fucked Up — Rory Block — Sam Baker — The Human Statues — Serrons-nous la main — The Iguanas — Del McCoury — The Mindful Bard
T@b — The Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson — Doctor Sparkles —
the Coward Robert Ford — Corb Lund — Library Voices — Steppin’ In It — Shut Up and Sing —
Rachael Davis — Cat Power — Sam Baker: A Million Shining Things —
Sam Baker, Pretty World — Bob Snider — Jonathan Coulton —
Greg Brown— Ron Hynes — The Handsome Family

mindfulbardfilmFILM


Footnote — The Time That Remains — Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life — The Sunset Limited — Mozart’s Sister — The Artist — Leaving Eden — And Everything Is Going Fine — Thunder Soul — The Bad Sister in Three Recent Films — Certified Copy — My Joy — Carnage — Benda Bilili! — Sidewalls — Cave of Forgotten Dreams — Project Nim — A Dangerous Method — Portlandia — A Somewhat Gentle Man — The Mill and the Cross — Page One: Inside the New York Times — Ken Burns: Prohibition — Life in a Day — Bal — The Trip — Submarine — Inception — Aftershock — The Illusionist — Metropia — Incendies — Potiche — Rubber — Made in Dagenham — Public Speaking — Another Year — Budrus — True Grit — Soundtrack for a Revolution — Mary and Max — Ajami — Catfish — Biutiful — The Scenesters — Even the Rain — Marwencol — Daydream Nation — House of Memory — Waste Land — For Colored Girls — It’s Kind of a Funny Story — Waiting for Superman — Lebanon— Howl — Winter’s Bone — In A Strange Room — Avatar — The Man of a Thousand Songs — The Lovely Bones (DVD) — Defendor — The Yes Men Fix the World —Watchmen — Faubourg 36 — Desperately Seeking Brian — Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai — Heaven on Earth — Coraline — Séraphine — The Wrestler — Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson — My Winnipeg — Adam’s Apples — Joseph Gould, An Oral History of Our Time — Fugitive Pieces — Intervention —Dante’s Inferno — The Band’s Visit — Atonement — The Assassination of Jesse James by
the Coward Robert Ford —The Honeydripper — An Inconvenient Truth — The Great Debaters — Sweeney Todd — Forgetfulness, in Recent Memory — Shut Up and Sing — Inland Empire — Pan’s Labyrinth — For Your Consideration — Mile Zero — Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles — Land of Plenty — Ron Hynes – Ron Hynes — American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980 –1986

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