THE STORY SPOT

Creativity Expert Sir Ken Robinson explains how we grow out of creativity via our global educational mores rather than into it. As Sir Ken says, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” Another fascinating and entertaining talk brought to you by TED, my new best friend.

And while you’re at it, you may want to give his books a read:

Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative

Arts in Schools

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? on TED

Crossposted today on Canuck Out of Water

All hail the New Zealand Book Council for their brilliant (!) tool for the office denizen cum literature aficionado. They’ve created a flawless website that allows readers to delve into classics of fiction and poetry. Twain, Swift, and Kiwi natives such as Charlotte Grimshaw and Fiona Kidman are all avaialble cleverly disguised in a functioning Windows interface. Texts have been converted to pseudo-PowerPoint presentations so you can appear to be a busy cog in the machine while actually being busy building a better you. Three cheers for using their noodles to keep people reading. Try it yourself!

We won’t talk about why reading an actual book at the office is so darned verboten but we will sing the praises of New Zealand for having a Book Council.

Thanks again, Very Short List/VSL.

The New Zealand Book Council’s Read at Work site

Treasured readers, today I’m adding a cause to The Story Spot that I think might be relevant to many of you. The Give the Gift of Sight Foundation will give your old eyeglasses (and free vision care) to someone who needs them.

Got a new prescription? Ship your old specs to someone who’d like to see (and read!) as clearly as you do. If you’re so moved, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click the blue “Gift of Sight” image. Thank you.
/djw

Lists, lists, and more lists! In case you didn’t find what you needed here, try this:

The Los Angeles Times 2008 Summer Reading List compiled by fellow Antioch devotee, Books Editor David Ulin.

As you know, I love to plug LA writers and those who live a literary life. I stumbled upon Julie Robinson’s site a while ago and though I haven’t attended any of her salons, I wanted to pass her Summer Reading List on to you. The authors and works she’s selected are some of my personal faves. She’s collected a good variety of genres from fresh and established novelists around the world so there’s something sure to please everyone.
Happy reading!

Literary Affairs’ Summer Reading List