A Drinking Problem

     Dasani bottled water, bottled and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company, includes as one of its listed ingredients salt.  It notes that negligible amounts of this are added for taste purposes and, though sodium is a primary constituent of salt,  the nutritional information on the label lists the sodium content as 0%.  Make of this what you will, but it does introduce a fascinating (or is that really the right word?) idea: water that makes you thirstier when you drink it.

In a World . . .

     It is very easy to imagine the pitch for the small but wonderful movie In a World . . .  as "a romantic comedy set in the cut-throat world of voice-over casting."  The pitch might be easily accepted or dismissed, but the the movie itself proves to be charming and delightful in all the best ways, and also unexpectedly, powerfully (yet quietly) empowering.  It is clear writer, director and star Lake Bell has a savvy knack for using all the familiar Hollywood narrative peaks and valleys to get at a deeper point and more sincere emotions than in any ten run-of-the-mill rom-coms.  Nice to see that going off the beaten path can be such a rewarding and satisfying course sometimes.  

Art on the Mind

     The Brooklyn Book Festival is hosting a discussion about comics and education on September 22nd.  What promises to be a worthwhile event given only on the subject matter becomes an unmissable opportunity based on some of the people involved, including Francois Mouly and Gene Yang, two luminaries of the sequential art world. 
     Here's the official rundown:

       5:00 P.M., Sunday, September 22nd - Art on the Mind: Comics and Education. Françoise Mouly (Toon Books) in conversation with National Book Award finalist Gene Yang (Boxers & Saints), R. Kikuo Johnson (The Shark King) and Professor Barbara Tversky of Teachers College. In this era of high-stakes testing, comics aren't just a refreshing change of pace for students-they take on deep subjects and teach multimodal literacy, offering educators, librarians, and parents a new way to approach learning. Featuring screen projection.

      For more information about the festival, have a look here.  If you're in the area, this promises to be a deep and rewarding talk.
     

    

The Librarians Recommend

     Just in time to go back to school, here is a post on the International Reading Association's website, featuring an appropriate theme.  My own contribution is on the bottom of the page.