Ingeniously executed: a Tao for our times.
A writer reinterprets the Tao Te Ching in this timely study.
Kazden’s writing is intent on examining the peripheries of illusion and reality. His novel Gita (2018) drew on Eastern and Western philosophies to excavate concepts of truth and time. In his latest work, the author turns his attention to the Chinese spiritual text the Tao Te Ching. Diverging from his customary role as a novelist, Kazden reinterprets the classic using his own agenda. “This ‘interpretation,’ it is not a translation,” he underlines in his preface, it “is focused primarily on the congruence between my conceptions of totIs reality and the Tao Te Ching’s conceptions of the Tao.” TotIs reality is a term found often in the author’s work and can be defined as the one “true” reality that lies beyond the veil of illusion. Kazden’s stimulating interpretation honors the Tao’s original form, presenting 81 short stanzas that signpost a way to navigating life with integrity. But it is immediately discernible that the author’s approach has a contemporary edge, reflecting and informing the spiritual and moral crises of the current age. Kazden’s trademark as a writer is his ability to express complex ideas with clarity and succinctness. This talent proves particularly effective when interpreting the Tao. The author skillfully echoes the poetically laconic writing style found in the original text: “The Tao shows, that the highest renown, / Cares not for renown, / The desire for glory, and riches, / Are not the source of wealth, and happiness.” Kazden maintains the careful balance of resolved contradictions and declarative statements central to the Tao. It is a delight to discover specific anomalies in the author’s reinterpretation. For instance, in Darrell D. Lau’s scholarly translation of the text, the closing lines of stanza 18 read: “When the state is benighted / There are loyal ministers.” Kazden’s take on this evokes recent political affairs: “And when the country is in chaos and confusion / The perfidious patriots will appear.” In such instances, some purists may criticize the author for interpreting the Tao too loosely. Others will find his thoughtful version genuinely refreshing, no more so than when they discover that the sage depicted is now a woman: “Such a sage comes to love the world as she loves herself.”
Ingeniously executed: a Tao for our times.Pub Date: March 5, 2021
ISBN: 979-8-71-578203-8
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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