Tag: Immanuel Kant

• Diary of a Grad Student: Recent book acquisitions

  Preparing for a thesis proposal means reading and re-reading a lot of books and articles. A lot. Then, when you’re like me and you chose a contemporary topic in an art theory and criticism program, you need some old and new materials. Not to mention finding a re-interpretation of some long-established materials. (OC me, I am my own worst critic.)

  Since I’m interrogating judgement, there is no escaping Immanuel Kant‘s Critique of Judgement. This is an art studies textbook. Of course, few have actually read the entire text. I have read it, and now, after purchasing this from Fully Booked, have re-read it. I spent three straight days on Kant. It does not get any easier. Hopefully, I get the time to write a review. I really am thankful for Fully Booked for locating this and transferring it to Trinoma branch for me. They are my absolute favorite for that particular service they provide with no hassle.

  

  Of course, I can’t shop for books without locating one that is for pleasure reading. Umberto Eco, needless to say, is a favorite of mine. His illustrated novel, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana is something that I have been eyeing since last December. Powerbooks displayed it in a way that you couldn’t miss. Despite the hefty price tag of a hardbound Eco, it is still something that I have to purchase. Just looking at it makes me happy. I read it a chapter at a time so that it would last me a while.

  

  To keep myself from being completely broke with book purchases, I make use of our very reliable SC (Shopping Center). Somewhere in the heart of UP is an affordable copying service. Books that are too expensive to purchase, unavailable in the Philippines or borrowed from the Library and beloved Professors are cloned here. Recent clones include Boris Groy’s Art Power (amazing book, very new), Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle (rare book), WJT Mitchell‘s What do pictures want? The lives and loves of images (critical book on my topic) and Thierry de Duve‘s Kant After Duchamp (incredibly hard to find, out of print book). All of which are helping me with the proposal.

  

  For my next post, hopefully soon, I will show the Milan Kundera‘s that I recently purchased, one after the other. By that time, I also hope that National Bookstore has already purchased the Terry Smith books that I ordered thru them. Getting my hands on some books, particularly the new ones, are really challenging. But even classic philosophy books are hard to come by. I asked Fully Booked yesterday if they can locate a copy of Walter Benjamin’s Illuminations for me, but unfortunately, they are out of stock in all branches. Maybe some of you can help me?

  Till next time, on the Diary of a Grad Student…

  **Oh look, its my 150th post! And it’s about my books ❤

  

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  February 1, 2012

  Art Power, Boris Groys, Critique of Judgement, Guy Debord, Immanuel Kant, Kant after Duchamp, Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, The Society of the Spectacle, Thierry de Duve, Umberto Eco, What do Pictures Want?, WJT Mitchell

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• Diary of a Grad Student: My Notebooks

  

  Hardly anyone writes anymore. I forgot to take a screen shot of it, but when I posted my blog yesterday, Truman Capote said that, “It is not writing, it’s typing” (or something to that effect). Which is true, for the most part, we don’t really write anymore, we just type in our computers (or tap in tablets). It’s faster and more practical that way. But for ideas, I still think its best to do it the old fashion way. The seed of the best typewritten work comes from actually writing. That is how we learned to write and that is the way to get the ideas flowing and the critical questions to manifest itself.

  Granted, these notebooks were a splurge. They do cost quite a lot, for a notebook. I have also read various reviews, especially about a Moleskine and their marketing. The thing is, the feel of the paper is nice, it’s not too thick for it to be heave and not too thin for inks to bleed. The 240-page Moleskine is just as thick as the 128-page Daycraft. My notebook from the previous year, teNeues also makes wonderful paper and creative hardbound covers, but the rule lines are too large and it’s quite heavy. My notebooks for this year, the thesis formation year, are quite fabulous…

  

  The Daycraft Signature Notebook was my first purchase of the three. It contains my everyday notes for every subject. It does not have any pocket, which is a downer, but it’s really pretty. The cover looks like leather, but it’s Italian polyurethane and it feels really luxurious. No animal died for this one. The formation of the thesis, among other things are written here. Granted, it looks like a scratch paper, especially the way I write on it, but it doesn’t make it any less pretty. Also, it is two-toned, so, even if it receives quite some bumps, it does not really show on the side.

  

  For more thoughts and questions, here is my latest splurge, the large Moleskine hardbound ruled notebook. It currently contains thoughts, questions and interpretations of Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgement. I am re-reading it for a paper that I have to write. They publicize this as the notebook of Picasso and Hemingway. I really thought these notebooks were over-priced. They might still be, but for me, it’s worth it. It inspired me to write.

  

  As mentioned earlier, its paper is thin enough to be light but thick enough to be substantial. And I really enjoy writing on it, which is what notebooks are basically for. Also, it’s an acid-free paper, which is important if you want your writings to last. The writings on the teNeues notebook from last year still holding up despite the abuse. Hopefully, the Moleskine lives up to expectations.

  

  When I finally decided on a planner for the year, I knew I made the fabulous decision. I am currently using this extra small, sky blue diary from Moleskine. It has daily pages, so I can write appointments and thoughts that happen on the course of the day. I stick some color-coded Post-it half inch flags on it to remind me of upcoming deadlines and appointments, and yes, my first quarter is really looking crazy. It’s gaining the abuse of being in a bag all day, the pages have some marks as early as now, but its holding up beautifully. The best part, it’s really light. I hardly notice it in the bag. Also, it’s so pretty and cheerful, it really does look like how a perfect sky should be. It’s a bright, cheerful addition to the collection.

  

  At the end of the day, any notebook should do, the important thing is that we write. As I said, these are splurges that happened is a span of a few months. These are what I buy when I shop, I buy notebooks, pens and of course–BOOKS. Lots of them. I am a geek. I have to admit that. These are the “stuff” that I buy on a retail-therapy mode. And this is it, for today’s Diary of a Grad Student.

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  January 23, 2012

  Critique of Judgement, Daycraft review, Ernest Hemingway, Immanuel Kant, Moleskine, Moleskine Diary, Moleskine review, teNeues, Truman Capote, Writing

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