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When I'm in a mood and need to feel better, I turn to Brian Eno's album Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks.

For me, it's a perfect dose of perspective to show me that "this too shall pass".

The track An Ending (Ascent) is the most perfect ambient song ever written.

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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Graphic novels are literature and are definitely works of art. Just like novels, some are good, some are bad, but the best shine through.

One in particular stands in my mind, "Maus: A Survivor's Tale" by Art Spiegelman. A memoir recounting his relationship with his father and his father's experience as a survivor of the Holocaust. It is one of the most powerful stories I have ever read.

Too often comics are relegated to the "childish nonsense" category due to the public's apprehension of the popularity of the superhero power fantasy genre. However, there exists a culture of comics that seeks to push the boundaries of what comics means to pop culture. Through "Watchmen", Alan Moore deconstructed the classic superhero and created one of the most internally disturbed "heroes" in this or any literary genre in the character of Rorschach.

Another champion of comics and graphic novels that I feel should be mentioned is Scott McCloud. His graphic novels on the internal and external worlds of comics are enlightening and informative and show that "comics" have been a part of human society for thousands of years.

I am a fan of graphic novels and I feel a very personal connection when reading them. I hope that as a medium, the graphic novel continues to grow and gain acceptance into the literary mainstream and academic circles.

posted 4 years, 6 months ago
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