Books and Ballerinas | Pointe of View
Every Monday, I feature an image and backstory from my Pointe of View series.
I’ve been reading a lot in the last couple days and of course thinking a lot about this Pointe of View book that I’m in the midst of designing. So with books on my mind today, I present a mini series: Books & Ballerinas. There’s something unexpected about finding a ballerina in a bookstore or a library… and yet it blends so beautifully.
Top: Ballet dancer: Ashley Smith | Hair & Makeup: Aimee J’Adore | Location: Powell’s Books, Portland, Oregon
Middle: Ballet dancer: Caroline Dennis | Hair: Justina, Intertwine Hair | Makeup: PrettybyJulianne | Location: Berkeley City Club, Berkeley, California
Bottom: Ballet dancer: Melissa Regalia | Hair & Makeup: Denise Hutter | Location: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
And in case you are a book lover like me, here are a couple of my favorite reads from the past week:
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
Murakami is such an interesting novelist with the surreal worlds he paints and his fantastical imagination. It was interesting to read something non-fiction from him. The book reads like a simple memoir with beautiful thoughts about running blended with musings on writing. I am definitely not a runner but still found the observations and the insight really interesting. It made for a quick read.
“On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” from The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
The Elephant Vanishes is a collection of short stories, most of which are sketches of seemingly mundane situations with very unusual twists– a newlywed couple somehow finds themselves compelled to go and hold up a McDonald’s in the middle of the night; a little green monster emerges from the ground to tell a housewife that it is completely in love with her. Many of the short stories go completely over my head. But “On seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” is just so well-crafted and perfectly captures the feeling of an intuitive romantic crush, adding such depth through storytelling to a chance encounter of two people who simply pass each other on the street.
The Third Son by Julie Wu
This book is so very close to my heart, as it is historical fiction set in Taiwan and America in the latter half of the twentieth century– a time period and setting very close to the experience of my own parents who grew up in post-WWII Taiwan and later immigrated to America. While I embarked on reading the book for those obvious personal reasons, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book wasn’t completely mired in the messy history and politics of Taiwan, but instead, it strikes a great balance between history and human drama. The novel reads as a beautiful bildungsroman that follows the story of a boy named Saburo Tong as he navigates family, hope, and aspiration amidst circumstances that are constantly poised to strike him down. I read the whole 300+ page book in one sitting. The only thing is, the book doesn’t come out until later this spring (I was given an advance copy), but you can preorder your copy on Amazon now.
Thanks for indulging my side trek into book reviews!
is a ballerina series by Anna Wu Photography. The raised over $12,000 in a month. If you didn’t get to order your copy of the book yet, sign up here to be notified when more copies are available for purchase.
Part 1: Sea of Lights | Pointe of View
Part 2: Irish Castle | Pointe of View
Part 3: Gothic Reading Room | Pointe of View
Part 4: A Natural Glow | Pointe of View
Part 5: Quietly Uplifting | Pointe of View
Part 6: Fairytale Dream | Pointe of View
Part 7: Over the Queen City | Pointe of View
Part 8: Sweet Repose | Pointe of View
Part 9: Shadow Play | Pointe of View
Part 10: Frame Wall | Pointe of View
Part 11: Dancing in Downtown Chicago | Pointe of View
Part 12: The Nutcracker | Pointe of View
Part 13: Sunshine through the Leaves | Pointe of View
Part 14: Magnolia Tree | Pointe of View
Part 15: Kickstarter Launch | Pointe of View, THE BOOK!
Part 16: Fully Funded! | Pointe of View
Part 17: Kurumazaki-jinja | Kyoto, Japan | Pointe of View
Part 18: Roots | Taipei, Taiwan | Pointe of View
Part 19: One Week to Go | Pointe of View
Part 20: Five Lessons Learned from Kickstarter, $12,213 Later | Pointe of View
Part 21: The Next Step | Pointe of View
Part 22: Books and Ballerinas | Pointe of View
Part 23: Ballerinas in Trees | Pointe of View
Part 24: Behind the Scenes | Pointe of View
Part 25: Small Prints, Big Thanks | Pointe of View
Part 26: Hair & Makeup | Pointe of View
Part 27: Ballerinas on Pinterest | Pointe of View
Part 28: Cherry Blossom Cascade | Pointe of View
Part 29: Magnolia Gaze | Pointe of View
Part 30: Tidal Basin at Dawn | Pointe of View
Part 31: Cinderella | Pointe of View
Part 32: Ballerinas in Taipei | Pointe of View
Part 33: Chicago Streets | Pointe of View
Part 34: Vegas Deserts | Pointe of View
Part 35: Petals | Pointe of View
Part 36: Candela Fine Art Printing | Pointe of View
Part 37: Magnolia | Pointe of View
Part 38: Splits | Pointe of View
Part 39: Limited Edition Fine Art Canvas Wrap | Pointe of View
Part 40: My Portraits by Hannah Suh Photography
Part 41: Proof Copy by Edition One | Pointe of View
Part 42: Preorder the Pointe of View Book | Pointe of View
Part 43: Pointe of View Book Coming Soon! | Pointe of View
Part 44: Save the Date | Pointe of View Launch Party
Part 45: Books Books Books! | Pointe of View
Part 46: DIY Modular Cake Stand Tutorial | Party Planning
Part 47: Book Shipping and Party Planning | Pointe of View
Part 48: Pointe of View Party, San Francisco!
Part 49: DIY Tulle Pom Poms | Party Planning
Part 50: DIY Fabric Ribbon Backdrop | Party Planning
Part 51: Pointe of View Party, New York City
Part 52: Pointe of View Finale, New York City
Part 53: 2014 Ballerina Calendar | Pointe of View