One Man's Trash

In 1976, Baptist preacher Howard Finster saw a vision of a face on a paint smudge and heard a voice telling him to "PAINT SACRED ART." Prior to this, the reverend had devoted his plot of swampy land in Pennville, outside of Summerville, GA, to structures comprised of bicycle frames and concrete covered in mosaics made from a variety of discarded items, such as figurines, broken plates, and glass and machine parts. The property was named "Paradise Gardens," and after Finster received his new calling, he devoted his life to painting and incorporated his works throughout the existing garden. The result is a fascinating combination between junkyard and folk art gallery, with Bible verses painted on everything from scrap metal to sides of old buildings, and a fanciful chapel which, though in a state of disrepair now, was once used for weddings and other special services.

The following photos are from my recent trip to Paradise Gardens. For more info about the site, visit http://finstersparadisegardens.org/.

The gardens were also the site where R.E.M.'s video for "Radio Free Europe" was filmed. Don't you just love the old-school special effects? (Oooh - some shots are filmed in negative!!!)

Summer Reading List

Ever since I started working as a college English instructor, I have had very little time to do exactly what I urge all my students to do: read books. However, as my current semester comes to an end, and as I face at least a month or two of unemployment paired with lazy, hot summer days, I have begun to accumulate quite the stack of must-reads. Here are the books currently on my summer reading list:



1. The Art of Conversation by Catherine Blyth

(Because I really, really need this book.)



2. The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers by Cathleen Falsani

(Because the Coen Brothers do for film what Flannery O'Connor did for modern literature.)



3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

(Because there has been so much buzz surrounding Larsson's posthumously-published novels. Plus, I need a good beach read.)



3. A Journal of the First Afghan War by Lady Florentia Sale

(Because I need to glean insight from an officer's wife who endured greater hardships than most of us can even imagine. Note: the version I am reading is not available through Amazon, so the above link is to another version of the same book).



5. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

(Because I need to read something to prepare myself for my upcoming move to America's Heartland.)



6. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

(Because sometimes I just need a good laugh.)