Best of 2011

MUSIC:
Again this year, my music purchases were mostly digital. Out of the list below, only two were purchased in CD form, the rest were purchased digitally (via iTunes or Amazon) while a few were streamed on Spotify. I listen to a lot of music and this year was no different... lots of beautiful stuff out there in 2011.

(my reluctant top ten)
10: Tycho - Dive
instrumental electronic soundscapes that, in my case, seem to breed creativity. listen to Coastal Break and see if that doesn't change your mood.

9: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
to be honest, i'm a fan so it's no surprise that this album makes my list. i can't say that i liked it better than Viva La Vita - but it was a very listenable album. Don't Let It Break Your Heart is the peak, with their signature guitar sound and an amazing hook: When you're tired of aiming your arrows / Still you never hit the mark / Even in your rains and shadows / Still we're never gonna part / Come on over baby / Don't let it brake your heart

8: Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Another creative album that firmly adds itself to the Radiohead repertoire. Not as strong as In Rainbows, but solid all around. Key track: Separator

7: The Appleseed Cast - Middle States EP
just four songs shouldn't perhaps even qualify - but coming in at 27 minutes (including the 14 minute Three Rivers) makes it feel like something more than an EP. The song Middle States has a familiar Appleseed Cast (from the Low Level Owl/Mare Vitalis era. The lead track End Frigate Constellation is the best - with low-fi indecipherable lyrics that build on its mysteriousness. When that last lyric Waiting for the night to come is deciphered a sense of peace is restored before a fuzzy distortion-heavy ending brings closure to a beautifully mesmerizing song.

6: Washed Out - Within Without
simplistic synth harmonies with warm, lush vocals. the lead track is probably the best but future listens may change my mind. Nothing stands out, yet i can't stop listening to it.

5: The Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2
After 25 years the Beastie Boys can still hold their own. What a brilliant come back album after such a long hiatus. Genius rhymes. Genius beats. Can't wait to see what Part One will bring. Key Track: Too Many Rappers

4: Explosions in the Sky - Take Care Take Care Take Care
I'll always greatly anticipate any new music from Explosions in the Sky. Take Care delivers in mighty ways in the sense that nothing seems old - but fresh, new, exciting. The instrumentation builds to powerful crescendos that leave the listener awestruck. There is something magical about this band. Take Care adds to the magic.

3: I Break Horses - Hearts
I Break Horses is sort of homemade shoe-gazer music by Maria Lindén and Fredrick Balck of Sweden. The catchy first track Winter Beats builds and builds, moving and pulsating like a functioning cog in a powerful machine - churning and churning; as if part of something bigger. Beats then bleeds into the title track Hearts which chillingly takes shape as more of a layered interlude, with a heavy multi synth backdrop and an eventual unrecognizable vocal mix that becomes another instrument that keeps the machine working. Wired reminds you of where I Break Horses is rooted before a sort of time warp of sound brings unresolved closure. The rest of the album is much the same: an electronic, computerized, expression of the soul.

2: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
So melodic and dark, Helplessness Blues is a chilling follow up to Fleet Foxes deput from 2008. The title track, released months before, set the stage for a brilliant album. The Shrine / An Argument is musically, nothing short of perfection where each instrument, each lyric, each vocal harmony plays a role in telling a story of heartache and despair. "when you talk you hardly even look in my eyes". what heartache.
The rest of the album captures this same emotion with chilling detail. Helplessness Blues proves that Fleet Foxes deserve one's attention, now and always.

1: The Roots - Undun
Undun is the soulful telling of a typical from-the-streets story of a man, Redford Stevens, who sadly becomes a statistic. It's a concept album from one of the most diverse groups in all of music. Who else can match the talent of The Roots? Who else would dare make a hip hop album like this? Lyricist Black Thought paints a compelling story while raw, soulful instrumentation serving as the canvas. There is just something creative about this album and perhaps that is why i've been drawn to it. The story of the album is tragic - doused in helplessness: And no one’s in the lighthouse / You’re face down in the ocean / And no one’s in the lighthouse / And it seems like you just screamed / It’s no one there to hear the sound / And it may feel like there’s no one there / That cares if you drown / Face down in the ocean...
(the hook from The Lighthouse).
Each track is a sort of puzzle piece, part of some larger story that is tragic and desperate. None the less, Undun may not fully be understood or appreciated for some time - but it's worth digging in to, no matter where you're from and that is why i picked it as the number one album of 2011.

the best of the rest (and thanks to Spotify - i may realize that some below are even better than the ones listed above)

Foster the People - Torches
Mute Math - Odd Soul
Phantogram - Nightlife
Chad Valley - Equatorial Ultravox EP
Real Estate - Days (been listening to this simple group for the last few days and it is growing on me.)
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Tim Hecker - Dropped Pianos
The Middle East - I Want That You Are Always Happy (there's something special about this album. so simple and a bit different. so raw and honest.)
Loscil - Coast/Range/Arc (if you like ambient, drone-like sounds, check out Loscil.)
Tune-Yards - W H O K I L L
Katie Herzig - The Waking Sleep
Destroyer - Kaputt
The Kills - Blood Pressure
Girls - Father Son Holy Ghost

BEST REISSUE: The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions
This is brilliant. One of the most creative pieces of music ever. I've always thought of Pet Sounds as one of the best albums of all time... i think SMiLE trumps that. Brian Wilson is/was a genius... and a little bit crazy, too. SMiLE is a masterpiece.

my MOST LISTENED TO ARTISTS according to LastFM










here is a recap of top albums from years past:

My Top Albums:
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010

FILM
In 2011, i/we watched 139 films (i keep a movie watching log)
My only 5 star rated movie that i watched this year was the remake of 3:10 to Yuma. Loved it. what an adventure.


BOOKS
I also read 29 books. [good reads] my favorite being In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - an exceptional piece of non-fiction literature.

It was another great year.

Best of 2010

MUSIC
best albums of the year: 2010. i don't buy as much music as i used to - and most of my music these days is purchased as MP3's rather than CD's. but below is a list of some albums that struck my fancy this past year.

Ellem - Inside Still Beats
the kind of jovial indie-pop music that finds its way into a Volkswagen or Gap commercial. chewy goodness.

Twin Tigers - Gray Waves
this music is a hot mess. i don't know if it's anywhere near 'best of' quality - but i did write a review of the album back in May for Circle Six Magazine...

Phantogram - Eyelid Movies
catchy electro-rock with mixed male/female vocalists.

Broken Bells - s/t
any Danger Mouse collaboration is worth your time.

Carney - Mr. Green vol. 1
wow is this eclectic album... at times Queen... at times Black Crowes... and Zeppelin, too. vocals similar to Jeff Buckley. Testify sounds a lot like Whole Lotta Love.

Röyksopp - Senior
i've always been a sucker for instrumental electronic synth music.

Four Tet - There is Love in You
Kieran Hebden's post-electro-rock project. Circling is one of my fav. songs of the year.

Derek Webb - Feedback
an instrumental album based on The Lord's Prayer. this album grows on me with every listen.

Laura Veirs - July Flame
singer song writer with backing harmonies that reminds me of the Fleet Foxes. very simplistic. very enjoyable. one of my favorite finds of 2010.

Decoder Ring - They Blind the Stars, and the Wild Team
i've been a fan of this group since they did the soundtrack to the film Somersault. from Australia, Decoder Ring left their vocals behind on this album but the nearly 100 minutes does not disappoint.

Vampire Weekend - Contra
i avoided this album on purpose - mainly because of all the hype... but then, with iTunes gift cards to spend, i decided to sample Contra. What's not to like? Catchy hooks with a unique sound.

North Atlantic Oscillation - Grappling Hooks
another surprise find on iTunes and their sound is just that - surprising. described as post-progressive electronica rock, there's something new around ever corner, it seems. somewhat similar to a harder, edgier Engineers. reigning from Scotland with 'hazy vocals' and a big layered sound, NAO satisfies. Hollywood Has Ended hooked me.

Underworld - Barking
i've always been an Underworld fan - going back to the Pearl's Girl and Born Slippy days (thank you Trainspotting.) Barking was my first Underworld purchase since 100 Days Off - and although the sound of Scribble (track 3 from Barking) at first seemed to poppy for my taste - i realized that i couldn't stop listening to it. I'll be honest, i can't stop listening to this album. Always Loved Film is the best track.

Linkin Park - a Thousand Suns
start to finish, this is one fine concept album. everything flows together perfectly. most of the tracks might not be radio friendly, but who cares. i feel like this is the most creative album of the year and thus - i am listing it as my top album of 2010. for a track by track review of A Thousand Suns click here.


here is a recap of top albums from years past:

My Top Albums:
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

BOOKS
also this year - i read a record-high 43 books. i'm most proud of this accomplishment since a few years back the only reading i partook in was Sports Illustrated. I rather enjoy reading now. to see my list of books read in 2010 click on my GoodReads page.

My Favorites include The Year of Living Biblically, Cracking the Code, Sabbath and Other.

MOVIES
I (we) watched 164 movies in 2010. i started keeping a movie log in 2007. i plan on doing a better job of that in 2011 - with more online logs and mini-reviews.

fav. movies from 2010: Toy Story 3, The Secrets in Their Eyes, the 30 for 30 documentary series on ESPN

the possession of beauty

"Beauty reminds us that the best things in life cannot be owned; they can only be experienced, appreciated and shared. 'Possession', we may therefore deduce, is not the goal of life; the spiritually intelligent response to beauty is to reflect, instead, on why we do not need to possess the greatest things in order to be a part of them."

~from the book Spiritual Intelligence by Brian Draper (page 58)

we are falling out of love

With our every move covered by CCTV, our every click monitored by government agencies, our lives narrowed by what we are told we can believe, the flows within and beyond us are reduced to a trickle. In other words, we are falling out of love. With rising depression, addiction, obesity and mental ill-health we are falling out of love with ourselves. With fundamentalism and constant arguments over sexuality and battles for numbers we are falling out of love with God. And with knife crime and school massacres and racism and fears over asylum and economic protectionism we are falling out of love with those we perceive are different to us and pose a threat to us.

~Kester Brewin

from his book Other [page 165-166]




related post: We have house trained God

We have house-trained God

we have house-trained God. We have localized, accommodated & claimed ownership of God, and fabricated a sort of divine social contract with 'him'; only 'he' can use his great power to smite our enemies. We will be obedient subjects - so long as we are protected and prosper.
~Kester Brewin

from his book Other.

Books I Read in 2009

In 2009 i set new goals for myself: to read more. and so through the beauty of Good Reads I was able to track them all.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life Miller, Donald

Still Waters and Skyscrapers: The 23rd Psalm for the 21st Century Tomlinson, Dave

Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living Job, Reuben P.

Pagan Christianity: Exposing the Roots of Our Church Practices Viola, Frank

Downtime: Helping Teenagers Pray Yaconelli, Mark

Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering Bell, Rob

10 Most Common Mistakes Made by Church Starts Griffith, Jim

The World as I Remember It: Through the Eyes of a Ragamuffin Mullins, Rich

The Orthodox Heretic And Other Impossible Tales Rollins, Peter

Night Wiesel, Elie

Al Capone Does My Shirts Choldenko, Gennifer

The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical Claiborne, Shane

The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church Hipps, Shane

Rejesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church Frost, Michael

Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices McLaren, Brian D.

Making Ripples Breaux, Mike

A Generous Orthodoxy McLaren, Brian D.

Youth Ministry 3.0 Oestreicher, Mark

A Christianity Worth Believing Pagitt, Doug

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations Shirky, Clay

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile Bell, Rob

A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God Shawchuck, Norman

Visioneering: God's Blueprint for Developing and Maintaining Personal Vision Stanley, Andy

The Christian Culture Survival Guide: The Misadventures of an Outsider on the Inside Turner, Matthew Paul

Doing Church As A Team Cordeiro, Wayne

Different Seasons King, Stephen

The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time Sine, Tom


My favs were: Night, A Gen. Orthodoxy, ReJesus, The Irresistible Revolution (i read it on the beach) and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

Donald Miller - A Million Miles... review

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I cam upon this book at just the right time. I've been fascinated by the idea of 'story' as of late - and A Million Miles and a Thousand Years is about just that: story.

Donald Miller is a good story teller - in person and in word form.

Admittedly, i haven't read Blue Like Jazz - his most notable book - but this book seemed to grab my attention more.

Basically Miller lays out in creative form the need for 'story' in the lives of humans... and if given the chance - how many of us would change our very own story?

If we could all start over and give our lives a 're-write' how would things be different? I was whimsically challenged by this book... if nothing else - to take more risks... to make my story memorable (something you can't do while sitting on the couch).

It was an easy read and i could probably read it again. it's not that anything profound was really shared - lots of movie vs. real life comparisons - but it was gently inspiring.

Miller writes in a conversational tone which i enjoyed.

View all my reviews >>

Three Simple Rules (book review)

Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living by Reuben P. Job


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Do Good.
Do No Harm.
Stay in Love with God.

Three Simple Rules. A small, but profoundly inspiring book by Rueben P. Job.

This one will be worth reading again and again from time to time.

based on the writings and teachings of John Wesley.

View all my reviews >>

Pagan Christianity (book review)

Pagan Christianity: Exposing the Roots of Our Church Practices by Frank Viola


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
i liked the historical documentation of the beginnings and traditions of the church. the book brought about some interesting conversations with others, as well. but by-and-large, this book sort of sucker-punches the church, brings it to its knees and then gets in its face and taunts it.

ok. maybe that was a harsh analogy, but Viola and Barna spare no punches.

what i value from this book is that it asks questions that nobody ever asks. questions like, why do pastors wear robes? and why do choirs sing? and why do we tithe? they then answer said questions with historical information. the end conclusion: there are a lot of things that we do that aren't in the scriptures. many Christian practices and traditions have 'secular' pagan roots. but in the end, how much of it really matters?

i actually found this to be an easy read and i finished it in a week. it tended to get me worked up over some of the things pointed out. then, after a few days, it just didn't matter that much.

View all my reviews >>

YOUTH MINISTRY 3.0

precursor: a group of 17 youth pastors from 4 different states gathered this week to discuss the state of youth ministry and in particular, the book Youth Ministry 3.0. Check out JoelDaniel's blog for more...

Youth Ministry 3.0: A Manifesto of Where Weve Been, Where We Are & Where We Need to Go by Mark Oestreicher

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
An easy read and i would say a must read for anyone in partial or full time youth ministry. i say it's a must read simply because whether you will agree with everything Marko writes, it will cause you to take a step back and think about not only the state of Youth Ministry in general, but your youth ministry.



the first half of the book takes a deeper look at the evolution of youth ministry and the various stages it has gone through. Youth Ministry 2.0 (for much of the 80's, 90's and 00's) has by-and-large been about programs, programs, programs and population. like whoever gets the most kids to show up, wins.



i like the challenging ideas Marko presents.



when programs become more important than relationships, there is a problem.



nothing was intrinsically wrong with YM 1.0 or 2.0, but Marko gives an overview for what 3.0 could look like.... sort of a 'less-is-more' approach where creating experiences for teens to interact with God is key.



i, personally liked the challenge and was encouraged.

i've never been a fan of the 'status-quo' and as a youth worker for 10+ years it is easy to fall into the rut of same-old same-old.



Youth Ministry 3.0 will make you think and hopefully evaluate what Youth Ministry should look like in the 21st Century.



side note: the Notes section at the end of the book are a worthwhile read... don't skip them!






View all my reviews.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians (a very llong review of said book)

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile by Rob Bell

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've enjoyed Rob Bell's previous books as well as what he does with Nooma, so it comes at no surprise that i enjoyed Jesus Wants To Save Christians. Bell and co-author Don Golden paint a nice picture of the dysfunctional first family found in Genesis and about how God provided a 'better way'.

Compare that with the story of Exodus, the story of those opposed to Jesus and the story of today's 'church'; God has been, throughout the history of our existence, showing us a better way... and time after time we have rejected His message and done our own thing, albeit often in the name of God and under the guise of 'Christianity'.
This book builds upon itself and it doesn't take long for the reader to figure out that Bell and Golden are pointing fingers. Some will take offense to it. Some will reject it without even reading it. Some would possibly even read it but think that it is about someone else.

The fact is Bell and Golden are calling the church out, in not-so-subtle ways. Frankly, it was a message worth sharing... a message that the church globally (at least the church domestically in America) needs to digest.

*Spoiler Alert*

If we go back to Sinai, God made a covenant with the people. Ever since, mankind has chosen other lovers. The Israelites were brought out of slavery and into freedom... yet, again and again everything falls apart and they cry out for help... stuck in exile... oppressed and hurting. Egypt repeats. We were born into this same slavery... it may not be the Egyptians enslaving us... it may be sin, greed, violence, death. But God provided 'a way'

Bell and Golden connect the dots between Israel's slavery and the need for a savior, for one and all.
from chapter two:

"What began as hope for a Jewish leader for Jewish people needing an exodis from exile in Babylon evolved over time into the expectation of a leader who would be for everybody."

Hope for a particular group of people turned into a hope for all.

This leads to a discussion in chapter 3 in which Power and Leadership and connected with Serving and Humility - found in Jesus Christ. The end result of that kind of power is Compassion, grace and love.

"The misuse of power always leads to the escalation of violence."

"If evil always takes some form of violence, then more violence isn't going to solve anything."


put two and two together and you can see the subtle parallels to some of the actions our country has taken over the past decade. This, will no doubt be a point of contention for many, but i think that in the context of Jesus Wants to Save Christians, things are presented and connections are made. I felt myself inspired instead of fired up.

What i particularly enjoyed was Chapter 5, which reminded me of Nooma 13: Rich. "God bless America? He has." Through story and statistics the idea of the dangers of Empire is presented. I couldn't help thinking - is empire really what God desires? All-to-much we seem to place 'empire' about faith... putting party affiliation 1st, Jesus 2nd. or maybe it's the accumulation of wealth or technology or what have you, being placed ahead of God.

The most gut-wrenching part of the whole book took place on page 136. A story of a youth minister asking the question "i just can't get my students interested in Jesus." Bell's response: How does a 12 year old who has never been hungry, to the point that he/she didn't know where there next meal would come from understand the story of another 12 year old providing fish and bread for thousands of chronically hungry people?

Among other things, this book was an eye opener and my approach to ministry, hopefully will change as a result.

I will admit that i may be considered a fan-boy of sorts... so i am hoping that as things sink in, i will be able to process more what it is that i am taking away from this book.

For too long the church has been missing the point and thus people have been missing out on Jesus. Jesus wants to save us from our distractions, confusions, good intentions, misinterpretations and lack of focus. He wants us like the husband wants his bride. Forever to be in relationship, with love abounding.

We have been given a good gift. This book has reminded me of that gift and hopefully will compel me to share that good gift with others.

View all my reviews.

when i was 12

this past summer while on vacation, the television remained off and in my moments of quiet, i read a book. and then another book. and then i began another... that third book was the Stephen King novella Different Seasons. the third of four short stories (titled 'The Body') in that novella was the longest of the stories.

vacation came and went before i finished it and i didn't pick it back up until the last month of the year. i finished 'The Body' before Christmas and couldn't wait to watch the film variation of the story, titled Stand By Me, to see how it compared.

Now in my younger years I had seen Stand By Me repeatedly... although it was the tv version in which all of the swear words and whatnot were replaced or removed. So i knew the story. Frankly, that is what made 'The Body' all the more enjoyable. As i read it, i was hearing the narration of Richard Dreyfuss and i was picturing the boys from the movie in my mind's eye. (The same was true when i read 'Rita Heyworth and the Shawshank Redemption'... i was hearing the narration of Morgan Freeman and picturing Tim Robbins... and when i recently finished the Autobiography of Johnny Cash, i was sad to put it down, because i knew the voice of Johnny Cash would disappear with it).

Without saying too much, Stand By Me or The Body is a really a story about 4 11 or 12 year old boys as they venture out to find the missing dead body of a peer who had tragically been hit by a train. it's less about the body and more the quest... even more about the life and times and important things of a 12 year old's childhood... many conversations about which super hero is best, ragging on one's mom and a plethora of one-up-man ship.

it's raw and real... the book more than the movie... but it's about the hopes and fears and weights placed upon the shoulders of young men who aren't really men at all. not yet anyway.

i connect with that story, as do many grown men like me. why? we connect with it because we were all once 12 years old. and we are sad that we can not go back... never go back to that age of innocence and discovery.

there was a quote from the story... i can hear Dreyfuss narrating it now: "I never had friends later on in life like i did when i was 12. God, does anyone?"

i remember my friends back then. i go back often... in my mind, that is. i am taken back to that small town in mid-Ohio, were i grew up. i think of the many adventures i once shared with them: Billy and Donnie, David and Mikey, Patrick and Bobby... and the assortment of other characters with whom my path once crossed. We'd ride bikes, walk the tracks, play war, camp out, build forts and club houses (we must have had 3 or 4 different ones over the years), head up to the Rainbow 7 for some ice cream and a game of Donkey Kong, climb trees and talk about girls or music or what was happening on the latest episode of The A-Team... we had full lives.

One of us is now gone. He drowned in the Whetstone Creek a few years after I moved away. I've lost contact with pretty much all of those guys now.

I've been back to that small town a hand full of times over the last 20+ years. In fact, i took my new bride there soon after we were married... wanted to show here where i grew up and tell her all about the things we did. We pulled into town and everything looked different.

you can never go back. i learned that one then and there. but my mind has not forgotten. so much happened and it seemed so important then.

maybe it still is.

to be 12 again... who wouldn't want to go back?

empire of the mustard seed

i was reading jonny baker's blog this week and stumbled upon this review of a new, interesting book titled the new conspirators: creating the future one seed at a time.

it looks like an interesting book that i definitely want to get my hands on... possibly for my next read... i've been putting off picking up a book for a while and i need something hearty.

i could write more about what i've heard is in this book - but i'd basically be copying jonny baker's thoughts. why not just check out baker's review HERE.

the book deals with new movements that we are in the midst of... emerging, mosaic, monastic, and missional. if you are interested in any of that or what our role (and the churches role) should be/can be - then maybe this book is worth checking out.

check out the Mustard Seed website that author Tom Sine has launched, too.

here is a quote that i stole from Jonny Baker who stole it from the book... this is what makes me want to read it:

• when jesus began teaching he made it clear that his new empire would be unlike any empire the world had ever seen. it came on a donkey's back. it's imperial council was comprised of a handful of unemployed fishermen, a couple of IRS agents, a prostitute and some hangers on. jesus demontsrated how to wield his imperial power by washing feet, telling stories and playing with kids. jesus' empire is based on the absurd values that the last should be first, losers are winners, and the most influential in the empire should clean the toilets. members of the empire are instructed to love their enemies, forgive their friends, always give twice as much as people ask of them and never pursue power or position. jesus insisted that those who are part of his empire shouldn't worry about finances, but simply trust god. the resources to run this empire were basins, towels, and leftover lunches. this empire also developed a reputaion for constant partying - almost always with the wrong kind of people.

  seriously is this any way to run an empire? imagine what would happen if you ran a political, economic or religious institution with these bizarre values. clearly it wouldn't have much of a future. these values might even get the leader assassinated...

into the wild (book & movie review)

Into The Wild
By Tim Beck
Published: October 24, 2007

Christopher Johnson McCandless needed something more. Maybe it was a quest for adventure or some sort of obligation to seek and overcome any and all obstacles. Maybe it was that manly desire to embrace challenge head on. Or maybe it was an act of rebellion and a desire to be anything but ‘normal.’ Regardless, He wasted no time after graduating from Emory University in 1990 to embark on a journey of self-discovery with nothing more than the clothes on his back, but little did he know that his journey would lead to the discovery of something greater… the slow, painful demise of his humanity… and thus he greeted death in the Alaskan wilderness two years later.

The story of McCandless was first documented in an article for Outside Magazine and later developed into a national best selling book titled Into the Wild by author Jon Krakauer. Now it has been made into a major motion picture, directed by Sean Penn. Into the Wild (in theatres nationwide October 19^th) tells the mysterious story of McCandless and his two year cross-country voyage that took him from Emory’s campus in Atlanta to Houston, down the Detrital Wash into Mexico, back north to Grand Junction, Colorado and Carthage, South Dakota, south and west to the Salton Sea in California and up the Pacific coastline to Washington state and into Canada. He eventually wound up in a place that has drawn many a man as he followed a blind pursuit to conquer the great outdoors in the massive Alaskan outback. The tragedy of his death is nothing short of mysterious, surrounded by clouds of ignorance and innocence meshed with intelligence and candor making his story very compelling and worthy of one’s time.

A few months ago, a friend sent me a link to the trailer to Into the Wild, starring Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door, Lords of Dogtown). It was persuasive enough to make me curious. Then, about a month ago, I began to hear and read more about the movie and the book that it was based upon. When I saw that Eddie Vedder was recording the music for the soundtrack, I thought I needed to investigate further. This led me into a furious pursuit to find anything and everything that had to do with Christopher McCandless and his puzzling story. Of all things, I came home from work one day and Oprah was on the TV. It showed clips for the next days show. Penn, Krakauer, Hirsch and the McCandless family were to be featured. I DVR’d the show, watched it and immediately set out to buy the book. From the opening paragraph, I was hooked.

In April of 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter…

This compelling story can be discovered further through multiple means. Allow me to elaborate and perhaps you’ll be drawn in as well.

THE BOOK

Krakauer went to great lengths to tell McCandless’ story, and from the start it is a difficult story to tell. The greatest challenge with Into the Wild is telling a story about a traveling vagabond who disappeared for upwards of two years, ridding himself of any and all identification (burning his social security card, cutting up his credit cards, abandoning his car, etc.) But Krakauer investigates deeply into the people and places where Christopher left his mark. The author seems to have done his homework and shies away from speculation, unless necessary. He digs deeper and deeper and carefully unwraps the many layers that is Christopher Johnson McCandless. Although a shroud of mystery still remains, Chris seemed to have left his mark in many places, mainly because his persona was attractive. He was drawn to people and they were drawn to him. I found it interesting that everywhere he went, whether cross country or cross continent, Chris made it a point to reach out, thank and communicate with those who had helped him along on his journey, mostly through letters or postcards.

It is revealed quickly that McCandless was leaving behind more than just family, lifestyle and the possibility of a successful career, Chris was leaving behind his identity. Thus he commissioned himself a new name: Alexander Supertramp. Krakauer unpeeled one thick layer that may have led to Chris/Alex’s decision to escape to a new, alternate reality. A few years before his final journey began, he took a summer trip to California. While there he met up with some of his extended family. In the process, he discovered ugly truths about his parents and his childhood, truths that painted a different picture… truths that brought about pain, resentment and near hatred for his parents. Chris kept that knowledge a secret (only sharing it with his sister) which left his parents even more perplexed over years of coldness leading to his eventual disappearance.

Many chapters reveal meaningful relationships that ‘Alex’ shared with rubber tramps Jan and Rainey (hippies living in the wrong decade), Wayne Westerburg (who worked the grain fields, harvesting wheat and barley in South Dakota), Ron Franz (an elderly gentleman who took him under his wing and cared for him so much that he wanted to adopt him as a son) and Jim Gallein (who drove him halfway into the Alaskan outback and was the last person to see him alive) as well as countless others. Ironically, Alex was on a journey that was leading to seclusion. Perhaps he didn’t realize how important people were to him. Perhaps his distrust of his parents had led to those feelings. We’ll never know for sure – but we do know that one of the last things recorded, written in capital letters in the margin of his journal went something like this: HAPPINESS ONLY REAL IF SHARED WITH OTHERS. Maybe in his time of dying, McCandless had an epiphany of sorts. And thus his journey of self-discovery was completed… albeit tragically. He died of starvation days later curled up in the sleeping bag his mother made him, on a mattress in the back of an abandoned bus that had become his shelter, his escape… his home.

THE MOVIE

The movie doesn’t stray far from the book, however from the opening sequence captured on film I realized that it would be very difficult to summarize the essence of such a complex and yet mystifying story. The biggest challenge for director Sean Penn appeared to be what to do with a story that has the main character alone for three months in Alaska as the crutch, a la Tom Hanks stranded on an island in Cast Away. The second biggest challenge was condensing all the happenings of McCandless (a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp) into two plus hours – and still making a cohesive, true-to-the-book film. But as the movie progressed I became more and more intrigued.

According to Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch did most of his own stunts and braved the sometimes treacherous filming conditions with honor. In fact, Penn and the Wild film crew shot reels of film in all 35 known spots from which McCandless tramped across the country. Rough waters, hot deserts and snow covered arctic regions seemed to be greeted warmly by Hirsch, who on screen appears to channel McCandless’ spirit as if the story was his own.

Final chapter scenes between McCandless and Ron Franz (played brilliantly by Hal Holbrook) make the film worth-while. Catherine Keener is a gem as Jan Burres, but Vince Vaughn is underused as close friend Wayne Westerburg. Westerburg seemed to have more of a prominent role in the book. Alex sent his last post card to Wayne, mailed from Fairbanks, Alaska, in which he shared that he was about to go ‘into the wild’ and feared he might not make it out alive, but was pressing on to achieve his goal.

THE SOUNDTRACK

Eddie Vedder’s first attempt at a solo album is a nice addition to his mighty fine catalog of music, although one listen will remind you more of Pete Seeger or Bob Dylan rather than Pearl Jam. This sometimes folksy album is easy to swallow mostly because of the raw emotion that lies within. Riddled with acoustic guitars, ukuleles, banjos and the like, the motion picture soundtrack of Into the Wild is special because of the sentiment and connection Vedder brings forth. The music is sometimes inspiring, sometimes chilling and sometimes haunting. Brooding vocals threaten to lead the listener to that lonely bus north of Mt. McKinley in the middle of Alaska. Hard Sun is the key track and features Sleeter-Kinney vocalist Corin Tucker. Society could be the swan song of McCandless, unnerving to the core, and means more after reading the book and seeing the movie. With lyrics that sing ‘Society, have mercy on me. Hope you’re not angry if I disagree. Society, crazy in deed, hope you’re not lonely without me.’

It’s a simple album that stands alone as a solo effort – but means more as a backdrop to a peculiar story and a wonderful film.

After all the reading, watching, listening and investigating, the story of Christopher Johnson McCandless is still a puzzle, only not all the pieces are there. Thus the complete story will never be known. Maybe that is what draws many to him. After all, we have the freedom to fill in the blanks and to speculate. None the less, he has been immortalized by so many because of one simple thing: he lived free. He lived in the wild… sometimes amidst concrete and asphalt, other times in dry and desolate lands. But he did what he wanted to do. He lived life and was bound by nothing other than the laws of nature. Maybe deep down inside of us all there is a person yearning for the simplicity discovered in McCandless. The book and the movie just might inspire us to live our dreams and to be liberated from the things that bind us. Or if nothing else, it may just provide us a momentary escape from the mundane. Who knows where that escape might lead?

Into the Wild

I recently read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer in record time... it took me about a week. I am a very slow reader - so this was a big accomplishment. The book made me want to go see the movie, and thus last weekend, Jen and I went. I thoroughly enjoyed both. Oh, in the mean time, I picked up the soundtrack, by Eddie Vedder. Also a nice piece of work.

So for the past month (since reading the book), I've been infatuated with the story of Christopher McCandless. I've googled everything there is to know about him and his journey. I've read all the articles and things related to him and about how he wound up in Alaska.

Over at Circle Six Magazine, i wrote a review of the book, movie and soundtrack. Check it out. Let me know what you think. You can read the article HERE. It's a fascinating story, and I think, if you are willing, it just might captivate you. I'd love to have dialogue about the book. I could tell you more about McCandless and his story - but I'd give too much away. Check out the book. Read my review. And then we'll talk about it. If you please.

Check out the official movie web site as well.