Jessie M. King, Perceval Winneth the Golden Cup
I've been looking at recommended reading lists
For as long as I can remember.
This is the best one I'd seen in a long time,
So I thought I'd share it. This is Viggo Mortensen's Perceval Press.
If that name sounds familiar, he is an actor
As well as a poet, painter, photographer, author,
And more. You might have seen one of his things. :)http://www.percevalpress.com/recommend.html
Here is the Wikipedia page for the press
And a snippet of information quoted from the top:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceval_Press "Perceval Press is actor/artist Viggo Mortensen's publishing company, established 2002 with partner Pilar Perez. Based in Santa Monica, California, the press specializes in books of art, critical writing, and poetry.
Mortensen started Perceval Press to publish individuals that may otherwise have gone unnoticed and to do so without compromise while keeping prices as low as possible.[1].
Perceval Press is known for its use of extremely high-quality printing materials and press procedures which are personally supervised by Mortensen himself, who has been called an "Indie Publishing Mogul"[2] by the New York Times.
I go over all the books with a fine-tooth comb before they go out. – Viggo Mortensen"
So named for one of the Knights of the Round Table
Most closely associated with the Holy Grail."Perceval Press, which takes its name from a part of the Holy Grail myth that particularly appeals to Mr. Mortensen’s sense of independence, was born."
From the NY Times article still found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/movies/01viggo.htmlHere is the plot of Perceval's story, once again
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceval,_the_Story_of_the_Grail"The poem opens with Perceval, whose mother has raised him apart from civilization in the forests of Wales since his father's death, encountering knights and realizing he wants to be one. Despite his mother's objections, the boy heads to King Arthur's court, where a young girl predicts greatness for him. He is taunted by Sir Kay, but amazes everyone by killing a knight who had been troubling King Arthur and taking his vermilion armor. He then sets out for adventure. He rescues and falls in love with the young princess Blanchefleur, and trains under the experienced Gornemant.
Eventually he comes across the Fisher King, who invites him to stay at his castle. While there, he witnesses a strange procession in which young men and women carry magnificent objects from one chamber to another, passing before him at each course of the meal. First comes a young man carrying a bleeding lance, then two boys carrying candelabras. Finally, a beautiful young girl emerges bearing an elaborately decorated graal, or "grail". The Grail contains a single Mass wafer, which miraculously sustains the Fisher King’s wounded father. Perceval, who had been warned against talking too much, remains silent through all of this, and wakes up the next morning alone. He returns to Arthur's court.
Before long, a loathly lady enters the court and admonishes Perceval for failing to ask his host about the Grail, as the appropriate question would have healed the wounded king. The lady announces other quests that the Knights of the Round Table proceed to take up.
The next section of the poem deals with Arthur's nephew and best knight Gawain, who has been challenged to a duel by a knight who claims Gawain had slain his lord. Gawain offers a contrast and complement to Perceval's naiveté, and his adventures showcase a courtly knight having to function in un-courtly settings. One of the section's most interesting episodes is Gawain's liberation of a castle whose inhabitants include his long lost mother and grandmother, as well as his sister Clarissant, whose existence was unknown to him. After this point, Perceval is mentioned only briefly until the completed section nears its end. He meets a hermit, his uncle, who instructs him in the ways of the spirit and teaches him about the Grail. After Perceval has received his uncle's wisdom, the narrative returns to Gawain, but breaks off shortly after."
**********
The book from this list that I'd most like to
Tackle in the near future would be:
A Most Dangerous Method
The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrein
Written by John Kerr The book from this list that I've read and would most
Recommend would be:
The Pen and the Sword
Conversations with Edward Said
The CD from this list that I'd most like to
Re'read' in the near future would be:War and Civil Disobedience (Compact Disc)
by Howard ZinnI guess it's really a mixed-media list of recommendations.
And you may notice a trend. Is it just me, or is it
The recommendations as well, you may wonder? Wander over and see. Look around the site from
A number of different angles, and especially check
Out its 'Home' mission statement as it were.
http://www.percevalpress.com/recommend.html
