The Analog Sea Review: Number Two

Analog Sea Review #2

by Jonathan Simons (Editor), Janos Tedeschi (Editor), Elena Fritz (Assistant editor)

Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) 2020 Silver Medal Winner for Anthologies

In the second edition of The Analog Sea Review, offline publisher Analog Sea continues to explore what artists and writers create when the machines are all sleeping and they find themselves back again amid that most valuable natural resource—time.

Through interviews, stories, poetry, fine art, and essays by the likes of Oliver Sacks, Will Self, James Baldwin, Robert Bly, Ray Bradbury, Peter Mettler, and Alejandro Jodorowsky, this issue delves into questions on solitude, filmmaking, the northern lights, writing and the creative process, the cult of the image, quantum physics, the differences between direct experience and representation and, as ever, offline culture and the printed word.

Genres: Poetry, Philosophy, Essays, Nonfiction, Art, Anthologies

218 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Lars Reijnen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific selection of writings, this is a new format for me but I really enjoyed it. Presenting poems, essays, interviews, artwork, and excerpts the editors take the reader from a contemplation regarding the nature of light to a plea for solitude. Specifically outstanding were the essays Solitude and the Creative Life by Fenton Johnson and The Creative Process by James Baldwin, and the poems The Floor and The Way the Day Starts by Russell Edson and Penelope Hewlett.

[Lily Nilipour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible little book full of incredible little excerpts. A piece of art in itself, of course. What a unique meditation on boredom, loneliness, beauty, the digital, and wonder. This will always be near me.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The irony of a five-star review on Goodreads is not lost on me.

[Bonisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This issue was a little repetitive and low energy/sad. Could have used more interviews.

Favorites:

- the pursuit of wonder
- picture of light
- interview with Peter Mettler
- the machine stops
- the busy man speaks
- solitude and the creative life
- how to keep and feed a muse
- the printed word in peril
- where did the time go?

[Joshua Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly unique book.

Integrity
Many poets are not poets for the same reason that many religious men are not saints: they never succeed in being themselves. They never become the man or artist who is called for by all the circumstances of their individual lives. They waste their years in vain efforts to be some other poet, some other saint. They wear out their minds and bodies in a hopeless endeavor to have somebody else's experiences or write somebody else's poems. They want quick success and they are in such haste to get it that they cannot take time to be true to themselves.


The Tree Rustled
The present flowed by them like a stream. The tree rustled. It had made music before they were born, and would continue after their deaths, but its song was of the moment. The moment had passed. The tree rustled again. Their senses were sharpened, and they seemed to apprehend life. Life passed. The tree rustled again.

[Dan Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst I adore the concept of the Analog Sea Review and love owning such a beautiful object, I felt the quality of material was slightly less consistent this time around. I understand that it presents itself as an antidote to the over-stimulating, oppressive nature of our digital world but felt there were a disproportionate number of “angry white man shouts at clouds” articles this time, and not much in the way of balance. It didn’t stop me enjoying the rest of it though, and I will certainly be seeking out number three for the collection soon!

[josé almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

neste segundo número - repleto de ensaios, trechos e poemas de diversos autores - destacam-se temas como a representação na escrita, o processo criativo e a solidão. estes pequenos volumes da analog sea (de capa, paginação e acabamento primorosos) são dos livros mais apetitosos ao tacto e ao olfacto dos últimos tempos.

[Jenina · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the year enders:
“Faces having land and sea on them, faces honest as the morning sun and flooding a clean kitchen with light”

And features dear pope Francis imploring us to continue to wonder!!!!!


It’s a book that’s meant to be savored and stretched in time. I had to reread it because I wasn’t satisfied with the usual tempo I’d consume books. A sign of dazzled pleasure!!!

[Richard Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This edition reads like an intense emotion. It's a philosophical tract, a love letter, a brief argument (good that it's not an echo chamber), reconciliation, peace. And it's wonderful to read a publication where the commas and its companion punctuation marks are in the right places.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the start of the year, but if I read a better anthology this year I’ll be surprised and profoundly moved. If you’d like to know what I thought of it, meet me and I’ll tell you. And you can tell me what has moved you too.

[María · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of texts, arranged carefully for your thinking process. A book to be read slowly, researching all the references, living out the philosophy with which it was intended also through the reading process. Very very grateful I came across this little book.

[Christopher Vowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring insight into inspiration.

[Chris Edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simply superb anthology. Thought provoking, inspirational, beautifully produced. A deeply pleasurable read and a book to keep.

[Antonio Utrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful reading. Refreshing and inspiring. Awareness inducing time, time well spent.

[Klaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great bedside read and perfectly curated anthology. All of the themes and topics flow into each other making for a great interconnected anthology across both time and space.

[Mariannne]

Dnf à la page 62. La vie est trop courte pour lire des hommes blancs qui se plaignent de l'avancée de la technologie et à quel point c'était mieux avant

[Eric Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly middleclass interpretation of what makes a life meaningful.