Light Shows & Other Brilliant Displays of Radiance

Art by Okabechi

It’s been interesting week. Wildfires in Canada got the east coat looking like Mad Max, Pentagon whistleblower David Charles Grusch claims the U.S. is in possession of non-human origin craft, the Iron Sheik passed away, and I just signed a lease for my own place in LA. We’re moving on UP. No roommates, it’s all me. It’s crazy because I haven’t had my own place since I was stationed in Maryland back in 2016 I believe. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ll be in the heart of LA pumping out new books and gaining new experiences.

I’m looking at furniture, decor, art, bookcases, and more. Part of that more is lighting. I found some many cool pieces on 1stDibs, which is an online marketplace for cool home goods, art decor, and more. I’ll share some cool lights I wish I could cop below.

Check out this Red Oak Lamp by Odami. It’s going for $1559 at this current time, but damn if that isn’t a statement piece This lamp was constructed from the rotting limbs of a 130-year-old red oak tree. They had to cut it down to preserve the trunk.

“As the wood dried and was worked into new forms, it stretched, warped, and cracked. These pieces don’t simply make use of its Material, but attempt to harness this vitality, and embody the stability and weight of its lost presence. As simple compositions of heavy masses, each piece is an expression of this strength and power.”

Imagine pulling up to my home, strolling inside and you’re greeted by a goddamn peacock lamp?!? This light was designed by Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba, an Italian artists & designer inspired by surrealist. It is $1221, but whatever…

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn this beautiful contemporary sculptural lamp designed by AOAO is $7,962.33. Hand-carved, cast in gypsum, and sealed with matt varnish, this piece is provocative and needs to be inside my future home. I don’t have the money for it quite yet, but one day soon…

“The Longing Lamp is the product of a desire to connect art with functionality, drawing inspiration from the modernist philosopher Henri Bergson's intuitive approach. Each lamp in the Living Forms collection is designed to help people connect with their primal nature, leading to enhanced well-being. This is achieved by creating recognisable yet novel forms through traditional carving techniques and experimenting with pigmented plaster.”

Doesn’t this look cozy and futuristic? I could see back with a mug of kombucha while reading a hardcover book, lost in my own world for $3,950.

“Escape Transceiver Space is collaboration art piece between Ango and Touchable Bangkok highlights how good it is to have a mini environment that allows us to relax, rest our minds, and spend time with ourselves. The pouffe by Touchable is created using a woven palette of waste offcut materials to fashion a wonderfully inviting seat, while the canopy overhead by Ango in natural colour silk cocoon casts a warm, soft and protective light.”

I’ve always been fascinated by brutalism, but I never knew I could own a piece of it in my own home. For only $5519, I could have this unique piece light up my space like a half moon…

“Growing up in Budapest, Boldizar Senteski was influenced by the eclectic environment of the city where post-soviet brutalism blends with the elements of a once prosperous monarchic era. Boldizar creates his unique and limited edition collectible design pieces by incorporating fragments from the urban landscape. He celebrates the simultaneous existence of past and future, passing and renewal, decay and flourishment. Boldizar uses alchemy and praises uncalculated errors while he lets materials shape themselves. Bridging the contrast between intentional and unintentional, traditional and progressive, craftsmanship and Industrial solutions.”

I can’t wait for MaXXXine to come out. I LOVED X and I loved Pearl. I waiting to see if Ti West can hit a horror 3 peat. I think he can.

I actually got some new writing done this week. LV Diaries Pt. 3 is in progress & I started working on a new book codenamed Project Bunny Bloodbath. Think splatterpunk, bunnies, and the Midwest.

The Hum of the World & Other Stories continues humming along with nice reviews. It’s cool people say I’m inclusive even though I don’t put a big emphasis on doing that. I just enjoy diverse characters and showcasing different cultures. Also, my publisher is running a sale on the ebook. You can cop it for only 99 CENTS here for a limited time.

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Currently Watching: Love, Death & Robots Season 3 & Lost Season 1

I watched Daniel Isn’t Real the other night and I’m surprised this horror flick hasn’t received more acclaim. It takes the dissociative identity disorder/darker half entity genre and turns it on its head in a chilling yet fun way.

Currently Reading: Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei & Gleipnir by Sun Takeda & The Train Derails in Boston by Jessica McHugh & Full Throttle by Joe Hill

Blood Soaked Wrestling: Beer, Blood, and Body Parts PPV by Stephen Cooper is my first introduction to the author and won’t be my last. He’s a true student of the extreme horror game. There’s a tangible passion and joy for splatterpunk running through every page.

Nate has sacrificed a lot just to attend this secretive wrestling event and damn is it worth it. You feel like you’re part of the crowd squeezed in between two highly attractive women, and you experience every high and every low. The fisting spine buster is worth the price of admission alone.

Blood Soaked Wrestling is a slobberknocker of a book full of gore, tits, and non-stop violence. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Stephen Cooper’s books in the future.

Currently Smoking: Seed & Strain Indica Flower

Listening: Black Tapes Podcast, The Danny Brown Podcast, The Higherside Chats

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Chief Keef’s old homie SD has been staying lowkey and out da picture, but you can’t say his music isn’t flames. SD vents about his grandma dying of a stroke, hoes provoking him, but none of this seems like it’s weighing him down. In fact, this is a declaration of his resiliency and inner strength in the heart of Chicago.

I’m happy Kendrick has his own label now. I don’t always want to hear deep raps. Baby Keem and Kendrick have crazy chemistry, but it’s not surprising since they are family and they have collabed multiple times. They show up their drip, trade bars effortlessly, and bop around with Tyler the Creator. I need a full album ASAP…

Lucki’s music always feel like a soft perc high. Woozy geeked up instrumental with Lucki slurring his words is magic. Beautiful visuals and a great song as usual…no bap.

Saba’s brother Joseph Chilliams deserves a lot more recognition than he receives for his musicality, soulfulness, and lyricism. Don’t let the sill dances fool you, this is feel good music light-hearted hiphop.

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Until next time…

Cop my books here or here.