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Category Archives: history
BOOK: “The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace” Trans. / Ed. / Introduction by N.E. Sjoman
The Yoga Tradition Of The Mysore Palace by N.E. SjomanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Online
This book consists of a translation of The Śrītattvanidhi, a description of 122 Hatha Yoga postures (asana) that has been attributed to Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (Maharaja of Mysore – b.1794 – d. 1868,) as well as notes and commentary on the postures by the Sanskrit scholar, N.E. Sjoman, notes that serve to map said postures to their present-day counterparts. Sjoman also writes an extensive introduction that explores the evolution of the body of yogasana as we now know them, with discussion of varied sources, his research rooted in archival study in Mysore. A copy of the original The Śrītattvanidhi, (of varied readability) is included in the text.
Because India is top-heavy in terms of population and influence, outside of India yoga practitioners might be forgiven for failing to understand how important Mysore and the patronage of the Wodeyar royalty to T.T. Krishnamacharya was in the development of asana-centric yoga as we know it today. Krishnamacharya taught Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga Vinyasa,) B.K.S. Iyengar (prop yoga,) and Indira Devi (Yogini to the stars,) among other prominent 20th century teachers. It is from these teachers onward that yoga practice would be recognizable to the average practitioner of today.
This book links the postures of The Śrītattvanidhi to the names / versions known today (typically linked by the names from B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga.) Sjoman also maps these asana to other prominent sources like Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, Krishnamacharya’s Yogamakaranda, Pattabhi Jois’s Yoga Mala, and Yogeshwaranand Parmahansa’s First Steps to Higher Yoga, linking them primarily through a series of indices.
If you’re interested in the evolution of yoga postures over time, I’d highly recommend this book as a quick way to get a basic grasp of the subject.
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BOOK: “The General in His Labyrinth” by Gabriel García Márquez
The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel García MárquezMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher Site – Penguin
This is a work of historical fiction by Gabriel García Márquez that tells the story of the last days of Simón Bolívar as the revolutionary hero attempted to flee Latin America toward exile in Europe. (Bolívar led a big chunk of Latin America to independence from Spain and ruled over Gran Colombia — a country that included Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and parts of other adjacent countries.) The story covers a trip up the Magdalena River from Colombia’s interior to the coast and on to Santa Marta, where his trip (and life) would end. [FYI: The title comes from words Bolívar spoke slightly before his death when he was putting together his will in which he said, “…How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?”]
There is some contention about the degree to which the book is historical fiction verses a historical account. It seems there are some fictionalized elements, but because García Márquez leans into the degree to which Bolívar was quite ill during this period the book may be more accurate in some ways than more hagiographic accounts.
The events of the story took place in 1830, and the times present an interesting contrast to our own as Bolívar travels to places that have not yet gotten the news that he is no longer President and treat his visit as one would that of a head of state.
At the book’s end there is a brief epilogue by the author as well as an extensive timeline of Bolívar’s life. The latter is quite useful because this book covers only a short period of time, though one of is great interest.
I’d highly recommend this for readers who enjoy literary fiction and / or are interested in Latin American history.
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BOOK: “Forty-Three Ways of Looking at Hemingway” by Jeffrey Meyers
Forty-Three Ways of Looking at Hemingway by Jeffrey MeyersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher Website – LSU Press
I enjoyed this approach to biography. Instead of telling Hemingway’s life story chronologically or even via some other form of overarching arc, Meyers gives us forty-three chapters that each shine a light on a different facet of Hemingway. In many cases, these facets are Hemingway’s relationships to other people: writers, artists, wives, and other personalities. In other cases, the facets are events or concepts, such as his suicide, war, achievements, etc.
This approach can, on occasion, lead to repetition, but I find repetition that is not overbearing to be useful in taking in key information.
If you are interested in what made Hemingway tick, I’d highly recommend that you read this book.
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PROMPT: Year You Were Born
I’m told Nixon was in the White House and the Beatles broke up, but I don’t really know anything about it. (If you want to get epistemological about it.)
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PROMPT: Historical Figure
Daily writing prompt
If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why?
If babel fish existed or I could have access to a fluid translator, then perhaps Drukpa Kunley, (or, alternatively, Hanshan or Ikkyu,) because I would like to know how that level of freedom is achieved (and whether it’s all it’s cracked up to be.)
If I was on my own for language, maybe Thoreau or Whitman. (For largely the same reason.)
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BOOKS: “Funny Stuff” ed. by Laura LaPlaca and Ryan Lintelman
Funny Stuff: How Comedy Shaped American History by Laura LaPlacaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher Site — Rutgers University Press
Release Date: May 12, 2026
As the subtitle suggests, this book explores the nexus between American History and comedy across many, varied media (i.e. writing, theater, standup, improv, radio, television, movies, etc.) It’s an interesting book, but I don’t know that it has the right title. Considering the title, a reader might expect a fuller coverage of American History, drawing on whatever humorous outlets existed at the time (e.g. op-eds and satirical articles.) This book is more of a history of comedic content in the US with a substantial discussion of how comedy addressed / participated in changing views on sex, race, and sexuality and with occasional mention of how comedy was involved in other social issues, such as changing views on free speech and expression. You’re not going to learn how comedic writers addressed Smoot-Hawley or the Sinking of the Maine. (i.e. The book leads with comedic content and leans the discussion toward societal influence [rarely toward policy influence.] It does not lead with historical events and draw on appropriate comedic content.)
The book covers a lot of the same ground as Kliph Nesteroff’s The Comedians, though with quite different emphases. Nesteroff focuses on the gritty underside of comedy and the oft unseen dark side of comedians, while this book focuses on comedy as a factor in changing views on race and sex [as well as on the changing technological outlets for comedy.] Funny Stuff does spend a little more time on pre-20th century America than does Nesteroff, but not much more. Both books are heavily weighted toward the late 20th century to present. To be fair, there is much more volume of comedic output in this period. (That said, there were artists I expected coverage of, e.g. Josh Billings, that weren’t included. That’s where the book seems more like a history of comedy and its varied outlets.)
If you’re interested in the development of comedy in America, and its influence on social issues — most extensively attitudes towards race — I’d recommend this book.
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PROMPT: Book
Forty-Three Ways of Looking at Hemingway by Jeffrey Meyer; a biography of Ernest Hemingway that is written in an interesting and creative way. Rather than a chronological telling of life events, the book relates Hemingway’s life to a series of other individuals and events.
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PROMPT: Historical Event
The Holocaust and other killings of massive scale (e.g. Cambodia’s Killing Fields, Stalin’s Great Purge, etc.) How does villainy triumph on such vast scales? Is there something in our nature that’s just not right, that’s ripe for lunacy under some conditions? What the hell is wrong with humanity?
Tiger Riding for Beginners 