There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
—
New York Times Book Reviews :.Posted By Shawn Conners on July 3, 2009
Contains “The Book of Five Rings” by Miyamoto Musashi, “Hagakure – The Way of the Samurai” by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, and “Bushido – The Soul of Japan” by Inazo Nitobe. If you are keeping up with these, this music might sound a bit familiar. ;o)
Posted By Shawn Conners on June 23, 2009
El Paso Norte Press released an additional 2 titles in Kindle editions on Amazon. The titles are:
1) The Greek Classics: Aristophanes – Eleven Plays ($2.99)
Kindle Edition ASIN: B002E9H3D2
Summary: All eleven surviving Greek comedic plays by Aristophanes in one volume, including: The Knights and Lysistrata.
2) The Greek Classics: Sophocles – Seven Plays ($2.99)
Kindle Edition ASIN: B002E9H4LI
Summary: All seven surviving Greek tragedies by Sophocles, including Oedipus Rex, Antigone and Electra.
Posted By Shawn Conners on June 18, 2009
Once upon a time, I, Chuang Tzu, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of following my fancies as a butterfly, and was unconscious of my individuality as a man. Suddenly I awaked, and there I lay, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man…
Fools think they are awake now, and flatter themselves they know if they are really princes or peasants. Confucius and you are both dreams; and I who say you are dreams – I am but a dream myself. This is a paradox. To-morrow a sage may arise to explain it; but that tomorrow will not be until ten thousand generations have gone by.
Posted By Shawn Conners on June 11, 2009
Jumping into the digital century, El Paso Norte Press has begun converting its print library into electronic form. The first 6 titles are now available for download on Amazon.com for $3.99 each.
The Kindle ebook reader allows customers to instantly download digital copies of classic and bestselling books, often for under $10. The Kindle reader itself still retails for well over $300, so this format falls under the “emerging market” category.
For die-hard print fans, not to worry… we are committed to maintain and increase our printed book collections, in an environmentally friendly and responsible way. We have concrete plans for 12 printed titles this year, and tentative plans for an additional 25 titles next year. This includes our new Large Print Collection, which will debut in July 2009.
Posted By Shawn Conners on May 29, 2009
The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Classic Edition
Here’s a sneak peek of the cover artwork for the forthcoming The Art of War by Sun Tzu – Classic Edition.
Scheduled for a general release on June 10, 2009, this edition contains the English translation of The Art of War, critical commentary by Lionel Giles, as well as an introduction by Shawn Conners tracing the impact of The Art of War since the 6th century BCE.
The cover shows an 18th century re-enactment by formal Chinese shadow puppets of a Tang dynasty battle.
This cover art was a group collaboration by El Paso Norte Press fans on Facebook.
Posted By Shawn Conners on May 20, 2009
Playing a traditional zither
Confucius not only said interesting things, he sang them and accompanied himself on a kind of zither. The Smithsonian Institution’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery has frequent shows of musical instruments from Confucius’ time, 2,500 years ago. A collection of his lyrics (there are no melodies preserved) is one of the first pieces of Chinese literature handed down through the centuries.
“It is said that Confucius accompanied himself on a ‘qin’ while singing the odes of the Shi Jing, or the ‘Classic of Poetry,’” says cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a guide to the exhibit. “We don’t know what Confucius’ qin may have looked like, but in popular accounts of his life, the image of the philosopher-musician became firmly established.” The qin is a kind of zither. Today’s Chinese musicians still use one kind. Ma is an American of Chinese ancestry, one of today’s leading cellists playing classical western music.
