Blake Nyman is a fixture in the Nimbus videos and webisodes. He recently took some time away from filming all forms of slashes, nose butters, and pow turns with the homies to catch up on his roadbiking and sightseeing in the Big Apple. Twitter tells us he’s headed back to snowy Oregon with Banks Gilberti, but he still found time to recommend some books to expand your tiny minds.
Have you ever read on the ski lift?
Kinda sorta…does my phone count? Associated Press, NPR, Twitter, etc. I find myself perusing those types of quick fixes on the lift, but I don’t think I’ve ever consciously pursued a novel. I think I’m too much of a wuss to ski by myself most days, so maybe if I toughed it up I could get some solid multitasking in. Or I could make a sweet little book holder to put on the front of my snowmobile. I’ve always thought that someone could get a pretty solid education if they used the time on the lift for scholastic endeavors. There are definitely some skiers that should take that suggestion seriously.
Do you own a Kindle, Nook, or e-reader of any sort?
No, played around with one the other day. I think I’m on the fence. As far as gettin’ your read on on the lift, I think they’ve got a ways to go before we’re a target demographic of the e-reader companies. Can’t beat the ol’ page and ink though– the smell, the feel, the weight, the look. Nothing against the wave of the future, but I’ve got a solid appreciation for the tried and true methods of the past: books, magazines, photos, paintings, etc. All the mediums you actually look at and feel in person as opposed to through some digital screen. But I’m not trying to have that debate about which is better, they all have their place.
Filming with Nimbus seems to involve lots of travel, what are your top 3 travel books, magazines, and/or blogs?
We spend a ton of time in our cars on the road, so I’m starting to stack up a nice collection of books on tape…or mp3, whatever you want to call it. Went through a couple Malcolm Gladwell books this year; The Tipping Point and Outliers. I’ve become a pretty big fan of his over the past bit. His stuff reads like a text book, but that guy has crazy amounts of knowledge and different perspectives, so it keeps me interested. Also recently finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy (a lot better than the movie) and my inner hipster always loves some Chuck Palahnuik. A little nervous to start turning the pages on my next read, Paradise Lost, which was first published in 1667 by John Milton. I hear it can be a doozy and make the head spin. As for blogs, I’ve subscribed to too many to list. I’ll gladly plug my own blog and then you can see a list of my time burglars and take a gander from there: www.blakenyman.com
Who is the resident literary scholar of the Nimbus crew?
I’d have to say Pep. Don’t know if he quite hits bookworm status, but he’s up there. Usually has some pretty good info to share from some books he’s read or reading.
I hear you’ve been holed up in New York City for a little while. Give us a top 5 books about New York, or just books you’re planning to read in NY.
Sex and the City! Hands down. Supplemented with Vogue and US Weekly. Quality literature right there. Jokes, definite jokes, have to clarify. No, but there are some pretty rad novels that take place in New York– classics like Catcher in the Rye, The Alienist, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Great Gatsby, American Psycho, The Age of Innocence. Can’t say I’ve read them all, but I’ve tackled a few and definitely plan on eventually making my way through all of them. People are always reading on the subway, so you come across some pretty funny and interesting titles. If I come across anymore solid suggestions I’ll definitely make note, but to end this, an all time favorite of mine is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. A bit under the radar, but find it and read it if you haven’t already. It only takes about 30 minutes, but it will be 30 minutes you’ll be pumped on.
