Pick a theme. Make a list. Share it with us. Our Phoenix store's featured FIGHT CENSORSHIP 2007 multimedia artist picks the fiction and non-fiction books that have changed his life.
Aaron Wilder is Arizona-bred, a native of Phoenix who holds a Bachelor's of Art in International Affairs and Art History from Northern Arizona University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Global Affairs and Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale. He also creates dynamic, multimedia visual art, and is part of the Sonoran Arts League, the Arizona Artists Guild, and OUT Arts Alliance. And starting this month he will be volunteering with Equality Arizona.
You can find Aaron at his website and Phoenix Art Space. His artwork will be on display in the Phoenix store's community room throughout the month of September.
Read our interview with Aaron, where he shares his views on censorship, his influences and inspiration, and the philosophy behind his self-created art movement, Conditionalism.
Aaron Wilder's Handpicked
"Books That Changed My Life"
A Good Man is Hard to Find
by Flannery O'Connor
This is actually a short story, but it is powerful enough to be considered a book. I found the tale fascinating, especially in reflection of the human psyche and its power. The story also has a surreal element, making the reader question their sense of reality.
Governments, Citizens, and Genocide
by Alex Alvarez
This book connects several occurences of genocide by the similarities they share. It is interesting in how it points out the destructive power of humanity and its unwillingness to change.
King Leopold's Ghost
by Adam Hochschild
I grew up never learning about the Congolese genocide committed by the Belgians during colonization. At worst, teachers in high school made colonization to appear as a natural and benevolent thing to do and at best, they ignored the topic. College was a rude awakening for me, including reading this book for an African politics class.
The Music Room
by Dennis McFarland
This book changed my life for more personal reasons. This was the first work of fiction I read that I found a deep connection to. The main character is told in the beginning of the book that his brother has committed suicide. He then embarks on a personal journey through his past, dusting off memories of pain, alcoholism, death, and loneliness.
The New Killing Fields
by Nicolaus Mills and Kira Brunner
This is a great companion to Alvarez's "Governments, Citizens, and Genocide," because it covers the nuts and bolts of humanitarianintervention and the problems associated with such interventions. Itexplains why they have not worked in the past and how we can work tomake them more successful in the future.
An Ordinary Man
by Paul Rusesabagina
This man is my hero. He is better known as the inspiration for the movie "Hotel Rwanda," which recounts how he was able to save over one thousand individuals from slaughter in Rwanda in 1994. His book tells the same story, but is far more personal and delves into the history of the country and the origin of the conflict that errupted intogenocide.
The Pinochet Effect
by Naomi Roht-Arriaza
This book explains the history of the atrocities committed by AugustoPinochet while he was President of Chile. While Pinochet was neverfully held accountable for his crimes against humanity, Roht-Arriazaexplains how his global arrest and trial set a precedent for futureefforts of transnational justice.
Regarding the Pain of Others
by Susan Sontag
This short book discusses the powerful infuence images, especially photography, exert over viewers. This book made me realize how interconnected the world is and how art can be a powerful ally or foe.
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