Exhibition catalog for the Circle of Truth traveling art exhibition. Curated by Laura Hipke & Shane GuffoggForeword by: Randy Hipke Preface by: Paul RuschaThe Circle of Truth project is a visual game of Telephone, sometimes called a Rumor Game.49 artists, including Ed Ruscha, Shane Guffogg, Billy Al Bengston, Lita Albuquerque, Jim Morphesis, Charles Arnoldi, Robert Williams, and Ruth Weisberg, created works especially for the Circle of Truth project, in absolute secrecy over a period of nine years. The catalog dedicates a full spread to each of the 49 artists with color images of the art they received and responded to, the art they created, as well as an essay they wrote about their experience. The catalog provides a rare look at the thought processes and studio practices of these unique and private people.The Circle of Truth project is a wholly unique collaboration of 49 contemporary artists, each sequestered and unknown to one another, working in absolute secrecy. Taking a full nine years from launch to fruition, the Circle is a modern, visual take on a common childhood schoolroom exercise, wherein a secret message was whispered from student to student. Often referred to as the Rumor Game or Telephone.In the case of the Circle of Truth, the "whispered" message was imbued in the first painting, which was then delivered, along with a blank canvas, to the second artist. That artist was given no direction other than to find the Truth in in the previous painting, respond to what they perceived, and create a work using the blank canvas, that would go to the next artist, also unknown to them. And so, it went, through 49 artists, each confronted with a work from an unknown artist and a blank canvas. Participants were encouraged to work outside of their normal, comfortable styles. Once their creations were complete, each was asked to write an essay about their experience.The 49 works of art were created specifically for the Circle of Truth by 49 different and often disparateartists. Mostly oil paintings, all of the works measure 20 inches square by 2 inches deep, and are presented in chronological order. The Circle of Truth project opens a dialog regarding the nature of what we consider Truth to be, and evenwhether we think it exists. The Circle of Truth exhibition touches on a need that resinates deeply in the human psyche - access to meaningful, truthful contact with others. This truthful contact is the secret ingredient in the Circle of Truth project.Using paint and words the artists speak to the viewers candidly, providing a rare perspective into theirexperience and thought processes.Viewers of all ages and backgrounds, will be able to quickly understand and appreciate the meaning of the Circle of Truth. There are no prerequisites or any fundamental knowledge needed to appreciate and recognize Truth. The Circle relies simply on the viewers' inherent human nature.The LA-based Project was conceived by artist, Laura Hipke and co-curated with artist, Shane Guffogg. Exhibiting artists from Los Angeles, Arizona and New York include: Kim Abeles, Lisa Adams, Lita Albuquerque, Charles Arnoldi, Lisa Bartleson, Billy Al Bengston, Justin Bower, Virginia Broersma, Randall Cabe, Rhea Carmi, Greg Colson, Jeff Colson, Stanley Dorfman, Cheryl Ekstrom, Jimi Gleason, Rives Granade, Ron Griffin, Alex Gross, Shane Guffogg, Lynn Hanson, Doro Hofmann, Tim Isham, Kim Kimbro, Bari Kumar, Cal Lane, Margaret Lazzari, Mark Licari, Dan Lutzick, Deborah Martin, Susan McDonnell, Christopher Monger, Jim Morphesis, Andy Moses, Juan Carlos Munoz Hernandez, Gary Panter, Daniel Peacock, Bruce Richards, Michael Andrew Rosenfeld, Ed Ruscha, Eddie Ruscha, Paul Ruscha, John Scane, Vonn Sumner, Matthew Thomas, Alison Van Pelt, Michelle Weinstein, Ruth Weisberg, Robert Williams and Todd Williamson.

Strange things are happening in Rith's house at night. First a spiral staircase replaces the regular stairs. The new stairs lead to a living room that isn't his, a cat that isn't his either, and a bizarre old man whose words are just gibberish. Or are they? Rith's never been into religion. But he realizes those words have a spiritual source—and an uncanny ring of truth. Is he just dreaming? Is the old man God? As Rith tries to circle closer to the truth, the line between reality and unreality blurs

'The ideal interpreter of the Ring ... a fascinating and valuable study ... absorbing and convincing' Sunday Times The Ring of the Nibelung is one of the greatest works of art created in modern times. Roger Scruton's brilliant and passionate exploration of the drama, music, symbolism and philosophy of Wagner's masterpiece - with its themes of love, death, sacrifice and freedom - shows how, ultimately, it expresses the truth about the human condition. 'Highly original and penetrating ... tremendous' Tim Blanning, Literary Review 'A rich, historical account ... After reading this book, only the most unadventurous reader would turn down the chance to see Wagner's masterpiece' Economist 'A brilliant gallop through the master's religious, musical and philosophical contexts' Sue Prideaux, Spectator 'Scruton is one of the finest philosopher-musicians since Schopenhauer' Jonathan Gaisman, Standpoint

Six strangers. Seven days. Seventy-five square miles of wilderness. One common goal: survive. When a nature retreat takes a disastrous turn, six hapless suburbanites find themselves stranded in Pennsylvania's largest wildlife preserve. Unable to escape or contact the outside world, they must adapt to this harsh environment to survive, even as burgeoning rivalries slowly splinter the group into warring factions. But they aren't the only ones in the forest. Their presence has stirred threats beyond imagination, which will force uneasy alliances as all of them confront dark truths about one another ... and themselves.

Eighth-grader Orithian "Rith" Haley discovers another world via the staircase in his house and begins to explore questions about God and the father he never knew, which forever changes his life--and the lives of those around him.

In The Ring of Truth, Wendy Doniger expertly unfolds the cultural and historical significance of rings and other kinds of circular jewelry through timeless stories taken from mythology, religious traditions, and literature. Each chapter, like a separate charm on a charm bracelet, considers a different constellation of stories, linked by a common cluster of meanings: the mutual imitation of real and fake, legal and illegal, marital and extra-marital jewelry; the circular form of rings and bracelets, miming the circle of eternity, which persists in the face of human ephemera

Winner of the 2003 Trillium Book Award "Stories are wondrous things," award-winning author and scholar Thomas King declares in his 2003 CBC Massey Lectures. "And they are dangerous." Beginning with a traditional Native oral story, King weaves his way through literature and history, religion and politics, popular culture and social protest, gracefully elucidating North America's relationship with its Native peoples. Native culture has deep ties to storytelling, and yet no other North American culture has been the subject of more erroneous stories. The Indian of fact, as King says, bears little resemblance to the literary Indian, the dying Indian, the construct so powerfully and often destructively projected by White North America. With keen perception and wit, King illustrates that stories are the key to, and only hope for, human understanding. He compels us to listen well.