From the Stacks: July 13, 2007

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Started in 2002 as an undergraduate arts and culture project at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Mule draws contributions from Chicago, New York, and China, covering the creative arts largely though interviews and photo spreads. 'We're a regional publication,' the magazine's website reads, 'in the sense that we focus on what's around us as we roam about.' In the biannual's fourth issue, readers can wander among interviews with the likes of jazz musician/composer Philip Cohran (once a sideman for the ethereal jazz musician Sun Ra) and Tim Kinsella, formerly of the 1990s indie band Cap'n Jazz. Along with regular filings from the art and fashion worlds, the issue features profiles of three young American instrument makers. -- Eric Kelsey

The music monthly Seattle Sound enlisted the help of online environmental magazine Grist for an issue devoted to earth-friendly ideas in the land of rock and roll. The package looks beyond the many ways that mainstream acts like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden have cleaned up their acts and touts some of the little guys in the business who have sacrificed financial gain in order to cut their carbon emissions. Minnesota's Cloud Cult, for example, hopes to lead the way to a green revolution in music by using only recycled materials for their albums. The magazine also takes a look at several of the top ecoconscious music festivals, as well as the part some record labels play in the movement. -- Eric Kelsey

The perceptions and realities of Islam are as varied as they are misunderstood, which makes Islamica a valuable new resource in our library. The quarterly international magazine encompasses extraordinarily diverse voices that provide insight and promote discussion on a wide range of issues. The latest edition (#19) profiles 10 such voices in the feature 'Shaping Islam in America.' The visionaries profiled hail from many backgrounds and professions -- one is a novelist, another a humanitarian, another an editor of an online magazine, etc. -- and represent the myriad ways in which faith and work can influence local communities. Their stories reveal tremendous promise in promoting understanding among the country's various cultures. -- Natalie Hudson

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