SOLITUDE: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes —A Year Alone in the Patagonia Wilderness (book)
by Robert Kull
(New World Library, $23.95)

Solitude is Vancouver resident Robert Kull’s diary of the year he spent living alone (OK, he had a cat) on a remote, inhospitable island off Chile. A lifelong spiritual seeker, Kull describes with brute frankness his innermost fears, frustrations, and ongoing struggle to find enlightenment—all against the wild, sublime backdrop of the Patagonian wilderness. Though the vast majority of us would never dare to venture alone into the wild as Kull did, Solitude is a powerful reminder that sometimes we all need to tune out the world around us and turn our attention inward.
—Tamara Letkeman

Validation(streaming video)
by Kurt Kuenne(SpiritualCinemaCircle.com [1], free)

Parking attendant Hugh Newman doesn’t just give compliments—he makes it his life’s work. In fact, he’s so good at what he does, every day he has a long line of customers waiting to have their parking tickets—and themselves—validated. But the upbeat Hugh soon meets his match in the surly Victoria; try as he may, he just can’t get her to smile, and ends up losing his moxie. But it’s hard to keep a good man down; Hugh is joyfully reminded of the power of a sincere compliment—and the viewer is left wondering how so much fun, magic, and sweetness can be packed into a 16-minute film.
—Tamara Letkeman

Africa Calling (CD)
by Lorraine Klaasen
(Justin Time Records, $18.99)

Rain got you down? Have no fear: Montreal-based songstress Lorraine Klaasen is here to add a little sunshine to these dark and drizzly days. Daughter of legendary South African jazz singer Thandi Klaasen, Lorraine managed to get a group of hot-blooded South Africans into a Montreal recording studio during the freezing Canadian winter to produce a heartwarming album. Embracing the rich musical cultures of Quebec and French-speaking Africa, this highly charged collection blends eclectic background singing tracks in Zulu, Sotho, Xhosa, Lingala, English, and French with the classic sound of township music.
—Erica Gehrke