Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Another "Red Shoe" painting in progress
Its been awhile since I've posted any works in progress, so I thought the blog was due for another "process" post. As I've mentioned in the past, I am working on illustrations for my upcoming book What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?, a cross genre poetry/craft/recycling book. Below are the steps I went through to paint Jack the bunny, who is very attached to his blanket.
This is the sketch originally shown to my editor:
Next I transfer the sketch to my painting surface using tracing paper:
Once the sketch is transferred, I tighten up the sketch once more:
Next I start laying in washes of color:
Working up the color more, adding a pattern to the blanket and a border:
To be continued next week!
This is the sketch originally shown to my editor:
Next I transfer the sketch to my painting surface using tracing paper:
Once the sketch is transferred, I tighten up the sketch once more:
Next I start laying in washes of color:
Working up the color more, adding a pattern to the blanket and a border:
To be continued next week!
Monday, November 12, 2007
Horn Book podcast and other unique marketing tools
Grace and I were interviewed by the Horn Book's Lolly Robinson last Spring for the new Horn Book podcast, and the interview is up now. Listen to it here. Thanks to Lolly and Kitty for the invitation to be interviewed!
Podcasts seem to be a growing new way for authors and illustrators (and editors!) to promote their work, and last night I witnessed another exciting marketing tool.
Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon has launched a documentary film series Out of the Book. These are half-hour (approximately) films about notable authors. The first in the series featured Ian McEwan, and the second film which debuted last night at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater featured the late (and great) David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War.
It was was a beautifully directed and produced film, featuring interviews with David's wife Jean Halberstam and such notable authors as Joan Didion, Anna Quindlen, Bob Woodward, and more. They read aloud passages of the book, and talked about David's life and writing, reporting, and about the Korean War in general. There was also archival footage of the war throughout.
The movie was preceded by a dramatic reading of a passage from the book, and followed by a panel discussion featuring a Korean War veteran who had been interviewed in the book, an author friend of David Halberstam (I apologize for not recalling their names), and producer Dave Weich, who also called on the film's director James Lester to comment. Overall, it was such an interesting, different event, and even though I'm not a huge history reader and wouldn't normally pick up a 700+-page book on the Korean War, it made me want to read the book, and others by Halberstam.
I was invited to the event by a friend who is good friends with the producer Dave Weich, who was also the brain child behind the series. But otherwise, I would have never heard of Out of the Book, which is a shame. Dave said that in the past, most book marketing had been text-based, and text is so cerebral and a solitary experience, and he wanted to find a different way to engage readers with the books and authors. The way it works is that the publisher of the featured book/author pays the budget for the film, and the film is shown around the country in partnership with book stores, not unlike an author tour. It seems perfect for authors who don't want to or can't (as in Halberstam's case) tour.
As with podcasts and book trailers, I'm excited that there seem to be novel ways (pun intended) to market books being developed. I'm looking forward to the next installment of Out of the Book (perhaps one day a children's author will be highlighted), and to see what new marketing techniques are developed.
Podcasts seem to be a growing new way for authors and illustrators (and editors!) to promote their work, and last night I witnessed another exciting marketing tool.
Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon has launched a documentary film series Out of the Book. These are half-hour (approximately) films about notable authors. The first in the series featured Ian McEwan, and the second film which debuted last night at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater featured the late (and great) David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War.
It was was a beautifully directed and produced film, featuring interviews with David's wife Jean Halberstam and such notable authors as Joan Didion, Anna Quindlen, Bob Woodward, and more. They read aloud passages of the book, and talked about David's life and writing, reporting, and about the Korean War in general. There was also archival footage of the war throughout.
The movie was preceded by a dramatic reading of a passage from the book, and followed by a panel discussion featuring a Korean War veteran who had been interviewed in the book, an author friend of David Halberstam (I apologize for not recalling their names), and producer Dave Weich, who also called on the film's director James Lester to comment. Overall, it was such an interesting, different event, and even though I'm not a huge history reader and wouldn't normally pick up a 700+-page book on the Korean War, it made me want to read the book, and others by Halberstam.
I was invited to the event by a friend who is good friends with the producer Dave Weich, who was also the brain child behind the series. But otherwise, I would have never heard of Out of the Book, which is a shame. Dave said that in the past, most book marketing had been text-based, and text is so cerebral and a solitary experience, and he wanted to find a different way to engage readers with the books and authors. The way it works is that the publisher of the featured book/author pays the budget for the film, and the film is shown around the country in partnership with book stores, not unlike an author tour. It seems perfect for authors who don't want to or can't (as in Halberstam's case) tour.
As with podcasts and book trailers, I'm excited that there seem to be novel ways (pun intended) to market books being developed. I'm looking forward to the next installment of Out of the Book (perhaps one day a children's author will be highlighted), and to see what new marketing techniques are developed.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Blogging for a Cure: The Final Week
Grace Lin & Alissa Imre Geisadmiring the 2007 snowflakes
at the Child at Heart Gallery
in Newburyport, Massachusetts
Note: My husband and I took the rest of the photographs posted here at the Reception for Robert's Snow Artists, which was held on November 4th at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, Massachusetts. The 2007 snowflakes will remain on exhibit through December 2nd.
Grace & Judith Moffatt Back row: Leo Landry & Grace
Front row: Time certainly has flown. Think about this: The final week of Blogging for a Cure will begin tomorrow! Where did the time go?
Once again, I would like to thank Jules and Eisha, the fine ladies of 7-Imp for spearheading this effort to promote Robert’s Snow: for Cancer’s Cure, a series of online auctions that will raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and cancer research. Please visit the Robert’s Snow website to learn more about this unique fundraiser, which was co-founded by Grace Lin and her late husband Robert Mercer.
Jules coordinated the efforts of dozens of bloggers who have been posting features about the picture book illustrators who created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007. She also organized the master schedule for our postings. In addition, I would like to thank Tricia Stohr-Hunt of The Miss Rumphius Effect and Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson’s Book Page for providing participating bloggers with weekly schedules to post at our blogs.
NOTE: I have linked to the blogs that will be posting features about the Robert’s Snow artists this week—not to the specific posts. Jules and Eisha of 7-Imp have created a special page that includes a list with links to all the Blogging for a Cure posts. Their list is updated every day.
Once again, I would like to thank Jules and Eisha, the fine ladies of 7-Imp for spearheading this effort to promote Robert’s Snow: for Cancer’s Cure, a series of online auctions that will raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and cancer research. Please visit the Robert’s Snow website to learn more about this unique fundraiser, which was co-founded by Grace Lin and her late husband Robert Mercer.
Jules coordinated the efforts of dozens of bloggers who have been posting features about the picture book illustrators who created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007. She also organized the master schedule for our postings. In addition, I would like to thank Tricia Stohr-Hunt of The Miss Rumphius Effect and Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson’s Book Page for providing participating bloggers with weekly schedules to post at our blogs.
NOTE: I have linked to the blogs that will be posting features about the Robert’s Snow artists this week—not to the specific posts. Jules and Eisha of 7-Imp have created a special page that includes a list with links to all the Blogging for a Cure posts. Their list is updated every day.
Robin Brickman with an original illustrationfrom her book
One Night in the Coral Sea
Rebecca Doughty standing near her snowflake
Amiko Hirao and Alissa Imre GeisMonday, November 12
John Nez at ChatRabbit
Liza Woodruff at Check It Out
Jane Dippold at Just Like the Nut
Mike Wohnoutka at laurasalas
Tuesday, November 13
Cynthia Decker at The Silver Lining
Cecily Lang at Kate's Book Blog
Jane Dyer at Whimsy Books
Akemi Gutierrez at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
Lee White at Please Come Flying
John Nez at ChatRabbit
Liza Woodruff at Check It Out
Jane Dippold at Just Like the Nut
Mike Wohnoutka at laurasalas
Tuesday, November 13
Cynthia Decker at The Silver Lining
Cecily Lang at Kate's Book Blog
Jane Dyer at Whimsy Books
Akemi Gutierrez at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
Lee White at Please Come Flying
Wednesday, November 14
Philomena O'Neill at Jo's Journal
Maggie Swanson at Chicken Spaghetti
Timothy Bush at Here in the Bonny Glen
Peter Emmerich at Loree Griffin Burns: A Life in Books
Philomena O'Neill at Jo's Journal
Maggie Swanson at Chicken Spaghetti
Timothy Bush at Here in the Bonny Glen
Peter Emmerich at Loree Griffin Burns: A Life in Books
Thursday, November 15
Yangsook Choi at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Laura Jacques at cynthialord's Journal
Mary Newell Depalma at Wild Rose Reader
Leanne Franson at Just Like the Nut
Yangsook Choi at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Laura Jacques at cynthialord's Journal
Mary Newell Depalma at Wild Rose Reader
Leanne Franson at Just Like the Nut
Friday, November 16
Mary Haverfield at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Lisa Kopelke at Lisa's Little Corner of the Internet
Salley Mavor at ChatRabbit
Greg Newbold at The Longstockings
Elizabeth Sayles at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
Mary Haverfield at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Lisa Kopelke at Lisa's Little Corner of the Internet
Salley Mavor at ChatRabbit
Greg Newbold at The Longstockings
Elizabeth Sayles at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
Saturday, November 17
Paul Brewer at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Aaron Zenz at Jo's Journal
Wendy Edelson at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Joan Waites at Chicken Spaghetti
Paul Brewer at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Aaron Zenz at Jo's Journal
Wendy Edelson at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Joan Waites at Chicken Spaghetti
Sunday, November 18
Giles Laroche at Book, Book, Book
Annie Patterson at Check It Out
Teri Sloat at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Annette Heiberg at Lisa's Little Corner of the Internet
Wade Zahares at Wild Rose Reader
Giles Laroche at Book, Book, Book
Annie Patterson at Check It Out
Teri Sloat at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Annette Heiberg at Lisa's Little Corner of the Internet
Wade Zahares at Wild Rose Reader
Grace, Anna, & I decided to have a picture taken
next to the beautiful angel created by Linda Wingerter.
These are the Robert’s Snow artists who will be/have been featured at Wild Rose Reader.
October 16: Scott Bakal
October 29: Alissa Imre Geis
November 3: Wendell Minor
November 9: Susan Kathleen Hartung
COMING SOON TO WILD ROSE READER
November 15: Mary Newell DePalma
October 16: Scott Bakal
October 29: Alissa Imre Geis
November 3: Wendell Minor
November 9: Susan Kathleen Hartung
COMING SOON TO WILD ROSE READER
November 15: Mary Newell DePalma
November 18: Wade Zahares
Friday, November 09, 2007
POETRY FRIDAY: Robert's Snowflakes and Poems
When I read this post by Jules at 7-Imp the other day, it gave me an idea for my Poetry Friday post at Blue Rose Girls this week. Last week at Wild Rose Reader, I wrote about poetry inspired by famous paintings and other works of art. Since we are in the midst of Blogging for a Cure, I thought it would be fitting to post three haiku poems and images of the 2004 snowflakes that inspired their authors. The poems and snowflakes are all included in Robert's Snowflakes: Artists' Snowflakes for Cancer's Cure.
NOTE: Robert's Snowflakes: Artists' Snowflakes for Cancer's Cure is a beautiful collector’s item. It is a compilation of the 2004 snowflakes and haiku written specially for the book by Jane Yolen, Janet Wong, Heidi Stemple, Jennifer Holm, Carole Lexa Schaefer, April Halprin Wayland, Charlotte Zolotow and her daughter Crescent Dragonwagon, and me. Please consider purchasing a copy of the book because 100% of the royalties will go to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Snowflake Art & Poetry
The first haiku I’ve posted here was written by Charlotte Zolotow and Crescent Dragonwagon. What you may not know is that Charlotte and Crescent actually wrote a poem with three stanzas for Robert’s Snowflakes. The poem was too long to fit on the blank snowflake template—so only the last stanza, which you see below, was included in the book.
This is the two-page spread in which their poem appears:
The Snowflake Artists
(left page from left to right)
Phoebe Stone, Loren Long, Scott Bakal
(right page from left to right)
(right page from left to right)
Kinuko Y. Craft, Grace Lin, Gary A. Lippincott
Busy small white stars
making the cold dark earth white.
Inside, we are warm.
Click here to read the first two stanzas of this lovely poem.
Here is another lovely haiku written by Janet Wong…along with the snowflakes that inspired it.
Here is another lovely haiku written by Janet Wong…along with the snowflakes that inspired it.
The Snowflake Artists
(top to bottom & left to right)
Amy Young, Melissa Iwai
Linda Wingerter
Susan Swan
Theresa Smythe, Kathy Jakobsen
Skater and scarf wrap
themselves around each other,
ice-dancing as one.
Finally, here is the haiku I wrote for Robert's Snowflakes: Artists' Snowflakes for Cancer's Cure and an image of the book’s two-page spread in which my poem appears.
A snowman shadow
paints himself in blue upon
a cold white canvas.
The Snowflake Artists
(left page from left to right)
(left page from left to right)
Janie Bynum, John Hassett, Jarrett J. Krosoczka
(right page from left to right)
Leo Landry, Jaime Zollars, Fred Lynch
The first auction of Robert’s Snow 2007 begins on November 19th!
NOTE: The poems posted here are the copyrighted property of their respective authors. All rights reserved.
Cloudscome has the Poetry Friday Roundup at A Wrung Sponge this week.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
panel talk
The Blue Rose Girls gave a panel discussion at the North Shore Reading Council Meeting last night. Great fun, special thanks to organizer Elaine and our gracious audience!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Conversations with Sy Montgomery
Last night I attended the Foundation for Children's Books "Conversations With Sy Montgomery" event. This is a great event series, a casual conversation between creator and moderator--similar to the "Actor's Studio" except the people aren't plastic.
I admit I didn't know a great deal about Sy Montgomery's work. I knew her books but never really examined them. I think perhaps I was scarred by too many boring science textbooks as a child. I always though photojournalism non-fiction seemed too much like school.
But, I was wrong. By the first ten minutes, I was captivated by her passion for her work and my appreciation for her work escalated tenfold. Her approach to creating her books is so different than any of my other colleagues, simply because of the nature of her subject matter. Sy travels to the Gobi Desert to research snow leopards. She goes to New Zealand to find flightless parrots. Every book is a life adventure as well as a cerebral one.
The most important thing I took away from the conversation was the sincere motivation behind all her books. For her, "science was a way to answer the question for the things you love most"; a true love that she wants to share with kids. Which I think she is doing quite well.
I admit I didn't know a great deal about Sy Montgomery's work. I knew her books but never really examined them. I think perhaps I was scarred by too many boring science textbooks as a child. I always though photojournalism non-fiction seemed too much like school.
But, I was wrong. By the first ten minutes, I was captivated by her passion for her work and my appreciation for her work escalated tenfold. Her approach to creating her books is so different than any of my other colleagues, simply because of the nature of her subject matter. Sy travels to the Gobi Desert to research snow leopards. She goes to New Zealand to find flightless parrots. Every book is a life adventure as well as a cerebral one.
The most important thing I took away from the conversation was the sincere motivation behind all her books. For her, "science was a way to answer the question for the things you love most"; a true love that she wants to share with kids. Which I think she is doing quite well.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Snowflake opening at the Danforth
On Sunday those of us that are local (and some not so local) gathered at the Danforth Museum in Framingham, MA to sign books and admire the full collection of snowflakes on display for Robert's Snow. The sight of all 150+ 'flakes on display is AMAZING. You don't have to be a children's book fanatic to be impressed by these tiny perfect works of art!
First we gathered to sign our books and get to know the Dana Farber folks who've done so much for the project this year:
From right to left here is Grace, Elaine, Ki-Ki(G's sister), and Austin(cousin), all looking fetching in red and black:
The artists in attendence (right to left Grace, me, Amiko Hirao, Barbara Lehman, Rebecca Doughty, Alissa Imre Geis, David Ezra Stein, a lovely lady I did not get to meet (sorry!), Judy Moffatt and Robin Brickman:
It was a fun day as it always is when children's book authors and illustrators venture out to meet eachother, and it was especially exciting to see the snowflakes and pick out our favorites... if you have a chance to see the exhibit (stays up until Dec 2nd) I definitely recommend it, as is usually the case with art the pieces look very different in person than they do on the web.
Fyi my interview at over at the Longstockings blog went up yesterday, click here to take a look- they did such a nice job of putting it all together!
My snowflake:
First we gathered to sign our books and get to know the Dana Farber folks who've done so much for the project this year:
From right to left here is Grace, Elaine, Ki-Ki(G's sister), and Austin(cousin), all looking fetching in red and black:
The artists in attendence (right to left Grace, me, Amiko Hirao, Barbara Lehman, Rebecca Doughty, Alissa Imre Geis, David Ezra Stein, a lovely lady I did not get to meet (sorry!), Judy Moffatt and Robin Brickman:
It was a fun day as it always is when children's book authors and illustrators venture out to meet eachother, and it was especially exciting to see the snowflakes and pick out our favorites... if you have a chance to see the exhibit (stays up until Dec 2nd) I definitely recommend it, as is usually the case with art the pieces look very different in person than they do on the web.
Fyi my interview at over at the Longstockings blog went up yesterday, click here to take a look- they did such a nice job of putting it all together!
My snowflake:
Monday, November 05, 2007
Martha, Chip, and Gibsons, oh my.
I seem to be attending my share of fancy dinners lately. First The Carle Honors, and then last Monday I was lucky enough to snag an invitation to a dinner at Tavern on the Green to honor Random House Children's Books publisher Chip Gibson. The publisher of our adult division is good friends with him and purchased a table, and invited four of us from the young readers division to attend. I had never been to Tavern on the Green and was excited to go, although a bit intimidated as well. I'm used to attending children's books events where I recognize at least 30% of the attendees. In this case, aside from my colleagues, a few RH folk who were familiar, and a few friends from Writer's House and the Sheldon Fogelman Agency, I didn't recognize anyone. One of us remarked, "Who are all of these men?!" as we were used to these types of events being dominated by women. But I think the event was actually dominated by folks in adult publishing. *gasp*
The first speaker was Martha Stewart, which was a real treat. She came onto the stage holding a full martini glass and wearing a suit with a red tie. "I'm drinking Gibsons tonight!" she declared, holding up her glass. "What's in these things...gin or something? I've never had a Gibson, and tonight I've had three!" she was somewhat slurring her words. I was a little alarmed for her. But I think it was just a shtick, because she launched into her talk and was fine. She was funny (she was dressed like Chip), charming, friendly, and got a big laugh when she casually mentioned, "When I got out of jail..."
Other speakers included Magic Treehouse author Mary Pope Osborne and our own Michael Pietsch who played guitar and sang a song he wrote about having a "Chip on our shoulder." Hilarious.
They showed a video highlighting his career, and all of the fun parties/events he's been responsible for, especially the annual Random House Halloween party. One speaker described him as being avuncular, which delighted me to no end, as I'm a bit obsessed with that word.
The dinner benefited the Goddard Riverside Community Center. From their website, they describe themself as "one of New York City’s leading human service organizations. We work to meet people’s basic needs – food, shelter, education – and to bring them together for mutual aid, social action, and to celebrate our richness as a society."
Being there made me think...could that/would that be me someday? Will I ever get to the point in my career where I'm celebrated at a big fancy dinner? Would I even want that? To be honest, I don't know how I feel about that. I think I'll just focus on my current job for now. But congratulations to Chip Gibson. I've never met him, but after that dinner, I think I'd like to someday.
The first speaker was Martha Stewart, which was a real treat. She came onto the stage holding a full martini glass and wearing a suit with a red tie. "I'm drinking Gibsons tonight!" she declared, holding up her glass. "What's in these things...gin or something? I've never had a Gibson, and tonight I've had three!" she was somewhat slurring her words. I was a little alarmed for her. But I think it was just a shtick, because she launched into her talk and was fine. She was funny (she was dressed like Chip), charming, friendly, and got a big laugh when she casually mentioned, "When I got out of jail..."
Other speakers included Magic Treehouse author Mary Pope Osborne and our own Michael Pietsch who played guitar and sang a song he wrote about having a "Chip on our shoulder." Hilarious.
They showed a video highlighting his career, and all of the fun parties/events he's been responsible for, especially the annual Random House Halloween party. One speaker described him as being avuncular, which delighted me to no end, as I'm a bit obsessed with that word.
The dinner benefited the Goddard Riverside Community Center. From their website, they describe themself as "one of New York City’s leading human service organizations. We work to meet people’s basic needs – food, shelter, education – and to bring them together for mutual aid, social action, and to celebrate our richness as a society."
Being there made me think...could that/would that be me someday? Will I ever get to the point in my career where I'm celebrated at a big fancy dinner? Would I even want that? To be honest, I don't know how I feel about that. I think I'll just focus on my current job for now. But congratulations to Chip Gibson. I've never met him, but after that dinner, I think I'd like to someday.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Blogging for a Cure: Week #4
It’s hard to believe it but week #4 of Blogging for a Cure will begin tomorrow. I want to take this opportunity to thank Jules and Eisha, the fine ladies of 7-Imp for spearheading this effort to promote Robert’s Snow: for Cancer’s Cure, a series of online auctions that will raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and cancer research. Please visit the Robert’s Snow website to learn more about this unique fundraiser, which was co-founded by Grace Lin and her late husband Robert Mercer.Jules coordinated the efforts of dozens of bloggers who will be posting features about the picture book illustrators who created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007. She also organized the master schedule for our postings. In addition, I would like to thank Tricia Stohr-Hunt of The Miss Rumphius Effect and Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson’s Book Page for providing participating bloggers with weekly schedules to post at our blogs.
NOTE: I have linked to the blogs that will be posting features about the Robert’s Snow artists this week—not to the specific posts. Jules and Eisha of 7-Imp have created a special page that includes a list with links to all the Blogging for a Cure posts. Their list is updated every day.
Monday, November 5
Anna Alter at The Longstockings
Laura Huliska Beith at Just One More Book!!
Cece Bell at Jo's Journal
Denise Ortakales at cynthialord’s Journal
Tuesday, November 6
Carol Heyer at The Shady Glade
Joe Kulka at ChatRabbit
Steven James Petruccio at Blog From the Windowsill
Carol Schwartz at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup
Wednesday, November 7
Jeff Ebbeler at Sam Riddleburger's blog
Scott Magoon at Just One More Book!!
Connie McLennan at The Shady Glade
Julie Paschkis at the excelsior file
Thursday, November 8
Genevieve Cote at a wrung sponge
Linda Graves at Your Neighborhood Librarian
James Gurney at Charlotte's Library
Matt Tavares at Please Come Flying
Friday, November 9
Susan Kathleen Hartung at Wild Rose Reader
Mary Peterson at Brooklyn Arden
Annette Simon at Check It Out and Deo Writer
Melanie Watt at Whimsy Books
Saturday, November 10
R.W. Alley at at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup
Jeannie Brett at cynthialord’s Journal
Daniel Mahoney at Paradise Found and Great Solutions to Team Challenges
Amy Young at Kate's Book Blog
Sunday, November 11
Tim Coffey at The Silver Lining
Elizabeth Dulemba at sruble's world
Chris Gall at Through the Studio Door
Amy Schimler at Please Come Flying
These are the Robert’s Snow artists who will be/have been featured at Wild Rose Reader.
October 16: Scott Bakal
Scott Bakal
October 29: Alissa Imre Geis
Alissa with Her 2007 Snowflake
November 3: Wendell Minor
Florence & Wendell Minor
COMING SOON TO WILD ROSE READER
November 9: Susan Kathleen Hartung
November 15: Mary Newell DePalma
November 18: Wade Zahares
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Day Care Center for Writers
Last week Grace was here visiting (very fun!) and we tried to write. She sat in the window seat with her laptop, I sat at my computer -- writing is usually so solitary. This felt so cozy and snug and FUN. It reminded me of where I wrote a big chunk of my first published novel: a sunny bright yellow office with a beautiful view of the Palo Alto hills.
This was at the Stanford Physics Dept., where I worked part-time as a secretary and my boss said I could work on my novel whenever there wasn't anything to do for him. I liked the space so much that I would sometimes go back there in the evening, all the physics grad students in the group (who I was friends with) were in THEIR office down the hall, and I could hear them laughing, and we were all there working, alone but not alone.
That is one of the many things about being a writer that I've never figured out how to manage on a regular basis. Lillian Hellman once said that she always wanted other people to leave her alone when she wanted to be alone, but be there when she wanted company: "and even when I was a child I knew the other people wouldn't let me get away with that."
She never married and maybe that's why. SOME husbands leave people alone to write -- Collete's first (and maybe only?) husband used to lock her in a room and leave her there until she had slipped a certain number of pages under the door. But I think most partners don't understand the need for solitude. Time spent lolling around thinking can look a lot like laziness (and often it is!)...but not always.
How do those of you with partners manage it?
Me, I wish there were a day care center for writers.It would have a great view, and little desks, and stay open 24 hours to accomodate all schedules. Every two hours, someone would wheel snacks around on an old-fashioned brass tea trolley: tea,dim sum, maybe little Vietnamese crepes/omelets....or maybe (equally realistic?) it really is time to hook up with someone. But NOT another writer! One in a family is enough.
This was at the Stanford Physics Dept., where I worked part-time as a secretary and my boss said I could work on my novel whenever there wasn't anything to do for him. I liked the space so much that I would sometimes go back there in the evening, all the physics grad students in the group (who I was friends with) were in THEIR office down the hall, and I could hear them laughing, and we were all there working, alone but not alone.
That is one of the many things about being a writer that I've never figured out how to manage on a regular basis. Lillian Hellman once said that she always wanted other people to leave her alone when she wanted to be alone, but be there when she wanted company: "and even when I was a child I knew the other people wouldn't let me get away with that."
She never married and maybe that's why. SOME husbands leave people alone to write -- Collete's first (and maybe only?) husband used to lock her in a room and leave her there until she had slipped a certain number of pages under the door. But I think most partners don't understand the need for solitude. Time spent lolling around thinking can look a lot like laziness (and often it is!)...but not always.
How do those of you with partners manage it?
Me, I wish there were a day care center for writers.It would have a great view, and little desks, and stay open 24 hours to accomodate all schedules. Every two hours, someone would wheel snacks around on an old-fashioned brass tea trolley: tea,dim sum, maybe little Vietnamese crepes/omelets....or maybe (equally realistic?) it really is time to hook up with someone. But NOT another writer! One in a family is enough.
Friday, November 02, 2007
POETRY FRIDAY: Are We There Yet?
Anyone who has traveled long distances in a car with a young child is familiar with the following question: Are we there yet? I have to admit my young daughter was a great passenger. When she was about five years old, we drove all the way from Massachusetts to Virginia in one day to visit my mother-in-law who lived in Williamsburg. Sara, my daughter, sat in the back seat with her favorite stuffed animals, a package of tasty snacks and juice boxes, some books, and her pillow. She was quiet and didn't get impatient during our long journey, didn't seem to mind spending so much time strapped into the backseat of our car as it droned down the highway. I think maybe riding in the car put her in a state akin to that of a person while meditating. Only once or twice do I recall her asking us if we were there yet.When I read R. Virgil Ellis’s poem, it brought to mind all the trips my husband and I took with Sara when she was little—trips to Virginia and Maryland…to Maine and Vermont. I have such fond memories of those times.
So here’s to poetry and to long car trips and to memories of happy times spent traveling with our kids.
Are We There Yet
by R. Virgil Ellis
you'd say, tired of our prompting
to see the world as you should:
train-thunder as we go under a trestle,
smiling face painted on a barn.
You'd even get bored looking for signs
that had the rare q, x, or z.
Are we there yet?
So we gave up telling you the miles
and just said, we're closer, getting closer…
You can read the rest of the poem here at The Writers’ Almanac with Garrison Keillor.
I have a post about Poetry and Art at Wild Rose Reader today.
Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at Mentor Texts, Read Alouds & More.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
inspired by punk rockers
My cousin Tim Barry is ithe singer of a punk rock/hardcore band called Avail. Below is one of their videos (feel free to skip if you hate that kind of music!)
(Tim is the one hopping the train. I wish I could do that sometime!)
Ask anyone who has ever listened to that kind of music or or has a friend who listens to that kind of music and they'll know who Avail is. Everywhere I go and say that my cousin is in Avail people will say "Oh my gosh! I love them!" Even people I would never think would be into that kind of thing. Avail turned down the opportunity to "go big" and be on MTV and the like. They wanted to keep it real. They tour relentlessly and have been doing it for years and years. They are passionate about what they do and that's why they're so great to watch live.
I suppose you're wondering what on earth this has to do with kids' books. Well I've been thinking about it... about what kind of author I want to be and about what will make me happy. People often ask if I'd ever illustrate a celebrity book if given the chance and I usually say "no." Somehow Avail, by staying true to themselves and not giving up, have managed to become well known without going the traditional route. I keep asking myself if I'll ever get my books into stores and become known. Usually I get pretty down about it and think that I'm wasting my time. Why bother putting everything I have into a book if NO ONE ever sees it? But perhaps that thinking is shortsighted. Avail always seems to put everything they have into every show (at least the ones I've seen). So if I follow their philosophy, I should keep doing what I'm doing and EVENTUALLY my books will get out there.
My cousin Tim has also branched out and is doing a solo act--country/bluegrass inspired. Here's some bad film footage of one of his songs. His sister, my cousin Caitlin, travels with him and plays the violin. I think that's a really cool thing to do. (the sound is pretty crappy but they do sound great live!)
I don't know why Tim decided to do this but his shows sold out right off the bat. Sometimes I get bored of what I’m doing or what to further challenge myself. I want to keep evolving but not quit all together. Once again, perhaps I should look at what Tim is doing and follow his lead. If I think I'm getting stale, just change things up!
meghan
p.s you can listen to bits of Tim's solo album --Rivanna Junction-- on ITunes. Word
pps - I found a polished video of his solo work: When I feel uninspired, I can get going watching others do their thing!
Check out this video: Tim Barry
Add to My Profile | More Videos
(Tim is the one hopping the train. I wish I could do that sometime!)
Ask anyone who has ever listened to that kind of music or or has a friend who listens to that kind of music and they'll know who Avail is. Everywhere I go and say that my cousin is in Avail people will say "Oh my gosh! I love them!" Even people I would never think would be into that kind of thing. Avail turned down the opportunity to "go big" and be on MTV and the like. They wanted to keep it real. They tour relentlessly and have been doing it for years and years. They are passionate about what they do and that's why they're so great to watch live.
I suppose you're wondering what on earth this has to do with kids' books. Well I've been thinking about it... about what kind of author I want to be and about what will make me happy. People often ask if I'd ever illustrate a celebrity book if given the chance and I usually say "no." Somehow Avail, by staying true to themselves and not giving up, have managed to become well known without going the traditional route. I keep asking myself if I'll ever get my books into stores and become known. Usually I get pretty down about it and think that I'm wasting my time. Why bother putting everything I have into a book if NO ONE ever sees it? But perhaps that thinking is shortsighted. Avail always seems to put everything they have into every show (at least the ones I've seen). So if I follow their philosophy, I should keep doing what I'm doing and EVENTUALLY my books will get out there.
My cousin Tim has also branched out and is doing a solo act--country/bluegrass inspired. Here's some bad film footage of one of his songs. His sister, my cousin Caitlin, travels with him and plays the violin. I think that's a really cool thing to do. (the sound is pretty crappy but they do sound great live!)
I don't know why Tim decided to do this but his shows sold out right off the bat. Sometimes I get bored of what I’m doing or what to further challenge myself. I want to keep evolving but not quit all together. Once again, perhaps I should look at what Tim is doing and follow his lead. If I think I'm getting stale, just change things up!
meghan
p.s you can listen to bits of Tim's solo album --Rivanna Junction-- on ITunes. Word
pps - I found a polished video of his solo work: When I feel uninspired, I can get going watching others do their thing!
Check out this video: Tim Barry
Add to My Profile | More Videos
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
what I'm working on, part 2
So, despite some doggie help, I have been finally finished work on the mural. I can't believe it's done!
The painted Chinese characters is a proverb written by the upcoming baby's grandfather. Roughly translated it says,“In the pureness and innocence of childhood, true joy and happiness.”
This is my favorite part of the mural. The tree will be used as a growth chart, which is why the banner says, "Oh, how you've grown!" Originally it was going to include the baby's name but since that keeps changing, we decided to leave it out.
All in all the mural took about ten days to do. Ten, ten-hour days, mind you. I think I might have lost some weight in the process. I definitely lost sleep as you can tell from my haggard appearance. Haggard, but happy!
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