On the Shelf: Doll Bones

Monday, 30 September 2013

DOLL BONES | Holly Black | Margaret K. McElderry Books | 2013

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her. But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave. Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

"Poppy set down one of the mermaid dolls close to the stretch of asphalt road that represented the Blackest Sea." Doll Bones is a celebration of imagination. It begins with an elaborate display of childhood abandon as three best friends create an intricate world of magic and mystery that is only possible through the mind of a child. However, this happy moment is quickly ruined when Zach feels the pressure of adulthood. He's torn between wanting to grow up and wanting to remain a child, a dilemma everyone encounters at some point in life.

As an adult reader, the book has a tinge of sadness. The sentiment of growing up and leaving childhood behind reminds me of "The Fall of the City," a short story by Alden Nowlan. You can tell how desperately Zach doesn't want to let go of his imagination, but the people around him view a lack of imagination as a sign of growing up. Zach's struggle really brought me back to my own childhood. I can't remember exactly when I gave up "playing pretend" - one day my room was filled with toys, the next with "more important" things. What would happen if we all held on to our childhood imaginations for just a little bit longer? It seems children are the most creative of us all.

As you can probably tell from the cover art, Doll Bones is also a little bit creepy. Mainly attributed to my life-long fear of dolls, the idea of a china doll coming to life was enough to keep me on edge while reading the book. The doll isn't all too sinister, so I don't think children would be particularly afraid of the content, but certain moments are chilling for even the bravest of readers. Minor characters start to treat the doll as another person - a party of four instead of a party of three - and you have to actively question whether you, as the reader, believe the doll is alive or if Zach, Alice, and Poppy are simply playing out another story.

For middle grade children, Doll Bones looks at the issue of compromising one's identity to please family and peer groups. For adults, Doll Bones is a look back at a time that we wish could have been prolonged. If only we had known better.

"He wondered whether growing up was learning that most stories turned out to be lies." 

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6 ANS ...

Sunday, 29 September 2013

Tournent tournent les aiguilles du Temps ...

Mon blog a 6 ans ...

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(photo prise par Nathalie à San Gimignano)

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Images d'instants chers à mon coeur qui parlent d'amour et d'amitié, de petits plaisirs et de jolies rencontres ...

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MERCI 

AMITIES

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The Sunday News - September 29, 2013

A weekly collection of literary links best enjoyed with coffee or tea on your Sunday morning. This week's edition of The Sunday News is brought to you by banned books, curious customs, and conspiracy theories.

There were many posts online last week about Banned Book Week and I loved some of the sillier reasons for censoring a book. TIME Magazine presents a brief history of stupid book bans.

An interesting article from Brain Pickings: The Odd Habits and Curious Customs of Famous Writers. 

Should books tell you how long it will take to read them? An upcoming book will include an estimated reading time on the back cover. Is this a great idea or a terrible one?

You can now buy Fifty Shades of Grey wine.

I have yet to try out audiobooks, but I imagine a good reader makes all the difference. Book Riot has nine tips for finding the perfect audiobook narrator.

Gotham: Batman's city of crime to be the next drama series on FOX.

Keep this list handy for your personal library or gift giving: 50 books every parent should read to their child.

I love these illustrated mugshots of characters from banned books.

People always say, "Don't judge a book by its movie." Here are 12 movies that are just as good as the books they are based on. I would add About A Boy to the list. Would you add anything?

Flavorwire presents 10 Bizarre Literary Myths and Conspiracy Theories.

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La photo du samedi

Friday, 27 September 2013

Pour AMARTIA

Jeudi, gentil voisin m'a fait cadeau de trois vieux zincs !

Bien sûr gentil mari a levé les yeux au ciel, qu'est ce que tu vas faire de ces vieilleries bonnes pour la poubelle ?

Vendredi il a eu un petit aperçu et depuis, il est content et moi je suis plus que ravie de mes petites compositions automnales réalisées vendredi ...

Juste à temps pour la photo du samedi !

...

AMITIES

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The largest dust cloud ever on a card?

Dust clouds frozen on cardboard have always been a favorite of mine.  I have never collected them, nor do I intend to start, but I have always looked for the new dust clouds that appear with each new year's cards.  For the longest time, I have always assumed that the classic 1987 Topps Kevin Mitchell rookie (seen below) was the largest dust cloud ever captured in time.

With my most recent purchase from Sportlots, I believe I now have a new candidate for the title of largest dust cloud on a card, 1996 Score Vinny Castilla.

Not only do you get a huge dust cloud, but you also get a cameo from an NFL Hall of Famer.  Very, very pleasing to the eye.

Do any of you have any other candidates that might be even bigger than the Castilla?  Are there any card features that you really like, but don't collect?

Thanx for reading.

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Behind the Scenes of Life By Committee

Behind the Scenes gives you a closer look at the process of writing a manuscript. This edition features Corey Ann Haydu and her manuscript Life By Committee. Corey Ann Haydu is a young adult novelist living in Brooklyn. She earned her BFA in theatre from Tisch School of the Arts and her MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Corey loves writing in cafes, reading in bars, and walking all over New York City. She is also passionate about cheese, pilates, and feminism. Her first novel, OCD LOVE STORY, came out in July 23rd from Simon Pulse. Her second novel, LIFE BY COMMITTEE, comes out Summer 2014 from Katherine Tegen Books.You can read Corey's humiliating teenage diaries at formerselfproject.blogspot.com and more info on Corey and her books at coreyannhaydu.com. Follow her on twitter (@CoreyAnnHaydu), where you can watch her struggle with the writing of her next novel.

Inspiration for Life By Committee:

The film Love Me If You Dare, mountains of Vermont, used books, mismatched tables and chairs in cafés, lattes, red Mary Janes, the blue glow of a computer screen, Belle and Sebastian's "Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying," and The Secret Garden.

About Life By Committee:

"My next novel is Life By Committee. It’s my second contemporary YA novel, this time narrated by Tabitha, a Vermonter with a case of serious loneliness after having been ditched by her friends who think she’s “changed” too much in the last few months. Tabitha’s loneliness drives her to do a lot of things she doesn’t understand—things that aren’t all that nice and things that aren’t all that safe. Secret things. But it’s when she joins a mysterious online community that her life truly becomes not her own. Her deepest, darkest secrets might get exposed, her behaviors get more unpredictable, and to protect herself she has to commit fully to a new way of life and her new online friends. A story about looking for community, fighting loneliness, taking risks, and the intense need to keep your secrets."

A piece of Corey's writing process:

" For me, the key to a successful writing life is getting out of my apartment. I have a great apartment. And a cute dog. And an office, even, where I planned on doing lots of work. But. The reality is, I can’t work from home. Not successfully, not regularly, not enjoyably. I get distracted and bored in my home. I let myself off the hook. I watch terrible reality TV. I play with my dog and eat lots of cheese. I do not write. I do not get in the zone. So I’ve learned that I have to write at cafés. Once I’m out of my apartment, I actually get work done, I’m suddenly accountable. Not to mention I can listen in on strangers' conversations when I get bored, or imagine that all the other writers in the Brooklyn cafés I frequent are noticing every time I glance at twitter instead of my latest manuscript. I can imagine that something interesting might happen (and it’s New York! If you’re out of your home, something interesting really MIGHT happen!) and I can feel like I’m part of the world, even though writing is actually a pretty lonely pursuit. Lots of afternoons I wish I could stay home. Especially when it’s raining or snowing or worst of all at 99% humidity. But I’m not that writer. And accepting what kind of writer you are, what kind of tools, however strange and annoying they may be, you need, is a huge step in being a successful, productive writer. Or artist of any kind, I’d imagine."

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I'm Back from Hiatus with a Heavy Heart

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Hey guys and gals.  I hope after my eight month hiatus that I have at least a couple of readers remaining.  I hope that you are still out there and still collecting.  I have been reading blogs and even commenting on occasion, but I never really had the desire to post for most of this year.  I have no real reason for it other than life getting in the way.

As a quick catch up with what I have been doing, 2013 has been thus far the most personally difficult year of my life.  As some of you may remember I found out last year that my estranged father had passed away several years ago.  Surprisingly it was hard for me even though we hadn't communicated for over thirty years.  However, that was nothing compared to the gut punch I experienced on August 1st of this year.  On that day, my grandmother passed away at the age of 79 following a stroke/heart attack combo.  I lived with my grandparents for the majority of my childhood and for past ten years I was paying my grandparents back by moving back in and trying to make their golden years as easy as possible.  She gave me many things throughout her life, but the most important (at least for this blog's purpose) was my passion for collecting.  Not my passion for baseball cards, that came from my grandpa, but the passion for collecting in general.  My Mamaw loved to collect things and I saw that love for building collections from an early age.  She had a salt shaker collection, a figurine collection, a coin collection, and several other various types of assemblages.  Some people (even loved ones) would call her a packrat or a hoarder, which was true, but I could see beyond the obvious to the why.  All of her "junk" made her smile and she passed that love down to me.  My cards and baseball in general makes me smile and smiling is something that has been in short supply around here for the past two months or so.

It has been a rough couple of months, but I hope to get back to semi-regular posting at the least.  If anything just to keep myself busy.  Obviously, the big news for my team is the upcoming retirement of longtime franchise player Todd Helton.  I am not going to get into that today because I don't want to cheapen the previous paragraph with the relative triviality of my hobby, but I will discuss that among other things later this week.

I also want to mention that for the majority of my hiatus, I have been working on the 2013 Quarry Unlimited virtual custom card set.  I will be getting into that more following the season as I have once again made 1500+ cards featuring every player (plus some) that participated in Major League Baseball this season.  For those of you that may have missed it, last year's set was based on 1986 Topps.  This year's set is based on 1977 Topps with a few changes that (IMHO) improve upon the original design.  Again, I will get more into that in the future.

I know there are a few of you that I owe some packages to and rest assured that I will be getting those taken care of as soon as possible.  I will be contacting those of you that will be getting stuff in the mail this week and I hope you forgive me (and possibly even understand my reason) for being late.  If you do not hear from me this week and I owe you some cards, please email me and let me know.  I do not want anyone to be left hanging or shorted in any way whatsoever.

I hope I still have some readers left and I plan on getting back into the exploration of baseball in general and specifically the Rockies.  Until then, thanx for reading.

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The Sunday News (09.22)

Sunday, 22 September 2013

A weekly collection of storytelling links. Best enjoyed with coffee or tea on your Sunday morning, afternoon, or evening. This week's edition of The Sunday News is brought to you by James Franco, mean girls, and a lack of time.

→ I always wished I could have a leopard of my own. Here's a list of literary figures and their wild pets.

→ In case you haven't seen this gem yet: Let's put James Franco on all the book covers.

→ Books extremely important people read. People like Oprah and J.K. Rowling.

→ Who are your favourite mean girls in literature?

→ Sometimes it's difficult to find reading time. Here are 100 pretty weird ways to squeeze reading into your day.

→ Busy season is here, whether you're working or in school full time. These 35 travel books will take you around the world when you can't leave your desk.

→ I leave you with this quotation: "Thanks to the redundancy of language, yxx cxn xndxrstxnd whxt x xm wrxtxng xvxn xf x rxplxcx xll thx vxwxls wxth xn “x” (t gts lttl hrdr f y dn’t vn kn whr th vwls r)." - Stephen Pinker, The Language Instinct

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La photo de la semaine

Friday, 20 September 2013

Pour AMARTIA

Propriété privée vue sur mer !!!

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(Base nature Fréjus)

AMITIES

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Behind the Scenes of The Trial

Behind the Scenes gives you a closer look at the process of writing a manuscript. This edition features Erica Cameron and her manuscript The Trial. Erica Cameron (www.ericacameron.com) knew that writing was her passion when she turned a picture book into a mystery novella as a teen. That piece wasn’t her best work, but it got her an A. After college, she used her degree in Psychology and Creative Writing to shape a story about a dreamworld. Then a chance encounter at a rooftop party in Tribeca made her dream career a reality. Sing Sweet Nightingale, the first book of The Dream War Saga, will be published in March 2014 by Spencer Hill Press. It is her first novel. A short story set within the Dream War universe released in August. It’s called “Whatever it Takes” and is included in the anthology Doorways to Extra Time.

Inspiration for the manuscript:

aggression, isolation, struggle, revenge, magic, family, weapons, the desert, distance, & trust

About the manuscript:

"The book I’m working on now is unlike anything else I’ve written thus far. Right now it doesn’t have a title. Or, it does, but I don’t like it... The title may be lacking, but the book itself is… kind of epic.

Sabre and her twin brother Arrow have grown up on an island where everything can kill you. The animals, the plants, the people — death could strike at any second. Their parents both fell in a raid when they were young, and it’s been up to Sabre to protect Arrow for the past eight years. But they’re almost sixteen and about to face a right of passage every member of their clan has to go through alone. If they survive, they’ll come into their magic and be welcomed as full-fledged citizens and soldiers of the clan. If they fail, they die.

All Sabre wants to do is find a way to help Arrow survive this trial, but spying on the rite before her time shows her there’s a third outcome. When you walk in to meet the Council, you will either live, die, or disappear. Sabre and Arrow watch a girl named Dart get knocked unconscious by a spelled red cord tied around her wrist before the Council takes her into a hidden chamber. Arrow is determined to rescue Dart, so Sabre agrees to help. And that’s when things really get interesting..."

A piece of Erica's writing process:

"During BEA 2013, I listened to Neil Gaiman speak (I highly recommend it if you get the chance). Before the event began, we were able to write down questions and submit them and at the end of the lecture he answered mine. I asked him if every book was its own discovery or if he had developed a process over the years that worked similarly for each story. He said each book was most certainly its own discovery, which made me feel a lot better. Mine definitely are. I’ve written ten complete books so far — three of them co-authored. I have about thirty others in various stages of completion. Some books I write straight through, getting sucked into the world so fast it seems like it’s over before it began. Sometimes I write while watching movies I’ve seen a hundred times. Sometimes I listen to music. Often, I’m curled in an armchair at Starbucks, people watching over the top of my Surface with unplugged earbuds stuffed into my ears. I don’t have a place or a process or a structure. Each book is different and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s one of the reasons being an author is so fantastically interesting."

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Semi-Daily Book Graphics #1359

Thursday, 19 September 2013

©1960 / Design: Jack Birdsall / nicely designed paper promotion piece from Provincial Paper Limited, a Canadian company.

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Travel Graphics #11

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

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Mensalão

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Julgamento do mensalão

Novo julgamento do mensalão pode ficar para 2014 se for aprovado pelo STF

André Richter
Da Agência Brasil, em Brasília

15/09/201315h01

O STF (Supremo Tribunal Federal) vai decidir na próxima quarta-feira (18) se 12 réus condenados na Ação Penal 470, o processo do mensalão, terão novo julgamento. A votação sobre a validade dos embargos infringentes está empatada em 5 a 5 e será retomada com voto do ministro Celso de Mello, último a votar. Se o Supremo decidir que os réus têm direito ao recurso, o novo julgamento poderá ocorrer somente em 2014.

Condenado no julgamento do mensalão a seis anos e 11 meses de prisão, o deputado federal José Genoino, à época do escândalo presidente do PT, entrou com recurso alegando que ele deveria ter sido julgado pela Justiça comum, já que, no momento do julgamento, ainda não tinha foro privilegiado. Ele só foi empossado em janeiro deste ano. Também diz que não havia provas para condená-lo por formação de quadrilha e corrupção. "Pode um homem público com uma história de vida e uma trajetória imaculada como José Genoino ser condenado com base nas saltimbancas palavras de um Roberto Jefferson?", questiona sua defesa

Se a Corte acatar os recursos, outro ministro será escolhido para relatar a nova fase do julgamento. Joaquim Barbosa e Ricardo Lewandowski, relator e revisor da ação penal, respectivamente, não poderão relatar os recursos de dois réus que pediram os embargos infringentes, o ex-tesoureiro do PT Delúbio Soares e ex-deputado federal (PP-PE), Pedro Corrêa.

Cronologia do mensalão

• 
  

Pelo Regimento Interno do STF, os demais réus só poderão entrar com novo recurso, caso seja aprovado, após a publicação do acórdão, o texto final do julgamento. A previsão é que o documento seja publicado 60 dias após o fim do julgamento. Com isso, o documento deverá ser publicado no mês de novembro.
A partir daí, os advogados terão 15 dias para entrar com os embargos infringentes. Ainda existe a possibilidade de o prazo passar para 30 dias, conforme pedido das defesas. Nesse caso, o plenário terá até a segunda quinzena de dezembro para analisar a questão. Após este período, começa o recesso de fim de ano do STF, e as atividades retornam em fevereiro de 2014.
Até agora, os ministros Luís Roberto Barroso, Teori Zavascki, Rosa Weber, Dias Toffoli e Ricardo Lewandowski votaram a favor dos recursos. Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Cármen Lúcia, Gilmar Mendes e Marco Aurélio foram contra. O voto de desempate será do ministro Celso de Mello.

Condenados

José Dirceu, ex-ministro da Casa Civil

José Genoino, ex-presidente do PT

Delúbio Soares, ex-tesoureiro do PT

Deputado João Paulo Cunha (PT-SP)

Marcos Valério, empresário e publicitário

Ramon Hollerbach, ex-sócio de Marcos Valério

Cristiano de Mello Paz, ex-sócio de Marcos Valério

Henrique Pizzolato, ex-diretor do Banco do Brasil

Rogério Tolentino, advogado e ex-sócio de Marcos Valério

Simone Vasconcelos, ex-gerente da SMP&B

Vinícius Samarane, vice-presidente do Banco Rural

José Roberto Salgado, ex-diretor do Banco Rural

Kátia Rabello, ex-presidente do Banco Rural

Roberto Jefferson, deputado cassado (PTB-RJ)

Deputado Valdemar Costa Neto (PL-SP)

Jacinto Lamas, ex-tesoureiro do PL

Pedro Corrêa, deputado cassado (PP-PE)

João Cláudio Genú, ex-assessor do PP na Câmara

José Borba, ex-deputado (ex-PMDB-PR)

Romeu Queiroz, ex-deputado (PTB-MG)

Carlos Alberto Rodrigues, ex-deputado (PL-RJ)

Enivaldo Quadrado, ex-sócio da corretora Bônus-Banval

Breno Fischberg, ex-sócio da Bônus-Banval

Emerson Palmieri, ex-tesoureiro do PTB

Pedro Henry (PP-MT)

Durante entrevista ao final da sessão na quinta-feira (12), o ministro não declarou seu voto, porém, citou uma decisão na qual se manifestou sobre a questão, no dia 2 de agosto de 2012, quando o STF começou a julgar a ação penal.
Na ocasião, o plenário negou pedido do réu José Roberto Salgado, ex-presidente do Banco Rural, para que o processo fosse desmembrado para a primeira instância da Justiça. Na decisão, Celso de Mello avaliou que o Artigo 333 do Regimento Interno do Supremo "é plenamente compatível" com a Lei 8.038/1990, que trata dos recursos válidos nos tribunais superiores.
No julgamento, os ministros analisam se os embargos infringentes são cabíveis. Embora esse tipo de recurso esteja previsto no Artigo 333 do Regimento Interno do STF, uma lei editada em 1990 que trata do funcionamento de tribunais superiores não faz menção ao uso do recurso na área penal. Se for aceito, o embargo infringente pode permitir novo julgamento quando há pelo menos quatro votos pela absolvição.
Dos 25 condenados, 12 tiveram pelo menos quatro votos pela absolvição: João Paulo Cunha, João Cláudio Genu e Breno Fischberg (no crime de lavagem de dinheiro); José Dirceu, José Genoino, Delúbio Soares, Marcos Valério, Kátia Rabello, Ramon Hollerbach, Cristiano Paz e José Salgado (no de formação de quadrilha); e Simone Vasconcelos (na revisão das penas de lavagem de dinheiro e evasão de divisas). No caso de Simone, a defesa pede que os embargos sejam válidos também para revisar o cálculo das penas, não só as condenações.
O julgamento sobre a validade dos recursos da Ação Penal 470, o processo do mensalão, começou no dia 14 de agosto. Na primeira fase do julgamento, foram analisados os embargos de declaração. Dos 25 réus, 22 tiveram penas mantidas, dois tiveram redução de pena e um, pena alternativa.

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The Sunday News (09.15)

A weekly collection of storytelling links. Best enjoyed with coffee or tea on your Sunday morning, afternoon, or evening. This week's edition of The Sunday News is brought to you by Shakespeare plays, Tumblr, and the wizarding world. 

→ A trio of teenage exorcists think Harry Potter corrupted the world. 

→ Twelve of the best dates in fiction. 

→ Margaret Atwood and other writers are re-writing famous Shakespeare plays into contemporary novels.

→ Job search tips from authors for those of you who need some creative inspiration to spark your employment hunt.

→ Booktrack adds customized playlists to e-books. What do you think about this blend of music and literature?

→ Tumblr has started its first official book club: The Reblog Book Club. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is the first selected book.

→ Who are the most stylish people in literature? 

→ I love this book review of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. 

→ The most exciting news of the week (although I'm a little bias): J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. announce a new film series set in the Harry Potter wizarding world. 

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Travel Graphics # 10

Saturday, 14 September 2013

©1971 / Design: Randall Richmond

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Travel Graphics #9

Thursday, 12 September 2013

©1962

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Faux Books at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park

I have 20 of my faux books from the Secondary Occupants project in a group show that opens tonight at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park. The full description is below.

NYC Parks is pleased to present Notched Bodies: Insects in Contemporary Art, on view September 13 - November 13 at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park. The exhibition features eleven contemporary artists who offer probing personal interpretations on the importance of insects through a variety of media: Brandon Ballengée, Joianne Bittle, Rebecca Clark, Emilie Clark, Talia Greene, Asuka Hishiki, Julian Montague, Lisa Murch, Julia Oldham, Christy Rupp, and Ben Snead. The show is curated by Jennifer Lantzas, NYC Parks’ Public Art Coordinator.

This exhibition takes its name from ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s classification of insects by their similar traits: six legs and clearly segmented or “notched” bodies.  Humans have had a long and complex relationship with insects. Their alien appearance can be jarring or off-putting, but upon closer inspection insects are works of art. They are often seen as pests or invaders; however, their critical role in our ecosystem and daily lives is increasingly clear as urban farming, gardening, and the impact of syndromes like Colony Collapse Disorder become prevalent. Insects are keen indicators of the health of our ecosystem. They help break down and decompose rotting materials, which reintroduce rich nutrients into the soil.  They are also the first line of defense against invasive plants and other harmful insects.

Located on the Arsenal lawn, Brandon Ballengée’s outdoor light installation is intended to create interactions between nocturnal arthropods and humans. In the gallery, Joianne Bittle’s Goliath Beetle is removed from his natural surroundings and placed on a gold background, referencing religious icons from the Byzantine era. A botanic wallpaper installation by Talia Greene is inhabited by a colony of harvester ants, illustrating our vain attempts to impose order on the natural world. Faux books and records designed by Julian Montague document the hypothetical history of pest control. In her videos, Julia Oldham translates insects’ behaviors into choreographed performances. Ben Snead paints insects into geometric patterns—a personal classification system based on aesthetics rather than science. Rebecca Clark, Emilie Clark, Asuka Hishiki, Lisa Murch, and Christy Rupp also present diverse artworks that dismantle the notion that insects are creepy and herald them as fascinating creatures to be studied, understood and celebrated.

The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, wildlife, New York City parks and park history.  It is located on the third floor of the Parks Department Headquarters, in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street.  Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission is free.  For more information on the Arsenal Gallery, please call (212) 360-8163.

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Behind the Scenes of Ditching the Playbook

Behind the Scenes gives you a closer look at the process of writing a manuscript. This edition features Sarah Henning and her manuscript, Ditching the Playbook. Sarah is a mystery writer, recovering newshound, and word nerd of the highest order (aka copy editor) for Spencer Hill Contemporary and various freelance clients. She is represented by Rachel Ekstrom of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency and can be found making noise far too often on Twitter (@shhenning). When she’s not hunched over her computer or curled up with a good book, Sarah is probably running ultramarathons, playing with her cherub-cheeked kidlit, or nagging her husband to eat more kale.

Inspiration for Ditching the Playbook:

Homer Simpson-style doughnuts, Varsity Blues, Friday Night Lights,
"Pink Houses" by John Mellencamp, The Steubenville rape case, Yoda, The Sopranos, & pigs.

About Ditching the Playbook:

"DITCHING THE PLAYBOOK is about a big-deal New York sports writer named A.J. Beckett, who inadvertently quits her job in a power-play gone wrong and ends up boomeranging back to her very first writing gig: Covering high school football in her Nebraska hometown for $50 a game.

When the local high school’s backup quarterback ends up face-down in a creek, A.J. goes searching for answers and soon finds the rosy glow of memories she has surrounding her childhood influencers — from the legendary football coach to the editor who hired her a second time — is blinding her from a very ugly truth.

Basically, I wanted to explore a few ideas with this manuscript. What it’s like for a successful person to have to hit the “reset” button. How influential adults change into real, live human beings(!) once we grow up and become adults ourselves. And the privileged atmosphere of elite high school athletes and how perceived talent can throw consequences out the window."

A piece of Sarah's writing process:

"I’m a huge believer in listening to your brain. Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser or a hybrid like me, listen to your brain. Listen to your instincts. I can’t tell you how many times my brain has goaded me into adding details that end up being significant, even if they didn’t seem important or make sense early in a draft.

I think this is especially important in writing mystery. I want to leave the reader needing to turn that page and plow toward the big reveal. So, sometimes things I haven’t plotted or didn’t see coming happen at the end of chapters. Even if I didn’t expect something to fall out of my mind and onto the page, I let it be, because I know my brain is taking me somewhere important, even if I’m super surprised myself at where I’m going."

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Literary Fashion: Back to Hogwarts (Part 2)

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

September fashion inspired by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

{1} Fine One One Blush and Lip Colour by Benefit {2} Revel Jeans by Levi's {3} Chiffon Blouse by H&M {4} Cooperative Contrast Zip Bag by Urban Outfitters {5} Super-Stretch Treggings by H&M {6} Sweatshirt Top by H&M {7} Kush Eyeshadow by Urban Decay {8} Spotlight Accessory Ring by ModCloth

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Secondary Occupants on the Street

Tuesday, 10 September 2013

I was recently commissioned by Buffalo restaurateur Mark Goldman to do a wall piece on the side of Allen Street Hardware, one of Buffalo's better night spots. I adapted the design from the cover of Secondary Occupants, one of my faux books from the Secondary Occupants Collected & Observed project. The mural is part of a street art initiative started by Goldman in the Allentown district of Buffalo. A number of other artists have work on adjacent buildings, more about it here.

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Writing Advice From... Queen

I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies

Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity

("Don't Stop Me Now" from Jazz)

A writer needs to have confidence. You don't have to be extroverted or comfortable with being the center of attention. However, you do have to be confident in your work. You need to love your story in order for other people to love your story.

I've been with you such a long time

You're my sunshine

And I want you to know

My feelings are true

I really love you

("You're My Best Friend" from A Night at the Opera)

If this is how you feel about your book, then take a step back. Not because you're crazy, but because you need to be able to edit those words you love so much. You need to make cuts. You need to tear it apart. And also, you're probably crazy.

Is this the real life?

Is this just fantasy?

("Bohemian Rhapsody" from A Night at the Opera)

You need to absolutely know your genre. If you think you're writing a fantasy novel, then make sure it really is a fantasy novel. The best way to know your genre? Read other books in that genre. Not only will knowing your genre help tremendously when you're ready to submit your novel to agents and/or publishers, but it will also help you decide what is really important to your story. 

Each morning I get up

I die a little

Can barely stand on my feet

("Somebody to Love" from A Day at the Races)

Writing takes a lot of dedication. You'll be tired. You'll want to give up. Be prepared for your social life to disappear (especially when you put yourself on a deadline) and be prepared to make very little money as you spend countless hours in a coffee shop trying to write that one perfect sentence. Hemingway lived off of a diet of wine, so you'll probably want to stock up on ramen noodles. 

We are the champions, my friend

And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end

("We Are the Champions" from News of the World)

Remember that you can't give up. As difficult as things may be (see the previous lyrics), there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Your book. Even though people like to think differently, not everyone can write a book. If you've written a sentence a chapter, or - go you - an entire novel, you have so much to be proud of. 

***
Now, watch this video. Feel inspired. Write.

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On the Shelf: The Reason I Jump

Monday, 9 September 2013

THE REASON I JUMP: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism | NAOKI HIGASHIDA | Random House | 2013

You’ve never read a book like The Reason I Jump. Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine.

I know quite a few children with autism. I'm also really interested in the developing mind and how different environmental and biological factors impact our thought process. With this random interest in developmental psychology and my background in teaching, I knew that The Reason I Jump was a book I couldn't pass up.

After an introduction by author David Mitchell, the book is organized by seemingly simple questions: Why do you take ages to answer questions? Why can't you have a proper conversation? Is it true that you hate being touched? Naoki answers these questions using an alphabet grid that allows him to communicate at his own pace and in a way that doesn't emphasize a necessity of voice and language as we think of it. Naoki is extremely intelligent and even as he answers the very first question of the book (which explains the technology he is using to answer the questions), he forces readers to consider how they define 'communication' and how exclusionary our societal expectations of conversation really are.

Naoki answers the questions in the book with an almost unbearable honesty. He truly has no idea how differently he thinks from everyone else. But do the rest of us - those of us without autism, in this context - really think the same? Have you ever considered how you form an answer? How your brain works to recall a memory from years ago? Because Naoki finds a way to explain the images that he sees in his mind and he knows the systematic way he comes up with the answer to a question (no matter how simple or complex). It's amazing to read a 13-year-old boy explain these things when I know I could never put the same process into words.

Even if you don't know someone with autism, I think this book forces you to think about how you process information and react in social situations. It also highlights how differently everyone reacts to similar events. I guarantee you solve problems in your head in a completely different way from myself. If you are interested in fictional stories featuring characters with autism, I highly recommend reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and watching the film Adam starring Hugh Dancy. I think those creative works will really come to life after reading The Reason I Jump, once you begin to understand how someone with autism views and processes his or her surroundings.

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The Sunday News (09.08)

Sunday, 8 September 2013

A weekly collection of storytelling links. Best enjoyed with coffee or tea on your Sunday morning, afternoon, or evening. This week's edition of The Sunday News is brought to you by cats in literary costumes, life-changing books, and language bullies.

→ Did you know that Yes and Yes is creating a literary cat calendar?! She needs our help to come up with a name. 

→ A collection of Maurice Sendak posters that celebrate books and the joy of reading. 

→ Eric Smith shares the story of his John Green inspired proposal. 

→ 32 Books that Will Actually Change Your Life. I've only read 9 of them, so I think I need to introduce more change into my life.

→ Watch Daniel Radcliffe become Allen Ginsberg in the Kill Your Darlings trailer. 

→ Listen to famous people read Roald Dahl books.

→ Are you a language bully? Cut it out. 

→ Jim Carrey's first children's book will be published later this month.

→ Read some classic books in 140 characters. 

→ "You may not have a job, but at least you know that you followed your dreams!" Huffington Post presents 28 Signs You Were An English Major.

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