From the category archives:
In our culture, we are told, we crave to be young, or, at least, look ten or so years younger than the birth certificate indicates. Hmm. (That’s the sound of this writer’s doubts, reverberating, lilting at the end, with a smidgen of irony. The cat approves of this momentous noise issuing from the kibble-giver, but [...]
{ 0 comments }
Love to draw? Apply for the Sketchbook Project.
{ 0 comments }
Pop-ups, carousel, and movable books. Even peep-show books. Delicious.
{ 0 comments }
Clear facts and figures for publishing and e-books, from the The New Yorker.
{ 0 comments }
It takes a long time to create a work of art, and most artists, writers, photographers, etc. struggle to make a living. With the Internet and the promotion of self-expression, including the creation of images or music mixed from other people’s sources, where is the line between legitimate borrowing and outright theft?
Recently, I’ve watched two [...]
{ 0 comments }
This is the best analysis that I’ve read for the average person:
“5 Ways the Google Book Settlement Will Change the Future of Reading” by Annalee Newitz
http://io9.com/5501426/5-ways-the-google-book-settlement-will-change-the-future-of-reading?skyline=true&s=i
{ 0 comments }
I worked in a public library for two years. Lots and lots of people don’t have computers, Internet access at home, or similar devices. Only someone who is enormously privileged would think that ebooks will eliminate print books – in other words, that print is no longer needed because YOU have access to technology. Please [...]
{ 1 comment }
For pure beauty in text and illustrations, I can’t make a better choice than Fern Hill, a poem by Dylan Thomas and paintings by Murray Kimber.
The pattern of the pages is interesting. Kimber goes from single page images to a single page plus a third of the facing page, then to a full spread. This [...]
{ 0 comments }
I’m soooo lucky to have an independent children’s book store in my city. Other people may go to church for spiritual nurture. Not me. I go to Reading Reptile to pet the store cat and store rabbit (and sometimes the store rat), smell the books, touch the books, feel the books, marvel at Deb’s papier-mâché [...]
{ 2 comments }
Love this art: quirky style, communicates emotion, well executed technique.
Ritva Voutila
{ 0 comments }
The new article on the lasting effects of joblessness is sobering. Much of it resonated with me since my husband was laid off in 2009, and I have friends who have been unemployed for more than a year. I am also leaving a perfectly good job in order to write and draw full time, as [...]
{ 0 comments }
I received great info at this conference (as always) and certainly became aware of additional areas that I need to improve. It was also striking that so many agents admitted to not knowing how the publishing industry is going. The bottom line was “Go write, and let us all figure it out later.”
{ 0 comments }
I follow only agents and editors who specialize in literature for children, but much of their advice applies to all genres. Here are a few blogs and Twitter accounts that I’ve found useful.
Jennifer DiChiara – http://twitter.com/4writers. I’ve never met Jennifer, but have great respect for her agency partner, Stephen Fraser. One to watch.
Rachelle Gardener – [...]
{ 0 comments }
So much fun…if you are looking for a picture book that’s just fun, without deeper meaning, lesson, or gratuitous hugs, find Viviane Schwarz’s There Are Cats In This Book. The cats encourage the reader to turn the pages for yarn, fish, and pillow fights. The act of turning advances the “story” each time with cause [...]
{ 0 comments }
I just finished reading Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. I didn’t expect to like it. I read YA, but often reluctantly–so much angst! The characters can be so addled with emotion that I sometimes can’t find them credible…although I can’t say that I was any different at that age. It’s a dilemma: I wonder if portraying [...]
{ 0 comments }
A great take on why we should’t worry about creative failure or success…just do your job and talk to your resident genius.
{ 0 comments }
Oh, I got a taste of what editors and agents must suffer every day.
Without divulging too many details of the actual event: here’s the scene. I contacted a publisher to see if I could book the publisher’s authors and/or illustrators at a well-known, respected venue. While we rarely pay for speakers, we do market the [...]
{ 0 comments }
I’ve taken a hiatus from working with a fantastic art teacher because I’ve realized that I need a lot of practice to implement someone else’s teaching – as if my hands and body have to catch up with what my brain wants to do. I’m also realizing the importance of focus and why it can [...]
{ 0 comments }
I admit it. Outlines make me sad. When I think of outlining my novel, something in me shrivels. So, I’m going to make a map. Doesn’t that sound like more fun? I’ve written “organically” enough to know that I can only get so far with that approach, and then I get stuck. The plot is [...]
{ 0 comments }
