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The very talented cartoonist Rod McKie has started a wonderful blog, entitled The Cartoon Fiend. Rod takes time out of his busy life and interviews as many of his cartoon friends as he can find. So far he's found quite a few! However did that happen? Anyway, if you're interested, my interview is here.
Ok, technically we're leaving tomorrow, but really early in the morning, so I won't have time to do any posting then.
I'm off to the Eastern Conference for the Canadian Chapter of the SCBWI; wish me luck on my talk! I'll give a full report when I get back – I'm just not sure when that will be. Sunday night I'll be pretty exhausted, Monday we have to go buy a lawn mower at Lee Valley Tools, and then Monday night we're off to another book launch party! Oh yeah, and I've got tons of work to do, too. The fun never stops!
Toodles!
Oy, I'm busy. But I won't complain! Here's a larger version of this illo.
The author of the article, Warren Kinsella, feels that government and media hounds are basically using the flags-and-funerals firestorm in order to score debating points, and thus enhance their own careers.
For those not in the know, recently our Prime Minister's (Stephen Harper) government has decided to stop lowering the flags on Parliament buildings when Canadian soldiers are killed, and media have now been blocked from covering the return of slain soldiers to Canada. Many people are outraged about these decisons, including, of course, the opposition parties and the media.
Says Mr. Kinsella:
Whether or not one favours lowering flags to half-mast whenever a member of the Canadian Forces falls in the field of combat - and whether or not one believes the media should be permitted to be present to witness the repatriation of a soldiers' remains - on one point, we could (hopefully) all agree: The flags-and-funerals firestorm was profoundly, irredeemably insensitive, and it demeaned virtually everyone involved. Except the families, that is, now burdened with a grief that is beyond measurement. The storm seemed to come out of the blue, but that did not deter the usual suspects, of course. In no time at all, an ugly brawl was underway, involving the federal government, Members of Parliament, provincial governments, one big-city mayor and the media, all appearing eager to score a few grubby debating points about the position of the flag, or the position of a video camera. Unaware or uncaring that their debate contest was taking place, quite literally, in the middle of four funeral processions.
I'm not sure where I stand on this issue. I think I agree with the flag issue, but I am concerned about the decision to block media from Canadian soldier funerals. I can't help but question the government's motivation behind this decision; I have my doubts that this is just about sheltering the families of the deceased soldiers.
And government and media pundits using a tragedy to further their own agendas? This is a surprise to anyone?
Recently I discussed on a DRAWN! post the incredible talent of author and illustrator/cartoonist Mark Haddon. Yes, I am finally reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and yes I am enjoying the book very, very much. Can't put it down, actually. Mark Haddon has a way with words, as well as a way with pen and ink. What a multi-talented guy!
Anyway, since his novel was so successful, naturally there were many editions of the book, published in many different languages. And of course, that meant many different cover designs. Most of us are familiar with the first design you see below, but have you seen the other interpretations of this book? Really interesting stuff. If you want to see even more versions, check out Mark Haddon's web site.
And yet another National Post illo! To see a larger version, click here.
The author of this article, Mike Steinberger, feels that sauvignon blanc is the new boring wine of the moment, even out-boring merlot (to truly appreciate this comment, you have see the movie Sideways).
I am tempted to anoint sauvignon blanc the new merlot, but that would be a disservice to merlot, which, despite all the dreck that goes out under its name, is capable of yielding such monumental wines as Petrus, Lafleur, and Le Pin. And while it is fashionable to deride chardonnay and to proudly proclaim oneself an ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) drinker, more great white wines are produced with chardonnay than with any other grape.
The grape's defenders will inevitably point out that most sauvignon blancs don't aspire to be anything more than simple quaffers. But surely, even a simple quaffer ought to be able to hold your interest for at least a few minutes. Sadly, most sauvignon blancs can't even do that. In fact, the pleasure to be derived from the typical sauvignon blanc is inversely related to the amount of attention paid to the wine – the less you think about it, the more you're apt to enjoy it. And spare me that old chestnut about versatility: It is hardly surprising, given their acute lack of personality, that these smiley face wines can accommodate themselves to just about any dish. Water can, too.
Me, I dunno too much about wine, so I can't really comment. I'll pretty much drink anything placed in front of me.
UPDATE:
Something went terribly wrong in pre-press, and the printed version of this illo is a bust. The colours look just horrible – so bad I'm not going to show you. Oh I could just cry. Right now I really could use a drink. Even sauvignon blanc will do.
I must say that the editor I work with when I work for the National Post is wonderful! He always gives me such great stories to illustrate.
For a larger version of this illo, click here.
In a nutshell, the article is about this vigilante housewife in Indiana who decided to fight back against those Nigerian email scams:
[she] joined Artists Against 419, an organization whose aim is to shut down, or "kill," fraudulent Web sites that help hucksters gain a mark's trust. The group of volunteers has notched more than 5,000 kills in about a year and a half of operation. Williams's count stands at over 50, which she has executed from her home in southwestern Indiana after putting her two toddlers to bed. For tough cases, she draws on powerful types of software known as vampires and marauders to terminate offending sites. The work, which Williams describes as a "pretty fun hobby," requires no special technical knowledge on herpart; she just loads a web page onto her browser or clicks an icon on her desktop.
This is great that people are willing to volunteer their time doing this, but I gotta ask: who the heck actually falls for these scams? As soon as I see those kind of emails, I just delete the suckers. Don't you?
Remember that classic short story by O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi? I always get choked up when I read it. A short, beautiful tale about the power of love and giving.
Yesterday, Guy and I experienced what you might call the opposite of The Gift of the Magi. In the morning I went to the Bloor West Village to get my hair (finally!) cut, and afterwards could not resist walking by Book City. Lo and behold there was a new selection of marked down titles on their outside bench! I found a couple of gems for myself, and then noticed the book Evolution's Workshop: God and Science on the Galápagos Islands by Edward J. Larson. And only $5.99 for a hardcover edition! I knew Guy would love it, so I bought it for him.
At the end of the day, Guy came home from work, and saw his gift on the table. He had a troubled look on his face. "Did you go to Book City today?," he asked nervously.
"Yes, I did," I answered. "But why are you asking? Oh no! Don't tell me you bought Evolution's Workshop for yourself!"
"Actually, I was going to buy Evolution's Workshop for myself, but decided not to, because I had already bought too many books. I'm just worried because I saw the perfect book for you when I was there, and I bought it for you. If you were already there this morning, you must have seen it and bought it, too."
Then he showed me the book he had bought for me, and he was right. It was perfect! Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life. Cartoons and writing! Two of my favourite subjects!
I started laughing. "I didn't see that book, but if I had, I definitely would have bought it! Isn't that funny? Here we were worried that we each bought duplicates of each other's gifts, and instead, we both ended up getting the perfect gift book for each other!"
So you see, the opposite of The Gift of the Magi. But there is one part of the story where I'd like to think that we are just like the couple, Jim and Della:
But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest.
Another fun one to illustrate! To see a larger version, click here.
The article, written by screenwriter and children's author Don Truckey, touches upon a very much discussed subject these days – the conundrum of boys and reading. According to various statistics, boys just don't read as much as girls. As adults, sadly those statistics are the same. Every year the ratio of girls to boys in university increases in the girls' favour. So what gives?
According to Mr. Truckey, the problem isn't so much the boys, as it is the methods of teaching in our schools. Boys do read. They just read in a different way, and what they read is often quite different from what the girls are reading. Problem is, standard literacy teaching methods in school often don't recognize this fact.
Boys' reading is directed. They need a reason to read. Professors Heather Blair of the University of Alberta and Kathy Sanford, University of Victoria, concluded the same thing in their provocative study of the subject (www.education.ualberta.ca/boysandliteracy/). For two years, they followed groups of boys in grades three to six, snooping with permission in the boys' lockers and backpacks, and examining any and all reading materials they found. It became clear that boys actually read a great deal, and to great effect, but not always in ways valued or even measured in school. The researchers found that boys obtain basic reading skills from a variety of non-academic sources, and then adapt them into their own custom-made, boy-honed literacies. Blair and Sanford call it "morphing" literacy. Boys' reading is often aimed at improving their knowledge or skill in specialized interest areas. It might mean poring over the sports page to relive last night's games. Or studying a videogame instruction manual to learn obscure strategies and tips. It is certainly there in Web surfing and Internet chat rooms, in devouring comic books and analyzing the data and biographical information on sports cards.
To educators, building literacy typically means school texts and high-brow children's library books. That approach works far better for girls than for boys. It's not literacy boys reject, but rather school literacy. Blair and Sanford found that boys want reading that delivers in five areas: personal interest, action, success, fun and purpose. It's almost always about "finding stuff out" and "relating to their friends." If boys don't get this in school, they create a literacy of their own that comes in under the radar of standardized testing, school instruction and rigid teaching curricula. But the researchers pushed their conclusions further. This "morphed" literacy is actually more valuable to boys when they leave school than the conventional reading (novels, poetry, stories) favoured by girls, Blair and Sanford say. "The abilities to navigate the Internet, experiment with alternate [media], and read multiple texts simultaneously are more useful workplace skills than is the ability to analyse a work of fiction or write a narrative account," they concluded.
Interesting ideas. From a completely unscientific and personal perspective, I will agree that as kids, most boys I come across are much more interested in computers and computer games, and the girls are drawn to fiction. Case in point: not too long ago I had some of my family over for a visit. My two nephews hi-tailed it to the computer to play games, and my two nieces cuddled up in my library to explore all my books.
Eeep! I've been invited to speak at a panel for The Canada East Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators on Saturday April 29, at the Deerhurst Resort and Conference Centre. I'll be talking briefly about the path I took to get me where I am now. (Where am I now?) I'll also be bringing copies of my two little illustrated books, Fifty Little Penguins, and A Sticky Mess, just in case anyone is crazy enough to buy them.
It goes without saying that I will be nervous. I'm quite the chatterbox, but I've never spoken at a conference before. Any pearls of wisdom from people experienced in this area would be much appreciated!
It should be a nice weekend. I'll be arriving Friday, and going back on Sunday. I'm told the hotel rooms are very nice. I'm even bringing the hubby so he can enjoy the room, while I am off galavanting and socializing with with all these talented people. It just seems a shame to waste the room (which I'm told has a fireplace!), doesn't it? Mind you, if he opens up that little liquor fridge, I'll throttle him.
Oh, and if you're wondering about the title of this post, way back when Shania Twain was just starting out, she used to perform on a regular basis at The Deerhurst Inn. Some say that's where she really started to make a name for herself. And speaking of names, Shania (which isn't her real name) apparently means "I'm on my way" in Ojibwa.
Regarding my own career, I guess I am on my way, too. I'm just not sure exactly where to! But that's half the fun, ain't it?
A mish-mash of bookish links I'd like to share on a sunny Monday afternoon:
Feel creative? Love old catologuing cards? Well then get involved in the cARTalog!
The cARTalog grows from the empty drawers of the University of Iowa Libraries’ main card catalog, which was retired in 2004. A small community of library staff—motivated by both nostalgia and library subculture-- has come together to give the card catalog cards themselves a rebirth, in order to celebrate the role of this honorific icon within the world of libraries as well as the UI Libraries’ sesquicentennial...You can get involved by participating in one of the above projects, or by creating your own. Projects could develop out of using a group of cards or simply one. You can respond to the cards format (size and material) or content (book title, subject words, author). You can submit and donate your piece to the cARTalog project for it’s growing collection OR, if you choose to keep your card catalog piece, we ask that you provide us with documentation (written and photographic if possible) so that we can document and credit your participation.
Take a look at some of card catologue creations in their gallery! Oh and the above image is entitled Card Up My Sleeve and was created by Shirley Sauls of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Many thanks to Iliana for this amazing book link!
What colour is the alphabet? Take a peak at this enchanting book, Alphabet in Colour, by Vladimir Nabokov, and illustrated by Jean Holabird.
Vladimir Nabokov could hear color. As he described it –
perhaps “hearing” is not quite accurate, since the color sensation seems to be produced by the very act of my orally forming a given letter while I imagine its outline. The long a of the English alphabet . . . has for me the tint of weathered wood, but a French a evokes polished ebony. This black group also includes hard g (vulcanized rubber) and r (a sooty rag being ripped). Oatmeal n, noodle-limp l, and the ivory-backed hand mirror of o take care of the whites.
For anyone who has ever wondered how the colors Nabokov heard might manifest themselves visually, Alphabet in Color is a remarkable journey of discovery. Jean Holabird’s interpretation of the colored alphabets of one of the twentieth century’s literary greats is a revelation. Nabokov saw rich colors in letters and sounds and noted the deficiency of color in literature, praising Gogol as the first Russian writer to truly appreciate yellow and violet.
Hats off to Bookish for this bountiful link.
Big fat congrats go to...
Pete Anderson, of Pete Lit!
His short story Casey's Real Turn at Bat has been published in the 12th issue of basball zine Zisk Magazine. And an earlier story, Ectoplasm, can be found online in issue 11 of Storyglossia.
Kate Sutherland of Kate's Book Blog has a short story published in the latest issue of This Magazine. You can read her story online here, as well as read an interview with Kate here. There's a very fetching picture of her along with the interview!
