In the Labyrinth

New Editions of Except the Queen in Italy and Turkey

Well...this is nice! I just learned earlier this week when a check arrived that Jane and I had sold our novel Except the Queen in Turkey. I knew the Italian deal was in the works, so it was awesome finding this cover of the Italian edition on the internet with its new title that translates as "Diary of the Fairies," -- which is a wee bit odd...but ok, it's sure pretty!

Friday Films: Feed Your Art Appetite

 

Two of my favorite films this week that make me wish I could write like these artists paint:

Above: French street-artist team of Supakitch & Koralie have filmed in time-lapse the entire process in the creation of one of their maginificent murals. (DO adjust the screen to full size just so you can see the entire mural close up in the final scene.) Originally the pair met when a bar owner hired both of them (without telling either of them) to paint a mural on his bar -- they both turned up and decided to share the job. In so doing they discovered they discovered they were perfectly matched as artists. There are quite a few videos of the pair working, as well as this charming interview with them.

Below: Another form of street-artists, this time an experimental urban projection in Sao Paolo, Brazil by vjsuave.This is a fantastic romp through the city of San Paolo, our guide a comic flying and swimming figure. It's fast and furious and wonderful. Go here to see how it was created.

 

(via Emiliano -- who has been posting some fascinating short films on Mexican art well worth checking out.)

Hans Christian Andersen's Whimisical Paper Cuts

As it turns out, Hans Christian Andersen produced really wonderful, whimsical, and beautiful papercuts when he told stories. He also produced lovely Christmas ornaments out of colored paper. I always think of his melancholy fairy tales -- and was surprised by the humor and quirkiness of these delicate pieces. Happily, you can see a lot more of them t the Digital Library of the Odense City Museum. 

The images above are two Christmas ornaments while the images below are examples of his fairy tale scenes and complex folded paper cuts.

 

A Return to How They Drank In The 40s

I rejoice at finding wonderful items on the internet, but I am also pleased in being found. I recently received a terrific email from a middle school English teacher whose sixth grade class was tackling poetry with some difficulty at the start. This is what she wrote to me:

After teaching all kinds of dry literary terms to kids who are often intimidated by the misconception that all poetry is cryptic and impenetrable by nature, I presented them with Sandra Cisneros' "My Wicked, Wicked Ways". They were awakened. They were transported.  To keep them there, suspended in a state of fascination and of vulnerability, I challenged them to bring in a picture to which they are emotionally connected in some way. Some did, and some, as would be expected, forgot or ignored my request. I warned them, that in that event, I will pick a picture for them and that they would have to write as if my pick were personal to them. I googled family pictures and decided on yours. (see the original post: How They Drank in the 40s)

We wrote. I wrote one too, alongside them. We read them, we clapped, we nodded our heads, we listened. The purpose of this email is to let you know that the act of putting that picture out there changed some of us. It helped us look deeper. It forced us to connect. It made us listen to each other and see things the way we wouldtn've on our own, perhaps.

Feeling very honored (as would my grandmother in the photo have been) I asked the teacher if she would share some of the poems with me. Here's one of the poems written by a sixth grader:

They’d meet

For the greatest feast

Important women

Come to drink

Some smoke

Some don’t

They are dressed up

Like Christmas trees

Laughing and talking

Eating and drinking.

Their laughs are noisy

From a concert

As they talk like the dolphins

Drinking the wine

From their cups

Eating roasted vegetables

They leave

And have a good night.

Awesomeness! I want to thank all the students and their teacher for sharing their work with me. It has really made my day.