Monday, December 6, 2010
oliver jeffers - a writer's dream illustrator
Friday, November 19, 2010
untouched ideas
Friday, October 22, 2010
some days I miss nyc
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
bicycle mishap
Monday, October 11, 2010
silence and chapter - ugh - one
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
president obama - children's book author
Saturday, September 11, 2010
I remember
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Delacorte Press 29th Annual Contest for a First Young Adult Novel
Sunday, August 29, 2010
what kids want - blood, guts and gore... and a bit a'romance
Enough is never enough. And just when you think it's enough, you need more. That's what I learned yesterday listening to a group of eighth-graders talk about Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy. My writing buddy and I, both of us quite older than the small group gathered around a long, wood desk in the back of Borders, took our seats 15 minutes into the discussion. Yeah, we got some funny looks from the kids seated at the table like, "what are these ladies doing here?" but after we all united in our dorky love of sci-fi/fantasy, a bond was formed. And I learned what these kids liked about the book. Three things: Blood, action and romance.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
r.i.p happy hagar
Monday, August 9, 2010
photo pops in paris
I've stood outside the Eiffel Tower. I've taken pictures of it, too. But standing in line and working my way up to the top has never seemed very appealing. Not that I doubt the views aren't breathtaking. It's the line. And all of the people. And the waiting. And more waiting. I need some pull on the Eiffel Tower so I can quickly get to the top.
Did he paint these pictures? Or is he simply selling them? I'd like to get to the bottom of this. What made him use pink as his primary color? Does the Eiffel Tower remind him of a beautiful woman? Was it a warm day? I really love this picture - the one my dad took, that is.
Friday, July 9, 2010
gimme shelter jaclyn mednicov
If you happen to be in New York City anywhere from July 15th til August 20th, then pop on over to the group show Gimme Shelter at Mixed Greens in Chelsea. My good friend, Jaclyn Mednicov, is one of the featured artists. I've seen Jaclyn's art go from good to really, really great over the years - I own several of her paintings myself - and I continue to be impressed by what she produces.
Here's a blurb from the press release: "Mixed Greens is excited to present the group exhibition Gimme Shelter. While shelter is traditionally defined as a structure that provides protection, these seventeen artists present a more complex, multifaceted understanding of the concept. More specifically, the works in this show investigate the delicate balance of perception: whether a space is inviting or uninhabitable, comforting or crumbling, being constructed or consumed.... Many other artists represent structures as having fallen out of use or ceasing to exist. Jaclyn Mednicov’s deserted landscapes, Nicholas Johnston’s ice caves, and Eric Heist’s renderings of post-Katrina New Orleans capture sites that 'once were'..." Read more about Gimme Shelter here.
I remember when Jaclyn and I were just wee-ones living in New York City, trying to navigate through the crowded streets, and equally packed and stinky subway trains. We always talked about what it would be like if Jaclyn were to ever have a show in the Chelsea district...ahhh, memories. Well, Jaclyn has stuck it out and her resume is the proof. I don't think anyone can predict where life will take them, but I think that Jaclyn's 20-something self would be impressed with the artist she's become today.
Since I can't be in NYC to see the show in person, if anyone makes it over there I'd love to hear what you think...
Mixed Greens is located at 531 W 26th Street/ 1st Floor, NYC 10001
Thursday, July 8, 2010
the author's world becomes real...or as close as can be
Monday, July 5, 2010
photo pops and doggie-in-a-bag series
Sunday, June 27, 2010
what do dirty little secrets, sea and cupcakes have in common? this...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
mr. so-and-so said so - computers are gonna be big
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
x-city girl rescues a baby bird
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
to kill a mockingbird
Monday, June 14, 2010
a summer reading list for the rich
Thursday, June 3, 2010
here comes the bride...my baby sister
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
sick day
Thursday, May 20, 2010
fear of birds
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
one was johnny: a counting book
Sunday, May 16, 2010
model tyra banks pens a YA fantasy series
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
rude, sad and rude
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
bugs, bugs all around
What a day for bugs! What is it about the month of May that brings them out? Whatever it is, they were in full bloom at my house. Sadie woke me up at 5:45am, jumping on the side of my bed like she was gonna blow, and then after she went out all she wanted to do was eat - what's new? Anyway, her behavior had me all freaked out because she was acting exactly how she did last year when she had a mast cell tumor - bad, bad experience for both of us. So I scanned her over and sure enough found a bump on her side. It didn't feel the same as a tumor, at first I thought it was a skin tag, but when I shined the flashlight on it I realized what I was looking at - a tick! Ahhh! A tick! Nasty little blood-suckers. Sadie's had a tick before, but I've always caught them before they've burrowed into her skin. Eeek, the thought alone gives me the chills. So I iced it, picked it out with tweezers, then dunked the little-sucker in a cup of water. After that I washed all of the sheets and doggie beds in hot, hot, hot water. I called the vet to see if I could get the tick tested but was directed to six different numbers before getting an answer! Can you believe that? Six different numbers only to find out that nowhere in Contra Costa County do they test ticks for lyme disease. Perhaps if I was calling on behalf of myself they would have given my call more precedence. But for my dog.... no. Eventually I was re-directed to the mosquito infection control center where I was supposedly going to be told what to look for in a lyme disease infected tick. Tell me, what does mosquito control have to do with ticks? At this point I threw my hands up. If six different health organizations all within Northern California weren't concerned about my dog getting lyme disease, then why should I? I hope I don't regret my decision. Not that mosquito control could have done anything. Now I'm just going to watch Sadie like a hawk to make sure she doesn't show any signs of the dreaded Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. I'll be kicking myself if that ever happens.