"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women."
--Nora Ephron
I love looking at these behind-the-scenes photos.
Fun, right?
Ha.
Carrie Fisher and her stunt double.
And this one has been my screen saver for a while now.
More behind-the-scenes photos here.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/23397411 w=400&h=300]
...your measuring stick for how clearly you're thinking, is if you're able to be kind.
I listened to this yesterday and found the conversation so inspiring. (Audio is available for download as well. But I think it's edited down.)
"On Being" is one of my favorite podcasts. Do you listen?
I'm looking forward to reading Boorstein's books.
I realized today that Maurice Sendak is one of those people I had, somewhere along the line, subconsciously, decided would live forever. Like a crotchety, brilliant, Bilbo Baggins, surely he would outlive me.
I've been actively thinking about him a lot lately-- he was referenced several times at this conference I went to a couple weeks ago, our library is having a show of his work, his recent NPR interview, as well as his hilarious stint on the Corbert Report. I was impressed to hear that at 83 he was working on a new book, further solidifying his current role in my life as "long-lasting-career role model."
One of the first picture books I remember being obsessed with is Outside Over There. Honestly, as a kid, I really didn't appreciate Where the Wild Things Are, though I loved In the Night Kitchen. But I pored over Outside Over There.
(Incidentally, the books were a trilogy of sorts. According to Sendak:
They are all variations on the same theme: how children master various feelings - danger, boredom, fear, frustration, jealousy - and manage to come to grips with the realities of their lives.)
The story was fascinating and scary: A kidnapping and a baby made of ice! Would I be as brave as Ida, fighting goblins, to save my little sister? (Though I was pretty sure I would have heard the goblins climbing in, even if I was practicing my horn--so negating the need for such a journey. Pretty sure.) Would I ever be able to draw a woman so beautiful as the mother? (For much of my childhood this was one was of my main goals.) I wished for a long, yellow cloak.
The NY Times review states:
It is also obvious enough that its story is really about an older sister's ambivalent feelings toward a younger sibling, and about getting one's feelings under control ...
Ah perhaps my obsession, as a newly older sister, now makes sense.
Little Bear was another favorite. He was silly (--You're not really on the moon, Little Bear!) but relatable, and I had a friend named Emily too.
Years later while attending Pratt, Sendak was interviewed as part of a lecture series. I didn't know what to expect-- I hadn't heard him speak before. I was thrown at first, but then loved his lack of charm and artifice. His quick witt. At the time his "Wild Things" were plastered all over the city as part of an ad campaign for Verizon. I remember someone challenging him on that, and I sort of loved his honest response. There was a lot next to his house in Brooklyn that he wanted to buy. The deal enabled him to do so. With a mischevious look, he added that getting paid to compare a large communication company to hulking monsters, was a bonus.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U68bZbMM7q8]
To be dramatic in a way that would probably amuse him, I'll end with saying that the path I've chosen is due in no small part to Mr. Sendak and his books. "I'm in the milk. And the milk's in me."
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nKHXyvsR-U]
Are you familiar with Sophie Blackall's illustrations? I knew her from her brilliant "Missed Connections" series, and separately as a children's illustrator, but I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't realize they were the same person, until today. Sigh. You'd think I would have put it together after spotting the video above, and seeing the cover of the most recent SCBWI Bulletin:
But nope.
It wasn't until I started writing this that I figured it out. But now I'm thrilled to discover her site and all of her work, including another series "Drawn From My Father's Adventures," which looks amazing.
What do you think? Did you already have an illustrator-crush on Sophie Blackall?
Today Theodor Seuss Geisel would be 108 years old!
Some things I didn't know about him:
Did you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book growing up?
It's hard to choose, but I think mine was Green Eggs and Ham. That Sam was just so annoying. "I do not like them, Sam-I-am!"
Have you guys read "The Happiness Project", by Gretchen Rubin? (No, I haven't been living under a rock. Yes, it was everywhere for a while. I just never got around to reading it. And honestly, I didn't think it would live up to the hype.) What did you think?
In the past year, or so, I've found myself randomly researching happiness and learning more about it. I find the topic fascinating and I think this would have been a great book to start with. I've been nodding and taking notes (--seriously, notes.) I'm tempted to buy used copies and hand them out to everyone I know.
I say this knowing I tend to get obsessed with books while I'm immersed in them. It will be interesting to see if the glow wears off after I'm done. Or if I'll have a dog-eared copy forever.
Curious to hear what other people think of it. Thumbs up?
Have you seen this interview from the Colbert Report? (Part one here.)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK6UtU-NzZE]
[edit: oops that clip got taken down. You can watch it here on hulu.]
Maurice Sendak is hilarious, as expected. I love his whole sassy, frank attitude. He's awesome.
And sort of random, but go with it: Did you ever read "How Does It Feel To Be Old?" by Norma Farber, and illustrated by my favorite, Trina Schart Hyman? Written in prose, an old woman tells her granddaughter the benefits and tribulations of being old. I read it a lot growing up and one of my favorite parts was about not caring what other people thought of her. How she was old and so could pretty much say anything, about whatever, to anybody. (I'm pretty sure the illustration is of her yelling at a grocery store clerk about the price of bananas. If I can find it I'll post here. It's amazing.) Anyways, those interviews reminded me so much of that book.
I just ordered it, but maybe I'll ask my mom if she still has it. I'm so curious to read it as an adult.
I was so sad to hear this morning that Etta James passed away due to complications from leukemia at the age of 73. She will be missed.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAtsAwGreyE]
On March 28, 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared on NBC's Meet The Press.
One week after leading his historic five-day march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, King said that the demonstration was necessary not just to help push the Voting Rights Bill through, but to draw attention to the humiliating conditions in Alabama such as police brutality and racially-motivated murder.
One.
Two.
Three.
If you're in Brisbane Australia you should head on over to the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane and check out Yayoi Kusama's exhibit Look Now, See Forever. I especially love the above installation, The Obliteration Room:
"a brilliantly white environment (a blank canvas) where over the course of two weeks children who visited were given thousands of coloured dot stickers and were invited to collaborate in the transformation of the space. "
So awesome right?
I would have totally freaked out as a kid. Actually, the thought of unlimited stickers still makes me a bit giddy.
Bryony gave me the idea of doing a year-in-review post, looking back over everything that happened in 2011.
Ready? Ok, here are some of my highlights!
Phew! I know I'm missing some, but that's a pretty good list.
Tonight we begin another round of road trips--CT, VT, NJ, and NY. Looking forward to spending Christmas time with family and friends. It will be a little quiet around here until next year(!) but I'll be chattering away on twitter. Come say hello!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody!
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs played a surprise benefit show in Brooklyn the other day--complete with Karen O dressed as Santa Claus himself-- and my brother Sam was there to capture it for work.
Have you ever seen them live? They put on a fantastic show.
Click here for the rest of the pics.
Oh my gosh, have you heard about the ultimate business giveaway, A new Biz for the New Year, over on Oh My Handmade Goodness?! If you have a creative business that needs a branding overhaul, get yourself over there! They're giving away prizes worth over $6500!
And I'm donating a custom logo! I'm SO happy to be a part of this, but honestly, I'm more than a little jealous I can't enter!
Crazy, awesome: ULTIMATE.
Have you seen the Plic, Ploc, Wiz app from Pepillo? You can use it on your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad. 
When I dream about making apps, this is what I want them to look, and feel, like. Simple, but beautiful. Gush...
Check out this limited edition print,--each one hand painted-- by my friend Shawn, now available through Tiny Showcase.
Edition of 30 screen prints with hand finished watercolor.
Hand printed, painted, signed and numbered by the artist. Measures roughly 30" by 22" on an archival watercolor paper.
...As each piece was individually painted by the artist, no two are exactly the same.
There are only 16 left, so run over there to get yours!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYg0VgPy6Uk]
Ooh Pixar's upcoming "Brave" looks wonderful.
And I'm not just saying that because I have a thing for gingers.
I got the latest J Crew catalog in the mail yesterday and I am loving those colors. That pale, pretty, grey-ish pink, with the bright tangerine lettering that almost blends in? A combination that breaks all the design rules you learned in school, as it's hard to read. They vibrate off eachother.
The Guardian currently is doing a How To Draw series and a few months ago Oliver Jeffers taught readers how to draw a penguin:
(See the rest of the tutorial here.) And then readers sent in their penguins! So fun.
There is much to be said about his passing. But