Stuff - The art contest - Theme: The Library

Click on the picture for better resolution.

I entered the Artitude Zine contest for May, href="http://artitudezine.com/submit.htm">The Library.

My collage has many elements of books. The black thing with an imprint of numbers is the ribbon used to imprint barcodes for library books. I used to work in the library and saved a few imprints. I also found an older style barcode and some Due Date packs.

The flying book sculpture is my favorite sculpture in the world. From the Modern Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, I urge to be inspired by Anselm Kiefer's Book with Wings.

I bought some old books, and used pieces of it. And, my cool stamp with a girl writing a letter that I bought at You're Invited.

In my new job, I was able to save some marbled paper from the 1940s and cut a piece of it.

I also bought some fabric scraps from Promenade Fine Fabrics and used the embroidered flower and stem in the collage.

I had a lot of fun making this collage. I like being able to have no rules, except to use a white background.

Artitude has another contest very soon. Remember to check it out and use your artistic talents on Shall we Dance?

Crime and Novels

I don't read too many crime novels. I get my mystery and crime fix by watching Law and Order TV series. I see several versions on three cable TV stations.

My favorite one is Law and Order: CI (Criminal Intent).

In the Law and Order series, the criminal's identity is known in about the first 15 minutes.

What's the fun in watching these shows, if you know the end? Well, it's watching the logical process of the detectives and the legal processes of the system of law.

My other friends like other shows, like 24 or The Closer.

So, do you prefer the crime novels or the TV shows?

Article Stuff - A peek into American life

I noticed several interesting syndicated stories in the Sunday Living Section of my local newspaper.

They are written by students in the School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York City.

The articles track trends in the United States and have more information than the daily local articles.

In the May 2nd edition, the students talk about several diverse topics: weight loss camps for fat dogs, dating services while you are on an airplane, coffee, and cilantro.

The site hasn't been updated for a few weeks. Are the students in the "real world" for the summer?

The only thing that saddens me is that graduate school might be the last time that the students are able to write such in-depth pieces. Unless they start their own publication or inherit a magazine??

New Book Group and Poetry Judge

In the New New Orleans, everyone does more than one thing. And, in order to get something, sometimes you have to do it yourself.

I wanted to read more international fiction. However, most of the book groups were reading the novels that did not interest me. So, I decided to start my own book group.

There is one independent bookstore (DeVille's Bookstore) in the business district. I spoke to the manager, and she loved the idea.

I had a organizational meeting, and we selected Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief



This is my first time ever as a book group leader. My education has been technical, but I am a voracious reader, so I am hoping that I can be effective. Wish me luck!

I am also a poetry judge. Of all the forms of literature, poetry (except for haiku) is so foreign to me. I don't particularly like it, because in elementary school, I had to memorize poems as punishments.

I felt strange judging the poems. But they were all interesting.

If you had told me a year ago, that I would be leading a book group and judging poems, I would have thought you were insane.

Life is strange!!

Books - Book Review - Literacy and Longing in L.A. - Jennifer Kaufman, Karen Mack

Literacy and Longing in L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack

This book is a fun read, but it's not totally chick-lit, as some other reviewers suggest.

Dora is in the midst of a separation from her husband. She retreats to the world of reading to forget about her problems.

She does venture out to buy new books and see her one friend and sometimes, her sister. In the process, she meets other people, and helps them out, and forgets some of her problems for awhile.

Dora doesn't have to worry about earning a living, because she has access to some money (although it's starting to run out), so she has time to read and not think too hard about her future.

Dora tells her sister, "Books teach you how other people think, and what they are feeling, and how they change from ordinary beings to extraordinary ones. Often they are so appealing and intelligent, you'd rather spend your time reading about them than doing anything else."

"And unlike life, if you don't like what you're reading, you can slam the book shut, and then...peace."

Later in the book, she says, "...I've come to the conclusion that for me, reading is not purely an escape. It's' more of a search for some kind of meaning in this world. Now, when I read, I think I might open to any page and find the truth. I just can't stand the fog of not knowing...."

Each chapter has a quote about reading or books from a famous author. If you like to collect quotations, you will find new ones here.

The quotations were also well chosen; after reading a chapter, I would go back and examine how well the quotation matched the actions in the chapter.

Give this book a try, and ignore all other reviews!

Stuff - Oxford American Magazine - Southern Writing

The Southern US writer: most are raconteurs.

How can you find out the best of the best without spending all your free time searching for them?

Buy a copy of Oxford American.
Each issue has a different focus such, short stories, fiction, poetry, and even music.

Many newer writers are introduced.

Evocative pictures are also published.


There are also many ads for small presses that publish Southern writers. You will be tempted to buy all of the books.

I won a $50 Gift Certificate!

Check this out!! What should I buy??
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Congratulations. Thank you for applying for the $50 Maple Street Book
Shop gift certificate. We created 30 gift certificates in place of the
initial 22, and yours was one of the first 30 applications received.
So... just go down there and get your books or certificate whenever you
have a chance and that's it! Maple Street Book Shop is at 7523 Maple
Street. Good luck with your writing endeavors.


New Orleans Literary Institute and Tennessee Williams/New
Orleans Literary Literary Festival
K.A.R.E.S.



http://www.NewOrleansLiteraryInstitute.com


My haikus
***********************************************
in the New New Orleans
pre-K
not pre-kindergarten

(Note: pre-K is pre-Hurricane Katrina. Locals are using the abbreviation to describe life before the hurricane.)

in the New New Orleans
trees gone
secret garden revealed

in the New New Orleans
even the dead
wait in FEMA line

in the New New Orleans
sphere form from twigs
art

in the New New Orleans
music blaring from car
not rap, but salsa

in the New New Orleans
look first
before gossiping in Spanish

**************************************************************
Haibuns

People used to put out "good trash" in the garbage piles: chairs and
tables that could be reused, vintage clothes and postcards, old books,
plants that just needed a little water to revive.

I often found such treasures in pre-K days. However, I am now wary of
the trash; I don't want to have mold and mildew spreading in my home.

in the New New Orleans
good trash
hard to find

*************************************************************

The local newspaper had a article and map of New Orleans in the 1850s.
The maps shows that all the populated areas tended to be closer to the
Mississippi River. There was a sprinkling of home in the northern part
of the city, closer to Pontchartrain Beach. These were the areas that
did not flood during the leevee breaches caused by Hurricane Katrina.
The parts of the maps labeled "swamps" were drained and populated
after the 1850s and flooded in 2005.

19th century peeking
to 21st century
new city is old city

or
in the New New Orleans
new city is old city

Books - Book Review - Leonardo's Swan - Karen Essex

First of all, this is not a Da Vinci Code clone!

This novel does deal with Leonardo (when he creates the Last Supper and Mona Lisa), but he is not the focus of the work. He is mentioned in relation to the Este sisters. A few of his notes and his techniques are discussed. So are his foibles, as his procrastination, attention span, and financial difficulties.

The story deals with two sisters and the life that was chosen for them in 15th century Italy. Both were born of noble blood and were betrothed before the age of ten. Isabella, the oldest, is jealous of her younger sister, Beatrice, who has more wealth and access to Leonardo.

The novel follows the politics of the times. Italy was not one united country but a country of small kingdoms. Other regents desired specific sections of Italy for the strategic and monetary value.

It also describes how the Este sisters welded power, despite living in such patriarchal worlds.

I learned about the politics of the times and how the painters lived with their patrons. It was a fast, fun read, a great historical novel.

Karen Essex has also written Kleopatra, which I highly recommend.

Books - Book Review - A Perfect Red - Amy B. Greenfield

In this century, we take for granted our clothes, especially colors on the fabrics. Yet, a few centuries ago, the dyeing of clothes was cloaked in secrecy, and the most desired cloths were red or scarlet ones.

Amy B Greenfield recounts how the red European cloths were a little dull, until Spain conquered Mexico and discovered the New World had superior shades of red.

The secret was the cochineal. Was the source a bug, a plant, or both? Spain guarded the knowledge on the pain of death. It monopolized the trade of cochineal.

When it was discovered that it could be raised in other places, the price of cochineal did not drop for a long time. Even though the production had increased, so had the demands for red cloth. Now, not only were royalty able to afford it, but also merchants and skilled craftsman.

Amy follows the story through the cultivation in Mexico, the role of Spain in trading it, and the quest of scientists to find out the secrets for their country.

I imagine that Amy had to travel to many places to do the original research. She skillfully weaves the story of cochineal into an interesting travel to the past. I enjoyed learning about how cloth was dyed in the past, how cochineal was processed, how the emerging sciences of botany played a role in the matter, and how many countries wrested the monopoly of trade from Spain.

Books - Book Review - Floor Sample - Julia Cameron

My friend was doing the Artist's Way. One of the main exercises is to write three pages a day. She complained, " I am not a morning person." "So do it at night, " I replied.

We also thought that the three pages was good for someone whose life was less stressful than ours.

I imagined that Julia Cameron's life was peaceful and stress free.

This memoir shows the opposite. Julia was born just a few years too early in terms of women being accepted in the work force; in high school and college, she had some problems with educators, because she was intelligent, in an age when many women went to college to find a husband. Then, when her early career was doing well, she had to drop everything to take care of her younger siblings.

She continued her career after the family crisis was over and was discovering her writing gift. She married and divorced a famous (and still living) U.S. film director, raised a daughter, and wrote the Artist's Way, plays, poems, essays, and musicals.

However, her life was not serene as I thought it would be. Some medical and relationship problems came upon her. Her faith in God, her great circle of friends, and her family helped her through these problems.

In this memoir, I saw the different cycles of creating a work: the idea, the writing, the revisions, the publication, and the marketing. Julia sometimes had several projects going on at a time, and sometimes a project had to be shelved for another time.

If you think that an artist has a trouble-free life, this memoir will dispel those thoughts.

Vancouver, B.C. chick lit

I was in the mood for a light, light book. Hardly Working by Betsy Burke fits the bill.

Dinah works for an environmental non-profit in Vancouver, Canada. Her colleagues are a diverse crew; her neighbors are interesting young people at various stages of their careers.

Dinah falls in love a few times, finds out family secrets, and learns more about her friends. She eventually learns to be wiser in all her decisions.

Vancouver is a great backdrop for the novel.

Her adventures are not life changing but amusing. It's a good summer/beach read.

This is great to read on the bus or subway or if you are tired of reruns on television.

Santa Claus comes in June and is a lady

A friend at the New Orleans Public Library told me that her department received a lot of advance copies of books. These books cannot be sold nor placed in circulation.

So, I volunteered to take them to Fair Grinds Coffee House, which is in the midst of remodeling after having a foot of standing water during the Hurricane Katrina leevee breaches.

Fair Grinds is still not open for business, but a lot of the neighbors hang out to talk to the owners.

I did have some help getting a trunkload (bootload for the UKers) of books.

Everyone that walked by was so HAPPY!. So many people in that neighborhood lost books and replacing them is now a luxury.

One lady called me Santa Claus and was happy to have an early Christmas.

Even though I was hot and sweaty after loading and unloading the books from my car trunk (boot for you UKers), I was very happy to bring another world to booklovers.

Booksale Hauls

A friend remarked that I am missing lots of bargains by not buying clothes at Ross. I told her that I don't have the patience to look through unsorted clothes.

However, I have no such trouble at booksales. I can find treasures midst the mess.

I went to the Louisiana Philharmonic Sale today at the Jewish Community Center

I was good! I got 2 hardbacks and 3 paperbacks for only $8US.

1. Mooncrankers' Gift - Barry Unsworth
I have been reading his works for years. He signed some books for me a few years ago at the Tenn. Williams Festival. He is a nice man and a great author.

2. The New Life - Orhan Pamuk.
One of his newer books, Snow was part of Reading Matters' BookGroup Discussion. I tried to read Snow but didn't like it. I want to give this book a chance.

3. The Soloist - Mark Salzman
I went to Mark's reading for Iron and Silk, in New Haven, CT at Yale University during the brief time that I lived there. Mark had just graduated from Yale and his memoir was very interesting. I haven't read his fiction, so it should be interesting.

4. The Shooting Gallery and Other Stories - Yuko Tsushima
I like reading about modern Japan, but most of the books are by male authors. I look forward to reading about life from the female perspective.

5. Reproduction of Sears, Roebuck, & Co. Fall 1900 Catalog
Some of the items are great: Couches for $8, cameras for $34, Blood Builder Medicine for .75 !

I will use these pictures for my altered books

I might go back tomorrow for some more books. I saw that the volunteers were getting more books from the secret boxes.

Remembering Memorable Books

When I read a great book, I keep notes on certain paragraphs. I look at all my selections at the end of the book, and I write down the best quotations in my reading journal.

It's interesting how each author has different ways to tell a story. A small group of words are used, but each author weaves them in different patterns.

I re-read my reading journal when it's full and find that the words are eternal.

Keeping Cool by Reading about the Antartica

The Last Place on Earth by Roland Huntford
Published by Modern Library.

It's always hot here in the summer. Sometimes, jumping in a pool or staying in an air conditioned room is not enough to feel comfortable.

So, a few years ago, I found a way to trick my mind into believing that it was cooler than it really was: by reading books about the Antartica.

I like reading the descriptions of the blue ice and the white horizon. I don't think that I could live there, even in the Antartic summer, but it sounds interesting.

I like reading about the explorers in the early 20th Century and how they prepared for the trip and how they survived.

Mr.Huntford's book relates the race to the bottom of the Earth between Roald Amundsen of Norway and Robert Scott of England.

The book contrasts the different ways that Amundsen and Scott prepared to the trip and how they survived down there.