tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60103373727128099662024-03-13T10:23:42.792-05:00Artist and 3 Catsstories and pictures from the studio of a children's book illustrator and authorLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-17913076529808761102014-01-15T10:12:00.003-06:002014-01-15T10:12:53.901-06:00Changing Places<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsG7aezge43kLPCf1elvBGV9i1KiHFpLveiWUGNNTjYjxTUUCeMvn1XQpoQXtWPUQMRyrzACa5cNT0JIsPejgN353P0VGnpIOiw9TnnUpehvRbWw6jjjSZ8QahXTTsA_ODOzcZ59xD_E/s1600/Website+banner+2014d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsG7aezge43kLPCf1elvBGV9i1KiHFpLveiWUGNNTjYjxTUUCeMvn1XQpoQXtWPUQMRyrzACa5cNT0JIsPejgN353P0VGnpIOiw9TnnUpehvRbWw6jjjSZ8QahXTTsA_ODOzcZ59xD_E/s320/Website+banner+2014d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dear friends and followers of Artist and 3 Cats blog,<br />
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I am changing the location of this blog to embed it within my <a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/" target="_blank">new website!</a> I love the new location and hope you will too. If you want to continue to follow my posts, there is an rss feed or you can like my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaurenStringerAuthorIllustrator" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> and follow my posts that way as well.<br />
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You may have noticed that I have not been very active on this blog. Well sometimes life becomes so active that there is no time for blogging. But I have a<a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/1/post/2014/01/new-yearnew-to-dos.html" target="_blank"> new post</a> in my new home and on my "to-do" list for 2014, I am going to do more blogging. I look forward to your readership and comments in my new <a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/blog.html">home.</a>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-14466858480522947902013-02-06T08:07:00.000-06:002013-02-06T08:07:47.954-06:00Picture Book Tag: The Next Big Thing!<div style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My brilliant picture book friend, <a href="http://www.carolynfisher.com/" target="_blank">Carolyn Fisher</a>, tagged me for "The Next Big Thing Blog Tour", so I will answer some questions below about my next BIG THING, then pass on the Q & A to some more brilliant authors!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">1. <i>What is your next Big Thing?</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Books%28WSMN%29.html" target="_blank">When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky, </a></i><br />
<i style="color: #333233; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Books%28WSMN%29.html" target="_blank">Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot</a></i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2. <i>Where did the idea come from for the book?</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Nine years ago I was sitting at Symphony Hall, waiting for the Minnesota Orchestra to begin. Leafing through the program I was struck by a photo of the composer, Igor Stravinsky standing next to the sad painted face of dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky as Petrushka. The photo was taken in 1911. I showed it to my composer husband, Matthew Smith, and said: “I wonder what it was like when Stravinsky met Nijinsky?” then I smiled and said: “Hey, wouldn’t that be a great title for a picture book? When I got home that night I cut out the photo from the program, pasted it in a notebook, wrote down the title and began to write a lot of stuff that is no longer a part of the story at all. But it got me started! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stravinsky and Nijinsky, 1911</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">3. <i>What genre does your book fall under?</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Non-fiction picture book, though I wrote it to be read as a raucous and fun read-aloud for the very young up to the very old. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4. <i>What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?</i><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Adrien Brody would be the perfect young Stravinsky and Channing Tatum, who is an actor-dancer might be a good Nijinsky?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">5. <i>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When composer, Igor Stravinsky met dancer-choreographer, Vaslav Nijinsky, their collaboration on the the ballet, "The Rite of Spring" was so different and so new that it caused a riot to break out in the theatre during its premiere in Paris on May 29th, 1913 and revolutionized music and dance in the 20th century.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">6. <i>Who is publishing your book?</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/hmh/site/hmhbooks/home/kids?tabId=header_tab_3" target="_blank">Harcourt Children’s Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">7. <i>How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Approximately 6 years.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">8.<i> What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?</i><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">~ <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/balletformartha/JanGreenberg" target="_blank"><i>Ballet for Martha,</i> </a><i><a href="http://us.macmillan.com/balletformartha/JanGreenberg" target="_blank">Making Appalachian Spring</a>,</i> written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2010)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">~<i> <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.net/Jazz-Age-Josephine/Jonah-Winter/9781416961239" target="_blank">Jazz Age Josephine</a></i><a href="http://books.simonandschuster.net/Jazz-Age-Josephine/Jonah-Winter/9781416961239" target="_blank">,</a> Jonah Winter, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman, (Simon & Schuster, 2012)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">9. </span><span style="color: #333233; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Who or what inspired you to write this book?</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">From the first I LOVED the rhyming and rhythm of “Stravinsky” and “Nijinsky”. Their names seemed to dance and make music on the page even before the story began. I also loved their faces and wanted to paint them. And the more research I did the more I wanted to make the story work for a young audience and the more I wanted to paint every scene. And finally, as an art history major and as someone who made a living in NYC for many years working in museums, my favorite period of painting is the turn of the twentieth century when cubism, fauvism, expressionism, futurism all exploded our notion of how the world should be seen. Stravinsky and Nijinsky changed our notion of what music and dance should sound and look like. What a powerful and rich time for the arts. When I began the illustrations, it became clear that I would pay homage to many of my favorite paintings from that explosive time in the arts. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">10. <i>What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This year, 2013, marks the centennial since the premiere performance of The Rite of Spring on May 29, 1913. I think there will be endless opportunities to listen to the music on classical radio as spring arrives in the next several months, the perfect soundtrack to go with the book!</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Now it's time to play tag!<i> <b>Stephanie Bodeen, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Wendy Orr, Anne Ylvisaker.</b>.. You're it!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>The Raft </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.rockforadoll.com/" target="_blank">S. A. Bodeen</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>After a plane crash over the remote Northwest Hawaiian islands, fifteen-year-old Robie finds herself in a life raft, struggling to survive. </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">August 2012, Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo of "Growing Power"</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.jacquelinebriggsmartin.com/" target="_blank">Jacqueline Briggs Martin</a><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">When Will Allen was a boy he hated farm work and wanted a "white shirt" job. When he grew up, he dreamed of city farms that would grow good food for city neighbors in cities around the world. How did Will Allen make this dream happen?</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fall 2013, Readers to Eaters</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>The Nim Stories</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.wendyorr.com/" target="_blank">Wendy Orr</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">Two books in one: Nim's Island and Nim at Sea, the stories of a girl </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;">who lives on an island in the middle of the wide blue sea, with her father, Jack, a marine iguana called Fred, a sea lion called Selkie, a turtle called Chica and a satellite dish for her email.</span></span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFT3CZWvZdxrztmLkxv_vbEotARHOqXAuDpGR-8Hs9PksOhvkAiXxfDryVR59G98Ug0AF_6jnkwR8TFzn-lUuJiVn7Tf8Asi2pyA2g3cCZm9-MWjO4KxmFbqsbHVcQF2Twmce9XHwGE0/s1600/ButtonDown_HJ_USjustfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFT3CZWvZdxrztmLkxv_vbEotARHOqXAuDpGR-8Hs9PksOhvkAiXxfDryVR59G98Ug0AF_6jnkwR8TFzn-lUuJiVn7Tf8Asi2pyA2g3cCZm9-MWjO4KxmFbqsbHVcQF2Twmce9XHwGE0/s200/ButtonDown_HJ_USjustfront.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b>Button Down</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.anneylvisaker.com/" target="_blank">Anne Ylvisaker</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ned, of the comically unlucky Button family, hasn't caught a thing in his life until he faces bully Burton Ward in a challenge to catch their town hero's football.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Fall 2012, Candlewick Press</span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-72098934594953313842013-01-23T17:23:00.000-06:002013-01-23T17:23:30.850-06:00Painting Green in WinterI welcome winter when it comes. I think I must have bear blood in me, because I like to hibernate in my studio when the flurries fly and the temperatures drop below 0. The sun pours in on sunny days, but mostly it is cloudy gray in Minnesota, which does not beckon me outside my studio-cave until the first signs of spring. I stay inside and paint.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyY-hVk7D6tw2m5MDZKnrp8pwVxneMs-F2W8h9T1jGP9GE9AA2vczUrSpqoqEwpZx3FoSzo_5nyatAR0GCHWclZXFBYBBEt0BzTqJTv2dVitznmH1xsKzai8h1APFz3Q8pfzlB9dC4ko/s1600/IMG_4385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyY-hVk7D6tw2m5MDZKnrp8pwVxneMs-F2W8h9T1jGP9GE9AA2vczUrSpqoqEwpZx3FoSzo_5nyatAR0GCHWclZXFBYBBEt0BzTqJTv2dVitznmH1xsKzai8h1APFz3Q8pfzlB9dC4ko/s320/IMG_4385.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter sun</td></tr>
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And right now I am painting green. Not just ordinary green. The green that goes with a story by the author <a href="http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Mary-Lyn-Ray/78523235" target="_blank">Mary Lyn Ray</a>. Her stories are often quiet and soft- evoking a magic found when one communes intimately with the wonders of nature. It took me awhile to find just the right quiet and soft green for this story. At first it was too loud. Colors make sound and it is important to find the right sound for each story. Last winter when I painted <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Stravinsky-Met-Nijinsky-Extraordinary/dp/0547907257" target="_blank">When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky</a></i> I deliberately chose bold bright colors that became louder and louder as the book progressed to the final chords of <i>The Rite of Spring</i>-- a very loud piece of music!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayZNJ0_QZQdyf5gWTTsA2k62gPVebdgvnORVjCVTFh36yV61_5rLtUTWgfoOV3Fxs-yOGy-1lItiECyo4aLkYxwRccx_DAEyHGZKBEzJrXgl_C1-OffoTgfENxm5bMMRxme0fEu4mdAk/s1600/IMG_4382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayZNJ0_QZQdyf5gWTTsA2k62gPVebdgvnORVjCVTFh36yV61_5rLtUTWgfoOV3Fxs-yOGy-1lItiECyo4aLkYxwRccx_DAEyHGZKBEzJrXgl_C1-OffoTgfENxm5bMMRxme0fEu4mdAk/s320/IMG_4382.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bright green/loud green</td></tr>
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But this winter, painting <i>Deer Dancer,</i> I have to be careful with my greens. They are earthy and subdued. More like the green of avocados than limes. Which is louder, avocados or limes?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft green/quiet green</td></tr>
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Winter can be a very quiet time of year, so although it is gray and white outside, I am tuning into the hushed greens of another season and the silence of winter is helping me along the way.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-48039828442342916042013-01-11T18:14:00.003-06:002013-01-11T18:14:27.335-06:00When Mem Fox Came to Minneapolis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Though it feels like a year must have already passed, it was just two months ago that the wonderful author, <a href="http://www.memfox.net/welcome.html" target="_blank">Mem Fox</a> came for a visit to Minneapolis. We had never met before this visit and yet we had just published a picture book together: <i><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Books%28TMAYDT%29.html" target="_blank">Tell Me About Your Day Today</a>, </i>so there were lots of reasons to celebrate!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Telling the story of illustrating <i>Tell Me About Your Day Today</i></td></tr>
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Our first meeting was at <a href="http://www.wildrumpusbooks.com/" target="_blank">Wild Rumpus</a> Book Store. It quickly filled with lovers of children's books and we took the stage. First I told the story of how I painted the pictures, then Mem read the story two times through. The second time the audience joined in for "<i>The who, the what, the why, and the way..."</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjMOzpm0UBzLLKgLeAb5y7N9SG9j9QjXtT500u0H2SSQkSISGWieXUIjChMp3TJd9a2psYskRrOjLkrtXWUNGqq7PGylpZILlmuQYAprk88MY2CEbVIocJsZ2Nf7IGX3fHHd2O-dgLhk/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjMOzpm0UBzLLKgLeAb5y7N9SG9j9QjXtT500u0H2SSQkSISGWieXUIjChMp3TJd9a2psYskRrOjLkrtXWUNGqq7PGylpZILlmuQYAprk88MY2CEbVIocJsZ2Nf7IGX3fHHd2O-dgLhk/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6V_b3RKABgcDhex1ROXz4Y7g_YbZo0acW-xYs58Kyr2K5hbIUpVI5mlQ97vDXpxXkTjbgPXKqR9G7BtyRuxbF4t3rCFbpt14gHAr68v8UI1dapce9PixX5QNWG9l-7mqFJfUt_56xY0/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6V_b3RKABgcDhex1ROXz4Y7g_YbZo0acW-xYs58Kyr2K5hbIUpVI5mlQ97vDXpxXkTjbgPXKqR9G7BtyRuxbF4t3rCFbpt14gHAr68v8UI1dapce9PixX5QNWG9l-7mqFJfUt_56xY0/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mem Fox reading <i>Tell Me About Your Day Today. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGne_Xiu_ES8N4NYMgymgQ5meMo2IiN63a8JPF4D41_u3PcCNHQWwShJ3j0WkXfRmJeqEbbhAWr6UI0rglahnU4xJPZgkcnrQmxA44qDjtH-kyIhfqb4pWKIx_8A5mBbm7zo8hAL9X9o/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGne_Xiu_ES8N4NYMgymgQ5meMo2IiN63a8JPF4D41_u3PcCNHQWwShJ3j0WkXfRmJeqEbbhAWr6UI0rglahnU4xJPZgkcnrQmxA44qDjtH-kyIhfqb4pWKIx_8A5mBbm7zo8hAL9X9o/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012078.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author and Illustrator together at last!</td></tr>
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The second day of Mem's visit was a huge welcome party given by the rich and creative children's literature community of Minnesota gathered together by friend and author, <a href="http://www.debrafrasier.com/" target="_blank">Debra Frasier</a>. Authors, illustrators, book sellers, librarians, teachers, and professors of children's literature brought food and stories to share. Mem made so many new friends. At the end of the party she said she could not wait to come back!<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIeRDU25grROzAVyZjrduJ2eV0UvCnK3KNjjzP1jXYnxb-EPdNgaCZJDsUx7O9xp4zEvcmZjQ4LWxqgRoJNwx76hk_AWzLuNLiNXIGW0ZM4SEF1nHRWtPJplE2W2NU4403mdOMthsaBA/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIeRDU25grROzAVyZjrduJ2eV0UvCnK3KNjjzP1jXYnxb-EPdNgaCZJDsUx7O9xp4zEvcmZjQ4LWxqgRoJNwx76hk_AWzLuNLiNXIGW0ZM4SEF1nHRWtPJplE2W2NU4403mdOMthsaBA/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012114.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The party was ready and waiting for the guests to arrive.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ybh1BhHH-H7rJD6TAUMn1hyl3gaMv2W_say9L329mPqsjFIBb6qSKxRx2Rqk4LnbLucEqkFryBbhTnH_fbG1wQUJdaJOx8S2aYu_R4XBBv4NBScNEALH_iFy8x87cEBuyJi786vk3j8/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ybh1BhHH-H7rJD6TAUMn1hyl3gaMv2W_say9L329mPqsjFIBb6qSKxRx2Rqk4LnbLucEqkFryBbhTnH_fbG1wQUJdaJOx8S2aYu_R4XBBv4NBScNEALH_iFy8x87cEBuyJi786vk3j8/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012109.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone brought delicious food to share.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPhjnKrWM-2nv2kJcBXJSdTLOx7IC-CYZsht1DI29sd9cpv4CtVgUuu0OFsL11vWd2KLe_4AkkAmJ_-YE70adpPZoWc0oZIVvzbQ_TgNmwMERdlLY3yiJJE7G7iO6jnTRWw5z3GOmwmw/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPhjnKrWM-2nv2kJcBXJSdTLOx7IC-CYZsht1DI29sd9cpv4CtVgUuu0OFsL11vWd2KLe_4AkkAmJ_-YE70adpPZoWc0oZIVvzbQ_TgNmwMERdlLY3yiJJE7G7iO6jnTRWw5z3GOmwmw/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012123.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wondrous Debra Frasier welcoming everyone!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAIPpHXq1Suh3PqHVTJ_JXFFOKIJH4Bmyw0CnrJu1YTr1onqGt67-khTEQS0X-6UfvUDUHZzOVMZz5_D71uzY_1RpsRgGgewWAXyLEfNBO1EUaJ5h3FyFG1zFCgXSB-AhaGFzNA89dCI/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAIPpHXq1Suh3PqHVTJ_JXFFOKIJH4Bmyw0CnrJu1YTr1onqGt67-khTEQS0X-6UfvUDUHZzOVMZz5_D71uzY_1RpsRgGgewWAXyLEfNBO1EUaJ5h3FyFG1zFCgXSB-AhaGFzNA89dCI/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012104.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Books and flowers decorated the party.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mem Fox and Susan Richardson, wondrous school librarian!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8d64y5fBeH69nwqLwI085v13mHuGgOZ_4UMfb3G-xdjyHS4AOJLiJAy-J6nVxqp5CISsPsABiYnpsRD1Y1g7jJUXD3u9BVhBQpTZ0AOcWekel77hirjo5HkIXGkFbSPLJAUTJ-nWjb0/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8d64y5fBeH69nwqLwI085v13mHuGgOZ_4UMfb3G-xdjyHS4AOJLiJAy-J6nVxqp5CISsPsABiYnpsRD1Y1g7jJUXD3u9BVhBQpTZ0AOcWekel77hirjo5HkIXGkFbSPLJAUTJ-nWjb0/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012093.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mem Fox and <a href="http://www.mariondanebauer.com/" target="_blank">Marion Dane Bauer</a>, wondrous author!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNC1B_6aDSAyCvXIniS_vEyt_KGY4O3cl0-3wURfoDpjPl8m3ks4ZDuZgpEoAtude3rb1iTTS05bSD4da5KjahQu4TtLWFUsVNQ_-p3hLfwPoRxcZu9OWAg4kSu6YdEgucwGZPRfULu3k/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNC1B_6aDSAyCvXIniS_vEyt_KGY4O3cl0-3wURfoDpjPl8m3ks4ZDuZgpEoAtude3rb1iTTS05bSD4da5KjahQu4TtLWFUsVNQ_-p3hLfwPoRxcZu9OWAg4kSu6YdEgucwGZPRfULu3k/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+2012120.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mem Fox with a new fan!</td></tr>
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The last day of Mem Fox's visit to Minneapolis she spoke at the University of Minnesota for Book Week 2012. Everyone who listened to her read her books aloud was transported to a world of magic where stuffed animals talk, pirates cry, and Koala mamas love their babies. I could listen to Mem Fox read picture books for hours and hours. She truly knows how to bring words alive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T3P1MB9pNNGboJb2bFuZQm7UWE_9tSokMeC098JSMWK7cfKAG0q74biRRJDH8ZUeTaUk67WarSj20JhIroxex5JVPK-eygqnVxSOfmjc4E_ZENOIyw97VcFRHsWCF53GC-xB8S1XDjs/s1600/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+20121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T3P1MB9pNNGboJb2bFuZQm7UWE_9tSokMeC098JSMWK7cfKAG0q74biRRJDH8ZUeTaUk67WarSj20JhIroxex5JVPK-eygqnVxSOfmjc4E_ZENOIyw97VcFRHsWCF53GC-xB8S1XDjs/s320/Mem+Fox+in+Minneapolis+20121.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mem Fox and our editor, Allyn Johnston</td></tr>
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When Mem Fox came to Minneapolis I made a new friend. I hope she comes back next year!<br /></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-68095206887844925402012-05-14T10:56:00.000-05:002012-05-14T10:56:01.627-05:00Catching Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What a winter/spring it has been in my studio! Fiercely painting toward a deadline, I had to say no to friends, school visits, walks, gatherings, coffee breaks. I was tied to my painting wall and made it! The interior art went to the publisher for my book <i>When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky </i> on time! I will write more about that book later. I am still recovering.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6adn2ugo20PALkcWYP0LVSd5oLSLDEZCH5a2137TsfqQutvTzZIvdaB1hyphenhyphenamztCZ5QxTNlTXwWcrLD_eNKORH8K1dD4uUlR8gWg_qb6mnWk9bNMRh8HdoAaC8VNC6nakz36xrVMaykg/s1600/new+cover+tmaydt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6adn2ugo20PALkcWYP0LVSd5oLSLDEZCH5a2137TsfqQutvTzZIvdaB1hyphenhyphenamztCZ5QxTNlTXwWcrLD_eNKORH8K1dD4uUlR8gWg_qb6mnWk9bNMRh8HdoAaC8VNC6nakz36xrVMaykg/s1600/new+cover+tmaydt.jpg" /></a></div>
I am now turning my focus onto a book I illustrated <i><a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Tell-Me-About-Your-Day-Today/Mem-Fox/9781416990062" target="_blank">Tell Me About Your Day Today</a>,</i> written by <a href="http://www.memfox.net/welcome.html" target="_blank">Mem Fox.</a> It comes out the beginning of September, so it is time for me to update my website (not yet, don't look yet!), put together an activity guide to go with it, put together mailings, and in general, wrap my head around a book that I finished painting nearly a year ago. That is the interesting challenge of publishing for me. Unlike theatre or circus where all of your preparation and hard work are immediately appreciated with applause and bravos, there is a pause of about a year between finishing the paintings and manuscript for a picture book. Plenty goes on in that year! I receive mechanicals and proofs from the publisher along the way, as well as f&gs (folded and gathered copies of the book-- not yet bound) and my publisher is extremely busy with preparations to market the book and get it out into the world... as am I, now that I have some breathing time. So stay tuned... lots more to come on <i>Tell Me About Your Day Today</i>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooper catching on the Flying Trape</td></tr>
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While I have been illustrating on deadline, my family has been very busy too. <a href="http://www.circusjuventas.org/" target="_blank">Circus Juventas</a> just finished its annual extravaganza--The May Shows, where nearly all of their 900 students, age 3 to 21, perform in the Circus arena in full make-up and costume. The hard work of students, coaches, and volunteers is put into motion to present an astounding, amazing, and beautiful show. My son rigged up in the rafters for every show and would catch Flying Trapeze in the end! With the May Shows over, it is time to get ready for Circus Juventas' summer show: <i>SHOWDOWN. </i>This means it is time to finish painting the sets and it is time for Cooper and all of the Summer show performers to kick in to high gear with rehearsals and practice. So glad I made that deadline!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oberlin Spring Back, Ruby dances!</td></tr>
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In the midst of the book deadline, I did take a quick break and drove with my family to and from Oberlin College in Ohio, where my daughter studies dance and choreography. She performed in two dance pieces. One of them she choreographed and danced a solo in. How could I miss this? It was fantastic-- we even got to view it two nights in a row in different places in the theatre. I loved seeing the dances from different perspectives. It was also great to see where she lives and meet some of her friends. </div>
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Deadlines can unbalance one's life, but I am so glad I took some time to see Ruby dance, watch Cooper fly. This weekend I gardened. Finally I am finding time to smell the roses again.</div>
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-76941390400373491372012-05-08T13:14:00.000-05:002012-05-08T13:14:22.674-05:00Thank you, Mr. Sendak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Eating breakfast with my 16 year old son this morning, I mentioned that I had just read that Maurice Sendak died today at 83 years old. "What?" he gasped! "That's sad. <i>Really</i> sad." His reaction came directly from his gut and heart and mirrored mine- one of shock followed by sadness. How could Maurice Sendak die? Ever? </div>
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How do you thank someone you never met in real life? Maurice Sendak was instrumental to my becoming a children's book illustrator. Not just because I grew up with his books, in fact his influence came much later. After I illustrated my first book, <i><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28MUD%29.html" target="_blank">Mud,</a> </i>my editor, <a href="http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/beach-lane-books" target="_blank">Allyn Johnston</a>, sent me a gorgeous manuscript, <i><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28Scarecrow%29.html" target="_blank">Scarecrow</a>,</i> I went into an identity crisis. How could I illustrate children's books when my goal for so many years was to be included in the Whitney Biennial someday? Then an <a href="http://michalsagar.com/home.html" target="_blank">artist friend</a> of mine invited me over for a critique of her newest body of work. Large canvases with giant brightly colored babies floating on them greeted me as I entered her studio. Though the subject was babies, it had nothing to do with children or children's books. During the course of our conversation she shared with me the early influences that drove her to become an artist. From her bookcase she pulled a huge monograph. <i>The Art of Maurice Sendak,</i> by Selma G. Lanes. She also made a pile on her drafting table of all of her favorite childhood picture books. These beautiful books painted by <i>illustrators </i>were what inspired her to become an artist. She let me borrow the Sendak monograph, which I read from cover to cover and within a week the wisdom of Maurice Sendak had assured me that being a children's book author/illustrator was a worthy thing to be. I have my own copy of this book now, along with a collection of most of Maurice Sendak's books on my shelves for inspiration when I am illustrating my own books. Looking at my bookshelves, I see that Maurice is snug between the painters Milton Avery and William Blake, with books on the art of David Hockney, Rodin, Terry Winters, and Giotto nearby. He is in good company.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcBlHYsNxxdT6_qwKXV6bl-3B6TQN6IO_4VtLbI9IlV9QUfjy49lkbxKyHWm-cvps1n_CeYvO4hbVB4T7ln2W_m3ZZ14RdegmFk4pXWYJ6Hu899ojzX_y6Hc05935ABQNCyhzdxnVOfk/s1600/bookshelf+with+sendak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcBlHYsNxxdT6_qwKXV6bl-3B6TQN6IO_4VtLbI9IlV9QUfjy49lkbxKyHWm-cvps1n_CeYvO4hbVB4T7ln2W_m3ZZ14RdegmFk4pXWYJ6Hu899ojzX_y6Hc05935ABQNCyhzdxnVOfk/s320/bookshelf+with+sendak.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"Fantasy is so all-pervasive--- I don't think there's any part of our lives, as adults or children, when we're not fantasizing, but we prefer to relegate that activity to children, as if fantasy were some tomfoolery only fit for immature minds. Children do live in both fantasy and reality; they move back and forth with ease, in a way that we no longer remember how to do. And writing for children I always assume that they have this incredible flexibility, this cool sense of the logic of illogic, and that they can move with me from one sphere to the other without any problems. Fantasy is the core of all writing for children, as I think it is for the writing of any book--- perhaps even the act of living... There are many kinds of fantasy and levels of fantasy and subtleties of fantasy--- there is probably no such thing as creativity without fantasy."</i></div>
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<i>-- Maurice Sendak</i></div>
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Thank you, Maurice Sendak.</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-2044711970767944382012-02-25T15:46:00.001-06:002012-02-25T15:47:15.551-06:00Dog-Days of Winter<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGV2X4Jze2K2fbgxtquT5SajHSU-mLZ7yLiw52B6hxCwazeCOmny0kwgiCTxFLFIOF5kt9tiGbrxMUnQubA69ECnQc0QV9QV5wAWXuuQfdoOxwDYS-ykAp2baDwu01AI8T3lFjBtm_vEg/s1600/BLB05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGV2X4Jze2K2fbgxtquT5SajHSU-mLZ7yLiw52B6hxCwazeCOmny0kwgiCTxFLFIOF5kt9tiGbrxMUnQubA69ECnQc0QV9QV5wAWXuuQfdoOxwDYS-ykAp2baDwu01AI8T3lFjBtm_vEg/s320/BLB05.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach Lane Book logo and sign <br />
created by the author/illustrator Marla Frazee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When the cool days of autumn turn into the cold days of winter, I welcome the coziness of being inside my home and studio. The double layers of storm windows are a quiet relief from the lawn mowers of summer and the constant noise of planes overhead and freeways nearby. But by the end of February, the air inside begins to feel stale and the constant rattling and throbbing of radiators wakes me too often in the middle of the night. I want to throw open the windows and let the fresh air in, but the thermometer is still reading only 21 degrees. So these are the dog-days of winter for me, when I begin to sing this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q4foLKDlcE" target="_blank">song</a> in my studio and dream of traveling to a warmer climate. I am in the midst of a deadline for a book, so there are no getaways allowed, but I can dream, can't I?<br />
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I have just finished a book with my publisher, <a href="http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/beach-lane-books" target="_blank">Beach Lane Books</a>, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The book is called, <i>Tell Me About Your Day Today</i> and it is written by <a href="http://www.memfox.net/welcome.html" target="_blank">Mem Fox</a>. I will write more about this book in future posts, closer to when it comes out next September, but right now all I want to share is my love for Beach Lane Books, a studio where two California editors work. It is a magical place where pictures and words come together to become gorgeous picture books and sometimes adventurous chapter books. I visited there last January and this is what I saw:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMl5InHr1bYcQP9bcMO2IIDrzr1kEfNLPlQEr-hSQVUU6PXHvSOQqptJDRRKuUh8ijgw9pSQ-l7xo6MafHVQ50n84Pma4k4WHQzV3fmstwcaegt5bik6odnLc4kBWRFfzQO4xhjt9u2I/s1600/BLB04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMl5InHr1bYcQP9bcMO2IIDrzr1kEfNLPlQEr-hSQVUU6PXHvSOQqptJDRRKuUh8ijgw9pSQ-l7xo6MafHVQ50n84Pma4k4WHQzV3fmstwcaegt5bik6odnLc4kBWRFfzQO4xhjt9u2I/s320/BLB04.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pail and shovel on the steps to the studio.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nV9XrJXMNjz_N-k0GQ7sAt1NgNW9DeEuamhx__uwftiNh9aKZTxUJ5BN2wbjPRYuxkFRRqE5M7bbRrnIROIGclEoGxuGTxjGaU5WXHedwJ563lTsVD-pT18aW7eyggm6v5R2f8hTGVg/s1600/BLB07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nV9XrJXMNjz_N-k0GQ7sAt1NgNW9DeEuamhx__uwftiNh9aKZTxUJ5BN2wbjPRYuxkFRRqE5M7bbRrnIROIGclEoGxuGTxjGaU5WXHedwJ563lTsVD-pT18aW7eyggm6v5R2f8hTGVg/s320/BLB07.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cozy entryway with an excellent message<br />
for everyone in the publishing biz.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb-i_eU5yMafLnOnEXLx3CF4Cs3Ddgb5Ix4URcpGHK9L8jL17a_K_mWSNyLKOgW-t2xmIdEnZW9OLfZINc0Ri0WScUm6BYQhMP-INiyxA_iPFIaameR1J5TWE1VB1PBNwDpqv3uWGLr8/s1600/BLB09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb-i_eU5yMafLnOnEXLx3CF4Cs3Ddgb5Ix4URcpGHK9L8jL17a_K_mWSNyLKOgW-t2xmIdEnZW9OLfZINc0Ri0WScUm6BYQhMP-INiyxA_iPFIaameR1J5TWE1VB1PBNwDpqv3uWGLr8/s320/BLB09.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A table for work with colored chairs that seem to say:<br />
"Sit here!" "No, here, sit here!" <br />
and a window to see the sea from.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqWtzwZtexis-SYssAFQ-pCnN4j5Cd4zndpjHhbhnopkndPkL9MzK3bdHg03TNhy51mbabS0pu5vXBl1d8Xlmhud-vsPWYotLWBXCNMixtvcNxECiyoi_9HBB8MGRmDki3aS50bEaasI/s1600/BLB06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqWtzwZtexis-SYssAFQ-pCnN4j5Cd4zndpjHhbhnopkndPkL9MzK3bdHg03TNhy51mbabS0pu5vXBl1d8Xlmhud-vsPWYotLWBXCNMixtvcNxECiyoi_9HBB8MGRmDki3aS50bEaasI/s320/BLB06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shells on the windowsill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJj-gnTuCeQz3Ns0t4BGgwVaFyOxtEzWuNmelikoyEuxyGpxB9TYDiqZ8VPv2PwedxzoM8UzFKBlyVKcFpXxgnL8JVOCiYXGGSuwQVj75YhZaNhybYE5T3KY9k85uq4lnZm4ejw39KfQ/s1600/BLB08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJj-gnTuCeQz3Ns0t4BGgwVaFyOxtEzWuNmelikoyEuxyGpxB9TYDiqZ8VPv2PwedxzoM8UzFKBlyVKcFpXxgnL8JVOCiYXGGSuwQVj75YhZaNhybYE5T3KY9k85uq4lnZm4ejw39KfQ/s320/BLB08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bike and books, lots of books!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAdik05Z_TSK93Xl3A5NIZlmoYrotFQYmUmMkRe2G9SmkyS3g3UFS7ECG1Vakd9yAXjNNhG9nW9uNzZs4HS_rZJOtOUxLXbxLL9o_scqt0rKpeJ1oLoHWEncSfBZZTEaIoivE9-oYffM/s1600/BLB10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAdik05Z_TSK93Xl3A5NIZlmoYrotFQYmUmMkRe2G9SmkyS3g3UFS7ECG1Vakd9yAXjNNhG9nW9uNzZs4HS_rZJOtOUxLXbxLL9o_scqt0rKpeJ1oLoHWEncSfBZZTEaIoivE9-oYffM/s320/BLB10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More books and a bulletin board just waiting... <br />
for the perfect pictures, quotes, and postcards!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPRk8DmbVrd2zSUoiOjZaKSrXn64KlqZaVb-ioK1XeOte9pYpgcnCJawcCkcRj4lY1JjmUzCK8EWt7Mh9Zzi3dSCC8mZSm0kPW35JTnbgJ6XjoZ3FQoD4k2-vHqBCxFhAcKlpYbqASdU/s1600/BLB02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPRk8DmbVrd2zSUoiOjZaKSrXn64KlqZaVb-ioK1XeOte9pYpgcnCJawcCkcRj4lY1JjmUzCK8EWt7Mh9Zzi3dSCC8mZSm0kPW35JTnbgJ6XjoZ3FQoD4k2-vHqBCxFhAcKlpYbqASdU/s320/BLB02.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers, hummingbirds, and yellow finches!</td></tr>
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Yep! When Minnesota's spring is still at least two months away, this is where I wish I were right now.<br />
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Where do you wish you could be right now?Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-80026784048614974002012-02-14T09:59:00.000-06:002012-02-14T09:59:42.035-06:00Valentine's Post 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfRoB0cmagUpIHap54jhN1kclom-rfKw2KKNFxOZY55oCv5RmigxrSmDigpK1mV00a-tjmCyBWEjlbAUj2gxdG51xlIcQeesy0snKSe_dDA6shJHlCnyZrf_1QlYiZ4Jtg5sPhH1yThw/s1600/valentines+day+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfRoB0cmagUpIHap54jhN1kclom-rfKw2KKNFxOZY55oCv5RmigxrSmDigpK1mV00a-tjmCyBWEjlbAUj2gxdG51xlIcQeesy0snKSe_dDA6shJHlCnyZrf_1QlYiZ4Jtg5sPhH1yThw/s320/valentines+day+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Since this is a day of "love" I want to share two things I love: heart-shaped rocks and small books. Whenever I walk at the edge of a lake on a shore covered with stones, it is not the horizon that holds my attention, but the shapes of stones beneath my feet. I cannot help myself. It is something I learned from my mother at a young age. Looking for the perfect shell on the beach or the perfect rock by the lake. My mother loved driftwood the most. And actually I <i>love</i> perfectly round stones the most, which are very rare, but because today is Valentine's, I am featuring some of my favorite heart-shaped rocks...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGmW9Ac8lVztmluKVhIBJq_M4q5OkzgBGl0dcashH9joRl0Hlh7qMrTqfsw2CKt6VFhQVypOGnoy_RzoA7RbGMi5bkp1FbZwDhDXuL30mF428mRuKR9wpczPf6QLwzZ1svfL-GZyHRLo/s1600/small+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGmW9Ac8lVztmluKVhIBJq_M4q5OkzgBGl0dcashH9joRl0Hlh7qMrTqfsw2CKt6VFhQVypOGnoy_RzoA7RbGMi5bkp1FbZwDhDXuL30mF428mRuKR9wpczPf6QLwzZ1svfL-GZyHRLo/s1600/small+books.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautifully designed small Bloomsbury Classics </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And small books. I love books that fit in the palm of my hand or easily in the pocket of my coat. It is like slipping a bit of magic in your pocket-- a story to carry with you everywhere you go. It will be there when you need it. Maybe waiting in line at the grocery store or waiting for the bus. Small books are precious and somehow make me feel like a child again, even though they might not be a children's book. My dad had a small collection of small books. He loved history, so he carried little volumes of history in his coat pocket. And one of my favorite artists, <a href="http://www.hockneypictures.com/home.php" target="_blank">David Hockney</a>, illustrated a tiny volume of Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm with original etchings that measured only 4 1/2" tall by 3" wide. You can see it <a href="http://cdm.reed.edu/cdm4/artbooks/hockney.php" target="_blank">here</a>. When I look at this tiny book it makes me want to draw tiny drawings with a very fine pen. And that is another thing I love. I love to draw with a fine-tipped pen.<br />
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Happy Valentine's Day!<br />
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-74795392230916754182012-02-05T14:23:00.000-06:002012-02-05T14:23:03.074-06:00Let the "Showdown" Begin!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Just three weeks after the final performance of<a href="http://circusjuventas.org/index.php/performances/past-shows/grimm-2011-video" target="_blank"> GRIMM</a>, I began to write the script for the next summer's show with Betty Butler and Rhiannon Fisk, the artistic director and assistant artistic director, in that order, of <a href="http://www.circusjuventas.org/" target="_blank">Circus Juventas</a>. We knew the theme: <i>The Wild, Wild West!</i>, so that is where we began...</div>
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There are over 900 students at Circus Juventas, the largest circus school for youth in this country. And of those 900 students, there are over 50 performers at the advanced level for whom we write the script. First to be decided are the acts in the show, which this coming year will include: wall tramp, wheel of steel, high wire, teeterboard, straps, chair stacking, and flying trapeze, just to name a few! The story grows and develops around the act order, as well as the music researched and collected by Betty. Indeed, the music! The summer shows have fantastic recorded music as well as live music provided by the remarkable <a href="http://www.peterostroushko.com/" target="_blank">Peter Ostroushko</a> and his band. As soon as Betty compiles some of the music, I begin listening to it as I write-- We both find it helps us picture the scenes and the emotions and actions that need to be conveyed.</div>
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Since this is my fifth year of script-writing for Circus Juventas, I have become familiar with what these young performers are capable of. And because they are such extraordinary performers, it is like painting on a canvas with the best quality materials. Knowing ahead of time who will be the main characters and knowing their past performances, allows the scenes to easily come to life. After many meetings and tons of research that included several trips to my local library for books on outlaws, gold mining, and the history of the Wild West, then watching lots of Westerns, our story was born: <i>SHOWDOWN! </i>It begins with the discovery of gold. And gold as we all know can change people for good and bad, which makes for great characters and plot right away. Outlaws, including Billy the Kid, prospectors, cowboys, dance hall girls, and a steely-eyed sheriff named Wyatt Earp will all have their lives twisted, contorted, somersaulted, lassoed, balanced, and spun in circles by gold. I can hardly wait to see it come to life. It is most definitely going to be <i>"an action packed, rip-snortin', gold-strikin', hoedown dancin', cowboy lassoin', card gamblin', barroom brawlin', sharp-shootin', Dance Hall swingin', wildest show in the West!"</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPAwgi2eTzsSWNxdP1RaOLr1HTlL9snSs-057AhIlme4T6hCExNRVa3QZRUrS0gKumqq0b_PfN0pdsQk8NY6cbiPZtQantR_NpEqIseBDEfJPzGrjbaELi-_fU-hUvyXxuwX58031sJY/s1600/SHOWDOWN+set+model1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPAwgi2eTzsSWNxdP1RaOLr1HTlL9snSs-057AhIlme4T6hCExNRVa3QZRUrS0gKumqq0b_PfN0pdsQk8NY6cbiPZtQantR_NpEqIseBDEfJPzGrjbaELi-_fU-hUvyXxuwX58031sJY/s320/SHOWDOWN+set+model1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Model for Showdown by Susan Furr</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VZBXCboBSjEt4aoCIuVaFADrY2A9jn_CrouRlEw9HtTbKJdX5zqeRYlAh6LBDpC9b3YZNpFKzXSYy9mjpaB-9MJVjYcRJjZSejBwAVoj3rkN5qXQOoHJ2JrOATOe7K8kQE0lIWko690/s320/SHOWDOWN+set+model3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Model of jail and Sheriff's office by Susan Furr</td></tr>
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The character descriptions were handed out to the students and the script was read aloud at the beginning of January. Lassoing workshops have ropes spinning all over the Circus Juventas Big Top. The set design and building have begun, with painting and prop building soon to follow. August is not seeming so far away with the gray winter days of Minnesota growing longer. </div>
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Okay, forget I just wrote that last sentence. It is only February. There is plenty of time! I have a picture book to finish illustrating after all. In the mean time, listen to<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBelSZAx4ro" target="_blank"> this</a> to get you in the Western mood.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VZBXCboBSjEt4aoCIuVaFADrY2A9jn_CrouRlEw9HtTbKJdX5zqeRYlAh6LBDpC9b3YZNpFKzXSYy9mjpaB-9MJVjYcRJjZSejBwAVoj3rkN5qXQOoHJ2JrOATOe7K8kQE0lIWko690/s1600/SHOWDOWN+set+model3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-30845266372468147792012-01-27T09:48:00.000-06:002012-01-27T09:48:22.539-06:00Explorers and Adventurers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjQLibesthjQTd5RbuGQeSlvd_jHVN4wBXCtnvQuj8y5kwJ0h3wFIbH__4l1NVZ3ORZ9lqtzMayPnHw-nIJUaY9DTthLN1evztZ_grzPsQhie-IDScqFUJPFixRgdokOfEDEUBn6uAQo/s1600/hot+air+to+north+pole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjQLibesthjQTd5RbuGQeSlvd_jHVN4wBXCtnvQuj8y5kwJ0h3wFIbH__4l1NVZ3ORZ9lqtzMayPnHw-nIJUaY9DTthLN1evztZ_grzPsQhie-IDScqFUJPFixRgdokOfEDEUBn6uAQo/s320/hot+air+to+north+pole.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> S.A. Andree taking off in a hydrogen balloon.</span></td></tr>
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The other day I was driving in the car, listening to this <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/01/21/145413433/lesson-learned-dont-fly-to-north-pole-in-a-balloon" target="_blank">show</a> on npr. In an interview with the author, Alec Wilkinson, the story was told of how S. A. Andree, a mere clerk in a Swedish Patent Office, and two of his colleagues took to the air in a hydrogen balloon with the intention of crossing to the North Pole and eventually landing in San Francisco. It was the late 19th Century, when the North Pole was a place of mystery and speculation and many hundreds of explorers had perished trying to reach it. S. A. Andree wanted to rise above those who had tried it on foot or dog sled, so he studied weather patterns and the wind and came to the conclusion that it would take him about 60 hours to reach the top of the world. He even packed a tuxedo in his luggage hoping to be dressed appropriately when he met the dignitaries he imagined would be there to meet him when they landed. Sadly, S. A. Andree and his two companions never reached their destination and were lost in the fog that consumed them and their balloon, just three days out into their journey. They were the first men to be lost in the air. In the interview, Wilkinson said this about what happened to them when the balloon touched down on the ice, never to rise again:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>They were suddenly no longer explorers — </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>they were adventurers. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>And no explorer wants to be an adventurer.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">I loved this notion of "explorer" and "adventurer" and could not help but look at it as a metaphor for the process I go through when writing and illustrating a picture book. Like S. A. Andree, I am compelled to write and paint because of the mystery, the unknown that will come if I just put pen to paper or brush to canvas. In the beginning, I have my ideas and imaginations of what the story will be or what the pictures will look like, but like S. A. Andree's balloon adventure, it rarely goes as planned. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">At one point in the interview, Wilkenson said that Andree was: </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><i> Faced with the thought, 'If I don't go now, I may never go again, and I will never know the mystery,' </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><i>...</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i> like a temptation one finally submits... </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>to the idea of: 'I must.' "</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">This yearning and succumbing to the notion of "I must" also resonated for me. I have notebooks filled with story ideas and sketchbooks filled with painting ideas, and all of them call to me; "I must" bring them to completion. It is always in the beginning of a book project when I am starting the story or beginning the first sketches that I feel like an explorer. As time passes and I become more involved, it is often then when my exploring balloon thuds to the ground and I become the "adventurer" on a journey of highs and lows, sprees and difficulties; trudging through the snags of pages that don't flow and the images that refuse to resolve, and just like S. A. Andree and his hydrogen balloon, sometimes my stories disappear in a fog, never to return. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">Luckily, I am an explorer in the warmer climates of Minnesota, at least compared to the Arctic! And there is no danger of perishing of the cold in my studio. And luckily, I love the adventure of writing and painting as much as the initial exploring, even with its bumps and tears. So I am happy to begin and begin again, pulled by that mystery that is mine to meet. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">And when it comes to your writing or art-making, are you an explorer who would rather not become an adventurer? Or are you willing to be both? </span></div>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-20802748142137316692011-12-17T09:41:00.000-06:002011-12-17T09:43:51.670-06:00Making Snowflakes!Last November, I was invited to present at the North House Folk School's <i><a href="http://www.northhouse.org/programs/events/winterer'sgathering.htm" target="_blank">Winterer's Gathering</a> </i>in Grand Marais, MN, one of my most favorite places on earth! I led the family event, reading from both of my winter books, <i><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28WITWS%29.html" target="_blank">Winter is the Warmest Season</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28SNOW%29.html" target="_blank">Snow</a>,</i> and as the snow fell outside on Lake Superior and the town, we made shiny, glittery paper snowflakes inside. It has been my experience that once you start cutting paper snowflakes, you cannot stop at just one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e8HmaCXAFYGDLxrGnEmqXN6_i13pkkWAAXpnngzl08Qv9c-rw838HuPMbSKbk4IeEn0WcgKiLyqYOlWCjp7aLsltEWoA37hWAIn1QPXukd-ZityLAIMHaPXYFUUlGQ6x0GnndBoVZ6o/s1600/DSC_7652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e8HmaCXAFYGDLxrGnEmqXN6_i13pkkWAAXpnngzl08Qv9c-rw838HuPMbSKbk4IeEn0WcgKiLyqYOlWCjp7aLsltEWoA37hWAIn1QPXukd-ZityLAIMHaPXYFUUlGQ6x0GnndBoVZ6o/s320/DSC_7652.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demonstrating the art of cutting a six-point snowflake.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Most people think cutting a snowflake from paper is just a matter of folding the paper into quarters and cutting designs from there. That is fine for a lace-like doily, but when I illustrated </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Snow</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> I studied snowflakes. I learned that most snowflakes have six sides. Some have twelve, but never four or eight! I also learned that a snowflake is not a frozen raindrop-- it is an ice crystal that forms from water vapor in the air and it takes about fifteen minutes for a snowflake to form as it falls to earth. It takes about the same amount of time to cut out your first six-sided paper snowflake. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XS6V3aEZEtC9sqDcaDb12b0E5N9xvi5Z3ULvIs60m6hQOSfFVDFK2czxseoM9ZIa2y7dX4Rsynl_58ttjJIuRuKjCHYA4Rs46S97pY1gsafPIXA7wSsJudIQ1WDmH84Gj0iLNU7xS1s/s1600/DSC_7655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XS6V3aEZEtC9sqDcaDb12b0E5N9xvi5Z3ULvIs60m6hQOSfFVDFK2czxseoM9ZIa2y7dX4Rsynl_58ttjJIuRuKjCHYA4Rs46S97pY1gsafPIXA7wSsJudIQ1WDmH84Gj0iLNU7xS1s/s320/DSC_7655.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes a little help is needed to cut snowflake designs. </td></tr>
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Last week I hosted a gathering of CMLS (Circus Mom's Literary Society) at my house. This group of friends is famous for good food, wine and conversations about books, but this time I added making snowflakes to the mix. Scissors and shiny square origami papers were all the ingredients needed for a fun activity. I think active hands make for lively conversations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwl_dc3uNz9GehQDOzMCgY8aVV9wAPk2L47V14ASVk6K0IFSZhQeo-2asxo2eOPECr8b_r1ceyEtfkW3P_ioeMXq2Uvmt7odJ_W0aV8iuuQR2E8P05puBWy-w8ygB4ZP6n5Eez7KxwFk/s1600/Snowflakes%252104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwl_dc3uNz9GehQDOzMCgY8aVV9wAPk2L47V14ASVk6K0IFSZhQeo-2asxo2eOPECr8b_r1ceyEtfkW3P_ioeMXq2Uvmt7odJ_W0aV8iuuQR2E8P05puBWy-w8ygB4ZP6n5Eez7KxwFk/s320/Snowflakes%252104.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conversing and cutting snowflakes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWYgjMcnO5PdCmpYB9TeuAKoyHNadGo8xsTIxwVku6S6uceiIf16uC_JcAAs_i6Y1-K7NNWo9avgrkTkNSkGsU9kp5y1jQKs926hAHawpqsYfo8gwgztLT4IVJDQF3WBHbL7seVWHX_E/s1600/Snowflakes%252108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWYgjMcnO5PdCmpYB9TeuAKoyHNadGo8xsTIxwVku6S6uceiIf16uC_JcAAs_i6Y1-K7NNWo9avgrkTkNSkGsU9kp5y1jQKs926hAHawpqsYfo8gwgztLT4IVJDQF3WBHbL7seVWHX_E/s320/Snowflakes%252108.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shiny origami papers make shiny snowflakes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTCJKx-sq2x9EicbXxRR_yej4DeQoWonBzMJ-fDTDx8pX6hNPOx2koX3H6YY2Qtet5jSOcEdFYUgGe4103u511JOiPGFWaofR0oW0bXQuHqNgC9BnjURL20jyQ6VPKvPlmzFCf9WWoZI/s1600/Snowflakes%252106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTCJKx-sq2x9EicbXxRR_yej4DeQoWonBzMJ-fDTDx8pX6hNPOx2koX3H6YY2Qtet5jSOcEdFYUgGe4103u511JOiPGFWaofR0oW0bXQuHqNgC9BnjURL20jyQ6VPKvPlmzFCf9WWoZI/s320/Snowflakes%252106.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buster and snowflakes.</td></tr>
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It is mid-December in Minnesota, and believe it or not, there is NO SNOW! At least not in the Twin Cities. We had a paltry few inches a couple of weeks ago, but nothing since then and there is no forecast for snow in the next ten days! So what do you do when there is no snow? Make <a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28SNOW%29_3.html" target="_blank">snowflakes! </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcKoljOm_Zyh7MV_lx4Xegy7fZCSiqtGp7uCgdFSxis95VnEtS_m3_tt4tYhX7HFcNYhH24OSFsNa63X-6CzZgpGIkip2xiReHN43SC8g8ZTEMSxLOc1zKFOWx4iTQkBD4HjbbQ_3Hdw/s1600/Snowflakes%25211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcKoljOm_Zyh7MV_lx4Xegy7fZCSiqtGp7uCgdFSxis95VnEtS_m3_tt4tYhX7HFcNYhH24OSFsNa63X-6CzZgpGIkip2xiReHN43SC8g8ZTEMSxLOc1zKFOWx4iTQkBD4HjbbQ_3Hdw/s320/Snowflakes%25211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowflakes fall in my window, even with no snow outside.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvh3tuz2TR6hJHNxhj_TCdNgU7l_Fx_wjvQ5YDnEHyDahoqpyj-ItOe2Gj6lJ118Sicmk3OaP4Bd6SHvq9-5Z99lNuFjavDHrS2uLcCquzHTP3cZCHRRaBDVjWD5fR5Vdb5alN3eWKGWA/s1600/Snowflakes%25212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvh3tuz2TR6hJHNxhj_TCdNgU7l_Fx_wjvQ5YDnEHyDahoqpyj-ItOe2Gj6lJ118Sicmk3OaP4Bd6SHvq9-5Z99lNuFjavDHrS2uLcCquzHTP3cZCHRRaBDVjWD5fR5Vdb5alN3eWKGWA/s320/Snowflakes%25212.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowflakes!</td></tr>
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</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-20498482293417816672011-12-06T08:02:00.001-06:002011-12-06T09:40:58.995-06:00A Magical Literary Party!When magic happens, sometimes you have to keep it a secret, because no one will believe you if you told them. But sometimes when it happens, you have to tell everyone in order to share the magic and hope that it inspires more magic! Sunday night I was invited to the house of a children's librarian. It is no ordinary house. There are quotes from books on the windows, a Narnia train that travels from the kitchen to the living room bringing your beverages and if you are lucky, a letter in a miniature mailbag!
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GCEv3w4hoYDMTBeOFwD0rrXNZeAqGdpReTKdhNxUNv7ij3GdX5OomO0Kz0JfXM0B5zxvrJGUdd6LfQcVlJhW2vq1Fr_2ou_7pK7G3nWN3ZRCXHRNdz1LOCez6fCq000dQT0DEj9tuFw/s1600/Kim%2527s+literary+party01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GCEv3w4hoYDMTBeOFwD0rrXNZeAqGdpReTKdhNxUNv7ij3GdX5OomO0Kz0JfXM0B5zxvrJGUdd6LfQcVlJhW2vq1Fr_2ou_7pK7G3nWN3ZRCXHRNdz1LOCez6fCq000dQT0DEj9tuFw/s320/Kim%2527s+literary+party01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A letter from Narnia!<br />
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The people invited to this literary dinner party consisted of book writers and readers, painters and composers, wood artists, and philanthropists, who all had two things in common: we were all children once and we all loved to read, especially children's literature! As we toured the house, there were two bathrooms, one dedicated to Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, by Bernard Waber and the other to the Frog and Toad books, by Arnold Lobel. In the lower corner of the Frog and Toad bathroom is a small mailbox and if you are lucky, (and we were that night!), there might be a package for you inside!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9VXlQeAV80yKmXYyBziek6U4cEh2yaNvhNoA50oc3MHdk7R19-hoWl5F_PN4nXoJ0BujvI2gszgex3Ur6-cPawng9aYmISdqHEbUoAnOmPFkFFZho-mPeL0tvrRE0UkEYHpe9UiMDaY/s1600/Kim%2527s+literary+party04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9VXlQeAV80yKmXYyBziek6U4cEh2yaNvhNoA50oc3MHdk7R19-hoWl5F_PN4nXoJ0BujvI2gszgex3Ur6-cPawng9aYmISdqHEbUoAnOmPFkFFZho-mPeL0tvrRE0UkEYHpe9UiMDaY/s320/Kim%2527s+literary+party04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A package in Frog and Toad's mailbox!</td></tr>
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Letters written by frogs and mice are lovely to read, but sometimes you might need a magnifying glass!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPjAC5P_GwZRwzztouobaS5VXLYTffPo0qbU7m2pui8EmffwCXpaCgjk2LKB-TfSo5BjoHxY0dYiYZBdnNy4rQu19QcoOG-CeoUheO9DYByOIVEQp2nLgbwNuKB5SIYG9W6KvMW9CF2Q/s1600/Kim%2527s+literary+party03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPjAC5P_GwZRwzztouobaS5VXLYTffPo0qbU7m2pui8EmffwCXpaCgjk2LKB-TfSo5BjoHxY0dYiYZBdnNy4rQu19QcoOG-CeoUheO9DYByOIVEQp2nLgbwNuKB5SIYG9W6KvMW9CF2Q/s320/Kim%2527s+literary+party03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading a letter from a mouse.</td></tr>
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The guest room in this house is where I want to come and stay awhile. It is painted purple and is dedicated to the book, Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson. The walls are painted with magnetic paint, so you can move pictures around and make your own decor for the night! </div>
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Everywhere you look in this literary home are hundreds of references to children's picture books! Even the wall sockets are decorated with illustrations from picture books! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRire_4mnwE288riWQS5pKI61FxQDTLvW2NFzmjnUlgQsLgGyK5KuQ5AwJmlhX-jnICvzliNl5uuF_0bPctQZ019mfaJ_l_AD1JVZu6VeI7PZB_itaPkZAcfMCZHymdJhhshm1AxfMdb4/s1600/Kim%2527s+literary+party08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRire_4mnwE288riWQS5pKI61FxQDTLvW2NFzmjnUlgQsLgGyK5KuQ5AwJmlhX-jnICvzliNl5uuF_0bPctQZ019mfaJ_l_AD1JVZu6VeI7PZB_itaPkZAcfMCZHymdJhhshm1AxfMdb4/s320/Kim%2527s+literary+party08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using a magnifying glass to examine the illustration in the wall socket!</td></tr>
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Because one of the guests was the wonderful author/illustrator David LaRochelle, who LOVES <a href="http://www.davidlarochelle.net/about/contests.html" target="_blank">contests,</a> there was a literary contest played before and after the meal. With pens and questions with fill-in-the-blanks, we combed the house, racking our brains to figure out who was in the picture over the stove and what book was it<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Putter-Tabby-Bake-Cake/dp/0152002146" target="_blank"> from?</a> And what book was the quote on the studio window <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Rumphius-Barbara-Cooney/dp/0140505393" target="_blank">from?</a> There were framed illustrations on the walls to identify, runes on chairs to translate, and pictures on a clock that referred to specific times in specific books. It was hard to stop for dinner! But stop we did and conversation flowed about books of course. Books we were reading and books read when we were little. Books we were writing and books we were illustrating. It was a magical night! And who won the contest? I did, with the help of my husband! Our prize was a miniature dollar bill with miniature coins, in a miniature green envelope from Frog and Toad!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party gifts and contest forms from the magical Literary Party!<br />
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I have not had so much fun at a party in a very long time. Truly a magical evening. I hope this post inspires you to have your own literary party and share the magic of bringing books to life!<br />
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</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-45257310984848323572011-12-03T08:43:00.001-06:002011-12-04T10:22:58.480-06:00Time TravelI have become a time traveller. It began with the Wild West, walking the dusty streets of Dodge with Wyatt Earp and galloping to the next boomtown in search of gold, then with the beginning of <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a>, I found myself in 18th Century Venice, floating the canals and listening to the music of Vivaldi, and now suddenly I am thrust into early 20th Century watching rehearsals of The Rite of Spring in Paris!
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wild West and Circus Juventas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Venice by the artist, Guardi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancers from The Rite of Spring, 1913</td></tr>
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How is this time travel possible, you might ask? Imagination helps, but research is the key. Immersing myself in library books, internet sites, art books, Westerns, movies set in Venice, fiction and non-fiction, I am swimming from one century to the next. Why am I time traveling? All fall I have been writing the script for the next <a href="http://www.circusjuventas.com/" target="_blank">Circus Juventas </a>summer show. The theme this year is the "Wild West". Finding characters, hearing conversations with a cowboy twang, envisioning the locale, and determining a plot are possible only through lots of research- books on the West and movies, lots of Westerns!<br />
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I was sick with the flu for nearly three weeks in October and when November 1st rolled around I decided to amuse myself in bed by trying NaNoWriMo for the first time. A story set in 18th Century Venice had been knocking around in my head for over a year, so I took this opportunity of being housebound and joined the thousands of people who take the pledge to write 1600 words a day for the month of November and begin my first novel! Books and music filled my days as I asked questions of my characters, made up conversations, and began to determine a plot. I managed to write 105 pages by the end of the month. I didn't win the NaNoWriMo medal, but I have begun a story I love and that is what counts! However I have to put it away because I have a new deadline for a new picture book set in Paris in the early part of the 20th Century. Now I find myself rehearsing with the Ballets Russes and listening to Stravinsky's outrageous orchestrations through books, CDs, and documentaries, then making sketches for the illustrations inspired by all that I see and hear. I think I will stay in Paris for awhile now, though the Wild West will undoubtedly lasso me back from time to time.<br />
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<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-16431949913301883172011-11-27T12:20:00.001-06:002011-11-27T13:19:56.297-06:00Baking and Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My daughter Ruby was just home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday. She has her own vegan baking <a href="http://thatssovegan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> so she spent much of her time in the kitchen baking, then taking photos on the back porch to catch "just-the-right-light"; tough to do on these gray pre-snow days in Minnesota. On Black Friday she went shopping at Trader Joe's for baking supplies to use in her small college kitchen. Trader Joe's was not offering any midnight deals, in fact the person at the cash register was quite happy to be enjoying a relatively slow pace compared to the Thanksgiving rush just the day before. Canola oil, cashews for vegan cheese, and almonds were on the shopping list. I threw in a box of "Candy Cane Green Tea" to help her through finals to the holidays. </div>
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When we got home Ruby scoured the attic, basement, and closets for small plates, cups, saucers, pieces of cloth, doilies and anything that might serve as background and props for photographing her baked goods. Where did she get this amazing ability to bake delicious things to eat? I have my theories... but I think it all comes down to books...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby photographing pumpkin pancakes, watch for the recipe on her blog! Delicious!</td></tr>
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Both Ruby and my son, Cooper grew up with books. Everything books! I think it all began with cookbooks. Our favorite was <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pretend-Soup-Other-Real-Recipes/dp/1883672066" target="_blank">Pretend Soup</a></i> by Mollie Katsen. "Bagel faces" and "Bright Pink Fruit Dip" were two of our favorite recipes. We also loved trying recipes we found in stories, such as: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-Apple-World-Dragonfly-Books/dp/0679880836/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322420129&sr=1-2" target="_blank"><i>How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World</i> </a>by Marjorie Priceman, or our favorite spring read: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Cake-Patricia-Polacco/dp/0698115813/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322420274&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Thunder Cake</a>,</i> by Patricia Polacco. (Tomatoes in chocolate cake are really good, but strange.) And though I don't remember a real recipe in the book, we always had to eat pancakes after reading<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pancakes-World-Eric-Carle/dp/0689822464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322420630&sr=1-1" target="_blank"> this.</a><br />
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The season of baking is fast upon us. We just dropped Ruby off at the airport, but she will soon return home for winter break and more baking. We are all looking forward to her vegan versions inspired by this childhood <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Cookie-Baker-Monica-Wellington/dp/0525477632/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322420778&sr=1-1" target="_blank">favorite!</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of the Baker as a Young Girl. </td></tr>
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</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-46942164663908733442011-11-25T15:09:00.001-06:002011-11-25T17:56:23.377-06:00A Great Find...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love bookstores. Especially small ones... independent ones... ones that are more likely to be called "Bookshops" than Bookstores. Last weekend I was in Grand Marais, MN~ my favorite small town on the edge of Lake Superior. Whenever I visit Grand Marais I have to visit <a href="http://drurylanebooks.com/" target="_blank">Drury Lane Books.</a> A small white historic house on the edge of the lake filled with books! What could be better? What I love about small independent bookstores is that each one has a unique voice when it comes to the books that fill the shelves inside. Drury Lane has shelves of books to choose from that I would never come across in a large bookstore chain. When I walk through the door I feel my excitement rise with the anticipation of finding the perfect book. I take off my winter coat and make myself comfortable, knowing I can easily spend several hours or more perusing the fiction section alone, then make my way to the travel and nature shelves at the back and finally over to the history, politics, and current issues sections. Sometimes I sit on the small painted chair in the children's book section. Sometimes I sit in the rocking chair at the back of the store where I can talk to whoever is working at the store, maybe Lee, maybe Bruce, sometimes even the owner, author, Joan Drury. They all <i>know</i> books, so very soon I have gathered before me a pile of books to consider. This is when I make my way to my favorite spot: the window seat in the front room. There I can look out at the Bay occasionally while I curl up and look through each book, hoping to find the one that feels "just right."<br />
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Last weekend I made a great <a href="http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-520-1.cfm" target="_blank">find</a>! It is a small perfectly shaped book and every page I have read so far stirs my imagination. Set in 16th Century Venice the story takes place in an island monastery where Fra Mauro works on a map of the world in his small enclosed cell. His map grows and changes based on the stories brought to him by explorers, pilgrims, and merchants returning from their world travels. It is one of those books that I could read in one sitting, but I deliberately go slow in order to savor every page.<br />
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Never able to choose just one, I also bought this <a href="http://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/twelve-owls" target="_blank">book</a>. It is gorgeously illustrated by my friend <a href="http://woodcut.com/" target="_blank">Betsy Bowen</a>, a marvelous artist of books, paintings, and much more, who lives in Grand Marais. Should you find your way to the North Shore of Lake Superior, I recommend visiting Betsy's studio and of course, Drury Lane books.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-59128057957387337142011-10-05T06:28:00.000-05:002011-11-28T16:58:32.635-06:00Smiley Library Family Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On October 1st, I was the featured author/illustrator at the <a href="http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_19020991" target="_blank">Smiley Library Family Day</a> in Redlands, CA. The sun was shining and so were all the families, books, and activities! Opened to the public in 1898, the A.K. Smiley Library is truly one of the most beautiful libraries I have visited. Along with a bountiful collection of books and research materials and a welcoming children's book room, the library features stained glass windows, a private garden, and the <a href="http://www.lincolnshrine.org/" target="_blank">Lincoln Memorial Shrine</a> with a remarkable civil war museum. Even Abe Lincoln himself was greeting folks!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Smiley Public Library</td></tr>
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It was a day of celebrating reading. As the featured Author/Illustrator, I presented a slide show, starting with a musical slide show of THE PRINCESS AND HER PANTHER, with the author, Wendy Orr, reading the story. Then I told the story of how I write and illustrate books, showing lots of pictures of course, because I love stories with pictures! At the end of my presentation everyone folded an origami frog with a very big mouth that just might whisper a poem or story into the folder's ear.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abe and me outside the Lincoln Memorial</td></tr>
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Craft tables were set up all over the back lawn with activities inspired by some of my picture books. Children made Princess and Panther masks after reading THE PRINCESS AND HER PANTHER. Nests and tide pools were created at the CASTLES, CAVES AND HONEYCOMBS table.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVjZ4BjdqHxIvHn0bZM0On3XIApJJdrGWZJMLJSLcQ-rhiL4BlOwaecMqm3W-xAy-FUoSBYqWruhsVtCmKIT-NVU6rfjgGjKOoa_6lSOvZfpPqNpP4FUUY6B3QXXGz0zSDKj_lcaU_fY/s1600/IMG_4887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVjZ4BjdqHxIvHn0bZM0On3XIApJJdrGWZJMLJSLcQ-rhiL4BlOwaecMqm3W-xAy-FUoSBYqWruhsVtCmKIT-NVU6rfjgGjKOoa_6lSOvZfpPqNpP4FUUY6B3QXXGz0zSDKj_lcaU_fY/s320/IMG_4887.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making animal homes inspired by Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs</td></tr>
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And snowflakes flew with glitter and glue despite the heat of the sun. Books inspired everyone's imagination that day. Books are amazing like that! When you read a book called SNOW on a hot, sunny day in California, your skin may get goosebumps and you may find yourself wishing you had a cup of hot chocolate and a pair of mittens to wear!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowflakes in California!</td></tr>
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I am back in the golden glow of October in Minnesota, but what a warm and welcoming Family Day in California!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-55977169786347822872011-09-04T07:25:00.000-05:002011-11-30T13:14:42.804-06:00Origami on a Stick!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Folding origami on a stick with fair-goers</td></tr>
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Summer in Minnesota does not feel like summer without a visit to the Minnesota State Fair. This year I was one of the twelve featured <a href="http://www.mnstatefair.org/entertainment/fair_alphabet.html">authors at the Alphabet Forest</a> at the Fair. I was given a beautiful large blue ribbon to wear, (my first!) and a table with seats all around it that were rarely empty! If you have never been to the Minnesota State Fair, then you have no idea what it is like to walk all day through rain and sun among thousands of other people eating Pronto Pups, cheese curds, and french fries, but just imagine it, and once you have imagined it, then look for a lovely little wooded corner strung with alphabet letters and activity tables and you will want to sit and rest there awhile. There is even a library to sit and read for as long as you like!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perfect place to rest and read a book at the Fair!</td></tr>
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I spent the day celebrating my book, <em><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28FMAP%29.html">FOLD ME A POEM</a>, </em>by teaching origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. We folded snakes, frogs, penguins, dogs, birds, and roosters~ and since we were folding at the Minnesota State Fair where everything is on a stick, the final addition was a stick:"Origami on a Stick"! The stick element made for some fun puppet shows.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you guess what this fair-goer's favorite color is?</td></tr>
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The Alphabet Forest was an idea conceived by this <a href="http://www.debrafrasier.com/">author.</a> There are alphabet crowns, word-finding games, fair letter necklaces, and a photo booth with fair letters from this <a href="http://www.debrafrasier.com/pages/books/fabfair/look-inside.html">book</a>. What a wonderful addition to the attractions at the Minnesota State Fair! What an honor to be the Author of the Day! And what does an author do after spending the day in the Alphabet Forest? Why wander the rest of the fair of course! I saw the giant pumpkin, the butterheads, the bees, seed art, and bonsai exhibit at the Horticulture building, ate a delicious five bean fajita at Juanita's Fajitas, listened to "Boiled in Lead" at the International Bazaar stage, and people-watched as night fell and the lights of the fair began to glow.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alphabet Forest and its wonderful log cabin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basket full of origami frogs!</td></tr>
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What to do during the rainy month of April? National Poetry Month? If you have a pile of square sheets of colored paper try folding poems!<br />
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Last week I received a photo of a basket full of frogs. Origami frogs! It came from Ms. Wolf and her class of second graders at Valentine Hills Elementary in Arden Hills, MN. Along with the photo were poems written by Ms. Wolf's students.</div>
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In her email, Ms. Wolf wrote: "<em>Although I had read <a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28FMAP%29.html" target="_blank">Fold Me a Poem</a> in the fall, I reread the story and then we made frogs and wrote poems about them...</em> <em>I had the frogs "whisper" secret wishes to the kids, which they then wrote on pieces of paper and rolled up into the frogs mouths - something I saw you do at the IRA conference a few years ago." </em></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">When the author, <a href="http://www.kristinegeorge.com/" target="_blank">Kristine O'Connell George</a> wrote the poems for our book, <em>Fold Me a Poem,</em> she was inspired by observing a young boy folding paper animals all on his own. The sound of the paper folding, the different shapes the animal took as it was gradually folded into life, and finally the personality it took on with the help of the boy's imagination, all became the voices of her poems in the book. When I illustrated the poems, I had to teach myself to fold origami by checking out every origami book at my local library. And I will tell you, when you fold paper animals, the paper does indeed whisper to you if you listen! If you are interested in folding paper frogs or a dog, a rooster, bird, or snake, go <a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28FMAP%29_diagrams.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And if you are interested in learning a little more how to write a poem to go with your paper animal, go <a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books(FMAP)_files/Teachers%20Guide%20Fold%20Me%20a%20Poem-1.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. Or you can read the poems below from Ms. Wolf's Second Graders. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<strong>Origami Frogs!</strong></div>
(Poems by 2<sup>nd</sup> graders in Ms. Wolf’s Class )</div>
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<br />
Frog<br />
<br />
You<br />
<br />
made<br />
<br />
me,<br />
<br />
Thank<br />
<br />
You!<br />
<br />
By Leo<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
<br />
If my<br />
<br />
frog could<br />
<br />
talk it<br />
<br />
would say,<br />
<br />
“hi my friends.”<br />
<br />
By Rotho<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
<br />
Origami Frog<br />
<br />
I was<br />
<br />
just a<br />
<br />
piece of<br />
<br />
paper and<br />
<br />
now look<br />
<br />
what I am!<br />
<br />
WOW!<br />
<br />
Thank you<br />
<br />
for making me. A<br />
<br />
piece of<br />
<br />
paper into<br />
<br />
a frog!<br />
<br />
By Anna<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
<br />
Frog<br />
<br />
I’m a<br />
<br />
paper frog<br />
<br />
with my<br />
<br />
paper frog<br />
<br />
family.<br />
<br />
By Hannah L.<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
<br />
A Piece of Paper<br />
<br />
I’m a piece<br />
<br />
of paper.<br />
<br />
I do not<br />
<br />
do much.<br />
<br />
All I do<br />
<br />
is sit<br />
<br />
around.<br />
<br />
Now<br />
<br />
I’m a frog!<br />
<br />
I’m<br />
<br />
FREE!<br />
<br />
By Katie<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
<br />
Fast Frog<br />
<br />
YAY!<br />
<br />
I’m a<br />
<br />
real frog!<br />
<br />
I’m jumpin’ ‘round!<br />
<br />
Look!<br />
<br />
AT!<br />
<br />
ME!<br />
<br />
By Michael<br />
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</blockquote>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-60094596947741535742011-04-12T07:25:00.000-05:002011-11-28T17:07:56.603-06:00Luck of the Buttons and National Library Workers Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is the "Release" day for The Luck of the Buttons, a new middle grade novel by my friend, Anne Ylvisaker. I have had the honor of being privy to its process since its inception. It was born on a sunny day in May several years ago when I was invited to join The Tall Grass Writers on their annual picnic to the oldest cemetery in Iowa where original prairie still grows beneath spreading oaks. After a delicious lunch complete with champagne, we wandered between lichen covered headstones, reading the epitaphs still visible despite a hundred years of rain, snow, and sun. Anne spotted the name "Tugs Britton" on a headstone and loved the name so much she took a photo of it. (Anne is a great photographer and a camera plays a big role in her new novel!) You can read more about how "Tugs Britton" became "Tugs Button" <a href="http://www.anneylvisaker.com/" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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When you are lucky enough to get your hands on a copy of this book you will find yourself hankering for a slice of pecan pie and a trip or two to your local library. "Miss Lucy", the librarian in The Luck of the Buttons, plays a pivotal role and since today is <a href="http://ala-apa.org/nlwd/" target="_blank">National Library Workers Day</a>, what does an author of a newly launched novel do on this day? She bakes chocolate brownies and heads down to her local library with a copy of her new book to donate and a plate of brownies to say "Thank you!" I join Anne today in saying thank you to all Library Workers and I join Anne today in celebrating the birth of Luck of the Buttons!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-47142227480502510922011-04-03T06:14:00.000-05:002011-11-28T17:05:10.974-06:00Grimm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Set model for Cinderella's Castle</td></tr>
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I spent the morning yesterday painting the upper panels of Cinderella's Palace. For the past seven years I have been one of the designer/ painters of the theatrical sets for <a href="http://www.circusjuventas.com/" target="_blank">Circus Juventas'</a> Summer Shows. Each year has a different theme, and this year is titled "Grimm" and weaves five stories by the Grimm brothers in and out of the spectacular circus acts. Since I also work with the artistic director, Betty Butler, writing the script I am very familiar with the set and prop needs to make certain the storyline is clear. This year our story begins with Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in their cottage researching and writing their fairytales late into the night. Books lying everywhere, oil lamps burning, candles melting and large feathered quills scattered about will create the setting of a wonderful opening scene! Beyond their cottage lies the village and marketplace as well as the elegant palace on the hill. <em>Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Cap, </em>and<em> Rapunzel </em>are the five stories interwoven throughout the show and the familiar characters from each of these tales live their everyday lives in the village, palace, or nearby woods. We have written lots of surprises into the script and added comedy and humor to offset the intrinsic darkness of the original Grimm stories.<br />
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Jacob and Wilhelm's cottage is nearly done and the palace is beginning to sparkle. By day I paint picture books using a very small brush in the quiet of my studio, by nights and weekends, I paint sets letting arms fly with large brushes while all around me kids, ages 2 to 21 are flying through the air or tumbling over mats. The script and the sets are just guidelines and atmosphere~ it is the wildly talented performers and their choreographers and directors who bring the show to life. I can"t wait!<br />
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<em>For photos and stories of set production of past Circus Juventas shows visit my <a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Studio-Circus.html" target="_blank">website.</a></em>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-18838350733230005832011-03-29T05:28:00.000-05:002011-11-28T21:47:23.311-06:00Library of the Early Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently attended a screening of a new documentary on literature for children called: <em><a href="http://www.libraryoftheearlymind.com/" target="_blank">Library of the Early Mind.</a></em><a href="http://www.libraryoftheearlymind.com/" target="_blank"> </a>It was shown for free at my local library in downtown Minneapolis and after the film there was a panel discussion which included the director of the film, Edward J. Delaney, a school media specialist, Julie Reimer, (also the author of the blog,<em> Extended Self Life</em>, see my list of favorite blogs below!), and three authors, <a href="http://www.catherinethimmesh.com/" target="_blank">Catherine Thimmesh</a>, <a href="http://www.davidlarochelle.net/" target="_blank">David LaRochelle</a>, and <a href="http://www.johncoy.com/" target="_blank">John Coy</a>. The panelists were excellent and added to the experience of the film, which interviews twenty creators of children's books. There is humor, clarity, and intensity in the stories of each of the artist/authors being interviewed. The film begins with the voice of Chris Van Allsburg telling the story of how the idea for the book, <em>The Polar Express </em>came about. After drawing the headlight of a train in the woods with steam glowing in the night he asked himself: "If I were a child and a train could take me anywhere, where would I want to go?" And from there the story evolved.<i> </i>Later in the film, the author Natalie Babbitt says "The best children's stories are wisdom dipped in pictures." I loved this!<br />
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One point that the panelists discussed was how picture books become the "wallpaper" of our lives, meaning, how our favorite books we read when we were little, stay with us the rest of our lives. John Coy made the point that it wasn't just "wallpaper", but that the books he remembers from when he was little actually changed his life-- they did not stay in the background. And since today is my birthday, I thought I would list the books that are not only wallpaper decorating my life, but also changed the way I thought, the choices I have made, and who I am now and at different ages and stages of my life. After reading my list, if you are so inclined, please leave your list of favorite books from your childhood, the one's that still remind you who you are. During the panel talk, the director of the film, Edward Delaney, said the one book he remembers that made a difference in his life was: <em>The Human Comedy</em> by William Saroyan. I have never read this book, but I went to the library yesterday and checked it out in order to add it to my <em>library of the aging mind!</em><br />
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My List of "Wallpaper" Books, favorites from when I was little:<br />
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<li>Millions of Cats</li>
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<li>The Cat in the Hat Comes Back</li>
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<li>The Ugly Duckling</li>
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<li>The Little Engine That Could</li>
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<li>Little Bear</li>
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<li>The Phantom Tollbooth</li>
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<li>The Secret Garden</li>
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<a href="http://artistand3cats.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/library-of-the-early-mind-poster.jpg"></a><a href="http://artistand3cats.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/books.jpeg"></a><a href="http://artistand3cats.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/uglyduckling.jpg"></a><a href="http://artistand3cats.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/the-little-engine-that-could.jpg"></a><a href="http://artistand3cats.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/18871.jpg"></a><a href="http://artistand3cats.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/the_phantom_tollbooth.jpg"></a>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-21619926653290406522011-03-27T12:37:00.000-05:002011-11-28T21:44:38.633-06:00Three Cats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://artistand3cats.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/franz_marc1.jpg"></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Cats, Franz Marc</td></tr>
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I live in a big house with three cats: Lucy, Buster and Indigo. They are my amusing muses and appear in many of my books, especially Buster, as he is likes to pose in my studio. I have always lived with cats, sometimes whole litters of cats, thus, naming my blog: "Artist and 3 Cats" seemed just right.<br />
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I met the author, Joan M. Wolf, at a book signing just a few days ago who also has three cats. She calls them her "Literary Cats" and writes extensively about them on her <a href="http://www.joanmwolf.com/Joan_M_Wolf/Home.html" target="_blank">website</a> including lots of wonderful photos. (She has a chicken too, but that is not the name of my blog.) Three seems like a perfect number for cats~ Art has always provided me with answers and reassurances in times of wondering why, so when I came across the painting "Three Cats" by the artist Franz Marc, I felt even more certain of the title for my blog.<br />
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Franz Marc has always been one of my favorite artists. His paintings curve and move, explode and soothe with line and vibrant expressive color. He mostly painted animals; blue horses and leaping yellow cows. He was born in Munich in 1880 and died much too young in 1916 in WWI. I always look at the art of other artists to give me ideas-- take me to places I may not even imagine. When I was illustrating my book, <em><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/Lauren_Stringer/Books%28CC%26H%29.html" target="_blank">Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs</a>,</em> I had pictures of Franz Marc's paintings of animals all over my studio walls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Cats, Franz Marc</td></tr>
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</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010337372712809966.post-35307649248495234142011-03-26T09:31:00.000-05:002011-11-28T17:27:42.493-06:00I Love to Read Month!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Folding origami all together!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">February is "I Love to Read" month, the month when I visit the most schools as an author/illustrator! I want to highlight a wonderful visit I had last month with Baxter Elementary School in Baxter, MN. Organized by two extraordinary media specialists, Sandy and Jennifer, I was welcomed by over 600 students who had read all of my books and were ready to learn how they were made and ready with great questions! My first day was a day of large presentations: slides showing my process from thumbnail sketches to final art. A movie of my newest book, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><em>The Princess and Her Panther </em></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">was featured, narrated by the author, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.wendyorr.com/" target="_blank" title="Wendy Orr, Author">Wendy Orr,</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> with music by my husband, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.matthewsmithcomposes.com/HOME.htmlhttp://" target="_blank" title="Matthew Smith, Composer, Artist, Authro">Matthew Smith</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. At the end of my presentation we all folded origami frogs, inspired by my book, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><em>Fold Me A Poem, </em></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">written by Kristine O'Connell George. This is always a great accomplishment when there are over a hundred kids folding at one time! It makes for wonderful papery-whispery sounds which just might inspire a poem! (Origami became very popular during my visit~ the second morning, Jennifer was leading "flower" paper-folding lessons to all the early arrivals in the library before the bell rang. I wonder how many paper animals are running around Baxter Elementary these days?)</span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowflake Poems!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Media Specialists Extraordinaire!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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During my second day I visited several classrooms for smaller workshops. Students learned about storyboards and pagination, dummy-books and how to tell a story within the story in pictures. In my kindergarten and second grade classrooms we wrote a group poem inspired by my book, <em>Snow,</em> written by Cynthia Rylant. Then we cut out snowflakes with six points, <em>never eight! </em>and arranged snowflakes and poems on a double-page spread.<br />
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Each day I had lunch with a group of students who had written essays and poems about why they wanted to have "Lunch with the Author". During lunch we shared what we liked to write about and what sort of pictures we liked to draw. I even led a spontaneous drawing lesson one day, shoving our lunch trays aside for space to move paper and pencil.<br />
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It was hard to leave Baxter Elementary at the end of my two-day visit. I felt as if I was just getting to know everyone! A week after I arrived back home I received a packet of the most beautiful thank you cards! Thanks Baxter Elementary!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making books in the classroom.</td></tr>
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</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131575604953515285noreply@blogger.com1