Hansel and Gretel...

Life was harsh for the country people who told this story to relieve the  cruel reality of their daily existence.

Hansel and Gretel encounter abandonment, fear, hunger, cannibalism, and magic...they are lost in a cruel world of kill or be killed.

The children must rely on their own courage and ingenuity to survive and prevail.   

Welcome to the world of the wonder tale.

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Wonder Tales before the Grimms 

During the reign of Louis XIV, cultural endeavors in all the arts were encouraged and highly regarded in the court of Versailles. Writers, including Moliere, Racine and Marais, were respected and often admired. Ideas were in the air in the salons of Paris and in the court itself.  

Good but Grimm Bedtime Reading

Here is an excerpt from the beginning of her excellent article:

"Many readers may argue with the poet Schiller’s assertion that ‘Deeper meaning resides in the fair tales told to me in my childhood that in the truth that is taught by life.’ Even so, perhaps those same readers will admit that the belief, quoted in Bruno Bettelheim’s master-work ‘The Uses of Enchantment’ (1976) has some validity.

They will certainly do so if they acknowledge the staying power of the fairytales told or read to them in childhood, and if they remember that strange hinterland in which mystery, search, loss, redemption and triumph still bring some imaginative consolation to the perceived injustices of the very young.

The fact is, as Jack Zipes discusses in his fascinating anthology, fairy tales incorporate the truth that is taught by life...."

The illustration of the Elves and the Shoemaker is by George Cruickshank.

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The Grimm's Wonder Tales Sweep England in the Nineteenth Century

David Blamires, in a very comprehensive and rather scholarly article for Open Book Publishers, details the impact on readers in England of the  Edgar Taylor translation (1823) of the Grimm's original Childrens and Household Tales. The article provides both overview and details of the English versions throughout the 18th Century. Blamires credits the illustrations by George Cruikshank as being very important to to wide popular acceptance. 

 "Without a shadow of doubt the single most important German contribution to world literature is the collection of traditional tales made by the Brothers Grimm and first published in two small volumes in 1812-15. It outshines Goethe’s Faust and such twentieth-century classics as Mann’s Death in Venice or Kafka’s The Trial by virtue of an infinitely greater readership. Not only have the tales been translated in whole or in part into virtually every major language in the world, but they have generated countless new editions and adaptations and become the cornerstone of the study of folktales not only in Germany, but throughout the world... 

When Edgar Taylor made the first translation of the Grimms into English
as German Popular Stories, translated from the Kinder und Haus Märchen, collected by M.M. Grimm, from oral tradition (London: C. Baldwyn, 1823), the fairytale as a genre was very much in the grip of the French. Of course, such truly English fairytales as ’Jack the Giant-killer’, ’Whittington and his Cat’, ’Tom Hickathrift’, ’Tom Thumb’ and ’Jack and the Beanstalk’ had circulated in chapbooks, but English tales were not systematically collected until later. It was the fairytales of Charles Perrault, Madame d’Aulnoy and Madame Leprince de Beaumont that dominated the scene..." 
The illustrations of Rapunzel and Cinderella are by George Cruickshank.

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Born Without A Tail Returns

The enhanced second edition of Born Without A Tale, by C.A. Wulff will be published later this month by Barking Planet Productions. The book is a heartwarming life journey memoir by of Wulff's never ending rescues, healings, and adventures with a melange of dogs and cats. 

Here's a description of the first edition from Amazon:

When your home has a revolving door for abused and abandoned animals, keeping pets takes
on a whole new dimension! Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-rending, Born Without a Tail chronicles the true-life adventures of two animal rescuers living with an ever-changing house full of pets. The author takes us on a journey from childhood through adulthood, sharing tales, (mis)adventures and insights garnered from a lifetime of encounters with a menagerie of twenty remarkable animals.--

And here is an abridged sample of a review...there are many more on Amazon : 

"I can't say too much about this book, it's more than a 'dog book' it's a people, animals, life book. I was hooked from the first page and read it straight through... The writer has a great way of drawing you in, making you at home in her world. Anyone who's ever had a heart dog, a misfit cat, ever been touched by the love of an animal should enjoy this book. It's a keeper."                                     -- Bookpleasures.com

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Lost Wonders Found In An Immersive Theatrical Experience

Imagine walking into a warehouse converted into an environment of wonder where you find clairvoyant ravens, a runaway princess, and elves with magic powers.  I discovered all of this is happening in London when I read a recent post by Kristen in her Tales of Faerie blog. Here is an excerpt...  

"Any readers who live in England/will be travelling to the UK this spring? There's a unique fairy tale play going on, Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales for the Young and Old: An Immersive Fairy Tale, adapted and directed by Philip Wilson....

Reviewers seem overall very impressed with the play, especially the format. Instead of an audience sitting in chairs in an auditorium, they follow the characters through a large warehouse with different sections set up as each fairy tale. Props to the creators of this play for not only staying faithful to the Grimm fairy tales, but introducing audiences to lesser known tales, such as "Faithful Johannes" and "The Three Little Men in the Woods" (which seems to be the audience favorite)."

In the words of Philip Wilson (Director & Adapter) of this theater piece:

"I love the fact that, in German, these are known as 'wonder tales' rather than the more twee term 'fairy tales': and so audiences coming to the Bargehouse will find themselves plunged into a parallel universe in which extraordinary adventures happen - and the darker side of these stories will come to light..."

For more information and a video, visit Grimm 

Photo by Angela B; Illustration by Hermann Vogel

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Paws Giving Independence (PGI) is a multi-faceted, grass roots organization, located in Peoria, Illinois, that does wonderful work in providing service dogs for people with disabilities. Their dogs serve people ranging from the Jesse Brown Veteran's Hospital in Chicago to the Peoria Children's Home Youth Farm. 

The photo on the left is of Monty, who recently had his first day of school with his new friend, the young girl in the photo. They are both in fourth grade. Monty now lives with her in her home, and they go everywhere, including the school bus, together.

Monty was trained by a Bradley University student as part of the Wags for Mags program, initiated by Paws Giving Independence (photo on the right).This ongoing program of student volunteers works directly with people and training the dogs for service. Anyone with a disability can apply for a PGI service dog. Saturday, June 6, 2015, is the day for PGI's  Running With The Dogs Day. 

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Dogs As Healers in the Planet Of The Dogs Series

 In the first book in the Planet Of The Dogs we are introduced to Bella, the healer lady of Green Valley. And it is through Bella that people have their first experience with dogs as healers...the first Therapy Dogs. Here is an excerpt...

"The next morning, just as daylight brightened their home, Tomas and his family had another visitor, Bella, the healer lady. Bella helped the people of Green Valley when they were having babies, or when they were sick. She had a large garden of flowers and herbs that she used when healing people. All the people in Lake Village, including Omeg, liked her and respected her. Bella had been dreaming of the dogs and understood the reason they had come to Planet Earth. 

Before Bella reached the house, Robbie and Buddy, who now slept in the barn, sensed her arrival and ran up the road to greet her. The family was happy to see her and to find that she welcomed the dogs. They  were  surprised that Bella was  so comfortable with Buddy, who lay at her feet while she sat at the table drinking a refreshing cup of mint tea. Bella had an even bigger surprise for everyone. She said, “From my dreams, I have learned that the dogs can help me in my work. I know they have the power of love and the power to help people heal,” she said. Tomas and Sara looked at her in amazement. Daisy and Bean were not so surprised. Then Bella said, “I want to take the little dog to visit Delia, the sad one...”

For sample chapters from Planet Of The Dogs, Castle In The Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes,  A Christmas Tale -- and more information about all of our Barking Planet books -- visit our Planet Of The Dogs website.  

Free copies of the Planet of The Dogs book series  for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, and librarians and teachers with therapy reading dog programs...simply send us an email at [email protected].

"In PLANET OF THE DOGS, Robert McCarty weaves an enchanting story that will delight the young reader as well as the young reader's parents or grandparents. Parents and grandparents should be forewarned, however, that their young readers will be pleading with them unrlentingly for a visit to Green Valley."  Warner V. Slack MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Father, Grandfather
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All Barking Planet Productions Books are available on the internet at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other booksellers --  as well as your local independent bookstore. 

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LitWorld and World Read Aloud Day

LitWorld brings literacy, reading, books, and empowerment to disadvantaged children.

LitWorld celebrated their annual World Read Aloud Day on March 5th.

"World Read Aloud Day allows members of our year-round programs to invite more people into their literacy community and brings LitWorld’s messages to the rest of the world. World Read Aloud Day is now celebrated by over one million people in more than 80 countries and reaches over 31 million people online. The growth of our movement can be attributed in large part to our network of partner organizations and “WRADvocates” – a group of reading advocates and supporters taking action in their communities and on social media."

Visit their website and learn more about their wonderful work: LitWorld

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The Wind In The Willows

"But Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, but can recapture nothing but a dim sense of the beauty in it, the beauty! Till that, too, fades away in its turn, and the dreamer bitterly accepts the hard, cold waking and all its penalties."--Kenneth Grahame, The Wind In The Willows; Illustration, E.H. Shephard

 
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I was drawn to read this book. 

The Motherless Child Project is terrific and timely. The central character, Emily Amber Ross, a 16 year old girl, is bright, interesting, conflicted, and very likable. The fact that she lives in a home where there can be no mention of her mother and her childhood becomes a driving force in her life. The story builds into a suspenseful, compelling, poignant rush of events. The ending is exciting and satisfying. I would think that word of mouth will be significant. In addition to being an excellent, and meaningful read -- The Motherless Child Project would make a great YA crossover movie. 

Janie McQueen and Robin Karr are the co-authors of The Motherless Child Project

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 The Unintelligible Truth of Folktales

Laura Miller, in Salon, conducted an excellent interview with Maria Tatar on the occasion of the publication of The Turnip Princess. Here is an excerpt:

What do you in particular find so compelling about this form?

"What I really love about fairy tales is that they get us talking about matters that are just so vital to us. I think about the story of Little Red Riding Hood and how originally it was about the predator-prey relationship, and then it becomes a story about innocence and seduction for us. We use that story again and again to work out these very tough issues that we have to face. My hope is that this volume will get people talking about not just the stories and the plot but the underlying issues.

Milan Kundera has this quote in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” about painting that goes something like: Painting is an intelligible lie on the surface, but underneath is the unintelligible truth. Folktales are lies, they misrepresent things, and they seem so straightforward and so deceptively simple in a way. It’s the unintelligible truth beneath that’s so powerful, and that’s why we keep talking about them. They’re so complicated. We have a cultural compulsion about folklore. We keep retelling the stories because we can never get them right."  Illustration by Lancelot Speed

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"He now felt glad at having suffered sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all the pleasure and happiness around him;” 

 “It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye.” 
― Hans Christian Anderson, The Ugly Duckling

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Animated Movies and Inspiration from Tales of Wonder 

Last year (2014), the Oscar for the best animated film -- Frozen -- was "inspired" by Hans Christian Anderson's classic story, The Snow Queen. In addition to substantive story changes, this Disney fantasy removes the dark fear and danger of the original and substitutes dazzling animation, fast pacing, and romantic gloss. Frozen has a sound track of soaring romantic music. the film also won an Oscar for best song: Let It Go.

Disney achieved their goal. In addition to recognition by their peers in winning the Oscars, the film has been extremely popular and made a great deal of money, grossing $1,274,219,009. That figure represents an incredible number of children and adults experiencing the Disney version of the story.

Here is an excerpt from Anderson's original Snow Queen, which, unlike the film, I find permeated by a sense of the ominous, of danger and events beyond control...

"There stood poor Gerda, without shoes, without gloves, in the midst of cold, dreary, ice-bound Finland. She ran forwards as quickly as she could, when a whole regiment of snow-flakes came round her; they did not, however, fall from the sky, which was quite clear and glittering with the northern lights. The snow-flakes ran along the ground, and the nearer they came to her, the larger they appeared. Gerda remembered how large and beautiful they looked through the burning-glass. But these were really larger, and much more terrible, for they were alive, and were the guards of the Snow Queen... but all were dazzlingly white, and all were living snow-flakes."

Hopefully, many more children, having experienced the Disney version, will be drawn to read the original.

Illustration of the original Snow Queen is by Vilhelm Pedersen.

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Little Red Riding Hood...There are many versions and many interpretations in film, TV, theater and illustration of Little Red Riding Hood. The story had a major role last year in Disney's production of Into The Woods, a film inspired by a popular Broadway musical.

On a more modest scale, Cale Atkinson, a talented young Canadian illustrator, created a delightful short animated  version (1:37) of Red Riding Hood on Vimeo.

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Disney's Big Hero

This year, Big Hero 6 , also a Disney film, has won the Oscar for best animated film. This time , inspiration for the film was inspired by a Marvel comic story. The film is a significant departure from the original. Humor, imagination and outstanding animation bring Hiro, a brilliant teenage robotics inventor, Baymax his robot, and the fantasy future world of San Fransokyo to fun-filled life.

Disney, through the collaboration between Winnie the Pooh director Don Hall, and Chris Williams, director of Bolt, succeeded in adding charm and fun to the original premise; as a result, Big Hero 6 found a large audience worldwide: $546,225,000 (this figure will grow with winning the Oscar).

Here is a link to the delightful trailer: Big Hero 6.

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 Disney Returns with Cinderella on March 13. 

Cinderella back and, once again, has a cruel stepmother ... If Kate Blanchett was my cruel stepmother, I would be most grateful if Helena Bonham Carter was my fairy godmother --  especially if Kenneth Branagh was my director. This comment is based on watching the trailer for Cinderella - the next Disney movie.  

See for yourself:  Cinderella Trailer...and listen to the soaring music.

The advance reviews suggest this Cinderella will please and delight young girls and their families. Personally, I'm still marveling at the movie created by Linda Woolverton, Robert Stromberg, and Angelina Jolie in Malificent, inspired by Sleeping Beauty.

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JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novels have been elbowed out of the annual lineup of the most popular books for schoolchildren by a deluge of dark dystopias and urban fantasies.

The seventh What Kids Are Reading report, which analyses the reading habits of over half a million children in over 2,700 UK schools, revealed today that Tolkien’s books have dropped out of the overall most popular list for the first time since the report began six years ago. In previous years, Tolkien’s titles have featured within the chart’s top 10 places, mostly among secondary-school children.

Instead, this year in secondary schools the most popular title was John Green’s tale of a heartbreaking teenage romance, The Fault in Our Stars, followed by two dystopian stories: Suzanne Collins’s Catching Fire, from the Hunger Games series, and Veronica Roth’s Divergent, set in a world where people are classified according to their personality traits...."

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 Nancy Houser posted an informative article in Way Cool Dogs on Separation Anxiety in Dogs. To people who don't know dogs, this may sound a bit over the top. Dog owners, however, will appreciate this fact-filled article.

"Separation anxiety in dogs is that dreadful moment as they fall apart in front of our eyes as we walk out the door, leaving them … alone. We could be be having a medical emergency, a day of shopping, a day of hard work, an exhausting afternoon at the grocery store … or maybe even a quick trip outside to check our mail. And truthfully, it does not matter. Every situation becomes a period of hell for dogs with separation anxiety, an animal who is a social animal that needs a lot of companionship.

Where and when we  go does not matter; what matters is the fact that we are gone and they are not. They are at home, and alone.  Mother Teresa once said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”   She was speaking of humanity, of course, but current dog studies are proving that dogs not only have intelligence but similar emotions and emotional disorders as we do, and should be treated as such.

What is canine separation disorder?

According to dog experts, canine anxiety is divided into three different categories:

• Noise anxiety
• Separation anxiety
• Social anxiety.

Canine separation disorder is considered to be one of the most common causes of behavioral problems in dogs..."

The article continues to analyze of canine anxiety disorders; Read more:Separation Anxiety.             The illustration is by Nancy Houser

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The Wonders of Reading for Children

An excerpt from Neil Gaimon's impassioned presentation on the importance of libraries, books and reading:

"There are no bad authors for children, that children like and want to read and seek out,
because every child is different. They can find the stories they need to, and they bring themselves to stories. A hackneyed, worn-out idea isn't hackneyed and worn out to them. This is the first time the child has encountered it. Do not discourage children from reading because you feel they are reading the wrong thing. Fiction you do not like is a route to other books you may prefer. And not everyone has the same taste as you.

Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child's love of reading: stop them reading what they enjoy, or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like, the 21st-century equivalents of Victorian "improving" literature. You'll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and worse, unpleasant..."

This link, Neil Gaimon, will take you to all of this excellent presentation as reprinted in the Guardian.  Illustration of Tom Thumb by Alexander Zick.

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 “We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.” 
―  Ursula K. Le Guin      

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 How To Greet A Dog...and How Not To Greet A Dog (or cat)....

Unlearn polite human greeting behaviors … greet a dog or cat safely...Here is an excerpt and link to an article by Anna Nirva...

Yesterday at the shelter where I volunteer, a group of new volunteers were being led through the dog kennel room as part of a shelter volunteer orientation tour. I was returning a dog to a kennel after a
walk, and several of the volunteers left the group to investigate the dog as I was leading him toward his enclosure. Two well-meaning people quickly approached the young dog straight-on, with hands outstretched, staring directly into the eyes of the shelter dog. Chief, the dog, a young, sensitive coonhound mix, feeling threatened, immediately moved through the open gate to the back of the kennel with his tail tucked and head lowered. “What’s wrong with him?” one of the new volunteers asked.

I had just found the topic for my weekly post...

In the western world, we are taught at an early age to greet new people by approaching them with upright posture, looking directly into their eyes and offering a hand to shake or squeeze. It becomes second nature to us, so as a result, many of us animal lovers greet every living thing–except bugs–using those same “good manners.”...

We must UNLEARN that set of social rules to avoid frightening dogs, cats, and other animals... read it all on SunBear Squad

The illustration from Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale is by Stella Mustanoja-McCarty

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" You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." -- Robert Louis Stevenson

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Salon’s Laura Miller has offered a 10 best Graphic Novels list for 2014, a nice eclectic mix with publisher like SelfMadeHero and Nobrow represented. The list is arranged in a slideshow format that requires you to click many times, but I’ve cheated and made a text list.

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët

Climate Changed by Phillipe Squarezoni

Here by Richard McGuire

Kill My Mother by Jules Feiffer

The Motherless Oven by Rob Davis

Nobrow 9: It’s Oh So Quiet by Various

Over Easy by Mimi Pond

The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew

Shoplifter by Michael Cho

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Last night, novelist George R.R. Martin appeared at the 92Y in New York City to promote The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones. Salon.com co-founder Laura Miller served as the moderator.

Throughout the event, Martin answered questions, gave details about the artwork in the book, and opened up on working with two fan co-writers Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson. During the discussion, Martin confirmed that the next book he will publish is a collection of three Dunk and Egg novellas entitled The Knight of The Seven Kingdoms with illustrations drawn by Gary Gianni. He also talked about how many of the characters and storylines for A Song of Ice & Fire were influenced by history.

When asked about the religion of Westeros, Martin shared this tip on creating fantasy stories: “You can’t ignore religion in fantasy because it’s too important to history.” Do you agree with Martin’s wisdom? Click here to watch a video recording of the entire conversation between Martin and Miller.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Here are some literary events to pencil in your calendar this week.

To get your event posted on our calendar, visit our Facebook Your Literary Event page. Please post your event at least one week prior to its date.

Emily St. John Mandel will read from her new book, Station Eleven, and sit for an interview with Lev Grossman. Hear her on Thursday, October 23rd at Macaulay Honors College starting 7 p.m. (New York, NY)

(more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Hunger Games trilogy author Suzanne Collins is the best-selling Kindle author of all time, according to Amazon.

Over at Salon, Laura Miller took an in-depth look at the series’ success: “With the right title, a kid’s publisher can deploy something the world of adult publishing can only dream about: a large, well-oiled and highly networked group of professional and semi-professional taste makers who can make that book a hit even before it’s published.”

In June 2011, Collins became the first children’s books author to sell more than one million Kindle books. For the last ten weeks, the Hunger Games trilogy has occupied the top three spots on the USA Today best-seller list. In addition, the trilogy currently holds the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list (children’s series category) after 81 weeks on the list.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

One thing I really like about my friend Laura Miller is that she, like me, is fascinated by literature and technology, and interested in the places they meet. Sometimes that intersection feels like a lonely place to hang out.

We both have iPads and (though we’re appalled by Apple’s employment practices) are excited about the potential of tablet computers. But we haven’t found many sites that talk about them in the way we would like would like them to be talked about. So we decided to start The Chimerist: Two iPad lovers at the intersection of art, stories, and technology. My first post is here, and, if you’re also a tablet lover, we’re looking for your screenshots.

The National Book Award finalists were unveiled yesterday and many readers instantly started drawing lists of influential authors who didn’t make the list. Over at Salon, Laura Miller took the most dramatic stance in her essay “How the National Book Awards made themselves irrelevant.”

She cited four popular novels that the judges passed over: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, State of Wonder by Ann Patchett and The Submission by Amy Waldman.

Here’s more from the essay: “the National Book Award in fiction, more than any other American literary prize, illustrates the ever-broadening cultural gap between the literary community and the reading public. The former believes that everyone reads as much as they do and that they still have the authority to shape readers’ tastes, while the latter increasingly suspects that it’s being served the literary equivalent of spinach. Like the Newbery Medal for children’s literature, awarded by librarians, the NBA has come to indicate a book that somebody else thinks you ought to read, whether you like it or not.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Novelist George R.R. Martin reportedly landed the highest first day sales of a fiction title this year, selling 298,000 copies of A Dance with Dragons. That figure included: 170,000 hardcovers, 110,000 eBooks and 18,000 audiobooks.

Martin had this comment: “It took me longer than anyone would have liked. But now that the book is here, I hope my readers will conclude that it was worth the wait. The turnout at my signings has been extraordinary, and I’m delighted to have the chance to meet so many of my fans, both those who have been with me all the way and those who have come to the books through the terrific new HBO television series.”

If you want to read more about Martin’s long road to publishing the fifth book in his Song of Fire and Ice fantasy series, check out this New Yorker essay by Laura Miller.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Today A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan has won the 2011 Tournament of Books at The Morning News–a round robin competition that pits books against books every March.

A team of literary judges decided each round of the competition, and all the judges voted on the final two books: Jonathan Franzen‘s Freedom and Egan’s novel. Egan earned nine votes; Franzen earned eight.

Andrew Womack concluded the contest with this vote: “How fortunate to find two books in the championship so comparable—both spanning decades (or beyond) and heavily centered on music. For me, this decision comes down to pacing, and Franzen is the Pink Floyd to Egan’s Sex Pistols; by the end of Freedom I couldn’t take another meandering guitar solo, while I was dazzled by how much Goon Squad packed into such a compact space.”

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Yesterday critics from around the Internet weighed in on author Howard Jacobson (pictured) and his Man Booker Prize win. This GalleyCat Reviews editor actually predicted another winner–so we spent the evening reading reviews of Jacobson’s Booker-winning novel, The Finkler Question..

Ron Charles, the Washington Post‘s fiction editor, wrote:  “The Finkler Question is really a series of tragicomic meditations on one of humanity’s most tenacious expressions of malice, which I realize sounds about as much fun as sitting shiva, but Jacobson’s unpredictable wit is more likely to clobber you than his pathos.”

Laura Miller, the book critic at Salon, tweeted: “Confession: I bailed on The Finkler Question due to boredom (and cuteness). Take my hat off to @roncharles for his perseverance.”

Alex Balk from The Awl wrote:  “Howard Jacobson’s new novel, The Finkler Question, is getting some of the best reviews that this underappreciated author has received in his career. If it’s even half as good as The Mighty Walzer—a personal favorite—I’m sold. If you’ve never heard of him and are curious, start with this profile. He also writes a very good column for the Independent.“

Carolyn Kellogg from Jacket Copy tweeted: “All due respect to Jacobson, I would have been happy to see Tom McCarthy take the Booker. And with all that betting? I’m not alone.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Last week, Salon.com's Laura Miller wrote a piece about the fine art of book recommendations which spurred some fascinating discussions in the book-blog-reading world.

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By: Beth Kephart , on 4/19/2010
Blog: Beth Kephart Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  New York Times, Motoko Rich, Laura Miller, Tinkers, Paul Harding, Bellevue Literary Press, Add a tag

There's a beautiful Motoko Rich story in today's New York Times about Paul Harding, his novel Tinkers, and his path to Pulitzer, which was paved by rejection letters, the assurance (by those in the know) that "nobody wants to read a slow, contemplative, meditative, quiet book," a $1,000 advance by Bellevue Literary Press (who has an "empathetic" reader at the helm), a rare blurb by Marilynne Robinson, Indie book store support (I love independent bookstores!!!!!!!!), and smart critics (go Laura Miller, among others). 

Those writing books about heart and soul, about the ways in which the mind and memory work and about the workings of things must, I always say (I tell myself, when things get blue, and oh, they do get blue) keep going.  Paul Harding gives us cause.  Buy Tinkers.

3 Comments on Paul Harding, Tinkers, and Hope for the Soulful, last added: 4/19/2010

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Becca said, on 4/19/2010 12:01:00 PM

Speaking as someone who quite enjoys those slow, contemplative, meditative, quiet books," I couldn't be happier to hear there is a new one waiting to be read.

Nor could I be happier that Mr. Harding has been recognized for his work, against all odds it would seem.

Thanks for an uplifting post :)

Jeannine Atkins said, on 4/19/2010 2:20:00 PM

I loved this story even before I read that Paul Harding went to UMass-Amherst, where I teach. We are all a glow with pride! (deserved or not, but you know, happy with the connection). I have another book to add to my already tall to-be-read-this-summer-I-hope list.

MichellSommerville0202 said, on 4/19/2010 10:54:00 PM

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By: DGLM, on 1/8/2010
Blog: Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Jessica, Salon, Laura Miller, Lauren, reading, fun, favorites, Add a tag

by Lauren

Yesterday, Jessica discussed Laura Miller’s book on CS Lewis, and today I bring you more of her wisdom, this time from Salon. Earlier this week, Miller recommended we all try something new in 2010: read a book we think we won’t like. I’ll admit that while I’ve grown much more open since I began working in publishing, with my personal reading, I invariably leap for the same sorts of books I’ve always loved. My “free time” reading piles at home have the same general character as the ones that were in my college dorm rooms. When taking the luxury of reading purely for my own enjoyment, I rarely think it’s worth reading trying something I’m not naturally excited about. But I know from my professional experience that sometimes wonderful books are hiding in categories we hesitate to touch or under plots that seem at first glance unappealing.

I’m not generally one for New Year’s resolutions (as it’s universally acknowledged that those are merely things we pretend we’re going to do or else we’d have begun them when we decided they were important rather than arbitrarily on January 1st…er, 7th…oh, by early February at the latest), but I’ll take Miller’s suggestion on in 2010: I will read, for my personal reading, at least one book I’m convinced I will hate.

Since I’m the naturally contrary sort, it shouldn’t be too hard to find something wonderful that I’d normally shove aside. And hey, if I do hate it, I might’ve wasted my time, but I’ll also feel totally vindicated.

Is anyone else prepared to take on this challenge? And does anyone have ground rules about what’s unreadable as delightful and random as Miller’s? If anyone has a graphic novel about 20-something magicians living on a ranch in Prague while working in the silent movie business and feeling disenchanted with their relationships with rabbis, they may want to suggest their publicist steer clear of Miller’s desk at review time. (But they should probably send that manuscript to me, because I bet it’s amazing!)

13 Comments on Books I will hate, last added: 1/9/2010

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Enusan said, on 1/7/2010 4:03:00 PM

If you're a library thing member, they have a very useful little tool for this sort of thing called the unsuggester. It looks at the books you've included in your library, the ratings you've given them, and from that predicts the books that you will be least likely to read or enjoy.

Whenever I run it my list tends to be full of Christian inspiration titles (my penchant for fantasy novels is probably the reason), and since I'm also extremely contrary I've strongly considered picking one up and seeing if I can't prove the algorithm wrong. You might want to try this out yourself. At the very least it might introduce you to some genres you never knew existed.

Karen Amanda Hooper said, on 1/7/2010 4:05:00 PM

That story does sound amazing! lol. I have already started this challenge. The more I read, even the genres that wouldn't normally appeal to me, the better writer I will be. So bring on the books! Good and bad, they all have something to teach.
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Kristin Laughtin said, on 1/7/2010 4:10:00 PM

Late to the Narnia discussion: I was/am Christian, but as a kid, all the allegory in the Narnia books went right over even my head except for the Jesus-Aslan connection in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I've always been interested in religion, and even majored in it in college, but re-reading those books as an adult was definitely a different experience for me, and I picked up on so many themes to which I was oblivious as a child. I think that would be a universal experience for anyone who read the books as a kid and then an adult, no matter their religious persuasion.

I did this last year because I realized that I was heading down a path toward only reading SF and fantasy titles, since those are the genres I like to write. It was totally worth it, and made me (re-)expand my preferred reading genres. I would highly recommend that exercise.

I'm not on Library Thing, but now I'm even more interested in joining just to check out this unsuggester tool mentioned above.

ryan field said, on 1/7/2010 5:53:00 PM

There are a few books I thought I'd love, but hated. So I guess the same logic applies with books I think I'll hate.

Linda said, on 1/7/2010 8:17:00 PM

I already started this when I bought a book for my Dad for Father's day, in a genre that I would never choose. Since it was written by a celebrity I really admired on the stage, I had to see how good he was on the page. It was really good, and I enjoyed it. Since then I have read quite a few that I normally would not even pick up, in general I have been pleasantly surprised. However if I really don't like a book I won't finish it.

Maureen Hume said, on 1/7/2010 10:02:00 PM

This is a challenge I really should participate in. I'm very picky about how I spend my precious free time and for the last few years I will only read crime/thrillers written by men (I kinda got fed up with the romance that women crime writers usually put in their books).
I've been telling myself for ages to widen my reading horizons so this could be the perfect opportunity for me.
Unfortunately, I still feel a tad resistant so I might have to do a bit of self convincing that it's a good idea. :o)
Maureen. www.thepizzagang.com

Falen said, on 1/8/2010 7:40:00 AM

Are you talking about fiction only? or non-fiction too - because i don't think i could do it if i had to read a history on something...

Mary Witzl said, on 1/8/2010 10:36:00 AM

I've been doing this for a long time, ever since I moved to a country where books in English were hard to find and expensive; you can't be picky when reading material is scarce. I started reading things I'd never have touched before: WWII memoirs, natural history, adventure stories for men, fiction for boys. I found a lot of great new stuff this way -- and a lot of crap too.

Amy Oscar said, on 1/8/2010 11:29:00 AM

May I make a few suggestions that surprised me. Some, I discovered with my tween-age children; others I found along the way, browsing and researching for a story about a summer island.

Swallows and Amazons - a handful of kids exploring a necklace of tiny islands near their summer cottages

The Wilderness Family by Kobe Kruger - a young family moves to a magnificent--but remote- ranger station in South Africa's largest national park.

The Stations of Still Creek by Barbara J. Scot; and My World is an Island - Elizabeth Ogilvie; which introduced me to a genre I'd never been interested in: Personal Memoir; inspiring me to write my own.

Pamela Hammonds said, on 1/8/2010 11:45:00 AM

I read books I think I will hate all the time--little girl chapter books to my daughter at bedtime. And you know what? I almost hate them all, but she loves them so I press on. And I've learned it's possible to read aloud and not pay attention to your own voice.

London Mabel said, on 1/8/2010 1:40:00 PM

That's a brilliant idea! But I think the key will be seeking out something I think I'll hate, rather than just find boring.

michael gavaghen said, on 1/9/2010 12:21:00 PM

All right, count me in. There is a novel called "Tan Lines" by JJ Salem, which has one of the best opening lines I've read in years:

"There are eight thousand nerve endings in the clitoris, and this son of a bitch couldn't find any of them."

The book is blurbed by Jackie Collins and Cindy Adams (gossip columnist from the New York Post, God help us). Elle magazine calls it "sexy beach trash of the highest order."

Since I live near a beach but haven't read sexy beach trash of ANY order, I figure this one is a natural.

Vacuum Queen said, on 1/9/2010 10:15:00 PM

Ugh...I spent plenty of time in college reading things I didn't love. That's not something I want to purposely do again.

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By: DGLM, on 1/7/2010
Blog: Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Jessica, CS Lewis, Laura Miller, reading, New York Times, fun, lists, favorites, Add a tag

by Jessica

Over the holidays, I gave myself the gift of a bit of pleasure reading; one of the books on the NYT’s year end best list, Laura Miller’s The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia. It is essentially a work of literary criticism devoted to C.S. Lewis’s beloved series. Miller, who adored the Narnia series, nevertheless felt bitterly tricked when she discovered they were a Christian allegory. Kids, she argues, are literalists, and as heavy handed as the religious symbolism may be, they lack the general knowledge to see the similarities between a story about a magical lion and the Christian messiah. Years later, Miller returned to the books to examine them as an adult. Hers is a smart and fairly serious undertaking, one that I’ve enjoyed in part because her childhood experience so closely mirrors my own. One idea in particular has really stuck with me. She posits that most avid readers, folks who love books (most of you, I imagine), are forever in search of the purity and pleasure of that first book (or books) that so enchanted us. That as adults, we can never quite recapture that absolute delight when our critical faculties were not yet developed, and our immersion in fiction was complete. That we read, now, in some sense, in an effort to get back to the garden.

For me, the books were, in fact the Chronicles (hence my interest in Miller’s book). But I’ve not reread the series as a grown-up precisely because I fear finding them wanting, hollow, devoid of the pleasure they once afforded me. I’m curious to know what your touchstone book was, and if you’ve ventured to read it now that you can, perhaps, see its shortcomings, peek behind the curtain.

9 Comments on The Magician's Book, last added: 1/8/2010

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Valerie said, on 1/7/2010 9:45:00 AM

This is interesting because I remember loving the movie The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (the cartoon version I saw on PBS) as a kid but I never read the books. As an adult I was surprised to learn they were Christian allegories and so I picked them up to see if it would be obvious to me now. I did find it pretty obvious and heavy handed in The Lion... but not so much in the rest and I actually enjoyed them much more than I anticipated.

I think two books for me I'm afraid to re-read are Tuck Everlasting and Bridge to Teribithia, they were magical to me and the first books taht got me thinking deeply about life and death. I'm curious to see how they'd affect me now, but also afraid I'll be disappointed or will seem message heavy. Great post!

Nancy said, on 1/7/2010 9:53:00 AM

My touchstone book, first discovered and read at age 10 (and of course not understood, but still loved) was JANE EYRE. I was lucky, huh? JANE EYRE deepens on every reading, and by now there have been dozens. I can go back to that garden anytime I please.

But at the same time, Laura Miller is right: very few books today provide that kind of absorbing, magical reading experience. And yet... I was lucky enough to find one last year. LIPS TOUCH by Laini Taylor.

Valerie, you can go back to BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA. It holds up.

jseliger said, on 1/7/2010 10:31:00 AM

The idea of seeking a childhood sense of enchantment is one that I like, but not one unique to Miller: Ortega y Gasset makes a similar point about the difference between first and second readings in Meditations on Quixote, as does J. Hillis Miller in On Literature. I suspect it's one of these perennial ideas that are so good that many writers independently discover it.

As for touchstone book, I'd have to choose The Lord of the Rings. It snagged me early and hasn't loosened, and Tolkien saw it as not incompatible with Christianity, rather than explicitly Christian, which I think makes it hold up much better to adults who aren't looking for allegory or heavy-handed religion.

Natasha Fondren said, on 1/7/2010 11:01:00 AM

I loved that book! I had the same experience: in 2nd grade, a teacher suggested the similarities between Narnia and Christianity, and I was apalled. I quickly discounted it. I read the series over and over: in 4th grade, I remember sitting on my bed and bawling my eyes out because I would never get to go to Narnia. My mother was perplexed.

If you can ignore the female thing and the prejudism, I'd say a re-read is about 80% as pleasurable. (Just did it this year.) I also tackled the Oz series, and that was NOTHING like my childhood experience. The politics in the Oz series are just way too blatant.

The only series that still captures that feeling for me, which I didn't read as a child, is the Harry Potter series.

LJCohen said, on 1/7/2010 11:13:00 AM

My touchstone book is Madeline L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time." I have read this book with each of my kids and it totally holds up in my eyes.

I have not ever gone back to the Narnia books for precisely the same reason you site. And I also had *no* clue the books were symbolic.

Mary Witzl said, on 1/7/2010 12:33:00 PM

I didn't read the Narnia books as a child, but if I had, I'll bet the Christian message would have sailed right over my head. I remember enjoying a Newbery prize winning book called 'It's Like this, Cat'. I reread it as an adult and hated it.

I loved 'A Wrinkle in Time' too, but as an adult, I found it a little less wonderful. Frances Hodgson Burnett's 'The Secret Garden', on the other hand, has stood the test of time.

Kristin Laughtin said, on 1/7/2010 4:23:00 PM

I'm somewhat reposting what I said in the most recent post to the blog, but I was/am Christian, and most of the allegory in the Narnia books went right over even my head as a child. The only connection that really stood out to me was Aslan = Jesus at the end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Coming back and rereading the series as an adult, especially one who loves the study of religion so much she majored in it, was a strange experience. There were countless themes and nuances that I hadn't picked up on when I was younger, but at the same time...it suddenly became much more obvious that Lewis was writing for children (especially if you can compare his writing in that series to his other works). It wasn't the content that felt lacking for me, but more the style. Although it was excellent for children's books, I found them too short, and the pacing too quick. I still love them, but a lot of that is nostalgia.

I've had discussions with non-religious friends about these books since they seem to have been on everyone's reading list as a child, and the movies renewed our interest. One still says the symbolism, except for Aslan's death, flies right over her head. Another, I suspect, feels similar to Miller. It's rather interesting to see who picks up on what. (On a somewhat related note, I've noticed quite a lot lately that I seem to find heaps of meaning and religious subtext in books which the author has expressed were meant to show that life is meaningless or random or whatnot. Interesting the range of interpretations that can be made about a single work.)

Jennifer said, on 1/8/2010 8:25:00 AM

Don't be afraid! The Chronicles of Narnia were my favourite books as a child ... and are still my favourite children's books after reading all of them to my children twice (once to the now 14-year-old, once to the now 10-year-olds). What struck me when I re-entered Narnia was how beautifully concise the prose was. There is not a wasted word, not a single bit of padding: every sentence is necessary and compelling. Kristin complains they are too short -- I say they are precisely the right length, and can only wish today's children's books were as short. I'm thinking of the last four Harry Potter books here, all of which could have used some considered paring: not in terms of plot, but in use of the language (there's a paragraph in one of the later books where the word "had" occurs somewhere in the ballpark of 26 times).

I still read to my fourteen year old (not because she doesn't read voraciously on her own, but because we enjoy the shared experience) and we recently finished "Tuck Everlasting". She commented, "Wow that book was really short!" "But it was good wasn't, it?" I replied, "No padding, no repetition." "Yeah," she said, "there's a lot of books that are waay too long, like the Twilight ones."

We're currently reading the "The Sorceress" by Michael Scott. This third book of a series is a 500 page tome that covers two days in time. We both want to know what happens, but we are both pulling our hair out as the author keeps telling us the same information from the mouths of different characters over, and over, and over... (Not that all long books are bad: Nancy Farmer's "Sea of Trolls" is weighty but worth every word).

Finally, I am not and never have been a Christian, and I don't find the allegory in "Narnia" intrusive. I was aware at the age of seven that Aslan=Jesus (probably because my mum told me) but I didn't catch any of the other symbolism till I was older, and I really don't find it lessens my admiration of CS Lewis as superlative storyteller and craftsman of the English language.

London Mabel said, on 1/8/2010 1:38:00 PM

I experience that sense of uncritical wonder every time I come across a new author I LOVE. After I've read them for awhile, or when re-reading them, then I begin to see the magician behind the curtain. But that's ok since, as a writer, that's what I need to see.

So I don't really feel like I'm always trying to get back to the garden. :-)

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By: Eva M., on 12/4/2008
Blog: Book Addiction (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Narnia, Laura Miller, Add a tag

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By: Beth Kephart , on 10/2/2008
Blog: Beth Kephart Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  The Book Thief, The Magician's Book, Laura Miller, Add a tag