Also on day 2, the Share a Story-Shape a Future hosts posted the following prompt to encourage other bloggers to share their favorite books about other cultures: "An acquaintance wants a book about a culture unlike his/her own.... You've got 100 words to pitch your favorite book. Pitch us!"
Well, I have quite a large pile of dance books on the floor in my bedroom, all waiting for the lucky day when they are chosen as the highlight of my next blog post. And wouldn't you know? One of them was about dance from another culture! So here goes my pitch...
Capoeira, which has been described as a way of life in Brazil, is now popular in many parts of the world. But what is it? A game? A dance? A martial art? Believe it or not, it's all three! Award-winning photographer and author George Ancona brings this fascinating activity and its African and Portuguese origins to life in the picture book Capoeira, published in 2007 by multicultural publisher Lee and Low Books. You will be amazed by the cunning technique and playful spirit of the many young capoeiristas who are featured in this book!
- Drumbeat in Our Feet (A
2 Comments on Share a Story: The Culture of Reading, last added: 3/14/2012Display Comments Add a Comment
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By: Chris Rettstatt,
on 3/3/2008
Blog: Chris Rettstatt (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: brazil, capoeira, orphanage, orphans, music, kids, Add a tag
Last winter I worked for a while at an orphanage on a remote mountain in Brazil (down the dirt road from the Buddhist temple where I also stayed).
I was particularly impressed with Leo and Vanderson, two staffers at the orphanage, so I wanted to find out why they chose to dedicate their lives to working with kids. They both live full-time at the orphanage. In addition to taking care of the daily needs of the almost 60 kids, Leo teaches music, and Vanderson teaches capoeira.
A friend, Francine Assis, helped me translate them into English:
Leo: I like music too much. It’s very important to me. If it’s
important to me, it’s important to children too because I like to
teach them. And when I do, I know more too, I learn more. So I
love music, I love children too.
Vanderson: My objective is to rebuild the life that they (the children) didn’t
have outside, to change their way of thinking. Their way of thinking is very sad. It’s bad how they live on streets, and using capoeira I can modify this history, using the energy they have to do bad things so they use the same energy to do aerobatics, mortal jumps, to show some abilities they have.”
Interviewer: Who are these children?
Vanderson: They are children who have a lot of potential. I just encourage
them to know they are capable. There are many things they don’t know
they can do because there isn’t a qualified person to show them what
they can do. The energy and force they use to break a window or
the thoughts they have to steal something from someone, they have to
focus those and use their creativity to do good capoeira movements,
to do good aerobatics, using that same force they use to break a
window or something else in this cottage. This is the objective of
all capoeristas here in Brazil. The best capoeristas came from the low
and middle classes. It’s rare to see good capoeristas from rich
families.
There are a few people who are born with this gift. Generally they suffer in learning; they have difficulty in studies and their family relationships are difficult too. So with a sport like this, they are going to live side by side with good people. They’ll have a good capoeira family. Because the majority of capoeristas have
so many good things to teach, positive things, like to stop smoking if you are going to be a good capoerista because you need to have endurance and cigarettes cause tiredness. The fewer bad things you do with your body, the more you’ll be a good player and be able to have a better day. And when you wake up well, you can do such cool things. I believe the objective of capoeira is this.
By: Jason Boog,
on 5/23/2007
Blog: ThePublishingSpot (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: writing resources, Publishing Spotted, lit blogs, Miss Snark, reality television, Add a tag
Aggggghhhh!
It finally happened. A publisher is taking solitary novelists like you and me and building a reality television show around scoring a book deal. Go visit The Ultimate Author if you think your literary brain can handle the camera. God bless Galleycat for the link.
Litblogger Daniel Green weighs in on the "litbloggers aren't qualified" debate by burying critics under a pile of professional qualifications. Like I said, you can't generalize about lit bloggers. (Thanks, Elegant Variation)
We here at The Publishing Spot central are very very very sad to see that Miss Snark has retired from the blogging business. Luckily, her blog archive remains, chock full of book agent wisdom that can save your next novel from the slush pile. She will be missed!
Publishing Spotted collects the best of what's around on writing blogs on any given day. Feel free to send tips and suggestions to your fearless editor: jason [at] thepublishingspot.com.
By: Betsy Bird,
on 5/21/2007
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Obits, Miss Snark, In the Name of All That Is Good and Holy Why?, Add a tag
My thoughts run somewhere along the line of, "NO! No no no no no! No no! No no no... yes? I mean, NO!"
Now we need a new book agent blog to follow. Shoot. Any suggestions?
By: Jane Mack,
on 5/20/2007
Blog: Saipan Writer (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: blogging, Writing, blogs, Miss Snark, literary agents, Add a tag
Another blogosphere icon of the literary world has hung up her keyboard. Miss Snark's blog is a treasure trove of great advice from a working literary agent. Her voice in present tense will be gone from the blog, and her loyal fans are wandering about, looking for another fix, dropping in at odd corners of the blogosphere, and patting their red eyes everywhere. More than 470 posts in the comments trail of her retirement post are a small testament to her popularity. The video is another.
Oh, what nitwits we will be without her constant refrain.
Write well, query widely.
A fond farewell and best wishes to the one and only MISS SNARK. And unending thanks. [sniff]
By: Bookseller Chick,
on 5/19/2007
Blog: Bookseller Chick (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: bloggers, Miss Snark, Nadia Cornier, Retirement, Add a tag
Is it just me, or is there retirement in the air? First Nadia Cornier retired her blog on May 11th and now Miss Snark announced her departure from the blogosphere this morning.
Cornier has removed her past blog entries and plans on pooling the best of the best together with handouts she written for various seminars and conventions to form an ebook she will sell on her site. Part of the proceeds will go to fund Absynthe Muse, a non-profit (that Ms. Cornier is on the board of) young adult writing community. She’ll also be updating and upgrading the Firebrand agency website and may return to the blogging world in some capacity via her official site (no guarantees though).
Miss Snark, on the other hand, is leaving her blog up with the archives intact for the use of snarklings new and old alike for the foreseeable future. Her email account, however, will be closed in the next couple of days and this will be the end of the crapometer.
It will be interesting to see if any other blogging agents or full time book bloggers follow in their path in the near future. Good luck on your next endeavors, ladies.
By: Julie M. Prince,
on 5/9/2007
Blog: Julie M. Prince (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: miss snark, writing contest, Add a tag
Her contests always make me laugh.
Such a silly thing, but I couldn't resist entering. I was one of the finalists, #22:
Recognition as Miss Snark's finalists
#2
Gravity's Rainbow,
Pulitzer? Nebula? No.
Magnum Opus, Yes.
#3
What goes up comes down
Apogee's apology
Gravity's Rainbow
#22
Meaning focuses.
Gravity is understood
Her heart feels the poem
#27
Chums of Chance balloon
into inverted rainbows
Pynchon's gravity
And Miss Snark's selection for the prize
#26
"Chums," said Tom Pynchon
of skydiving, "just take a
chance with gravity."
Thank you, Kerry! Great pitch and great list. I'm definitely going to see if I can find those books!
Hi, Beth. Thanks for stopping by! Some of the books might be harder to find than others, but I hope you do find them!