Is Alec Greven now the world's youngest author? Frankly, I've lost track. Anyway, Greven has written a text called How To Talk to Girls. (Do 9 year old boys talk to girls? Or want to?)
In any case, you simply must follow this link to read the final paragraph in the AP piece. I won't reproduce it here as the short article tells me, "This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed." But, please: Head on over and read. You'll thank me for making your day.
In a fit of chronic I-haven't-got-the-time-and-frankly-I-can't-be-bothered-ness, I tried an experiment with our weekend loaf. Normally I make a 'sponge' by mixing about one third of the flour with roughly half a pint of yeasty water and whatever else I'm adding, (olive oil, sea salt, sunflower seeds, whatever). It bubbles up nicely and later I add the bulk of the flour and adjust the dough to the right feel, before kneading for the prescribed ten minutes. Actually I don't time myself anymore as I can tell when it's ready. But I did wonder what would happen if I simply mixed it all up and let it rise, adjusting the flour and NOT kneading at all, finally letting it rise again in the loaf tin. So I did. And this is what emerged. No, not two fat ginger cats...
A perfectly acceptable loaf, which did taste a little different (more cakey, Andy said - more yeasty, I thought). It was a bit sloppy in the tin, but has a nice crust.
Later I Googled 'no knead bread' as I was sure I wasn't the mad inventor of this, and found that there is indeed a very famous method, as practised by certain Mr Jim Lahey in New York. But you know, I've read through it, and compared to mine, it sounds a bit complicated...
We had a weekend visitor - he turned up unnanounced in the kitchen.
He didn't seem to like his water tub accomodation though, so after having his picture taken we popped him into next door's pond. I can't remember the last time I saw a newt. I don't know whether to feel joy at having seen one again, or despair that they seem to be so scarce. Let's stick with joy, shall we? After all, it is Monday.
You're right, it's made my day - and a very rocky writing day it's been too. Now if I'd only started publishing at nine ...
True enough, Lee. And, I note you said "publishing" as opposed to writing :)
Yes, I will. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Just the right amount of absurdity for a slow, gray afternoon.
Oh.My.God.
That's all I have to say.
Awwww. Kids write the darnedest things. And so, it would seem, do Associated Press reporters.
Ugh.
This would be cute if the kids family was printing it at Kinko's. The sad thing is someone, who is not a blood relative, will buy this.
I wonder if Alec Greven read Emma Jean Lazarus fell out of a Tree
The writer of this article was trippin at the end, very fuuny. I wonder what the proofreader thought.
Well, I will definitely be reserving a copy. The kid obviously knows something I don't. I've had my face slapped three times already this week, and I'm 33.
Do nine-year-old boys have crushes? Not most of the boys I worked with. I think they'd prefer "separate but equal" education for the sexes at that age.
I almost just choked on my coffee, reading that. Oh heavens.
I read the piece a couple of times to see if I read it wrong. I'd love to know how this book deal came about.
2ndGen: You're welcome.
Colleen: Hee!
Andrea: Seriously, what was the AP writer on when writing? Where was the editor?!? And Doret: Maybe the copy editor was fired, like they were at the LAT today? 'Cause, seriously, no offense to Alec Greven who is probably a charming kid, but that last paragraph is crazy.
Nick: I hate to say it, but I'm suspecting the kid knows somebody, not something.
Elaine: That's what I was thinking: Most 9-year-old boys stay clear of the girls.
Jules: Be careful!
HWM: You just know there's some great backstory on this one. Aunt, maybe?
Yep. The real story is the backstory here--the the main character in that one most likely the literary version of the stage mom. Really, this kind of thing is SO not good for kids.