Perchance to...be?

2007 Books Read- Part Three!

2007-06-12T10:47:00.000-05:00

(Part Two can be found here!)

53. An Unquiet Mind

52. The Art of Possibility

51. How to Raise an American

2007-06-06T08:19:00.002-05:00

Free Children's Book from Barnes and Noble

1. Kids read any eight (8) books of their own choosing - library books, books borrowed from friends, or books bought at Barnes & Noble.

2. Ask them to write about their favorite part of each book in the Summer Reading Journal. A parent or guardian must sign the journal after each entry.

3. Bring the completed Summer Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble bookstore between May 29th and September 2nd, 2007.

4. We'll give them a coupon for a FREE book! They can choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.

Source: Barnes and Noble

Book Donation Challenge!

2007-06-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

As found on First Book Blog.

Help Cheerios donate 100,000 copies of Eric Carle's The Tiny Seed. YOU can decide where they will be donated by answering the question below correctly. The more questions you answer, the more votes you get!

The more you get right, the more votes you get.

:)

2007-05-29T14:37:00.000-05:00

My friend Katie (who is currently a lawyer) wrote a book and is shopping around to get the materpiece published. Legal thriller.

The kind of book that Lisa Scottoline (her favorite author) writes.

So it was VERY COOL to see that a picture of Lisa and Katie made it to Lisa's website.

Tis only a matter of time until I get to travel with Katie on HER book tours, I just know it!

CONGRATS Katie on a HUGE accomplishment!

My Favorite Font

2007-05-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

From Slate.

My Favorite Font

My favourite is Papyrus.

Although I use Book Antiqua, Bradley Hand, Harrington, Perpetua and Poor Richard as well.

And you?

2007-05-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

America’s Best Places for Artists

Los Angeles
Santa Fe, N.M.
Carson City, Nev.
New York City
Kingston, N.Y.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, Calif.
Nashville
Boulder, Colo.
San Francisco
Nassau-Suffolk County, N.Y.

But check out the Creative Class Heat Map.

Looking at this, the answer must be "go east, young man".

Podcasts

2007-05-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

For the Creative Class

For the artist: smARThistory

These video and audio podcasts, by art history professors Beth Harris and Steven Zucker, place great works of art in context. If you can't get to a museum, you can still get your art-fix by listening to their discussions of pieces such as Duchamp's Readymades and Bernini's Ecstacy of St. Theresa. New York-based Harris and Zucker focus primarily, but not exclusively, on art from the Metropolitain Museum of Art and MoMA, sharing their insights about paintings and sculptures from all eras. While some smARThistory podcasts provide only an audio commentary one can listen to while looking at a static image of the artwork, others are more dynamic and include supplementary materials.
smARThistory

For the musician: Uncensored Blues

If you've got the blues, this podcast might just cheer you up. Produced in association with the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale Mississippi, Uncensored Blues shares tracks from rare pre-war blues albums. With music from Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, and other blues legends, each podcast explores variations on a musical theme, such as "Hard Times" or the "Black Snake Moan."
Uncensored Blues

For the chef: ReMARKable Palate

This podcast, part of the Gilded Fork's Culinary Podcast Network, is hosted by personal chef Mark C. Tafoya. Besides sharing recipes, Tafoya interviews chefs, food writers, and gourmets, and takes listeners behind the scenes of popular restaurants.
ReMARKable Palate

Books

2007-05-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

Who can resist a multi-colored book meme? Thanks Stacy

All I have to say is holy crap, what are some of these books and who reads them?

New and Improved Book Meme

Directions:

Use blue font for everything you’ve read
Use red font for everything you’ve started but never finished
Use purple font for everything you’ve read but wish you hadn’t
Use yellow font for everything you’d never read, even you and that book were the only things to survive the apocalypse
Use black font for things you’ve never read
Use green front for things you want to read
Use orange font if you’ve read the author but not that particular work

The Bible
Medea, Euripides
Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
Odyssey, Homer
The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer
The Inferno, Dante Alighieri
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare
Tartuffe, Moliere
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Eve of St. Agnes, John Keats
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Little Women, Louise May Alcott
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
The Awakening, Kate Chopin
The Turn of the Screw, Henry James
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Ulysses, James Joyce
Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner
The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Lord of the Flies, William Golding
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams
The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery O’Connor
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates
Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
White Noise, Don DeLillo
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
White Teeth, Zadie Smith
Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, JK Rowling
Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer
Gilead, Marilynne Robinson

And now for the original meme (which I actually like better, since I have not heard of or care to read many of the books above.)

· Use blue font for everything you’ve read
· Use red font for everything you’ve started but haven't finished (yet)
· Use purple font for everything you’ve read but wish you hadn’t
· Use yellow font for everything you have no desire to read.
· Use black (or white) font for things you’ve never read
· Use green front for things you want to read
· Use orange font if you’ve read the author but not that particular work

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones' Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard's First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Your turn!

I haven't read it, but...

2007-05-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

I agree that this as a favorite book, does say something.

Mitt Romney's Adolesecent Reading Tastes

Fifty Writing Tools

2007-05-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List

Use this quick list of Writing Tools as a handy reference. Copy it and keep it in your wallet or journal, or near your desk or keyboard. Share it and add to it.

Jeremy Gilbert/The Poynter Institute

Poynter Online - WritingTools: The Musical

Lyrics

7 minutes, 9 seconds

Listen | Download
Drag to iTunes

Did you know?

2007-05-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

You can order Oprah's next book selection without even knowing what the title is?

Another List!

2007-05-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hot Books for Summer!
Just some of the ones from the review above.

1. Kite Runner author Khaled Hosseini returns to Afghanistan in his much-anticipated second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns (Riverhead, May 22). It's the story of two women who are both married to a man hardened by his culture's misogyny. "I haven't witnessed such unanimous inhouse enthusiasm since Life of Pi," says Parsons. "It reminds me of how Jeffrey Eugenides exceeded sophomore expectations with Middlesex. The film version of The Kite Runner in late 2007 will also help make this the year of Hosseini."

I would like to read this one, I enjoyed the Kite Runner.

2. With 1000 Places to See Before You Die, which has 2.2 million copies in print, Patricia Schultz hit on a golden formula. Now, North America is the focus, in 1000 Places to See in the USA & Canada Before You Die (Workman, July). "Whether planning an actual trip or just dreaming of someday, this is a great way to spend a summer day," says Halley.

Hey, even if I find a few fun ideas this one might be worth glancing through at B&N.

3. For stressed-out parents, actress Christie Mellor calmly explains how to harness the energy of toddlers-gone-wild in Three-Martini Family Vacation: A Field Guide to Intrepid Parenting (Chronicle, June). "Her first book [The Three-Martini Playdate] was hilarious, in an 'I know I shouldn't be laughing at this, but heee!' kind of way," says Halley, "and we did very well with it."

Oooh Three Martini Playdate is FUN STUFF. This should be a good read (and present for my mommy friends!)

4. Hipster alert: Dishwasher by Pete Jordan (HarperPerennial, May), creator of the eponymous zine, tells of his 12-year mission to wash dishes in all 50 states and how he abandoned it for love. "I think it'll do well with the McSweeneys/Found/Postsecret crowd," says Donaghy.

Well, hipster alert indeed. WASH DISHES in 50 states? Um, yeah.

5. Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: A Year of Food Life (HarperCollins, May) is the bestselling novelist's memoir of a year spent procuring and cooking local food (HarperCollins, May).

Already out and wishing away on my wish list...

Too busy for books?

2007-05-14T08:35:00.000-05:00

Read them by email (or RSS).
Learn more.

More books! From NPR

2007-05-08T08:03:00.000-05:00

Under the Radar: Books Not to Miss

"It seems to me that there's frequently neither rhyme nor reason to which books garner tons of readers and which are read by only a few, devoted as they may be. Somehow, books in the latter category don't seem to register on the radar of public awareness. This is a shame, because in this large group of books, you'll find some of the most splendid reading (and writing) around."

Click above title for list of books!

2007-05-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Book Clubs Everywhere!

1. Still on the impending agenda: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

2. Buffalo News Book Club: Jane Austen Book Club

3. The Big Read: Their Eyes Were Watching God

4. Oprah: The Road (although I better get reading Obama’s books too!)

5. Junior League (Sustainers) Book Club: Glass Castle

Book Banning.

2007-05-03T21:06:00.000-05:00

Oy.

I haven't rad this book, but wowsy. Wow. Such strong words over such a simple young adult book, eh? Homophobia scares me. I think I might buy this book and donate it to a library, simply to show that homophobiac scare me.

Imaginary Babydykes Freak Out Teen's Mom

"I'm shocked and appalled at the lack of discretion, and moral decline in the selection of books at the Mid-High library," the woman's complaint begins. "Homosexual content, unprotected sex, underage drinking, and reckless promiscuity are not values that belong in a school library." (Better toss out Romeo & Juliet!) She then explains how she regularly screens her 15-year-old daughter's total media intake, because "there are things she's not mature enough to handle, or are simply wrong for her." Things like The Bermudez Triangle, which "has no moral fiber and wrongly promotes a 'do whomever you want to discover yourself' mentality."

Letter writing campaign starts here:

The committee members and their email addresses:

Mrs. Janet Vernon, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction
UPDATE: Mrs. Vernon’s email box is full, but you can email her assistant, Becky Brubaker, and ask her to pass your thoughts along to Mrs. Vernon
Dr. Richard Rosenberger, Executive Director of Human Resources
Mr. Chuck McCauley, Principal of Bartlesville High School

:)

2007-05-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

I love Daily Om.

A Whole New World
Reading For Pleasure

Every book has the potential to touch the human soul deeply, arousing patterns of thought that might otherwise have lain dormant. The pleasure we derive from the written word is unique in that we must labor for it. Other forms of art provide us with stimulus and ask nothing more than our emotional response. Reading is an active pastime that requires an investment of emotion as well as our concentration and imagination. The words we read are merely a starting point for a process that takes place largely within our minds and hearts.

There are few activities as comforting, relaxing, and healthy as perusing the pages of a good piece of fiction or nonfiction. Curling up with a book and a cup of tea is one of the simplest ways we can remove ourselves from the confines of reality in order to immerse ourselves in the drama and intrigue of the unfamiliar. The pleasure of transcending reality is only one aspect of the reading experience, however. Each time we read for enjoyment, whether we prefer the fantastic nature of fiction, the empathy awakened within us by memoir, or the instructive passion of nonfiction, we create entire landscapes in our mind's eye. The books we choose provide us with the inspiration we need to accomplish such a feat, but it is our own creative reserves that empower us to use our imaginations for this unique and beautiful purpose.

The tales you lose yourself in can lead you on paths of discovery that take you out of your own life and help you see that existence can unfold in an infinite number of ways. You can learn so much from the characters and mentors who guide you from page to page. Your emotions are awakened each time you read, allowing you to become vessels of the passion that pours forth from line after line of print. Ultimately, the books you absorb-those that touch you deeply-will become a part of who you are, providing you with a rich and thrilling world within that you can revisit anytime you wish by simply closing your eyes. If you haven't read a book for pleasure lately, try and allow yourself the time-you deserve it.

2007 Summer Books

2007-05-03T11:28:00.000-05:00

Ah, just more to add to the neverending "to-read" list!

From USA Today

"It is a spectacular season for book lovers, and literary fiction in particular will take center stage," says Brad Parsons, Amazon's senior book editor.

101 Essential Freelancing Resources!

2007-04-27T11:20:00.000-05:00

2007-04-25T22:06:00.000-05:00

"Edited by the mysteriously-named Dinty W. Moore, Brevity is an online journal of ultra-short (that’s 750 words or less, to you) nonfiction essays."

As seen on 400 Words. Me like. (Hey, only two words!)

2007-04-25T21:11:00.001-05:00

Happy 50th Birthday Cat in the Hat!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

For every e-card that the Cat in the Hat gets for his birthday before May 1st , Random House Children’s Books will donate one book to First Book.

Sending the card is so fun! You get to *color* it online if you want! Click here to send a card today!

By the way, currently our state of New York is 48/50th in sending cards…let’s do something about this! It only takes a minute and NO EMAIL address is required!

Good news for my librarian friends!

2007-04-02T20:03:00.000-05:00

We Frequent Our Local Libraries

I love that my sister-in-law takes little toddler A to the library all the time. Makes me smile.

Toddler A is having her 2nd bday soon, tis a *read to me* party! Hint, hint! BUY BOOKS NOT TOYS! What are your favorite childhood books? I have at least 27 wish listed to purchase for her, but must restrain myself...

When Mark and I were visiting Toddler A the other week, she decided to read to us a story about Olivia. On one page of tyhe book, Olivia is lying on a blanket on the beach. When we asked her what Olivia was doing, she answered clear as day, "yoga." Of course, yoga. Not sleeping. Yoga! Om...

What I Learned About Freelancing as an Editor-in-Chief

2007-03-29T18:54:00.000-05:00

From where else? MediaBistro.

A freelancer-turned-EIC-turned-freelancer provides seven bits of advice for freelancers seeking to get editors' attention

1. Get it right from the very beginning
2. Lose the clever stationery
3. Know your market
4. Sell yourself as well as the story
5. Don't talk money until you've gotten the assignment
6. Respect word counts
7. Be patient

I know a few of these...

2007-03-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies (as seen on Mental Floss)

If you go to the website Grammar Snobs, you can find a *language tip of the day* :)
Buy it on March 19th at Amazon!

'A list that sets the literary agenda for a generation'

2007-03-12T19:54:00.000-05:00

Granta Best of Young American Novelists 2

Hmmm.

2007-03-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

Friends, Newspapers Give Us Reading Tips

What's the most likely way a book gets on your to-read list?

I read about it in a newspaper (print or online).

22%

(163 votes)

I read about it in a magazine (print or online).

14%

(109 votes)

I read about it on a blog.

13%

(103 votes)

I saw something about it on TV.

(11 votes)

Someone I know recommended it.

25%

(190 votes)

It caught my eye in the bookstore.

19%

(147 votes)

I traded with a friend in publishing for a copy.

(17 votes)

(Total: 740 votes)

Women & Books Survey

2007-03-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

Click on icon below.

All of the above???

2007-03-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

POLL: How Do You Discover Books?

I'll admit it: All this talk of the swan song of the newspaper book section and its irrelevance to popular fiction has me wondering:

What's the most likely way a book gets on your to-read list?

Perhaps you could pass the word on to your friends who aren't in the publishing industry, just to un-skew the results back towards ordinary readers...

So why is it?

2007-03-06T19:04:00.000-05:00

Why when I NEED my blog. And I NEED to write and to post and to vent and let off steam? WHY DO I GET THIS ERROR MESSAGE FROM MY HOST?

Error: Host Not Accessible

The web host www.allthingsjennifer.wnymedia.net is not accessible.

Possible sources of this error:

The host name is invalid
There was a DNS error
The web site may be unavailable
You may not be connected to the internet

Why? Because friends it is just that kind of day today.

Books!

2007-02-28T00:26:00.000-05:00

Books

This past weekend…

I had to choose a book to send to Laura for Create a Connection. No pressure, of course. Ahem. But how on earth do I choose just ONE?

Visit the blog of the person you will be sending to, send them an email or post a comment, get their address directly from them, and prepare to send the perfect, life-changing, inspirational book to them.

I also read this book.

The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books

I loved this book because it was a list of books by authors. All sorts of authors. And while a collective Top Top 10 List was developed. The entire list was made available by number of timestht title appeared on a list and you can browse each list by author.

This was the Top Top Ten List of All the Lists

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
The Stories of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
Middlemarch by George Eliot

So what’s MY top-ten? I browsed through the lists I have been keeping track of online to figure it out.

2007 Books Read (16) so far…

2006 Books Read (81)

2005 Books Read (59)

2004 Books Read (48)

204 books later I can take a quick look down the lists to find my favorites. But can I only name 10? And how do I pick only one/two/three to send to a new blog friend?

On my blogger profile and myspace profile I list these as my favorites

* The Passion
* Written on the Body
* Romeo and Juliet
* Taming of the Shrew
* Pride and Prejudice
* Persuasion
* Slaughterhouse Five
* Breakfast of Champions
* Handmaid’s Tale
* The Fountainhead
* Letters to a Young Poet
* All’s Fair In Love and War and Running for President
* The Giving Tree
* The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
* Anne of Green Gables

But would they make the TOP TOP 10? Hmmmm.

I really enjoyed:

The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron
The Awakening, Kate Chopin
Bergdorf Blondes, Plum Sykes
Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore
Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
City of Light, Lauren Belfer
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Mark Haddon
Faith of My Fathers, John McCain
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Girl with Glasses, Marissa Walsh
Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
The Man Who Was Thursday, G.K. Chesterton
Memories of My Melancholy Whores, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Quirkyalone, Sasha Cagen
Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, Pablo Neruda
The Renaissance Soul, Margaret Lobenstine
Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman, Alice Steinbach
World and Other Places, Jeanette Winterson
The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman

BUT I LOVED:

Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut
The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
Dreaming in Cuban, Cristina Garcia
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, Amy Krouse Rosenthal
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
The Giver, Lois Lowry
Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Passion, Jeanette Winterson
Persuasion, Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Sonnets from the Portuguese, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
Waltzing the Cat, Pam Houston
Written on the Body, Jeanette Winterson
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

In conclusion, Top-Top Ten for All Things Jennifer would be:

Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
All’s Fair In Love and War and Running for President, Mary Matalin and James Carville
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein
Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
The Passion, Jeanette Winterson
Persuasion, Jane Austen
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Sonnets from the Portuguese, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Written on the Body, Jeanette Winterson

Damn, that was hard! And I’m not even sure I agree with myself, still!

You know that one book about the cat and well, there's a hat?

2007-02-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

No more wondering. Look for that book here!

Are you looking for a book but can't remember the title or author?

Founded by former Google Answers Researcher "Juggler," Whatsthatbook.com is a FREE service that can help you find your book!

Julia Cameron

2007-02-22T11:16:00.000-05:00

Last year I did "The Artist's Way" and I was soooo glad I did.

I have this book by my bed and have been slowly working through it...

This past week, I just found out that the book "The Right to Write" was available to me at PaperbackSwap, so any day now, any day. I know Erin is working her way through this book right now too.

And from Create a Connection, I found Laura, who is reading Julia's newest book Finding Water.

Something that strikes me most about the first chapter of Finding Water is one of the quotes, one by Abraham Maslow: "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.

If you haven't read any of her work, I highly recommend it. Pure inspiration.

Netflix for audiobooks?

2007-02-21T22:48:00.000-05:00

But not yet in the U.S.

Best possible kind of crazy.

2007-02-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

When I read this on my blog friend Kristina's site, I just laughed and had to share. Been there?
How Not To Talk About Writing

The other reason writers don't talk to non-writers about their writing is because, well, it's hard to talk about something that is so intangible. Writers are usually too busy writing to talk about writing and if they're not writing, they're thinking about what they're going to write, but the stuff in their head is so convoluted, it wouldn't make sense to someone who doesn't also write (and even then it's an iffy proposition). The thought pattern of a writer might go something like this:

Blue. Her eyes were blue in the first chapter, right? I need to check that. Blue works because it'll be a clue to her paternity. Her stepfather has brown eyes, her mother has brown eyes, but her eyes are blue. Blue like... blue like what? Blue like that blue bottle I have, the one that was a wine bottle. The wine wasn't very good, but it's a good color blue for eyes. So maybe the wine bottle will be in there, too. Maybe the real father will actually comment that her eyes are the color of a wine bottle and she'll realize his eyes are the same color, but will that be too obvious? Maybe it shouldn't be an eye color thing. Where is that chart on recessive genes? I should check that. No point in making a big deal out of blue eyes if two brown-eyed parents can produce a blue-eyed kid. DNA evidence will be necessary, but that's just so Jerry Springer it's not even funny. I need to write this down before I forget it. I'm going to forget it, I know I'm going to forget it. What if he's not her father at all? Oh, wait, that might work. Maybe it all leads up to him being her father, but he's actually the one who kidnapped her as a child and her memory of his eyes is what makes her think he's a real father. Still would like to get that wine bottle in there somewhere, though...

Now, tell me, how do you talk about that with someone who isn't a writer? You don't. People will think you're crazy. Which, as everyone knows, most writers are to some degree. It goes with the territory.

I didn't know that Bachelorette Jen wrote a book?

2007-02-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

But now I do.

2007-01-24T10:47:00.000-05:00

Interesting.

Maybe I should read this book?

You're Catch-22!
by Joseph Heller

Incredibly witty and funny, you have a taste for irony in all that you see. It seems that life has put you in perpetually untenable situations, and your sense of humor is all that gets you through them. These experiences have also made you an ardent pacifist, though you present your message with tongue sewn into cheek. You could coin a phrase that replaces the word "paradox" for millions of people.

Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

And here I find the 778 Best Books of All Time List

In case I needed another list of books, ever.

Nightime...

2007-01-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

I recently grabbed a bunch of loose pages from a notepad I keep next to my bed...these are the tidbits of my brain I captured at any particular moment. Odd. Very odd. I have no idea where I was going with some of these thoughts.

It's the day to day intimacies that create a relationship.

Every story needs a great opening line- the hook, catch to lure the reader into the great unknown about to unfold. But not mine. I never start anything off right, why should I start with a story? The best intentions flounder, falter, fall flat.

Reluctantly trapped by choice between a couch, university window and a girl young enough to seriously question the birth date on her licence when buying a bottle of wine...

I hesitated when my counselor in training asked ,"Would your life be better off if your father was still alive?" What did she know? Nothing. What was she trying to prove? And where did that question come from anyhow? Did I imply otherwise? I hesitated.

The unknown comforts me. The chaos, the confusion not knowing exactly what, but knowing what I imagine to be. Never knowing fully...Loving, trusting but doubting. Not if one decision is wrong. Not about the regrets- what if? But rather, what if all the options are, right...

2007-01-04T19:11:00.000-05:00

Ship Lit? Groan.

Zen.

2006-12-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

Write not for others, as there are too many.
Write for yourself, as there is only one.

From Gaping Void

Contest

2006-12-04T19:03:00.000-05:00

The Easiest $14.25 a Word You'll Ever Make?

The literary magazine Opium has just announced the Shya Scanlon Seven-Line Prose Award, a $1,000 prize for the best story written in, well, seven lines. Here's a sampling from Scanlon's published work, a short-short called "Killing, riding, II":

"We weren't quite there yet but you knew to look behind us, and this seemed to matter. What did you see? Something pressed, is pressing, will not let comfort strip and enter us, bend us inward. Still, I took you forward and a leaning overtook me. Another kind of expectation. You said put it down and I did, but within moments I was not the same and you noticed, changed your mind, looked back and entered something I did not recognize, but made a name for, and forgot."

They say you have "an 8.5-inch margin" to play around in, but that's right up against the edges of the paper, isn't it? Better put a quarter-inch on each side just to be safe... The entry fee for the contest is $7.

Success!

2006-11-29T15:17:00.000-05:00

"Action is the key to all success."
-Pablo Picasso

Perfect!

2006-11-29T12:54:00.000-05:00

This Daily Om hits my spot today, today being the day I am going to FINISH NANO!!! And because I think that well, I can finish but is what I have worth ANYTHING?

Finding Joy In Life's Surprises
Releasing Your Expectations

The further you distance yourself from your expectations, the more exhilarating your life will become. Though a situation in which you find yourself may not correspond to your initial wants, needs, or goals, ask yourself how you can make the most of it and then do your best to adapt. Your life's journey will likely take many unpredicted and astonishing twists because you are willing to release your expectations.

Note to self. :)

2006-11-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

Remember to look for this in March...thank you Media Bistro.

Just received in the mail this weekend: The Literary Press and Magazine Directory 2006/2007 from the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses. Soft Skull put this little beauty out, and I think it's a great gift for any writer (for any winter type holiday) who is hoping to submit to a smaller press or get published in an anthology or academic journal. Plus, it's more wieldy (if that's a word) than Writers Marketplace. This version includes advice from leading editors, profiles of top publishers and Canadian publishers and journals

Speaking to the Nano's? :)

2006-11-27T07:38:00.000-05:00

My Daily Om Horoscope for today.

November 27, 2006
When Success Is Inevitable
Capricorn Daily Horoscope

We can concentrate more of our intellectual and creative energy on the goal-realization process when we firmly believe that success is an inevitable part of our future. Worry and anxiety deplete our reserves of vigor, robbing us of our ability to effectively deal with life’s challenges. When we divest ourselves of the fear of failure and rejection, we can focus the whole of our attention on realizing the objectives we set for ourselves. Little can distract us from our purpose, as we are dedicated to our path by virtue of our remarkable optimism. In security, we find the strength and motivation that pushes us forward through times of triumph and times of trouble. If you fully believe in your ability to attain your aspirations today, you will find it easy to maintain your current level of devotion.

Sub-genre HUH?

2006-11-26T19:08:00.000-05:00

Sunshine Noir?

Great...

2006-11-26T18:57:00.000-05:00

100 Notable Books of the Year.

I must not be in tune with the *notable* collection of books!

Notables I've read?
None!

Notables I've started to read?
1. THE DISCOMFORT ZONE: A Personal History

2. READING LIKE A WRITER: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them.

Notables I want to read?

1. AGAINST THE DAY

2.. AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy.

3.. CONSIDER THE LOBSTER: And Other Essays.

4. SELF-MADE MAN: One Woman's Journey Into Manhood and Back Again

5. STATE OF DENIAL

6. THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS.

Not on the pulse of the notable books of the year, am I?

Ever play CRANUIM?

2006-11-26T18:54:00.000-05:00

You know how in th eone deck you can get the card that asks you to spell a word backwards?

Well...this trumps spelling!

From Critical Mass

Most Books Typed Backwards

WHO:

Michele Santelia

WHAT:

56 books (3,004,767 words)

WHERE:

Campobasso, Italy

WHEN:

December 16, 2005

Using a computer and four blank keyboards, and without looking at the screen, Michele Santelia (Italy) typed backwards 56 books (3,004,767 words) in their original languages including The Odyssey, Macbeth, The Vulgate Bible and the Guinness World Records Book 2002. He completed typing backwards the hieroglyphics of the 78.8 kg (174 lb) heavy Egyptian Book of the Dead, in Campobasso, Italy, on 16 December 2005.

2006-11-19T19:10:00.000-05:00

I need to make it to 35,000 tonight. This I have decided.

2006-11-19T15:37:00.000-05:00

My cats are sabotaging my writing. Yes, my cats. Not my willpower, I can overcome the fuzzy, purring, lovely adorable furry creatures if I wanted to. But they, they are tough to reason with and quite demanding.

I made it past the 30,000 mark yesterday and I knew that today would be another day of getting it down on the page, before my Mark comes home from Rochester. I started the day off reading the blogs, reading the online papers, posting a wee bit and glancing at the Buffalo News, at least the advertisements. I um, reheated up coffee from the full pot made last night, had a few fried eggs and was good to go, before the football game would start at one.

Except, I needed t o fetch my glasses first. And my glasses were in the bedroom next to the nightstand, which is next to the bed, where my Simba Cat was sleeping. So cute, silent, curled up at the end of t he bed, like a dog that he sometimes thinks he is. Of course I made the mistake of lingering just a little too long…because Simba Cat sensed my presence and demanded attention. (I know this feeling well…) And as soon as I thought of taking that one step, glasses in hand that would lead me out of the bedroom…I hear the pathetic half asleep “mmmmrrrrooow.” And another, this time head raised “Mrrrow? Mrrrow?” Oh man, I couldn’t resist. So down I went on the bed to pet the giant kitty. My giant purring machine. And nothing in the world is more relaxing with a purring kitty lying on your warm, fuzzy blanket on the bed you just got out of a few hours before.

Sigh…

Three hours later, I stir. Simba Cat by my side. Damn, I was trapped again!

So now I am at the computer, and guess who shall appear? Oh, my dearest Sasha Kitten… I am never going to get any writing done today!

A very happy 27!!!

2006-11-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

Made it past 27,000! Wooooooooooo!

And I am trying to relive my days as a Soprano ONE in High School and failing misery…maybe there’s a reason I sang Alto TWO (Tenor?) in College.
“King of Kings…and Lord of Lo *squeak drop octave*…rds…King of Kings…”

“Oh night, when Christ was born, oh night…deeeeee *can’t breathe drop octave gain oxygen* ….iiiivine. Oh night divine.”

I’m no Charlotte Church. But I sure can mix it up with Jewel “Go Tell it On The Mountain” ;) And I seem to be right in line with Colin Raye for “Angels I Have Heard On High”

Halfway!

2006-11-16T22:17:00.000-05:00

Oh my GOD. I’m halfway. I’m halfway. Halfway through the 50,000 words!!! When I started tonight I had no drive whatsoever. But then, I got in the groove after writing about, “La Isla Bonita” no less! :) My goal is not so much a novel as some are doing, and KUDOS to them….I am writing, words. Many many words on the page. Stories that can connect together somehow someday, stories that end up in a piece of fiction, many of them memoir shorts from growing up. I have too many ideas and never really started any of them. So in any given writing session, I can jump from scene to story to project. I am keeping them all in separate saved posts on Blogger to look back at after Nano to see what to do with them, but my goal is to just…keep…writing.

The days I am writing nothing, let me tell you, I am crafting the stories in my head, just not in front of a computer. But the other half of the time, I AM in front of the computer, and on those days I hit 3000+ words to make up for lost time. All or nothing ;)

And now, I am going to bed.

Nana...not writing...

2006-11-12T16:38:00.000-05:00

But blogging about NaNoWriMo!

From the Washington Post

"I think I am going to go to lunch now."
"Lunch? Now?"
"Yes, I think this would be a good time."
"A good time? Why do you think it is a good time?"
"Because I am hungry, and I am bored."
Who would want to read 50,000 words of this? Answer: no one. But Kush's loophole is an example of "free writing," or letting words flow without regard for coherence or form. The idea is to keep writing without inhibition, even if you have to write, "I can't think of anything to write." Sometimes a great idea (or phrase, or metaphor) can pop out in the process like an unexpected twin during birth.

Well, this is good to know because I might have used a sentence similar to the one above. :) But since my problem has remained getting all the words out of my head. I celebrate every single word that hits the screen. Cause they have never even made it that far in the past..

Chris Baty, program director for NaNo, has one piece of advice for the 2,500 or so WriMos in the District, Maryland and Virginia: "Get out of the 20,000s as fast as you can. If you can do it in three days, great. The 20s are like a swamp of the soul. Charge through them. The 30s start to feel wonderful."

Just like life right? The 30's start to feel wonderful. Sigh. I need to be at 20,000 today. It could be a long week, or a very short ride through the 20's. All or nothing.

Dan Fowlkes, 28, of Stafford has three children younger than 5, and his wife is pregnant with a fourth. So this year he's writing during the commute on Interstate 95 to his Defense Department job by using voice-recognition software. "I'm dictating 2,000 words a morning," Fowlkes says. "Although, in the evening, I'll have to go over those 2,000 words and look for the places where the computer misheard me."
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 for Windows XP. $100-$200 (depending on the edition) from http://www.nuance.com/ , $90-$170 from http://www.amazon.com/ .

HOLY CRAP. IF I HAD THIS SOFTWARE I WOULD ALREADY BE AT 100,000 WORDS. I think I could cover 2,000 words in one breath. I wonder if this is something I should invest in? Or beg for? ;)

I want!

2006-11-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

The Paris Review Interviews: Volume 1

2006-11-07T00:17:00.000-05:00

I am currently 4000 words behind average. Of course, I never have been one to consider myself average. All or nothing? Here I come.

Damn election. Keeps me reading and reading and reading instead of writing.

Damn excuses. Keeps me rationalizing and rationalizing and rationalizing instead of writing.

;)

I doubled my count tonight, after I stopped playing on the blogs. Can I do the same tomorrow? I plan on spending my lunch hour writing, as well as today’s untaken lunch hour writing. Man, work has been BUSY!!!

2006-11-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Sassymonkey Reads I found a way to regroup on my 2006 Reading Challenge (which I am failing at by the way...too many good books out there!) And since finding Paperback Swap? Well, just forget it my shelves are overflowing with new titles!

If you are anything like me your stack of purchased to-be-read books is teetering over. So for this challenge we would be reading 5 books that we have already purchased, have been meaning to get to, have been sitting on the nightstand and haven't read before. No going out and buying new books. No getting sidetracked by the lure of the holiday bookstore displays.

The time frame would be Nov. 1st until Jan. 30 and there will be some small, fun prizes awarded to random participants and/or those with clever review posts. There will be one random drawing for a prize to those who submit their list of books in the comment section by Nov. 15th but feel free to join any time. There will be another random drawing for those who submit five reviews by Jan. 30 for a small gift certificate to Amazon.

Well, I am sure I will still be buying books, but I am going to focus in on 5 from my previous challenge and hope to complete them by Dec 31st.

The Bostonian- Henry James
Love in the Time of Cholera- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Lolita by by Vladimir Nabakov
My Antonia - Willa Cather
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

Story of my NaNo life to be :)

2006-11-02T19:57:00.000-05:00

We are not retreating - we are advancing in another direction.
Douglas MacArthur

Oh No! NaNo! ;)

2006-11-01T09:58:00.000-05:00

:) Week One. For those of you NOT doing this fun ride with me, I hope you stick with the blog during this frenzy of mine, perhaps I might not be as *loquacious* as usual on All Things Jennifer, we will see. My goal is to hit 2000 words a day the first week…so I can coast along the rest of the time. You can track my progress on the sidebar over there…or check out my page here.

I have several ideas rolling in my head and I have no particular outline to follow. I have a deal going on with my friend Doug, and I promised I would have a rough, rough draft by, yikes! Did we say DECEMBER???

Also, a collection of short stories…and well, at least a novel or two in mind (let’s call it a series) I am not really going to worry about rolling out ONE finished complete project…I am going to go with the flow and see what happens, MY BIGGEST HURDLE has always been, well getting it out there, raw, unedited and imperfect. I like to edit as I go and this month is NOT going to let me, so it will be interesting.

And with that said…here is some encouragement from Chris Baty, the Director of NaNoWriMo :)

Dear Author,

(I like this part!)

The keys to thriving in Week One are straightforward:

Surge early. To be on par for the month, you should be writing 1667 words per day. In Week One, try to get 2000 or 2500 a day, and beg, borrow, and steal as much of the first weekend as possible to write. You won’t need to keep up this pace throughout the month, but nothing guarantees a NaNoWriMo victory (and a fun month) like opening up a hefty lead in the first week.

I can do this, I can DO THIS! I can…

Embrace the fear. It’s okay to be nervous. Nervous just means you’re pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone—which is when great and magical things happen. Even if you have a complete story outline to serve as a map for the month, it’s still terrifying to be stepping out into the frontier of your imagination. I blame this on a lifetime of exposure to the perplexing idea that art should be made by artists, and novels left to novelists.

Hm, maybe I am naive, but I am not NERVOUS at all, excited, hecks yeah! But nervous? Nope!

As someone who has done NaNoWriMo for eight years now, I can tell you this: Novels are not written by novelists. Novels are written by everyday people who give themselves permission to write novels. Whatever your writing experience, you have a book in you that only you can write. And November is a beautiful month to get it written.

“Novels are written by everyday people who give themselves permission to write novels. Whatever your writing experience, you have a book in you that only you can write.” And maybe this is why I’m not nervous, I believe this…I have for years. I just need to motivate myself, as always to DO IT! :)

Teen Depression...

2006-10-22T16:52:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't mind reading this book. Note to self ;)

If she can do it...

2006-10-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess we all can! :)

"A psychic once told me I was going to be a writer. I was like, what? I've read one book my enitre life!" Jenny McCarthy

I Was a Teenage Popsicle!

2006-10-18T08:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, with a title like that how can you NOT be intrigued? ;)

I love MySpace because it has connected me with a bunch of fabulous authors...one of them is Bev Rosenbaum, an author who posts on the Yahoo Chick Lit site that I have been a member of, for sometime...(allthose successful people writing and selling books provides lots of encouragement!)

ANYHOW. Bev is now a "real author" with her "real book" in REAL STORES!

As she mentions on her blog...

Woohoo--at long last, I Was a Teenage Popsicle is in stores!

So what's I Was a Teenage Popsicle all about, anyway? Well, it's "a super-cool mix of sci-fi and chick lit" (according to girlslife.com!) featuring cryonically preserved Venice, California native Floe Ryan, the first human in the world to be 'thawed'. Now Floe's younger sister is her older sister (payback's a beyotch), and she has to get used to a zillion other new things that happened while she was napping in the freezer...oh, and she also has to keep local pols from closing the Venice Beach Cryonics Center, where her parents are still, um, chilling. (Now that's cold!) At least she has Taz, the hottie skater boy who used to make her melt before she was frozen, at her side. (He was a popsicle, too.) Or does she..?

Now, what 12 year old is not going to want to read this book? Go buy one now!

Best of luck to you Bev!!!

A GREAT line!

2006-10-06T14:08:00.000-05:00

My friends from High School were discussing this person we know...um. And Linda came up with the best line ever to describe him.

"He's a woman repellant!"

Love it. So going to use it :)

If at first you don't succeed

2006-09-29T21:35:00.000-05:00

From Storytellers Unplugged. Gulp!

A good, legitimate agent has about a 98 percent rejection rate. This is why you must play the numbers (and write a professional query letter and an excellent book). Many writers will give up after ten or twenty or fifty rejections. This is not enough. You should aim for at least a hundred. You should resign yourself to the fact that finding the right agent is a process that could easily take one year or longer. By that point – especially if you never got to first or second base before the frustration of being cut off – it might be time to either massively revise the manuscript or retire it as a ‘practice novel’ and begin something new. There is no shame in this. It is part of the learning process. We all have our rejections, our near-misses, our heartbreaks. You have to crack some eggs and Rome wasn’t built in a day and if it came in a bottle everyone and their Aunt Edna would be a published novelist. Etcetera.

And from
Et in arcaedia, ego

...I was just talking with a client who mentioned that he had 49 rejections of his manuscript before it sold. And one of those rejections was from our agency. We're a few books into that series now and having a blast.

And if that's not enough evidence of how wacky this publishing gig is, try finding the story of how Tom Clancy first got published.

I'm just sayin'.

When I heard

2006-09-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

this story today on NPR, it reminded me how much I want to learn how to knit.

Eden and Caren are knitters...I should learn from them.

Focus.

2006-09-29T20:40:00.000-05:00

Focusing Techniques: Learn From The Pros

from one of my favorite blogs Critical Mass

"Dame Edith Sitwell used to lie in an open coffin for a while before she began her day's writing."

"Amy Lowell, "enjoyed smoking cigars while writing, and in 1915 went so far as to buy 10,000 of her favorite Manila stogies to make sure she could keep her creative fires kindled ... "

"Voltaire ... used his lover's naked back as a writing desk ..."

"Both Dr. Samuel Johnson and the poet W.H. Auden drank colossal amounts of tea -- Johnson was reported to have frequently drunk twenty-five cups at one sitting. Johnson did die of a stroke, but it's not clear if this was related to his marathon tea drinking."

"Victor Hugo, Benjamin Franklin, and many others felt that they did their best work if they wrote in the nude. D.H. Lawrence once even confessed that he liked to climb naked up mulberry trees -- a fetish of long limbs and rough bark that stimulated his thoughts."

"Colette used to begin her day's writing by first picking fleas from her cat ..."

"Stendhal read two or three pages of the French civil code every morning before working on The Charterhouse of Parma -- 'in order' he said, 'to acquire the correct tone.' "Willa Cather read the bible. ...

"Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, and Truman Capote all used to lie down when they wrote, with Capote going so far as to declare himself 'a completely horizontal writer' ... "Thomas Wolfe, Virginia Woolf, and Lewis Carroll were all standers ... "Benjamin Franklin, Edmond Rostand, and others wrote while soaking in a bathtub ..."

"T.S. Eliot "preferred writing when he had a head cold. The rustling of his head, as if full of petticoats, shattered the usual logical links between things and allowed his mind to roam ..."

Free?

2006-09-29T20:20:00.000-05:00

Wow. Something to dream about...Jen and Mark at Art Camp...

What I Did at Summer Writers’ Camp

For writers, nothing compares with that rare feeling of isolation and immersion where work begins to seep into every corner of your life. Hence that most coveted retreat: the artists’ colony. Part monastery, part summer camp, colonies give writers a clean, well-lighted room of their own, three square meals a day and a few dozen creative types to share them with. It’s a strange chemistry — artists alone, together. And just imagine the possibilities for capture the flag! Abstract vs. figurative painters, writers of nonlinear narratives vs. composers whose chords never resolve, nature poets vs. urban photographers. Quirky and bucolic, artists’ colonies have given rise to friendships, rivalries, and more than a few torrid love affairs.

In the United States, the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, N.H., and Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., are considered the gold standard. With its 32 cabin-studios in the woods, MacDowell is said to foster an austere New England work ethic, while Yaddo, on a 400-acre estate not far from the Saratoga racetrack, has a more urbane feel. Both provide room and board for 30 or so artists, including writers, visual artists, musicians and composers at all stages of their careers. They are accepted for residencies of up to two months a year based on a sample of their work and letters of recommendation, and attendance is free. (MacDowell and Yaddo, like most colonies, are nonprofit organizations that rely on private philanthropic largess.) They have limited phone and Internet access and don’t allow guests, children or pets; significant others can attend only if they’ve also applied and been accepted.

Attitude much?

2006-09-29T20:15:00.000-05:00

From the blog Pub Rants. I can't believe someone would be this bold...ok, I can, but it still surprises me.

STATUS: Sara and I are still chuckling over a query received this morning that was a real gem. It opened with “do I have the balls to take on a real writer.” Uh, well, if you looked at my website you would see that I am a woman. I guess the answer would be no. It got even better. This person reminded me that I should be thankful that I was queried for such a terrific project. Good because I needed the reminder. The writer also used three obscenities in the query—including the “F” word. Honestly folks, I couldn’t make this stuff up.

Dirty Books?

2006-09-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

Oh dear, this is too funny. I just finshed reading this book for the FIRST time this week. I can't imagine hiding it in MATH class! :)

The First Lady's Steamy Book Report

"I will admit to reading books like 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' in high school, where you had a fake cover on the outside of the book and read it during math," she says, adding that it seemed "risque at the time."

Was the once-banned classic the steamiest novel she ever read?

"Probably not," she replies breezily. "I've probably read some steamier since."

Smile.

Silence.

Steamier? Like what?

Smile.

One Story!

2006-09-29T19:43:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of it?

One Story is a literary magazine that contains, simply, one story. Approximately every three weeks, subscribers are sent One Story in the mail. This story will be an amazing read.

Each issue is artfully designed, lightweight, easy to carry, and ready to entertain on buses, in bed, in subways, in cars, in the park, in the bath, in the waiting rooms of doctors, on the couch in the afternoon or on line at the supermarket.

And of course, they have a blog too! ;)

Another lawyer turned published author :)

2006-09-29T19:33:00.000-05:00

I'm Gretchen Rubin.

I started out as a lawyer. At Yale Law School, I was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal and won a writing prize. I went on to clerk for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court.

I had a great experience in law, but I realized that what I really wanted to do was to write. Since making the switch, I’ve published four books. I’m currently working on The Happiness Project.

I'm working on a book, THE HAPPINESS PROJECT--a memoir about this year, during which I'm testing every principle, tip, theory, and scientific study I can find, whether from Aristotle or St. Therese or Martin Seligman or Oprah. I’m gathering these rules for living from everywhere I can, and I’ll report what works and what doesn’t. This happiness blog is part of my larger project.

Quote

2006-09-29T19:21:00.000-05:00

From Agent Obscura

"Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how easily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires, unless you make them so." -- Marcia Wieder

Good advice...

Hmmm.

2006-09-27T13:29:00.000-05:00

I usually really like reading my weekly WritersWeekly newsletter on Wednesday. I esepcically like the section on freelancing opportunities and Angela makes the letter warm and personal.

However I seriously question that anyone with a brain would ask her this question. If you can figure out that the company is blogspot and blogger, do you NOT know how to, oh GOOGLE this information? Please. I am turned off at the fact that this question was not only asked, but answered on the website. I thought her readers were beyond this level of understanding.

A Blog Hosted By Google Stole My Copyrighted Material!
printable version

Dear Angela,

I was immediately drawn to this warning. I recently found an article of mine on a blog located at blogspot.com. The title was changed but the rest was verbatim, with no credit to me, the copyright holder, or the magazine it appeared in, and certainly no permission from me. (There were other articles from this same magazine on the site.)

This "blogspot.com" seems to be powered or hosted by something called "Blogger," but I can't find a link anywhere on their site to complain about copyright infringement. On top of that, it appears the blogger makes money from advertising clicks. Have any suggestions how to stop this?

Thanks,
S.

Blogspot is owned by Google. Here's how to notify Google of copyright infringment existing on their servers:
http://www.google.com/dmca.html

2006-08-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

Hyperion Starts Imprint to Help Women Whittle the Book Choices

Hyperion is planning to start an imprint aimed at women.

Called Voice, the imprint, which will publish its first title in April, is the brainchild of Ellen Archer, Hyperion’s publisher, and Pamela G. Dorman, a 19-year veteran of Viking. It will be just one of a number of new imprints aimed at female readers: Warner Books already has a women’s imprint called 5 Spot and in the fall is starting the Springboard Press, for baby boomers, with a large portion of its titles catering to female readers.

Voice is specifically focusing on women from their mid-30’s and older and will have a resolutely anti-chick-lit bent, said its founders.

To help Voice pinpoint what women want, Ms. Archer and Ms. Dorman have recruited a panel of 10 professional women to meet twice a year. Members include Subha Barry, a vice president in charge of global diversity for Merrill Lynch; Ellen Levine, editorial director of Hearst Magazines; and Candace Bushnell, a novelist. (Ms. Archer said Ms. Bushnell has evolved from writing chick lit.) Voice also plans to ask each of these women for the names of about 50 friends and colleagues to send copies of the books to help create buzz.

Reader's Choice

2006-07-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

VOTE? READER’S CHOICE!

I entered this little contest on The Memorist’s Collective webpage a while ago…

THREE MAJOR PUBLISHING HOUSES vying for a chance to potentially PUBLISH YOUR MEMOIR! this is huge stuff. we’re even getting press. from publishers weekly to business wire to media bistro…there’s gonna be a lot of people reading your entries. So this contest is brought to you by the letter “H”… HARPERCOLLINS, HYPERION, and HOLT have all agreed to read your memoir proposal. no fly-by-night schlocky houses here. these are three of the most respected houses on the planet. Four of the finalists will be chosen by us, and one will be reader’s choice.

HOW TO VOTE: The title and date of the memoirs submitted by each author are presented below. Select the memoir that you like best and click the “Vote Now” button at the bottom of the page. You may only vote once during the contest.

My story is here…the 10th one listed.

PLEASE VOTE! CLICK HERE!

A Bi-polaresque Adventure
Jennifer
June 14, 2006

I mean you can read the story and all, (go here) in fact a few of you did. ;) However as you may or may not know a HUGE part of breaking into the publishing business is shameless self-promotion I MEAN---SELF MARKETING GENIUS!

So? With advance thanks…I ask that you spread the word to everyone you know.

Please and thank you. VOTING ENDS ON JULY 24th!

THANK YOU. SPREAD THE WORD ;)

2006-07-06T13:28:00.000-05:00

Ha...from the author Lauren Weisberger's webpage ;)

Lauren is currently living in New York and working on her third novel (or so her editor thinks). She welcomes any thoughts on plot, characters, or title, and promises to pass off your ideas as her own. Feel free to email her.

That's me!

2006-07-05T15:13:00.000-05:00

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted."

Martin Luther King Jr.

Virtual Nightstand

2006-06-28T13:29:00.000-05:00

What are you reading? ;)

Check out the comments for suggestions.

2006-06-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

To delve into the past, we begin with my present-future. Cohabitation impending, yet my not too distant past constantly interfering. A bi-polaresque adventure into my more-than-30 years.

Breathe.

One more week.

Breathe.

Why can't I breathe?

Only six short months ago, I told my friend Rachel I could imagine my engagement on the Golden Gate Bridge. Engagement? I could imagine my engagement

Did I really say that? Out loud? What was I thinking? (Aside: it won't happen on the Golden Gate Bridge. I cancelled my trip due to a lack of finances, even with a free round trip plane ticket and friends from college to stay with. I mean, we need to save all we can so we can move in together, right?) Move in together? Now I can't breathe again. What am I thinking?

Oh yeah, I'm thinking I love him. And for the first, and only, time in my life (breathe) I found somebody.

When we first met I said it was impossible. Did I say impossible? Maybe not that exact word. I also might have mentioned, after our first night together imply what you will, I never wanted him to let me go. I actually said that out loud! Again, to Rachel, who I am finding out remembers everything.

Lord knows, in my world LOVE came a total surprise. In love that is. With each other. At the same time. Who knew it could happen to me? An internet flirtation-one weekend stand that never ended. Love found me when I wasn't even a little bit expecting it. Just like the storybook ending, right?

My roommate Erin told our mutual friends that if she was writing my story, I would end up with this one. The atheist, lefty-leaning, artist falling in love with a R.I.N.O Republican (In Name Only) born-again not-lawyer; one with the debt of law school loans born with no desire whatsoever to practice law, who's looking for a church to call home. It will obviously never work. But damn, it could be fun.

So since he lives out of town and at the top of my age range and unlikely to fall for me and I for him, we might as well meet, right? No harm done!

And after we meet he's intelligent, creative, passionate, interesting and much manlier then I usually like my men. (Usual: Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties in the 80's.) The nerds of my past are never strong in mind and soul AND BODY. And never quite so hairy, unabashedly handsome, bald, with dimples and a salt and pepper beard and well...sexy.

I exclusively fall in love, unrequited love at that, with men who are not geographically desirable. Most women prefer that a man live, oh within 30 minutes away. Me? I usually choose at least 8-12 hours away. Long distance. This way, the men I like are harmless. Too far away to make it work, right?

I need love like any other women but at arms length. I promised myself long ago I would not need a man nor would my future first born be visibly present in my wedding photos like I was.

I also never date someone in my own city that could be actually good for me and not just a delightful, accidental, six month booty call. Call me the not-30 anymore, year old woman looking for lifelong love and happiness, but not really.

Until this one came along. I can't even tell you when he and I became us. Everything was gradual and natural. Both of us cautious, but not really. Both of us on the same page and dating or considering dating others. But not really. And then one day I woke up and we were smack dab in the middle of love. No effort involved! No talks, no games, no questions.

Within a month of our indefinable future anniversary date, we started talking about forever. The next step, moving to the same city.

According to the books I've read all my life? Engagement, living together, finding the one...this is what makes a woman's life complete. And frankly, the women who do anything to make this happen or feel utterly void of existence until that elusive someday occurs annoy the hell out of me. I am not that person.

At the same time, it seems my someday is now. Somehow, I found a wonderful man who loves me right back and the somewhere is soon to be in my own backyard.

So if what I have shared so far is an accurate description of who we are together (and I have no sense to embellish my story when I have friends with impeccable memories who will vouch for my accuracy.) Why am I here, almost a year later, unable to breathe?

Good for her! Local woman gets a book deal!

2006-06-13T15:25:00.000-05:00

And a lesson to all of us.
JUST DO IT! ;)

I am thinking of the all insane life stories I have to tell...

Amherst woman rediscovers life through memoir
by Charity Vogel (My favorite!)

"I don't think my story is that unique," said Benjamin. "Everybody faces conflicts - everybody faces degrees of adversity."

Here's what makes her different: Benjamin, 41, sat down at her computer in her Amherst home last January and began to pour out her pain onto paper. In four months, she was done; she submitted her work to some agents she found online and the next thing she knew - by last fall - she had a publisher.

Now, her book, "The Waking Dance," which is an intimate memoir of her life over the past four years, has been published by SterlingHouse Press in Pittsburgh and will be available starting this month in bookstores.

"It's all me," said Benjamin, a petite, auburn-haired woman with blue eyes and an intense smile. "It's how I speak, it's how I inflect. It's written as if I'm telling you a story."

And speaking of doing it.

2006-06-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

I just read my sorority alumni magazine last night and found out that a sister wrote this book! I also just found out that The Adelphian does not exist online? How is that possible! We are the FIRST AND FINEST! Anyhow...

YOU CAN DO IT! ;)

I almost bought this book for my Aunt Carroll for Christmas. I better go back and revise that almost. and get me a copy.

The author...passed away on Sept 11th in the terrorist attacks and a proceeds of the sale of this book go to this foundation.

In addition to being a fun book I wanted to buy, I've found two very compelling reasons to give this as a gift. You should too.

2006-06-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

Walt Disney

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

2006-06-05T08:06:00.000-05:00

I Like Books!

40 so far this year. And WAY behind on my challenge.

Not so much this one. I enjoy chick lit. Very much. And I loved Jane Green's Jemima J.

But I do not enjoy women in general, who think like her main character, Alice.

Alice (just seperated from asshole philandering husband) speaking to her best friend Emily.

"Then I tell myself that I'me terrified and I'll never be able to make it on my own. Oh God, Em. I just can't believe it's come to this. I walked down that aisle thinking I was goping to be married for the rest of my life. I thought Joe and I would grow old together."

Emily is silent for a few seconds. "Alice, you walked down that aisle knowing who Joe was, what he wanted in a wife. You were willing to turn yourself into what he wanted. That's why your marriage worked."

"I know. It worked as long as I played by the rules. It;s just as scart, being single again when I thought I had that part of my life settled out."

Ick. Ick. ICK.

Of course Alice realizes who SHE is after being married to this loser for 6 years and everything ends up happy. (With a quicky fast forward into the future chapter at the end to see how everyone turns out. Ick.)

If this is what sells? I am never getting published.

32 ain't so bad! :)

2006-05-31T21:45:00.000-05:00

From June 2006 Self Magazine.

There's no reason to shelve your writerly dreams if you haven't sold your first novel by the age of 30. Many artistic types peak later in life, usually in their 40's through 60's according to David Galenson PhD. author of Old Masters and Young Geniuses. "While early breakthroughs get the attention, lots of creative people- writers, painters, chefs- learn as they go, using trial and error."

:)

BreakupBabe

2006-05-28T19:56:00.000-05:00

Ah, *MyFriend* Rebecca had a blog and now has a book.

BreakupBabe: A Novel.

I promoted it here at Perchance to Be. And her publisher sent out a free book. It arrived today.

This would be the 3rd blogger turn bookdeal I have devoured in one sitting.

Julie and Juila

The Washingtonienne.

And now BreakupBabe.

Each one goes through the excitement that every blogger experiences. That first comment from a friend. That first comment from some TOTAL stranger! The addiction to statcounters. Linking. Leaving comments. And generally the amazing feeling of being able to have an outlet to write. Ah. :) I remember those days. (In fact I am still amiss over the fact that since I moved to my new page, I have seemingly lost 50 some hits a day! I was averaging 200!)

Each time I read one of these books I think *Damn, I could do that too.* (Another time, another place for that continuing thought...stay tuned)

So this time? We are talking breakups. I have been through them...but not in this way. Not in the *this was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with and I am almost 30 fuck you what on earth will I do my life is over* way. Lucky me, I only selected men I was pretty sure I did not want to spend the rest of my life with and broke up with each of them first. (I see a book? ;)

I was only about 27 pages in when I realized that Erin, blogged this same story with her last ex (minus the working in the same building and making a shitload of money and telling us how much her cute clothes cost) So I did what any friend would do...I handed it to her immediately.

Ambitious!

2006-05-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

I hope she won something good! ;)

Kaavya Meets Her Match, Promptly Gets Served
The Morning News has finally picked a winner in their Sloppy Seconds With Opal Mehta contest. Inspired by the multi-sourced plagiasm of Kaavya Viswanathan, TMN put it to readers to create an “original” piece plagiarized from no less than 5 works. The winner is Virginian Bonnie Furlong, who plagiarized a whopping 79 different passages for her story — and, in turn, served Kaavya her weak ass on a plate.

Ok, you simply MUST click on the title to see the piece!

If anyone deserves a book deal...it would be

2006-05-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

"Co-founders of the Web site TelevisionWithoutPity.com Tara Ariano and Sarah Bunting's 752 THINGS WE LOVE TO HATE (AND HATE TO LOVE) ABOUT TV, a humorous tribute to 752 of the shows, characters, actors, cliches, plot devices, memorable moments, and catchphrases that make watching TV such a guilty pleasure, to David Borgenicht and Melissa Wagner at Quirk Books, by Rick Broadhead at Rick Broadhead & Associates (World). rickb@rbaliterary.com"

A friend sent me a bunch of these tidbits on email earlier this week...

2006-05-25T12:07:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share this one. Thanks KT. :)

From Bloodletters.com

“I don't have time to write.” “I can't dance.” “I can't talk to new people.” “I'm not attractive.”

I hear this all the time. I always hear the people around me sabotaging themselves, drawing lines and borders and boxes around themselves.

To which I say, make the time; dance; just talk to people; be attractive!

Yes, again, it's simplistic of me to say that. But it's simplistic of you to so easily say what you cannot do!

We're excellent pattern-matchers. That's what the human mind does — it's a pattern-matching engine. So we look at ourselves, at our history, at our behaviors, and we draw straight lines between the points — we assume that just because we've done things a certain way in the past, we'll always do them that way in the future. If we've failed before, we'll always fail.

Screw that.

Surprise yourself. No — amaze yourself.

You don't have to keep doing the things you hate. Why go home and beat yourself up for, say, not going over and saying a few words to someone you find really attractive? Can any damage they could do to you by rejecting you possibly be any worse than the damage you're going to do to yourself for missing the chance?

From the NY Times Book Review

2006-05-22T10:22:00.000-05:00

Well, Philip Roth is well loved, eh? I've only read 2 on this list. What about you? Which ones are a must read?

What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?

THE WINNER:
Beloved
Toni Morrison (1987)

THE RUNNERS-UP:
Underworld
Don DeLillo
(1997)

Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy
(1985)

Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels
John Updike
(1995)

American Pastoral
Philip Roth
(1997)

THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ALSO RECEIVED MULTIPLE VOTES:

A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole
(1980)

Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson
(1980)

Winter's Tale
Mark Helprin
(1983)

White Noise
Don DeLillo
(1985)

The Counterlife
Philip Roth
(1986)

Libra
Don DeLillo
(1988)

Where I'm Calling From
Raymond Carver
(1988)

The Things They Carried
Tim O'Brien
(1990)

Mating
Norman Rush
(1991)

Jesus' Son
Denis Johnson
(1992)

Operation Shylock
Philip Roth
(1993)

Independence Day
Richard Ford
(1995)

Sabbath's Theater
Philip Roth
(1995)

Border Trilogy
Cormac McCarthy
(1999)

The Human Stain
Philip Roth
(2000)

The Known World
Edward P. Jones
(2003)

The Plot Against America
Philip Roth
(2004)

I think this writing prompt is dumb...why would you make up an excuse to your friend, I would laugh. In fact ERIN bought me GREAT WHITE! Dumb prompt.

2006-05-17T08:05:00.000-05:00

WRITING PROMPT

Your friend asks to borrow a couple of your CDs. While rummaging through your collection, the two of you stumble upon what you consider to be the most embarrassing album that you own. You definitely don't want your friend to know that you actually like that record, so make up an excuse as to how it got in your collection. The more elaborate the reasoning, the better.

Nice horoscope. Maybe I will listen :)

2006-05-17T07:40:00.000-05:00

Have you been concentrating strongly on spiritual studies for a while now, Jennifer? Do you meditate regularly? If so, don't be surprised if insights and revelations stream through your mind today. Write them all down, for there will probably be too many even for an elephant to remember. If you're inclined towards writing, you might consider setting your ideas down in a book, perhaps with publishing in mind. Doors are opening wide for you. Make the most of them!

2006-05-15T16:17:00.000-05:00

"Don't say you don't have enough time.You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."

~ H. Jackson Brown

A little whine with that cheese?

2006-05-15T14:55:00.000-05:00

Writers who whine about work are full of the wrong stuff

I have had it with writers who talk about how painful and harrowing and exhausting and ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE it is for them to put words on paper and how they pace a hole in the carpet, anguish writ large on their marshmallow faces, and feel lucky to have written an entire sentence or two by the end of the day.

It's the purest form of arrogance: Lest you don't notice what a brilliant artist I am, let me tell you how I agonize over my work. To which I say: Get a job. Try teaching eighth-grade English, five classes a day, 35 kids in a class, from September to June, and then tell us about suffering.

Read the whole column, it's great.

Oh no. Not Writer's Digest

2006-05-09T16:52:00.000-05:00

This letter makes me reconsider subscribing.

People find Blaine INSPIRING? Ick.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Monday night, street magician David Blaine tried to do the unthinkable: hold his breath underwater for nine minutes. During the entire week leading up to the event, Blaine was living in a man-sized snow globe of water. Its arguable whether this stunt was more impressive/insane than some of his others--being buried alive for a week or hanging in a small box for 44 days over the Thames River in London--but he continually pushes his limits. I try to do the same. In fact, I once went a full day without cable.

What risks have you been willing to take to advance your career? Have you dedicated yourself to studying the writing craft? In this weeks newsletter, weve assembled our annual list of the 101 Best Websites for Writers to get you on the right path. Maybe pushing yourself means taking a writing course. Teri Brown includes a few options in her piece, Class Act. And if all you have is time to read, check out our Book Buzz forum to chime in on this months selection, Mary Gaitskills Veronica.

Blaine may not have held his breath for the entire nine minutes, but you have to admire his ambition. Maybe its time you challenge yourself as well.

Take care of yourself and your writing,
Brian A. Klems

Challenge #2: Faraway Lands

2006-05-08T20:21:00.000-05:00

"Close your eyes and think of a faraway place, perhaps one that you have visited before, or somewhere you hope to go to someday. Or imagine a whole new place that exists only in your mind. Allow yourself to indulge in a bit of wanderlust as you create a piece of art inspired by this special place."

Ok. I think I can do this one.

Last weeks challenge: Digital Art

So is the name Frank my ex-boyfriend's pseudonym?

2006-05-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

The Writing Life- It may not be poetry, but sportswriting has art, heart and incomparable bar buddies.

By Frank Deford

As a writer, the worst two things that ever happened to me were, number one: I had a happy childhood. Number two: I belong to the absolute and utter majority, bland across the board. I have no personal injustices to rail about. An agent of mine once said to me, "Frank, you are the last of the tall, white, male, WASP, Ivy League, heterosexual writers." ..Perhaps this is why I ended up writing about sports.

This quote makes me laugh :)

2006-05-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

Douglas Adams
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."

Lets get DIGITAL?

2006-05-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

Digital. I chose to start my Inspirations on this day? ;) Although there are a lot of fun links I see...perhaps I will play a little while!

This is what I came up with. Picture from the park this weekend.

$95.2 MILLION!

2006-05-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

Cross posted at the main blog- All Things Jennifer.

A Picasso portrait of his lover Dora Maar has been sold for $95.2m (£51.8m), the second highest amount ever paid for a painting at auction.

Responsibility- How BADLY did all these people want/push and market this book. Sigh.

2006-05-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

I mean really. I am sick to DEATH of this story. But look there's more!

A Second Ripple in Plagiarism Scandal

Fresh passages in the novel by a Harvard sophomore, whose book was pulled from stores last week after she acknowledged plagiarizing portions of it, appear to be copied from a second author. At least three portions in the book, "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life," by Kaavya Viswanathan, bear striking similarities to writing in "Can You Keep a Secret?," a chick-lit novel by Sophie Kinsella.

"Viswanathan has defended her writing in the past by stating that she internalized McCafferty's books, and that she has a photographic memory."

A not so dumb Harvard student and agent and entertainment think tank and publisher thought they could get away with it. And even if the author didn't MEAN to- which I doubt/wonder. I know it's easy to pick up language/phrases of others, but to copy- for shame!

Ms. Viswanathan said she would have no comment on the latest allegations, as did Michael Pietsch, senior vice president and publisher of Little, Brown, who last Thursday announced he was pulling "Opal" from bookstores. Ms. Viswanathan's agent, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh of the William Morris Agency, was traveling and could not be reached.

So Little Brown...I BET they have a wee bit of $$$ and a heck of a lot resources and um LAWYERS on staff. If they market this genre of fiction how could no one notice all tsimilaritiestes? No one? don't they PAY people to be *in the know* in this business? And I bet, just BET that the agent WILLIAM MORRIS might have some capability to know this information as well. NO she should NEVER EVER steal words and passages. (Yikes, have you seen them? Scary!) But to think that no one caught any of it? Shame shame. Someone can pay ME to read every book on the market and check for similarities ANYDAY! Call now!

In an e-mail message, a spokeswoman for Alloy Entertainment, the book packager responsible for several hit series of young adult novels that also helped Ms. Viswanathan develop the concept for "Opal" and craft its first four chapters, said: "We are continuing to refrain from offering comment on any matter relating to Kaavya at this time."

And you are telling me that an ENTERTAINMENT THINK APPROACHED HER and helped craft the first 4 chapters!!! DID SHE DO ANY OF THE WRITING AT ALL?

"Alloy shares the copyright with Viswanathan for the book, which basically means the finished project was a hush-hush collaboration between the unproven teen author and some mix of editors and ghostwriters who churn out books like Opal for a living. "

C'mon seriously! Someone else came up with the idea and outline, and she was the overachiever gifted Indian teenager? For $500,000. Holy SHIT. Oh yeah and this book also had a MOVIE DEAL!

Alloy Entertainment is a creative think tank that develops and produces original books, television series and feature films. The company originates unique, commercial entertainment properties - often with an eye toward teens, young adults and families - and partners with the leading publishers, television networks and movie studios to deliver these properties to the world.

Who's fault is is REALLY?

Sometimes, it could just be a good STORY.

2006-05-02T11:18:00.000-05:00

Author goes from 'Prada' to nada

Anna Wintour nemesis Lauren Weisberger might be ruing the day she ever wished for fame and fortune. Trying to produce the second of two novels with Simon & Schuster - with which she has a seven-figure deal - Weisberger apparently has a case of writer's block. Lowdown hears that Vogue editor Wintour's 29-year-old former assistant - whose thinly veiled first novel, "The Devil Wears Prada," lampooned her ex-boss and sold more than a million copies for Doubleday - is in agony over her book-in-progress, which her editor has allegedly advised her to trash.

I read this book recently, even though I didn't think I would enjoy it. (Same with the Shopaholic series, I was WRONG!) See all the books I have read in 2006 here!

I had it, (bulk chick lit from eBay thank you!) I picked it up. And I LOVED it. I loved the STORY. I think what I loved best was the *thinly veiled* reality of it all-knowing most of it probably happened.

And I adored the style of the writing. So when I picked up her second book...

I decided I wasn't really that interested in reading the book. It KINDA sounded exactly like her first only with a PR firm twist. So it wasn't too much of a surprise for me to read the above article. Like I said I ADORED the "Devil Wears Prada" however...perhaps she had one book in her. One fantastically almost true story. She has a SEVEN (count em) SEVEN figure book deal from ONE tremendously excellent story. Perhaps writers block makes sense, if you have a story to tell ...and somehow have to come up with something as grand the 2nd and 3rd time! Geez. Although with a million dollars on the line, I can imagine a publisher being damn picky.

May Book of the Month

2006-05-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

From the Buffalo News is…

Cider House Rules.

Just another one of those books I have on my shelf I picked up here or there and haven’t read…maybe this month? Anyone read it? Whatta think?