Learning from Faulkner

July 10, 2012Leave a comment

Photo by Ralph Thompson of Faulkner in Rouss Hall [Print# 0218]

You can break everyone into a dog person or a cat person, a chocolate person or a vanilla person, or (like I do) a Hemingway person or a Faulkner person. I’m a Faulkner person through and through.

July 6 marked 50 years since William Faulkner’s passing.One way to mark the occasion is to check out the University of Virginia’s digital archives of Faulkner’s materials and lectures from his time at the University. During one of his classes, Faulkner was asked about Caddy in The Sound and the Fury:

Frederick Gwynn: Is Candace a common name in Mississippi or—?
William Faulkner: No. No, Caddy seemed a nice name for her, and I had to think of something to justify it.

I kind of love that Faulkner just thought it sounded like the right name. Sometimes that happens–a character just comes to you in a certain way and you’re not quite sure why a particular detail rings true, but it does.

Lots of awesome material in there for all you fellow Faulkner fans.

Magical Mugs

July 9, 2012Leave a comment

My desk and I need the floating mug:

Sadly, it’s not available yet, but you can pledge money via Kickstarter to make the floating mug a real thing and save desks everywhere. Because that hot cup of coffee/tea is vital to the writing process.

(via Core77)

Another Reason Armored Bears are the Coolest

June 26, 2012Leave a comment

Angela Rizza’s illustrations are so cool. My current favorite is her Armored Bears print:

I think Iorek Byrnison would be proud.

Angela has a lot of other children’s lit-related prints (Harry Potter fans, take note!), so make sure to check them out.

Links Galore

June 13, 2012Leave a comment

A few more links for a rainy Wednesday:

My biggest title pet peeve.
Why readers advisory matters to librarians and their reading communities.
Great interview with Emily M. Danforth about LGBT YA novels and writing in general.
Why The Secret Garden endures.
Just try picking your favorite Horn Book Magazine cover.
The stories from Moonrise Kingdom get animated.

An Ocean of Books

June 12, 2012Leave a comment

This may be my favorite book sculpture yet:

Gorgeous texture, and I love how it uses the natural lean of the book as part of the design. Artist Guy Laramee has other gorgeous works on his site; make sure to check them out.

(via swissmiss)

The Fourth Dimension of Art

June 11, 2012Leave a comment

These 4D paper sculptures of letters and numbers by LoSiento are awesome. They remind me of the discussion of time and space in A Wrinkle in Time.

Love seeing all the pieces come together.

Looking at the Mad Scientist: Frankenstein Online

June 7, 2012Leave a comment

Last November, I read Frankenstein for the first time. Until then, I’d just seen the movie and read the background information on how Mary Shelley came up with the story. So I’m psyched to see that Biblion is looking at the book, Mary Shelley, and her circle. Lots of cool background information and essays.

Right now they have a lot of info up about the Romantics. Seriously guys, the drama in this group could make for some awesome TV drama. (Downton Abbey is already a hit, so why not have more historical dramas?) Get those English major vibes going!

PS–I’m also going to see the National Theatre Live version of Frankenstein when it’s shown in a couple of weeks. Really psyched to see Benedict Cumberbatch rock this one.

(H/T NYPL Wire)

It’s Good to Be Curious

June 7, 2012Leave a comment

I feel like this could be a theme song for artists of all kinds:

Mr. Rogers, you continue to be the coolest. Thanks for fostering many generations of learners.

(H/T PBS)

Terrific and Radiant Sculptures

June 6, 2012Leave a comment

These sculptures by Linda and Kelly Campbell (aka Artful Living) are gorgeous. Love the Charlotte’s Web one:

It really captures the spirit of the novel. So cool!

(H/T books, paper, scissors)

Like Having a Cool Lit Class Discussion via Youtube

May 31, 2012Leave a comment

Sometimes you see people online and think “Man, I wish we were friends in real life.” You think about all the awesome things you’d do and all the cool conversations you’d have. That’s kind of how I feel about the YA Subscription crew. Their discussions about YA literature are my new favorite thing. It’s like hanging out with very cool, very thoughful people who also love YA*. What more could you want?

Currently working through their videos on The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. If you haven’t read the book yet, you really need to.

*Granted, I have a couple of groups like that in real life, so I shouldn’t complain. But the more, the merrier!

Annie Cardi

Tag: cool