27 March 2013

Sylvia Plath: Children's Author (via @brainpickings)

This is awesome and somewhat totally mindblowing.  Via Brain Pickings:

"Sylvia Plath — celebrated poet, little-known artistlover of the worldrepressed “addict of experience”steamy romancer … and children’s book author? Given my soft spot for lesser-known vintage children’s books by famous literary icons, I was delighted to discover The It-Doesn’t-Matter Suit (public library) — a charming children’s story Plath penned shortly before having her first child. Though her journals indicate it was written on or immediately before September 26, 1959, it wasn’t until March of 1996 that the tale saw light of day with its first — and only — publication, featuring wonderful illustrations by German graphic designer and artist Rotraut Susanne Berner."










19 March 2013

Guest Post @BookRiot: Metafictional Children's Literature


Here's another guest post at Book Riot on my soft spot for metafictional children's literature:

Whether it’s the overlapping narratives of Cloud Atlas, the intricate puzzle of a Calvino novella, or the cheap thrills of The Matrix, I am a sucker for mind-bending entertainment—particularly stories from that curious subset called metafiction.
Describe a book as labyrinthine and I’m a goner. Tell me that a story resembles Russian nesting dolls and I’m putty in your hands.  Break down the fourth wall and I’ll be on the other side waiting for you with open arms and a cup of coffee.

 (Read the full post HERE at BookRiot.)

George Saunders on children's books




"Your instincts as parents are correct: a minute spent reading to your kids now will repay itself a million-fold later, not only because they love you for reading to them, but also because, years later, when they’re miles away, those quiet evenings, when you were tucked in with them, everything quiet but the sound of the page-turns, will, seem to you, I promise, sacred." 

— George Saunders


Just when I thought it wasn't possible to be any more in love with George Saunders, I stumbled upon this list of his recommended children's books that ended with the quote above.  Man-crush, you have been upgraded to threat level: Swoon.  (Read his recommendations here at Dinner a Love Story)

09 March 2013

Through the Pulp-o-mizer and In the Night Kitchen

Yesterday's favorite internet discovery was the Pulp-o-mizer, a customizable pulp magazine generator.  It's way too easy and way too much fun.  

I've had Sendak on the brain lately, so I took the pulp-o-mizer for a trial run with In the Night Kitchen:


07 March 2013

The Beasts of Childhood: Maurice Sendak in the Southern Wild (guest blogging @BookRiot)



I wrote a piece for Book Riot looking at the similarities between "Beasts of the Southen Wild" and "Where the Wild Things Are".  There will be a (still) hot bowl of soup waiting for you at the end of the post. [Click here for the full post.