A NEW BLOG


Yes yes, another new blog. This may not be of interest to some of you... but others may like it so I thought I'd mention it. It's called STREET ART NYC. I love carrying around my camera and taking photos of the art I see. People do stencils, they use chalk, they paste things to walls... and all sorts of stuff. I think it's a lot of fun. I don't like graffiti. I think it can ruin a landscape. But a little gem of art here and there can brighten one. I plan on posting a few times a week with new photos of art that I've found around the city. Check it out! Become a follower!

TeeTime - Plucky Texas Terrier Gets Free Golf for Life

Photo: John Dewey
Grapevine is a Texas town with a charming historical district, eclectic art galleries and... not surprisingly... numerous wineries.  It's also home to Grapevine Golf Course.

A recently renovated Byron Nelson and Joe Finger design, Grapevine is one of the most popular courses in an area known for great golf.

Well, a number of years ago a small, scrappy Jack Russel terrier began frequenting the fairways of Grapevine Golf Course.  Players started calling her "TeeTime", and she quickly became fixture; helping keep the course clean by chasing away pesky geese... and accepting offerings of food from golfers and staff in return.  It was a perfect arrangement until a run-in with a coyote, a storm drain and an overzealous Animal Control Authority nearly killed the courageous canine.

Grapevine golfer John Dewey tells her harrowing story at JackRusselLover.com and it's quite an adventure.  Fortunately the ending is upbeat.  So much so that "TeeTime" is now "back on course" and ... has even earned her own Facebook page.

SAVING SUMMER: A Memoir Poem







In September of 1984, my mother’s father passed away. I was devastated. I had spent many of my happiest childhood days at the home of my maternal grandparents. Two of my cousins lived on the other side of my grandparents’ duplex. We three cousins played together in my grandparents’ yard, made a clubhouse under their porch, picked apples and pears from their trees. We also had great times inside their house celebrating holidays like Easter and Christmas Eve. My grandparents took great joy in their granddaughters and loved watching us have fun together.

Dzidzi, my grandfather, had a big vegetable garden behind the house. He loved working there. He enjoyed having us kids pick tomatoes and peppers and onions and carrots and beets from his garden. Babci, my grandmother, would preserve many of the vegetables and fruits reaped in late summer and early fall.

After my grandfather died, I so wanted to write a story in verse about my Babci and Dzidzi. It didn’t work out too well. Some years later, an image from my childhood of my grandmother working in the cellar preserving tomatoes in mason jars popped into my head. That image gave me the inspiration for writing the poem Saving Summer—and for an entire collection of poems about my grandparents, their house, their yard, their garden—and the happy times I spent their with my cousins and sister. The collection takes me through a year at their house. The unpublished collection is titled A Home for the Seasons.


SAVING SUMMER

In the cellar
Babci sits on an old kitchen chair
made new with glossy gray paint.
Wearing an apron blooming with faded flowers,
she leans over the tub of steaming water,
plucks out plump tomatoes,
and peels off the wet, papery skins.
She fills shiny jars with soft red pulp,
stretches on rubber sealers,
presses down moon-round lids,
clicks closed the metal clamps.
She places the jars in a wire basket
and lowers them into a pot of bubbling water to cook.


On wooden shelves in a corner
she stores stewed tomatoes beside rows of pickled beets,
golden peach slices, green piccalilli,
and carrots the color of October pumpkins.
Standing there in late afternoon,
sunlight shining through a small side window,
I see her harvest preserved:
a rainbow glistening in glass.
Babci is keeping summer alive in jars.

********************

Over at Wild Rose Reader, I have a post titled Old Poems & New Furniture.

Sara Lewis Holmes has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Read Write Believe.
TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 30TH
U.S. GIRLS WILL PLAY AT DOUBLE DOUBLE LAND
WITH
CARLA BOZULICH
+
ALEX LUKASHEVSKY

209 AUGUSTA AVE.
DOWN THE ALLEY, FIRST DOOR ON YOUR RIGHT, UP THE STAIRS

STARTS AT 9PM
U.S. GIRLS ON 2ND

POSTER BY TAD

SIGNING NEXT WEEK...

Meet MiniKawa: Ryo Ishikawa's Cute New Club Cover

Photo: Yoshihiro Iwamoto
If you happen to be in Nagoya Japan this week for the Coca Cola Tokai Classic, you may notice a cute little guy in blue tagging along behind superstar golfer Ryo Ishikawa.

Well that would be MiniKawa, latest addition to the Bashful Prince's club cover collection.   With spiky black hair, a visor and cool looking Swans he's clearly another Ryo wannabe... and on the fairways and greens of Miyoshi Country Club he'll protecting his idol's equipment... so to speak.

However, covering Ryo's club is just a part-time gig for the diminuative MiniKawa.  He's actually a full-time mascot for Aquarius, an ultra-popular sports drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company and promoted by Japan's top athletes, including the amazing Japanese women's soccer team and the "Three Kings": star swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, stellar soccer midfielder Keisuke Honda and of course, the awesome Ishikawa, Ryo.


From what I gather, Aquarius comes in quite a number of flavors and is uniquely tasty/refreshing/energizing/AWESOME!  Unfortunately it's not available in the US, and as a result there are plaintive postings on myriad message boards by Aquarius-addicted Americans who tried the bubbly beverage in Japan... and are now desperately seeking a stateside source for the elusive elixir. Apparently there isn't one.

For now, if you're in the US you'll have to enjoy the elusive elixir vicariously, through Ryo and the other athletes at the impressive Aquarius-sports website.  The site's packed with videos and interactive games and MiniKawa will be there to greet you, he's not bilingual however, so if your Japanese language skills are lacking you may want to bring a translator.  



Special thanks to Noriko Imada for keeping us up-to-date on all things Ryo.

Sophie Sandolo Posts Best Golf Job Ever on Facebook

"Looking for a Caddy for the Ladies French Open at Paris International from Thursday thru Sunday... Anyone available? Thanks :)"












When Sophie Sandolo... the gorgeous global golf star known for both her achievements on the Ladies European Tour (including 18 top 10 finishes) and her elegantly erotic calendars... was in suddenly in need of a caddy in Paris for the upcoming Lacoste Ladies French Open, she took a modern, practical approach and updated her facebook status with the above.

Needless to say, the response was enthusiastic and voluminous.  Within the space an hour the job had been filled... and one lucky caddy will be spending a long autumnal weekend on a splendid Jack Nicklaus course just outside of Paris... with one of the sexiest women in golf.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy reading: 
Enviable Assets - Sophie Sandolo's Golf & Glamour
Sophie Sandolo Speaks Out

Anonymous Scottish book art






Isn't it lovely? More here.




UFO diving - Episode 162 - The Knitmore Girls

DSC_0019



Listen here:
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This week's episode has been sponsored by:

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Here at Abstract Fiber we’re busy getting ready for OFFF and SOAR. We’ve got some fabulous new colors including Summit, Lagoon, SOAR, The Gorge.  The next best thing to being at SOAR is our SOAR colorway, the color of Autumn leaves. Available now at abstractfiber.com .

purllogolarge

Purlescence Yarns is the Bay Area's destination yarn shop. From the best in spinning and weaving equipment to luxurious yarns and fibers, we have what you need to make your fibery dreams a reality. We're always happy to provide mail order service for Knitmore Girls listeners. Call us today, it'll be on its way!

bar maids

Meet Lo-Lo by Bar-Maids, "The Hottest Natural Moisturizers in the Fiber World”. Bar-Maids handcrafts head-to-toe moisturizers for people who wish to proactively protect, defend, and restore their skin to baby bottom soft. Bar-Maids uses only the finest local ingredients available creating non-greasy, non-sticky, non-flaky combinations that penetrate multiple layers of the skin working to soften and nourish.  Once applied, the moisturizer remains where you put it and is not washed down the drain.  With over 38 scents (that smell wonderful), and 8 lip balm flavors that taste yummy, it's hard to choose just one.  Find out how you can keep your hands moisturized and beautiful while knitting up a storm at www.bar-maids.com  Fair shipping practices, cruelty free, and fast turn around times are just icing on the cake.



On the Needles: (00:30)

Jasmin is working on projects out of her UFO bin.  She is making tracks on the Garter Yolk Cardigan.  It needs buttons and button bands, and she will pick up some grosgrain ribbon for finishing it.  Also, the baby sweater for Logan needs ribbon.  She worked on her Sothia with a number of different needles.  She used some from Jenkins, that have nice points, she then moved to CocoBolo needles from Asciano, and then moved to Chia-goo needles, and finished up with Addi Turbos.

She has also dredged up her Cassidy out of her UFO bin, that she is knitting out of Miro in the colorway Rosewood from Abstract Fiber, while she was watching Alien Resurrection.  Also, she is occasionally working on the Prairie Blanket by Oat Couture.  And she is also occasionally working on the Vanilla sock out of Trekking in her purse.

Gigi is working on her second Ophidian out of green Heritage, and is not liking her needles as much as the Chia-goo needles.   She is also working on the garter stitch section of the Sothia, and there are a lot of stitches. She is knitting it out of Abstract Fiber's Mighty Socks in Silver and Little Black Dress.
She is also very excited about the prospect of downloading patterns from the Burda website.

Gigi and Jasmin attended the stash swap at Purlescence, and Jasmin came back with a good haul.


Mother Knows Best : ( 25:31)

We answered a question as to where to get advice and where to order from. Jasmin has ordered from Eat, Sleep, Knit, also Webs and Abstract Fiber, as well as Purlescence with good results.  She is not fond of Patternworks.  Here we shop at Purlescence, Bobbin's Nest and Yarn Dogs

As to getting help and advice for knitting problems, and building a knitting group, Jasmin would make friends with people at the yarn store and build a knitting group that way.  She suggested finding people by sitting at a coffee shop and knitting there and waiting for knitters to approach.  Panera Restaurants seem to be very knitter friendly.  Meetup.com seems to be a good place to find knitters.  Also: find the local knitters through ravelry groups, and making yourself approachable in a public place.

Gigi suggested taking knitting to the kids' school functions and catching other knitters there.   Check the bulletin board at your local knit store. 
We also mentioned the Monkey Business Episode.

Review:  (37:33)  

This week, we review the Stitch Light by Buffy Ann Designs

Jasmin got dirty looks using it at a bar at Stitches.  We were using them watching The Good Guys in the backyard and using the lights.  Gigi couldn't get it to work hanging it from her neck.  Then she strapped it on her head and nearly blinded Jasmin when she turned to her.  It has a very strong light.  Jasmin dangled it from her neck, and the lens got really hot.

Andrew bought a head lamp from REI that works much better. We didn't find it comfortable, and we couldn't make it work for us. We do not recommend it.




Straw into Gold: (43:25)

Jasmin ran 9 ounces short on the yarn she is spinning for Andrew's sweater, because she didn't do the math right. So she has to spin more.

We also took advantage of the nice weather and cleaned two spinning wheels, Jasmin's Schacht Reeves and a friends Schacht Matchless.  They used Murphy's Oil Soap to clean the wheels and after drying the wheels polished them with Wood Beams.  After letting the wheels sit in the sun for a while and cure, the wheels got wiped off and buffed and now they both look glorious.



What I'm working on now, and book trailers!







I'm in the throes of editing hell...actually, I'll rephrase that--I'm in editing HEAVEN! Just a whole lot of it at once, is all. But the books are SO GOOD, and this is the meaty part of my job that I love the most. Speaking of, I've been meaning to update my "How I Edit" post from almost exactly five years ago, as technology has changed my process somewhat. Perhaps that will be for next week.

What I was working on this past weekend specifically was finishing up an editorial letter for the first book in Libba Bray's new four-book series, The Diviners. It's a YA historical paranormal with hints of horror (okay, more than just hints) set in New York City in the 1920s. Flappers, Ziegfeld's Follies, speakeasies, political protests, secret government experiments, cults, ghosts, supernatural powers, and oh yes, a serial killer. It's magnificent, and coming out next Fall.

This past weekend I've also been working on Chris Colfer's middle grade novel The Land of Stories, coming out next August. It's a fantastical adventure to a fairytale land, and it's a page-turner, with unexpected twists and turns, a lot of heart, and best of all it's funny. I was reading it on the subway and found myself chuckling out loud at the dialogue. I'm excited for the world to see that this kid can write as well as he can sing. And boy, do I love his voice (I can listen to his version of Blackbird all day).

So, while I keep editing, I wanted to share with you two trailers that were released recently. The first is for Peter Brown's hilarious new picture book You Will Be My Friend!, starring Lucille Beatrice Bear, who some of you might remember from his last book, Children Make Terrible Pets. You Will Be My Friend launched earlier this month, and on Saturday I attended his book launch party at Powerhouse Studio in DUMBO. And as Lucy would say, OH! MY! GOSH! This is the cutest trailer EVER!



This second trailer is for Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone which officially pubs tomorrow! Happy early book birthday! There's been an incredible amount of excitement and buzz for this book, and the love, especially from bloggers, has been tremendous (and well-deserved, although I may be biased...).



Isn't that cool?

Okay, back to work!

simple joys






I've been having a wonderful time chronicling my adventures in France on my blog (I'm about half way done) as well as my Pocket Pacy adventures!

I've been actually getting such a kick out of the whole Pocket Pacy project that I think I will continue and expand it at home.

But so far, I think my favorite memory of France has been when I wandered into the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris.  I became entranced by this Italian style fountain:
The Medici Fountain

But the Sasquatch grew a little bored as I sketched and walked around, instead. When he came back, he said, "I think there's something over there you'll really want to see."

He was right. Because "over there" was an amazing vintage carousel:

the animals were designed by the Charles Garnier, the same designer of the Grand Opera!
The animals were worn and chipped, there wasn't even music playing. But there was a new group of children waiting each time and the grey horse even had a waiting line (it seemed to be the "special one.")   All the children carried sticks and the carousel was full each round.

Look how old the animals are!
The only animal that was ignored was the giraffe (and the tented carriage).



And I slowly figured out why. The carousel was an old-fashioned game. The children tried to catch the ring on the bell with their sticks. The grey horse must be the "lucky one" and the giraffe, not so much:


Every child was so enthusiastic, so excited about their animal and trying to catch the ring...it was incredibly charming and delightful.

And to me, it was also very hopeful. In this day and age, with computers and video games, to see children enjoying something so simple was inspiring. Things don't have to light up, be bright, shiny, action-packed and new for kids to love it. Simple things can still be vibrant and beloved.

It seems like there are hundreds of articles a day about how the book is dead, how the new generations will turn up their noses at a paper book. Perhaps many will. But perhaps, many will not. Perhaps they will still find the simple pleasure in an old-fashioned book like they do with this old-fashioned carousel.




On The Road to More Pars - A Golf Growing Crusade

If Christina Ricci has her way, The Road to More Pars will soon become increasingly well traveled.  You see, Christina is passionate about golf... and ultra-committed to seeing the game grow.  ~ To that end, the intrepid marketing executive from Boston, Massachusetts has developed a virtual media empire focused on bringing more players to the game... and making the game more enjoyable, satisfying and fun for all golfers.

Not that long ago Christina was a thirty handicap with a goal: to drop to a single digit handicap within five years. And she did just that, in fact she was down to a five within those five years. She's now a 3.2, and aiming for scratch.  At the same time, the long-legged brunette has committed herself to helping others to accomplish their golf goals.

Christina's Golf Survival Guides are unique among instructional golf books in that they're designed to be used on or off the course.  Spiral bound, sturdy and portable, the format is highly visual and easy to follow; presenting tips, drills, instruction and information with detailed illustrations and high quality photography.  A companion set of DVDs as well as an on-demand golf video and fitness library are also available on Christina's site.  In addition at the iTunes App Store you can find the survival guide for iPhone and iPad.  Then there's Miss Par, Christina's blog and a great place to go for news on the the latest golf fashion, golf gear and golf gossip.  But lets get back on the proverbial road, shall we?



Christina's latest venture... and her most awesomely ambitious yet: a golf travel/game/reality/adventure show, aimed at the sport’s most under-served demographic: the female golfer.

To get an idea of what you'll see On the Road to More Pars check out the website.  Then, watch the sizzle reel... and make sure you vote YES if you like the concept of this golf-growing show.   And by the way,  a nationwide search will get underway soon for seven cast members... Christina's Golfer Girl Roadies...  who'll live the adventure On The Road to More Pars.  Women of all ages and ability levels... golfers or aspiring golfers... are encouraged to start preparing an audition video.  Sample reels are on the site to inspire you.

Christina Ricci is a true golf evangelist and a brand-builder par excellence.  As golf industry executives and associations ponder future growth of the game Christina has taken the club by the shaft... so to speak... and launched a movement.

Check out  Christina's interview with me at Miss Par! 

Banned Books Week: Jonah Goldberg Claims It’s Just ALA Propaganda







Last week while I was working on a post about Banned Books Week 2011 (September 24−October 1), I came across an op-ed that Jonah Goldberg had written for USA Today titled Banned Books Week is just hype. It really got my dander up—so I wrote a criticism of Goldberg’s column for Jonathan Turley’s law blog on Sunday. The title of my post was Banned Books Week: Just a Lot of Propaganda Says Jonah Goldberg.

Goldberg took issue with my criticism of his op-ed and wrote a blog post at the National Review Online (NRO) titled Banned Books B.S. Cont’d. In it, he said that my attempted rebuttal of his column was “underwhelming.” He wrote:

Elaine Magliaro, a guest blogger at Jonathan Turley’s site, comes to the rescue of the Banned Book Week crowd and the effort is entirely underwhelming. There’s a great deal of nonsense here. I’ll focus on just a few points. A big chunk of her response restates my op-ed while casting her incomprehension as if it’s a rebuttal.

Goldberg claims that cases of challenged books reported to the ALA “are little more than disputes over whether a book is age-appropriate.” He adds that such disputes “don’t end in books being pulled from shelves.”

Goldberg was kind enough to answer a question that I had posed in my Turley blog post. He wrote: Oh, and to answer Magliaro’s question, my answer is Yes, I think it might be a good thing if there were more challenges to librarians’ judgment about what books kids should be reading.

I must admit that I have to wonder why a published book author and a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors thinks that Banned Books Week is just propaganda and thinks it would be a good thing if there were more book challenges every year.

I’d appreciate feedback from anyone who reads my Turley blog post and Jonah Goldberg’s USA Today op-ed and NRO post.

**********

At Wild Rose Reader, I have a post title Cleaning House and Discovering Old Poems. (I also have some new pictures of my granddaughter Julia Anna.)

Anastasia Suen has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Picture Book of the Day.

The Awesome "Getting to Know Alexis Thompson" Infographic

{See Full Size Image}
Although she's already quite familiar to fans of women's golf, Alexis Thompson hasn't yet become a household name, despite the fact that she's made golf history... a couple of times already.

At age 16, the newly crowned Navistar LPGA Classic Champion is seen by many in golf media as the great American hope for women's golf.... and some are even suggesting she may singlehandedly save the LPGA. However, most of the folks I've been speaking to at the driving range and on the golf course this week, have no idea who Alexis Thompson is.  Granted, these people have mainly been men... recreational golfers who probably don't know Ricky Fowler from Dustin Johnson, either.

In any case, the ascension of Alexis is an engaging story, that presents us with a compelling young player, almost certainly destined for LPGA stardom, and that's what inspired me to create this "Getting to Know Alexis Thompson" infographic.  Consider it a visual representation of random info on Alexis.

Since her historical win at the Navistar Classic on Sunday there's been a bit of controversy about the exact path Lexi will take to full status on the LPGA Tour... you see, no one's ever won an event before attaining the LPGAs minimum age.

For the moment however, the Tour is busy over in Ireland with the 2011 Solheim Cup so a final decision has not been made, but whatever the outcome is, it's a pretty sure bet that we'll be seeing lots of Lexi in the months and years to come.


LOVE LETTER TO HIGH SCHOOL







Testing characters' names








Naming characters for me is either super-hard or super-easy, never in-between. Sometimes the name and the character come together; sometimes nothing seems right, or I doubt my choice.

This week I found a way to test the name. On Google Image search now, you can type in the kind of image you're looking for, so I tried the names I'd thought of for the character with "Face" as the image type.

I can't claim that this changed my mind in any way -- I had a favorite name and found myself searching for images that fit it. But, I did find one face that seemed exactly right -- as soon as I saw it, I thought:

"That's her!"

Maybe it helped, or maybe my mind was already made up and I just didn't know it.

It was also interesting (to me) to see often the names seemed to attract a TYPE: look at Ashley (above) and Margaret (below). Neither of these were names I was considering -- I just looked up lots to see if there really is anything to do this idea. Maybe there isn't and it's just my imagination --but still, a character's name matters -- it gives the reader a mental image of the person.

These Margarets were the first three rows that came up when I entered the name, as were the Ashleys above.

QUESTIONS FOR A POLICE OFFICER

What are some questions you'd ask a police officer? What are some questions your kids might ask?

Long time no see

While unpacking boxes, I recently came across a stack of books from my childhood that I haven't seen in years. I LOVED this series. The books originally belonged to my mom, they were first published in 1913. I can't wait to reread them! Finding them was perfect timing, as I've been working on my own chapter book of animal stories.

See one, do one, teach one - Episode 161- The Knitmore Girls

Sharks hat for Logan


Listen here:
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This week's episode has been sponsored by:

Photobucket
Here at Abstract Fiber we’re busy getting ready for OFFF and SOAR. We’ve got some fabulous new colors including Summit, Lagoon, SOAR, The Gorge.  The next best thing to being at SOAR is our SOAR colorway, the color of Autumn leaves. Available now at abstractfiber.com .


purllogolarge
Purlescence Yarns is the Bay Area's destination yarn shop. From the best in spinning and weaving equipment to luxurious yarns and fibers, we have what you need to make your fibery dreams a reality. We're always happy to provide mail order service for Knitmore Girls listeners. Call us today, it'll be on its way!

bar maids
Meet Lo-Lo by Bar-Maids, "The Hottest Natural Moisturizers in the Fiber World”. Bar-Maids handcrafts head-to-toe moisturizers for people who wish to proactively protect, defend, and restore their skin to baby bottom soft. Bar-Maids uses only the finest local ingredients available creating non-greasy, non-sticky, non-flaky combinations that penetrate multiple layers of the skin working to soften and nourish.  Once applied, the moisturizer remains where you put it and is not washed down the drain.  With over 38 scents (that smell wonderful), and 8 lip balm flavors that taste yummy, it's hard to choose just one.  Find out how you can keep your hands moisturized and beautiful while knitting up a storm at www.bar-maids.com  Fair shipping practices, cruelty free, and fast turn around times are just icing on the cake.


On the Needles:(00:31)

Jasmin is working on the KAANTINEN Reverible Rib Cap, re-engineered to fit a baby. 
She finished the interminable ruffle on her Sothia. Jasmin has finished the knitting the Baby Blueberry Cardigan out of Claudia Handpaint and Cascade 220 sport. Only the handsewing remains. The Oat Couture Prairie Blanket is coming along nicely.  The Garter Yoke cardigan out of Jasmin's hand spun ( Susan's Spinning Bunny is BFL color blue jeans, and Lorna's laces, Merino, color jeans) is progressing nicely.

Gigi has finished Romi Hill's Taygete. The knitting is finished but it hasn't been documented.  We learned a new acronym: POIDH  Picture or it didn't happen.
She is also working on her second Ophidian by Sivia Harding and complaining because the needles she is using aren't as sharp as the Chia-goo needles she used on her last project.  She is also working on the Sothia, out of Abstract Fiber in Mighty Sock. And a non-descript vanilla sock.

Mother Knows Best: (17:41)

The question we answered from the thread is :How to improve and add to skills as a knitter.   Pick whatever skill interests you most and go for it.  The See One, Do One, Teach One technique was discussed and recommended.  We mentioned the Market Squares Bag from Knitter's Magazine.


And Sew On: (25:52)

Gigi is sewing a quilt our of Dr Seuss fabric from Beverly's with the Contra Dance pattern from Quilt Woman.com Designs.  She is using a seasonal table cloth with a flannel lining as a design wall.


Review:  ( 33:53)


Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting by Rosemary Drysdale.  We liked the swatches and the photography.  We would have liked more photos of the garments.  (We really like the Lady Eleanor, and Entrelac Baby Blanket from Knitter's magazine better.) Jasmin liked the poncho and Gigi liked the wrap with angora.  We liked the swatches, the garments not so much.


Straw into Gold:(46:44)

Jasmin has been plying her singles for the Ten Year Sweater. She uses her Woolly Winder exclusively for plying because it packs the yarn tightly.  She also uses the Fricky Skein winder, because it measures yardage.  When she is done skeining her yarn, she ordered cards from Vista Print to label her handspun.

Presidents Cup - Top 10 Spots Set, Ryo Fans Rejoice

The automatics are in, with ten of the 12 spots on both the international and US teams set... and here they are.  It's now up to the captains to make their two picks.  In fact, US captain Fred Couples has already confirmed that one of his two will be Tiger Woods, leaving room for just one more US player... and it seems that pick is still very much up in the air.  "We still have another week, but that could easily change anyone's mind," Couples said. "I want these guys to know that the Tour Championship is still deciding my second pick."

On the International side, Greg Norman is also studying his options. With the event taking place in Australia, The Shark has the added pressure of on-site fan support weighing on him, but appears to be keeping it in perspective.  "I'm picking the player, not the flag," Norman said. "How they have played in the last 90 to 100 days is important to me. I'll be looking at their scores and the consistency of how they play."

Meanwhile, fans of Ryo Ishikawa were happy to see him get in after recent struggles put him on the bubble.  A captain's pick in 2009, Ryo is the youngest player ever to compete in the Presidents Cup and his debut at Harding Park impressed many.

The 2011 Presidents Cup will take place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from November 4-11.

And so it begins...







The Emmy Award Ceremony was last night (I didn't watch, but followed some of the action via Twitter), and that brings to mind the awards that concern those of us who work in children's and young adult publishing. Over at School Library Journal, the "Heavy Metal blog" has begun its fascinating discussions about the books that just might have a chance at winning the Newbery.

I have some fondness for that particular blog, because there wasn't much buzz about Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon being a possible Newbery title until it was discussed on that blog in November. Of course, buzz isn't everything--and in the case of this year's winning Moon Over Manifest, buzz meant nothing (the Heavy Metal blog didn't discuss that book), but still, I think the likelihood of the winner being a book discussed on that blog is high. So, check it out, weigh in, and place your bets! I find the discussion about Gary Schmidt's Okay For Now particularly fascinating (you'll remember that I read and loved the book, although to be sure, it isn't without its flaws. What book is?).

At the same time, the Horn Book has started a blog to discuss possible Caldecott contenders over at "Calling Caldecott". 

Now all we need is for someone to start one for the Printz, and the triumvirate will be covered.

And also, National Book Award finalists will be announced on October 12.

Betsy Bird gives her Newbery/Caldecott predictions over at Fuse #8 here. I won't make any predictions myself, because of course I have some hopes for books I've edited, and also, I don't feel that I've read enough to give an educated guess (although I'm sure Okay For Now will be "in the room" as we say in the business).

Do any of you have any early favorites for the awards?

from the BRG archives: making literature, making a living










More often then not, when I'm introduced at a book event I'm described as a prolific author/illustrator. While it is usually meant as complimentary (at least I hope so) I always wince a little inside. Just because a person (especially someone in the creative field) creates many works doesn't necessarily mean they are any good.

Of course, I am extremely grateful that I have been able to be so prolific. But the truth is, I have to be. I depend on it. If I don’t produce, I quickly drown--mortgage, health insurance, medical bills, groceries-- everything breaks through the rickety dam of my paying books.

Which is probably why I was so affected by Linda Sue Park’s speech about creating your best work . I didn’t go into children’s books for the money (who does?); and it goes without saying that I want everything that I do and publish to be the absolute best of my ability. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that sometimes my creative juices flow out of desperation for the cold hard cash, that compromises are made to get contracts, and sometimes work is rushed when bills are waiting.

To be able to make a living in children’s books is a gift, but one that is dearly paid for. And is compromising quality one of the unavoidable taxes? That is the question I struggle with when the projects are over and the bills have been paid. Could I have done it better? Should I have done it better? Was it my very best?

The answer is always yes and no. Everything I’ve done probably could’ve been done better. But it was the very best I could do at that time. And while that’s not quite satisfactory, it’s enough to make me try again with another book.

Originally published January 13th, 2007

Ryo Ishikawa: Of Milestone Birthdays and Growing Pains

お誕生日おめでとうございます 石川 遼

Ryo Ishikawa, the Japanese teen we've been watching for almost five years is turning twenty.

When he first caught our attention almost five years ago. It was the summer of 2007 and "The Bashful Prince" was a newly minted fifteen-year-old pop culture icon,  having recently become the youngest winner ever of a men's tournament on the Japan Tour.

With a whimsical nickname and a disarming smile, he soon made his way to the international stage, turning professional in 2008,  and by the end of that year becoming the youngest player ever to reach the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings.  US golf fans discovered the young phenom in 2009 when he played in PGA Tour tournaments for the first time.

A series of impressive achievements followed as Ryo made his way to the top of the global "Promising Young Guns" shortlist.  It sometimes seemed like nothing could go wrong this precocious trajectory to the top... but... it was sort of inevitable there'd be some growing pains somewhere along the way.


Early this week I heard from friends in Japan that Ryo had been fined nearly $30,000 for missing two recent Japan Tour events.  A shoulder injury... backed up by a note from his physician... was the reason for Ryo's withdrawals, but that didn't sway the powers-that-be at the Japan Tour...  nor did the golf star's commitment to donate all of his 2011 income to the Japan's earthquake relief fund.  Then, just today at the ANA Open in Sapporo,  Ryo missed the cut in his final round as a teenager.  The star was a bit wistful when asked to comment on his upcoming birthday"Lonely birthday - I had planned to play this weekend".  And so go the growing pains for a very young player who has risen mercurially in world golf.

It's quite clear that Ryo is eager to compete with the top ranked players in the world, declaring recently that he "hoped to become a player who has the option of playing on the U.S. tour" at the same time he's become such a huge star in Japan that he's often seen as having single-handedly increased Japanese participation in the game... and vital to its continued growth.  One can only imagine the newly-minted-twenty-year-old is feeling the pressure of the weighty decisions that lie ahead,  however he's always shown remarkable thoughtfulness and maturity.  Despite the pressure and a few metaphorical speed bumps on his road to the top, there's little doubt among fans and followers of the game Ryo's rapid rise will continue.   お誕生日おめでとうございます 石川 遼

Thanks go to Noriko, a fellow Ryo fan from Japan who always keeps me informed.