Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Boston Begins City-Wide Fairy Tale Reading & Discussion Of Kelly Link's "The Faery Handbag"

Charles Vess - The Faery Handbag (from The Faery Reel)
Yes. It's not a traditional fairy tale, but Kelly Link's Nebula and Hugo award wining novelette The Faery Handbag is one of those few "new fairy tales" that have stuck with us ever since we first read it, The Faery Reel: Tales From Within the Twilight Realm (Ellen Datlow & Terri Winding 2004). We have read a lot of "new fairy tales" and while the writing is usually lovely and, occasionally, a story will resonate with us, not many of those stories sink into our subconscious fairy tale soup and stay there, becoming part of the shared language. 

A very strange thing, to us, is that we remember reading it for the first time, and, while thinking it was kinda neat, though more modern, more magic realism than fairy tale, not what we would have thought as "fairy tale", so just went on to read the rest of the volume. But somehow the ideas and the story wouldn't go away and we found ourselves thinking about the story in the following days and well after that. We haven't looked closely at why this is. We agree the story feels more like a modernized Victorian fairy tale to us than a "classic" one - not our preferred tale types - but the ideas... they feel very like they fit, right in Faerie Land, and by Faerie Land we mean the land in which fairy tales take place, whether fairies appear there or not.


Magic bags that hold things larger than themselves aren't a new concept in tales. We admit we are quite enamored of the idea that you can pack an entire room - or house! - into a carpet bag (Mary Poppins, Merlin in the Sword and the Stone) and simply carry it with you to your new abode. Magic purses, sacks and knapsacks have been able to capture, tame and contain everything from the sea to Death (The Soldier and Death), not to mention come in useful for benevolent gift givers during the Yule and Christmas season. The classic rabbit in a hat magician's staple, is a variant of these as well. Modern fantasy films employ this idea regularly too, but Link brings a fresh take to this delightful idea.

But back to the news.

The annual One City One Story movement, launched as part of the Boston Book Festival, is a pretty neat idea. Here's what it is:
One City One Story is the Boston Book Festival’s version of an all-city read, but instead of a book, we print and distribute a short story. Our goal is to make a short story available to all, free of charge, to spread the joy of reading for pleasure among the teens and adults of our city, and to create a community around a shared reading experience.
As part of this initiative, in the past they have offered online translations and downloads, led citywide discussions, leading up to a town-hall style discussion with the author, library discussions, distributed the story throughout the city for free in multiple languages, held a writing contest, online reading groups and discussions with the author.

Shaun Tan's illustration for The Faery Handbag
is very different from Charles Vess'
but equally intriguing
This year they've chosen Kelly Link's The Faery Handbag, which means, people are having conversations and discussing fairies and fairy tales, especially in a modern context, in many different places in one city. Not entirely coincidentally, the story is also set in the greater Boston area, so locals are even more likely to imagine fairy tale magic just around the corner.

If you haven't heard of it, you will find many references to it. Here's a great way to introduce the central concept, by way of a discussion on fabulism:
Fabulism is a curious way to explore and understand the ordinary. In Link’s story, the speaker spends her time hunting for this handbag. It’s black, made from dog-skin, with a clasp of bone that can open three different ways:
 If you opened it one way, then it was just a purse big enough to hold […] a pair of reading glasses and a library book and pillbox. If you opened the clasp another way, then you found yourself in a little boat floating at the mouth of a river. […] If you opened the handbag the wrong way, though, you found yourself in a dark land that smelled like blood. That’s where the guardian of the purse (the dog whose skin had been sewn into a purse) lived.
Fabulism is a lot like this purse. It seems to belong to this world, but doesn’t follow all of the rules. It beckons you. It’s off. The more you explore it, the more mystery and power it has.

You can find the many, many different places they're giving out the story for free in a list HERE.
The Faery Handbag - Artist unknown
You can read the story online HERE or download an English, Spanish or Russian PDF, or a Kindle or Ebook version HERE (more languages coming apparently).

On September 28th there will be a discussion of The Faery Handbag, care of Boston's NPR, WBUR, and they promise other discussions throughout the community to be announced soon as well. There's also a writing prompt for a contest with prizes. (Gotta love that!)

Want more food for thought? Again from the highly recommended article on Diving into the Faery Handbag: On Fabulism:
The greatest part of the faery handbag is that there’s a wrong way to open it — meaning a dangerous way, a way that can eat you alive. And it’s that third compartment or “way of opening up” that separates the magical realism of childhood stories from the magical realism of stories for adults.
And because the proposed discussion questions are great to kick your brain into gear, even if you haven't read the story, we are putting the discussion prompts and questions below. Enjoy!
Chris Riddell - lady with carpet bag from sketchbook
Discussion Questions1. How did the jump between times/focuses affect your reading of the story?
2. Was Jake’s decision to go into the bag justified? Why or why not? Why do you think Zofia refused to let Genevieve go after him? 
3. After Zofia dies Genevieve becomes the official heir and guardian of the bag. What does this role mean if the bag is lost?  
4. Genevieve is a headstrong teenager entirely wrapped up in thoughts of her missing boyfriend and the fantastical world her grandmother taught her about. Does this make it difficult for you to sympathize with her or trust her as a narrator? Why? 
5. What lost item (like the Sesame Street shirt) would you like to find at The Garment District? What is the significance to you of finding something you thought was lost forever? 
6. How might this story have changed if Jake had not gotten expelled and MIT had not rescinded his acceptance? 
7. What is the importance of Scrabble tiles also acting as divination tiles in the story? Does it affect the way you read Zofia and Genevieve’s relationship to the game? 
8. What do you think will happen to Genevieve after this story ends? 
9. Does Zofia’s death (or absence, if you follow the thought that she didn’t actually die) force Genevieve to act differently than she would have before? If so, what is the difference?  
10. Do the characters in this story remind you of people you know? Is this affected by the familiar setting (greater Boston). Does this change the way you read the fantastical elements of the story? How? 
Writing Prompt 
In 500-700 words describe what you would expect or hope to see after disappearing into your own faery handbag for several decades. Email your story to info@bostonbookfest.org by Friday, September 30 for a chance to win a BBF prize package, including a signed copy of this year’s story!
The Boston Carpet Bag newspaper, 1851-1853

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Free Comic Book Day is TODAY and Officially Helps Kick Off Children's Book Week 2015


Yup - that is correct. Comic book stores around the US today will be helping to launch Children's Book Week for 2015 - officially - and not just by reminding you. They've gotten involved with the Children's Literacy Council and other reading advocate organizations for kids and are ready to encourage young readers (and would-be-readers) of all ages. The official Free Comic Book Day team and graphic novel artists and writers from all over have been preparing events BEYOND free comic book day  - to take place THROUGHOUT Children's Book Week  - to help promote reading, with comics as a launch pad to reading-success.
2015 preview of Labyrinth comic from the Boom Studios Anthology to be given away
From FreeComicBookDay:
On May 2, comic book stores will kick off Children's Book Week (May 4-10, 2015), the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading, by giving away over two million comics to younger readers on Free Comic Book Day! 
With over two dozen kid -friendly titles to choose from, there's a free comic book available to help every young reader get into the spirit of Children's Book Week which will be celebrated the following week with more fun, book-themed events, appearances from beloved children’s book authors and illustrators, and more in all fifty states. 

Comics’ industry leaders Diamond Comic Distributors and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) are partnering with Every Child a Reader and the Children's Book Council to bring greater focus to what comics offer kids, with cross-industry promotions and targeted resources for parents & educators during Children’s Book Week. In addition to Free Comic Book Day, the organizations will partner with authors, publishers, and comics specialty and book retailers to create Children's Book Week events spotlighting comics and the joy of reading at locations all over the United States! 
Jennifer L. Holm, three-time Newbery Honoree and CBLDF board member says, "When I was a child, my love of reading started with comic books. Today, as a comics creator myself, and as a mom, I'm excited by how much extraordinary storytelling is happening for young people in comics. Children's Book Week is a wonderful time for people to come together and share the love of reading comics with kids everywhere!"“Comics and graphic novels are incredible tools for fostering a love of reading in children, and transmit valuable literacy skills to readers of all levels. We are delighted to partner with Free Comic Book Day to share the joy of comics with kids nationwide this Children’s Book Week,” says Nicole Deming, interim director of the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. 
“On behalf of comic shops nationwide that promote reading in their communities on Free Comic Book Day and all year round, and the writers, artists and publishers creating a fantastic array of children’s comics today, we welcome this opportunity to collaborate with Children’s Book Week and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund,” added Roger Fletcher, Diamond VP Sales & Marketing.
The kid-friendly FREE comics available this year will be more in number than usual and it's recommended parents take their kids and load up those arms!

What usually happens at comic book stores participating in Free Comic Book Day?

All the ones I've been to have had:

  • costumed characters
  • dressing up for guests (& contests)
  • props and displays for photo ops (and general fun)
  • artists signing comic books and special prints
  • food!
  • giveaways and raffles
  • special appearances by guests
  • art lessons
  • FREE COMIC BOOKS!

Here's what our local store is doing:
Don't worry about breakfast, you can buy something delicious at one of the amazing gourmet food trucks, and Honu Coffee will be taking your order while you wait in line!
Did we mention the Stormtroopers, Ewoks, R2D2 and the LANDSPEEDER, not to mention Batman, Batgirl, Joker, and who knows what other characters might decide to stop by! In fact, dress to impress, and enter our SUPER COOL all ages COSTUME CONTEST sponsored by DK Publishing and LEGO!

Games, prizes, balloons, a rockin cool BINGO game, a DJ, gaming demos, free art lessons...SO much to do! Be sure you're following us on Twitter, for our giveaway game, where we will be giving away some amazing prize packages to the lucky winners.
And, OH YEAH: don't forget the comics. Miles and miles of free comics!
Get here early, stay all day!!! JUST BE THERE!



For fairy tale folk there are a few offerings in the free category, including a special Labyrinth comic (which you can see a preview page of in this post) and for slightly older kids, there's Steampunk Goldilocks. There are a variety of other kids fantasy too, though, sporting the prince, princess and monster motifs common to what people think of as fairy tales today as well though, so check them all out (and hey - if you don't like what you ended up with, donate them!)

Also DK are an official sponsor of Free Comic Book Day for 2015!

DK have signed on to sponsor and contribute toward the marketing and promotion of Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), which takes places Saturday May 2nd at participating comic book specialty shops across the US, Canada, and worldwide. DK will serve as a supporter of Free Comic Book Day offering a special edition comic book along with the opportunity to win prizes as they help shape and enrich the comic fans’ experience of the event.
DK will offer FCBD Fans the opportunity to win various graphic novels, comics, activity books, and additional prizes through contests hosted on the Free Comic Book Day Facebook page during April through July. 


There's a list of bona-fide kid-friendly comic book stores by state HERE, but seeing our local  book store isn't on there yet it definitely fits the bill, it's not a complete list. Although not all comic book stores participate, most seem to, so check out yours - and remember, the earlier you get there, the more likely you are to get the freebies you want the most...

Happy reading!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

A Wilde Weekend! (A Multi-Arts Weekend Event Celebrating the Life & Works of Oscar Wilde)


I was completely blown away when I followed the breadcrumbs to this four day event, titled A Wilde Weekend. And it sounds... completely amazing.

First of all - it's a four day, multi-disciplinary Arts event (!), celebrating the life and works of Oscar Wilde, in various locations around beautiful Irish countryside and landmarks.

What does that mean?

It means there is a four day program filled with:
- plays - full and partial
- readings & dialogues
- film presentations
- live music
- magical mystery garden tour
- a tour of an amazing period house, complete with scenes of Wilde plays in various rooms
- artwork
- photographs
- period costumes wherever you go with actors helping set the atmosphere
- period social events (like dinner parties under the stars as Wilde himself loved, hosted and attended)
- talks and discussions by experts and scholars
- community costumed picnics
- and more!

And - I have to include notice of two things:

One -  they're GILDING A STATUE, just like The Happy Prince, and will be leaving it to the elements to flake off over time..!

Two - they're having a DINNER IN THE DARK, to simulate the silver mine dinner Wilde had in Colorado (the US). This will be a dining experience complete with blindfolds and pitch darkness to try your dinner, dessert and drink in...

I'm just astonished. It's EXACTLY the sort of immersive, Arts-based event I think people should experience - with excellence and professionalism on every level available to the public, from locations and presenters, to involving every sense (taste, smell, touch, sound, sight, and all the other ones too).


Even the whole PDF for this program is gorgeous (click on any of the side-by-side images shown above to see and read it full size). It's also huge - pages and pages - and I can't figure out how to embed the whole thing so I'm including some pages that may catch your eye. You can find the full, beautiful PDF HERE (just the program is creatively inspiring!).

The date is the Bank Holiday weekend (May 1st to 4th) and takes place in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh (Ireland) and you can pay to attend various events or for the whole weekend.

Here are all the links you need:
OFFICIAL SITE is HERE
Twitter is HERE
Facebook is HERE
PDF of the program and various events descriptions is HERE

And if anybody gets to go to any of this please tell us! I want to hear all about it. (And then I want someone to do a similar event close to where I am please!)