Jay Walker’s library
I know this has been all over the blogosphere lately, but in case you missed it, go take a look at Jay Walker’s personal library.
Words fail me.
Children’s literature muffin tin meals
Over at Sycamore Stirrings, readers have submitted pictures of meals they have made that are presented in muffin tins and are inspired by children’s books.
As the parent of a toddler who loves books, but often seems to dislike mealtime, this seems like a great idea.
Sorted books
Vetti sent me a link to Nina Katchadourian’s sorted books work. They are essentially piles or clusters of books arranged so the titles can be read to make a story, poem, or perhaps satirical comment on the nature and meaning of life. Very clever.
It made me want to grab some books and try my hand at creating something. Most of my books are still in boxes after our termite-induced furniture shuffle, but among the library books on my shelf now are “The game”, “The indigo girls”, “Skin”, “Juicy writing”, “Baby love”, “Bog child”, and “Hazel’s phantasmagoria”. I feel like there’s something there, but I’m not sure if I want to find it.
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- Bookshelves made from books
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WEbook collaborative publishing
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Authonomy, a sort of social writing and publishing site. WEbook is a similar enterprise although at first glance, there are at least two key differences.
WEbook has a strong emphasis on collaborative writing, rather than just individual writers submitting works to be voted up or down (as with Authonomy), although you can choose to write solo.
It is also a publishing company. While Authonomy is run by HarperCollins, they do not necessarily publish any of the works submitted, and there is nothing to stop the works being submitted to another publisher. WEbook will actually publish the “best books” and “you and your collaborators share in royalties on book sales”. Any work submitted however, does remain yours and you are free to decline a publishing offer if your story wins the vote.
I’d be interested to see how the collaborative side of things works out and good on them for trying it, but I really don’t know if I can be bothered reading their first published collaborative work, Pandora.
If nothing else, I’m slightly put off by a company that markets itself as “a revolutionary online book publishing company, which does for the industry what American Idol did for music”. Maybe that inspires some people. But sorry, it doesn’t do much for me.
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Teenagers and reading
Author Lili Wilkinson has some very choice things to say about what is considered “real reading” when it comes to teenagers.
Taking a swipe at people (headline-seeking journalists in particular) who sprout on about kids spending more time using electronic media than they do reading, she points out that there is more than one way to engage with story.
Every time you read a book, an article, a piece of fanfic, watch TV, go to the cinema, you are feeding your story machine. It’s like breathing in.
And when you write a story, or blog, or draw a picture, or tell someone a lurid anecdote about what your crazy aunt got you for your birthday, or make a video, or write a song… you are also feeding your story machine. You breathe out.
Do yourself a favour and go read the whole post
