Archives
Posted by Justine at 8:47, February 29th, 2008 under 1930s NYC novel, Fashion, Research |
A friend of mine, Nick Stathopoulos, is a fabulous artist. So fabulous that two of his portraits have made the finals of two of the most prestigious art awards in Australia.
The
Archibald, which really is THE most prestigie:
David Stratton, a well-known film critic back home
Getting into the Archibald is the Holy Grail of portrait painting back home. More, actually, because it's the most famous art prize we have. Gets covered by all the media at home. Is very big deal. There's even a special packers's prize given by the people who unpack all the entries.
And the
Doug Moran:
Shaun Tan
While they're both brilliant, my fave is definitely the portrait of Shaun Tan. I ...
Posted by Justine at 20:51, February 28th, 2008 under Praising, Viewing |
The wonderful Kathleen T. Horning of
Worth The Trip ((Oh, and yeah, she's a
mover-and-shaker librarian in her spare time.)) sent me this fantastic art by Madison Hartup:
You can check out Madison's other work over at
DeviantArt.
And my apolgoies for posting this to
Maureen who's a little bit zombied out right now.
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 28th, 2008 under Viewing, Zombies |
Posted by Justine at 12:11, February 27th, 2008 under Science, Sydney/Australia |
Congratulations to Adrienne and Danielle for making the finals and to
Adrienne for winning. I'm relieved I wasn't allowed to vote cause I have no idea who I'd've voted for. I thought both pieces were fabulous.
I shall miss Zombie Idol. Literature without zombies popping here, there, and everywhere, well, it's hardly worth reading, is it?
Posted by Justine at 22:28, February 26th, 2008 under Zombies |
I have been remiss and forgotten to point out that
voting is now open for the finals of ZOMBIE IDOL!!!
Go vote!
Voting is open for another (almost) six hours.
That is you must vote before 7PM Eastern US of A time.
Go!
Posted by Justine at 13:09, February 26th, 2008 under Zombies |
Posted by Justine at 11:44, February 25th, 2008 under Bloggery/Internetty Stuff, Excuses, Writing life |
Cause Anne Hathaway has on the WORST dress ever.
I promise I will stop being shallow some time in the future.
Posted by Justine at 20:53, February 24th, 2008 under Fashion, Viewing |
Is like this: I have always wanted cowboy boots ever since I saw my first pair on the feet of indigenous stockmen in the Northern Territory of Australia. Those boots were beaten up and weathered like you wouldn't believe and I'd never seen such cool boots in my entire life. Want!
They were plain though. My fancy western boot lust didn't develop until I saw my first rodeo. It wasn't any of the performers who were wearing them but two women in the audience had on full cowgirl regalia and shiny, shiny boots. I am magpie. Shiny fills my heart with lust.
Over the years, I have tried on many pairs of fancy western boots and they have never been quite ...
Posted by Justine at 13:05, February 23rd, 2008 under Fashion, New York City/USA, Sydney/Australia |
That's right
us judges have done decided and now you get to choose which is the bestest.
And if that isn't enough on Monday you get to choose between the winner of round one and the winner of round two for the utlimate uber-winner of Zombie Idol 2008.
Go, zombies!
Posted by Justine at 14:23, February 22nd, 2008 under Frippery, Zombies |
Is noice boots. (Bad photo, but noice boots.)
Posted by Justine at 14:00, February 22nd, 2008 under Fashion |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 21st, 2008 under Liar, Research |
Than you so much for all the
excellent liar info yesterday. I'm now halfway through Paul Ekman's Emotions Revealed: Recognising Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life and finding it extraordinarily useful. Thanks to Gwenda Bond, Jenny Davidson and Malcolm Tredinnick for suggesting him. I'll be chasing down all the other leads as well. You are all the best research assistants ever!
Since you were all so amazingly helpful on yesterday's research question I have another:
Last year (I think) I read at least two articles about DNA testing being used in a classroom (or possibly classrooms) in California (but I may have the state wrong) to demonstrate that no one is racially "pure" and, indeed, to promote discussion ...
Posted by Justine at 10:55, February 20th, 2008 under Liar, Research |
Have any of you ever taken a lie detection test of any kind? (Polygraph or written q & a or some other kind of test I have not read about yet.) If so would you care to tell me about it? Feel free to be anonymous in the comments if you'd prefer.
And more generally: for those of you who have told lies and gotten away with it---what's your method?
Do any of you believe you have the ability to tell when someone else is lying? Is it a general ability or just with people you know well?
Can any of you recommend any good non-fiction articles and books about lying? Most of what I've found so far has been deeply underwhelming.
Thanks!
And thanks ...
Posted by Justine at 11:33, February 19th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar, Research |
My new novel, How To Ditch Your Fairy, is set in a world where almost everyone has a personal fairy. My protag, Charlie, has a parking fairy (which she hates because she's only fourteen and doesn't drive and doesn't like cars), her best friend has a clothes-shopping fairy, and her arch enemy has an all-boys-will-like-you fairy.
So what's your fairy?
Or what fairy would you like to have?
Posted by Justine at 10:48, February 18th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, What's your fairy? |
Some days are more blurry than others. Like today. It's blurry grey outside and also in my head. So instead of attempting to half-heartedly swat at my insanely long to-do list, I'm going back to bed and reading.
I hope you get what you need out of your Sunday (or Monday or whatever day you're facing).
Posted by Justine at 11:21, February 17th, 2008 under New York City/USA, Reading |
The final five of Zombie Idol have been selected. Now all you have to do is
go and vote for your favourite.
And not to worry if you had a yen to enter Zombie Idol. This is just round one. The deadline for round two entries is midnight of 21 February (East Coast USA time). To whet your appetite here is
Libba Bray's take on Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown:
In the great scary mall
There were survivors
And some dark halls
And a picture of
The zombie cow jumping over George Romero
And there were three little zombies sitting on chairs
And two dead kittens
And a pair of severed mittens
And a little toy house
And a flesh-eating mouse
And a lost sombrero and pain and a ...
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 16th, 2008 under Bloggery/Internetty Stuff, Zombies |
Posted by Justine at 10:28, February 15th, 2008 under Research, Young Adult literature, Zombies |
Posted by Justine at 20:23, February 14th, 2008 under Bloggery/Internetty Stuff, First Kiss |
Posted by Justine at 0:54, February 14th, 2008 under Frippery, New York City/USA, Writing life |
The speech that Kevin Rudd delivered at Parliament house yesterday was even more moving than I could have imagined. I cried. I never thought this would happen during my life time. I'm so full of hope for the future I feel like I could burst.
Here's the whole thing: the four minute apology and then the twenty minute speech. It's really worth watching all of it.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Thanks to everyone who's written to me from home and elsewhere. It's wonderful to discover that yesterday's historic events had ...
Posted by Justine at 12:16, February 13th, 2008 under Praising, State of the World, Sydney/Australia |
Back home in Canberra the prime minister is making this historic apology on behalf of the Parliament and the Government of Australia:
Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were
Stolen Generations---this blemished chapter in our nation's history.
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.
We apologise especially for the ...
Posted by Justine at 17:00, February 12th, 2008 under Praising, State of the World, Sydney/Australia |
So, the whole Maureen Johnson stick a zombie into a novel thing has just gotten heaps bigger. Like heaps. You need to
go over there to check out the extent of the bigness. I heard a rumour that there are more than a gazillion entries already! A bazillion gazillion trabillion! So many that's she's extended the competition.
And gotten some judges in. Stellar judges such as Meg Cabot, John Green, E. Lockhart, and, um, me.
I'm excited and delighted and slightly nervous. How long does it take to read a bazillion gazillion trabillion entries? Also---Oh. My. God.---I'm a judge with Meg Cabot. I think I'm going to faint.
To forestall the fainting fit here is my little take on the whole thing:
I ...
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 12th, 2008 under Frippery, Young Adult literature, Zombies |
John Scalzi has some
excellent advice for writers who are trying to make money out of said occupation. Go forth, read, take notes.
While I strongly agree with most of his advice, I have issues with two of his points:
3. Marry (or otherwise shack up with) someone sensible with money, who has a real job.
This is something that worked really well for John. I've met his wife, Krissy, and a more formidable, fun, amazing person I have yet to meet. And she knows from money. Seriously smart about it. I wish I had married Krissy.
But, really, this is Scalzi confusing his own excellent good luck with general advice for everyone. Not everyone's going to meet a Krissy. I ...
Posted by Justine at 14:03, February 11th, 2008 under New York City/USA, Sydney/Australia, Writing life |
Over at insideadog Maureen Johnson is staging
the best contest in the history of contests with the most excellent prize of an advance copy of Maureen's wonderful new book, Suite Scarlett. All you have to do is rewrite a paragraph or two of your favourite book by adding a zombie. Maureen demonstrates how it is done by
adding one to a scene from Pride and Prejudice. To wit:
“What think you of books?” said he, smiling.
“Books? Oh! No, I am sure we never read the same, or not with the same feelings.”
“I am sorry you think so; but if that be the case, there can at least be no want of subject. We may compare our different opinions.”
“No. I ...
Posted by Justine at 13:02, February 10th, 2008 under Young Adult literature, Zombies |
I'm spending the weekend in upstate New York catching up with friends and researching snow for my next novel.
My research involved sitting in a rocking chair and staring out the window:
12:01PM
12:16PM
12:36PM (Can you see the red squirrel?)
1:33PM
Sadly, there is still not enough snow for snow shoeing, cross country skiing, or tobogganing. None of which I have ever done before even though my characters (pesky annoying things) have. But I have high hopes for tomorrow.
We went out for a walk. It were pretty and not scary cold (about 1C or 34F):
I was taught how to make snow balls, snow men, as well as snow angels. All of it fairly wet-making. But, I ...
Posted by Justine at 17:04, February 9th, 2008 under Research, Travelling |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 8th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Vainglory, Writing life |
Apparently, the top sekrit title of my new book is already out of the bag. And who was the wicked naughty person who let out the top sekrit ahead of the cover art showing up? What's the name of that evil party pooper?
Er, um, that would be me. In
this interview (no. 13) with Jim Hall of Cult Pop, an excellent Detroit TV show about pop culture.
So I will share with all of you as well. The title of my next book, formerly know as The Ultimate Fairy Book and before that as the Great Australian Feminist Monkey-Knife-Fighting Elvis Cricket Mangosteen novel, is:
How To Ditch Your Fairy
I think it is the best title ever and not only because google's ...
Posted by Justine at 0:39, February 7th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy |
I just typed the (top sekrit) title of my fairy novel into google and came up with ZERO hits. ZERO. No book has ever had that title before. Not only that but no one has even put those words together before. Title of my next book for the win!
I will be revealing top sekrit new title as soon as there's a cover to go with it. So if you happens to know the top sekrit title please not to give the game away. Thank you very much!
I am now determined that all future titles of my books will beat google. It could lead to much obscureness of titles. Yay!
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 7th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Titles & names |
Posted by Justine at 10:05, February 6th, 2008 under Writing goals & milestones, Writing life, Young Adult literature, Zombies |
Imitation of Life by Fanny Hurst was published to great success in 1933, made into a film in 1934, and then again in 1959. All three are a fascinating window on race in the USA. Fascinating and deeply depressing.
The movies are kind of an
obsession of mine. Particularly the contrast between them. So much changed in those intervening 25 years, and so very little. David Kehr in today's New York Times
describes the films thus:
Douglas Sirk’s 1959 "Imitation of Life" is among the most closely analyzed films in the Hollywood canon, a Lana Turner soap opera turned into an exercise in metaphysical formalism by Sirk’s finely textured and densely layered images. Less well known ...
Posted by Justine at 11:47, February 5th, 2008 under New York City/USA, State of the World, Viewing |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 5th, 2008 under Frippery, Reading |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 4th, 2008 under Reading, Writing life, Young Adult literature |
Frozen New York. Or rather a
couple hundred frozen people at Grand Central. Wish I'd seen it.
Ireland has
gotten rid of plastic bags:
In 2002, Ireland passed a tax on plastic bags; customers who want them must now pay 33 cents per bag at the register. There was an advertising awareness campaign. And then something happened that was bigger than the sum of these parts.
Within weeks, plastic bag use dropped 94 percent. Within a year, nearly everyone had bought reusable cloth bags, keeping them in offices and in the backs of cars. Plastic bags were not outlawed, but carrying them became socially unacceptable---on a par with wearing a ...
Posted by Justine at 2:06, February 3rd, 2008 under New York City/USA, Praising, State of the World |
Thanks to, Mr Moles, for
suggesting that what I really wanted to know was which supernatural creature are we most sick of. You're a genius, Moles!
I will make no attempt to guide your voting since I failed so abysmally to get
ghouls over the top in the last poll. Though I will say that I'm sick to death of vampire love stories. Not vampires, just them as an object of desire. They're dead, people. Their flesh is cold. If vampires were realistically portrayed they'd be forever flicking maggots off themselves. Ewwww!
For those not quick of eye---the poll is in the sidebar to your right.
Posted by Justine at 15:35, February 2nd, 2008 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 10:01, February 2nd, 2008 under Frippery, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Research, Words & Language, Young Adult literature |
Just wanted to add my voice to the zillions declaring that John Green is not a pornographer. Well, at least, not the John Green who wrote Looking for Alaska. There may be another one somewhere who is. I can not speak for all John Greens.
Maureen says it
best:
In case you have never read Looking for Alaska, I'll tell you what happens in the scene that likely caused the drama. Pudge, the main character, has one of his first sexual experiences in the book—and it does not go well, largely because neither he nor the girl he has with really have any idea what they are doing. It is a funny scene which shows just how awkward some of these ...
Posted by Justine at 12:59, February 1st, 2008 under Book challenges, State of the World, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 1st, 2008 under New York City/USA, Vainglory |
