Queue up Tchaikovsky on iTunes, decorate the tree, and while you’re caught up in the spirit of decorating, pull out the crayons and scissors for some holiday playtime.
From puppeteer Noel MacNeal, author of 10-Minute Puppets, here’s a brand new 10-Minute Puppet just in time for Christmas! Maybe you can help these two archenemies from The Nutcracker become friends in time for Christmas (how’s that for a plot twist?). And while you have the crayons out, prepare for Act II by making a whole fleet of Sugar Plum Fairies (download the Teeny Ballerina template, here)!
1. Download and print The Nutcracker & Mouse King template. Color in the two designs.
2. Cut out the two designs from the page.
3. Carefully cut around the dotted lines of the Mouse King’s ears and gently curl or fold them forward.
4. Attach strips of tape along the white edge of each of the templates, then lay the templates facedown (so the tape is sticky side up). Press an empty toilet paper tube into the tape on each template and wrap the template around the tube.
5. Secure the open ends with tape. Then insert the tubes onto your fingers, and it’s on to the Kingdom of Sweets!
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The Nutcracker & Mouse King are a brand-new puppets by professional puppeteer Noel MacNeal, based on his book 10-Minute Puppets.
In the summer of 2011, several cartoonists from The New Yorker magazine were invited to participate in a group therapy session. Let’s just say it did not go well….
A little bit dark, a little bit twisted, a little bit weird, a little bit dumb, and little bit naughty (who wants to give all the nice presents around the holidays anyway?) — from cartoonist Matthew Diffee, it’s the absolutely brilliant Best of the Rejection Collection, the funniest cartoons you’ll never see in The New Yorker.
And, it can all be yours! We’re giving away one copy of the book, signed by author Matt Diffee and several of his colleagues and co-stars from the trailer above. Just leave a comment below or at the Workman Facebook page telling us about a holiday gift that you rejected (aka returned for something way cooler). Each person is allowed two entries (one in each comment section!). The giveaway will be closed and a winner will be chosen at random at noon EST on Wednesday December 14, 2011.
After a brief hiatus, welcome to another installment of Inside the Author’s Studio, where we give you a peek into the minds and studios of your favorite Workman authors.
Loved: Lev Grossman’s The Magicians and The Magician King. The series gets tagged as “Harry Potter for Grownups,” because it’s about a kid who goes to school to learn magic. But he’s a teenager, with all the self-involvement, pettiness, shortsightedness and drama that goes along with that. So the enemy isn’t a Voldemort-type figure as much as it’s the hero’s tendency to sabotage all of the relationships in his life. It’s hard to create a hero who’s basically unlikeable for most of the story and make you want to keep reading, but Grossman pulls it off in the first book, and then improves on that in every way in the second.
Learned from: Malcolm Gladwell’s What the Dog Saw. Gladwell can write on something as simple as why there are lots of brands of mustard and only one major brand of ketchup, and make it something profound and engrossing.
Favorite bookstore
Books of Wonder on 18th St. in Manhattan. My kids are 3 and 6, so a bookstore devoted solely to children’s books is a great place to spend a rainy afternoon. I’m also fascinated by pop-up books, and they have the biggest selection I’ve ever seen. And they have a cupcake bakery in the store. Books and cupcakes? That’s pretty much all I need out of life.
Hidden talent
I am the best fantasy sports commissioner in America. I have a football league that’s been going since 1988, and I have a league that combines football, baseball, basketball and hockey into one wondrous, all-consuming monstrosity. In both cases, I don’t use Yahoo or some other fantasy sports web site – I input the stats by hand, because my scoring system is better than theirs.
Bookmark, dog-ear, or virtuality?
I tend to use the receipt from the book as a bookmark, which has the unintended side effect of reminding me, weeks or months later, of where I was and what I was doing when I bought the book, which is kind of nice. But I tend to move back and forth between dead trees and the Kindle. I love browsing in bookstores, but I also loved being in rural Ireland, probably an hour’s drive from the nearest bookstore, sitting outside in the middle of a field, and buying another book in 30 seconds because I had just finished one. I don’t think one’s going to replace the other; I think we now have different options that each have their own advantages.
Book you are most ashamed never to have read
I know I should be most ashamed at never having read Hemingway, or Faulkner, or the many classics I managed to get an English Lit degree without reading. But at the moment it’s No Country For Old Men. I love McCarthy, I desperately want to see the Coen Brothers’ film, but I want to wait until I’ve read the book, and I keep putting it off for no good reason.
Most frequent form of writerly procrastination
Mostly reading. Let’s just say that being able to access the entirety of human knowledge on the internet is both a blessing and a curse.
Favorite childhood book
Every day after lunch, my 4th grade teacher read us The Book of Three, the first book of Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain. When we got to the end, I decided I was going to read the rest of the series myself, and that’s really what got me reading in a serious way. I had always been a big reader, but that was the start of having favorite authors and tearing through everything they had written, which I still do.
Alternate ambition (i.e. If you weren’t an author/Workman studio guru, you’d be…)
I ran my college radio station, and then an internet radio station for about 7 years, and long dreamed of being able to do that for a living. And my unrealistic career choice after college was music critic. I quickly learned that neither of those are real jobs for more than maybe 5 people in America each. So now my unrealistic goal is to be the person who picks the songs for movies, which is also only a real job for about 5 people.
Your perfect meal
I’ve been to the South maybe three times in my life, but I’m hooked on the food. Fried catfish, garlic mashed potatoes, greens, cornbread, fried apples, crawfish pie (which is impossible to get, post-Katrina and BP) and some sweet tea. Lucky for me, there are plenty of Southern transplants who have opened restaurants in New York.
Big dream
My wife’s from Ireland, so I’d love to have a house here and one there. Or if I’m dreaming big, the top floor of the Chrysler Building here, and an 800-year-old castle there.
Super power of choice
Being able to fly. Apart from anything else, it would make getting home from work so much easier.
If you could miniaturize any other game or sporting event (with a limitless production budget), what would it be?
The big problem I encountered when trying to develop a sequel for The Miniature Book of Miniature Golf is that most sports are played in the same place. Every football game is played on an identical regulation field, so what do you put on page two? Golf lends itself to a book well, because every course has 18 different chapters to it, in a sense, and no two courses are the same. So I developed an idea for a Miniature Book of Real Golf, with different heights of “grass” for the rough, the fairway, and the green. The tallest grass was tall enough that you could tee off from it, you could hit the ball into the air, and it would take about 4 shots to get across the course, just like it would for one of the pros. But for that to work, the book was 10″ x 12″ (opening up to twice that size) and nearly twice as thick as Mini Golf with die-cuts and fake grass on every page. So, basically, I had invented the most expensive book in the world. But I still think it would be a lot of fun to play, if money were no object.
What Workman book would you like to receive as compensation for your involvement?
I already have so many! I’ll go with Joshua Jay’s The Complete Magician. My 6-year-old recently saw a magician at a birthday party, and now he wants to learn how it’s done. I just realized that every book I’ve mentioned in this thing has “magician” in the title. I swear that’s unintentional.
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Mike Vago spent middle school study-hall periods mapping out elaborate miniature golf courses, which not only directly led to authoring The Miniature Book of Miniature Golf and then The Pocket Book of Pocket Billiards, but also to his career as a graphic designer. He has written for New York Press, The Stranger, and Artvoice. He lives with his family in Jersey City, New Jersey. His books, mini and pocket-sized as they respectively are, make excellent stocking stuffers.
What do Stephen King and Gossip Girl have in common, you ask? Perhaps more than we know, but today we’d like to say thank you to both of these cultural icons for their recent public displays of support!
Stephen King gives a shout out to A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick on page 342 of his new novel, 11/23/63. The passage reads: “I’d read a book called ‘A Reliable Wife’ not too long before leaving on the world’s strangest trip, and as I climbed into bed, a line from the novel crossed my mind: ‘He had lost the habit of romance.’ That’s me, I thought as I turned out the light.”
And Gossip Girl teased out a pregnancy plot with the mysterious appearance of a little-known book by Heidi Murkoff, called What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
Where, oh, where will we spot a Workman book next?
We love Mindy Kaling (writer for The Office, among other things) for many reasons, but one particular mention in her recent, revelatory essay on chick flicks in The New Yorker made her particularly endearing as of late. Here’s the relevant excerpt from her piece, but click here for the full scoop! The scene involves Mindy, cast as a TV writer who dreams of hitting the big time and writing for the movies, pitching ideas to a roomful of execs.
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After I finished pitching one of my ideas for a low-budget romantic comedy, I was met with silence. One of the execs sheepishly looked at the other execs. He finally said, “Yeah, but we’re really trying to focus on movies about board games. People really seem to respond to those.”
For the rest of the meeting, we talked about whether there was any potential in a movie called “Yahtzee!” I made some polite suggestions and left.
I am always surprised at what movie studios think people will want to see. I’m even more surprised at how often they are correct. Based on what I’ve learned from my time in Hollywood, the following titles are my best guess as to what may soon be coming to a theatre near you:
“Bananagrams 3D”
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And yes, there is a whole list of games that follows, but let’s just stop after that first one. I mean, why not? We already have the book, filled with content ripe for compelling dialogue. In fact, it’s a whole series, so there’s plenty of room for blockbuster sequels.
Not to mention, Workman has a history with turning books into movies: What to Expect When You’re Expecting is in post-production; Algonquin’s Water for Elephants is just now being released on DVD and Blu-Ray; and Big Fish was made into a movie, too! So lastly — Mindy, if you need help with casting or costuming, we’re here to help…
‘Twas the fifth and final day of “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” and he definitely landed himself in a spot worth spending the weekend at! His clues teased “a party of epic proportions” and while some readers thought this might be in reference to political parties rather than the more literal music and dancing scenario, I am happy to see that the latter won out, because Matt washed up on the beach in Barbados!
If you missed the reveal, it’s worth a look, since Matt parodies the classic Old Spice commercial, ending up, appropriately, on a horse. (Watch it here!)
He’s taking some deserved R&R at the Sandy Lane Resort, which Patricia Schultz describes on page 1066 in the new 1000 Places to See Before You Die as “the jewel of the West Coast.” It’s one of the resort world’s classiest (and priciest) acts, with service that makes every guest, upon arrival, feel like Queen Elizabeth (and she did visit once!). But beyond the pink and white sand beaches , there are amazing waters to swim in and explore. The Platinum Coast (named for the fancy hotels and condos found along its edge) faces the Caribbean and offers up some of the “calmest waters and best beaches, and there is snorkeling with sociable well-fed turtles just offshore.” Matt noted these highlights, as well as the delicious food, amazing dancing, and celebrity vacationers, but he missed mentioning one of the most impressive sights: Harrison’s Cave, “site of a jaw-dropping collection of well-lit stalactites and stalagmites.” Please, someone, get me there, STAT!
In an interview later in the day, Matt confirmed that this, the 10th anniversary of “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” would be his last… Though I get that the travel can be grueling–it’s not often that one is asked to cross as many time zones in such a short amount of time–I just don’t buy it when he says, “It gets tougher and tougher to find extraordinary places.” Ahem. Matt. You say you’ve been to 51 locations over the years? I’ll admit, it’s impressive. But what about the remaining 949?
Now, if he were really traveling through the pages of the new 1000 Places to See Before You Die, Matt could have skipped across a mere six pages from Madrid (page 266), where he was on Monday, to The Swiss Alps (page 272) where he landed himself this morning (no nasty weather conditions to worry about there, unless you count the wind generated from rapid page-turning).
Matt took the train to the observatory, which is precisely the highlight that Patricia Schultz points to in the 1000 Places entry. Swiss engineering has taken train travel to new heights — literally! There’s a rail tour called the Glacier Express that passes through the heart of the Swiss Alps, over 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels, and across the Oberalp Pass at 6,706 feet. There’s also the appropriately named Chocolate Train–a 10-hour journey that takes riders through the Lavaux vineyards (wine!), by the turreted castle in Gruyere (yes, as in the cheese–you can sample fondue there!), and on “to Broc’s world-famous Cailler-Nestle chocolate factory for a tour and sampling of the whopping 65 tons of chocolate produced on-site each day.” (Wine, cheese, chocolate = winning trifecta!) Then take your sugar high on the Bernina Express line, the highest railway in the Alps, that cruises by the Morteratsch Glacier and the Piz Bernina which, at 13,284 feet, is the highest peak in the Eastern Alps.
But while a lot of people take a train through The Alps, Matt chatted with some folks this morning who mountain climb to get there!
So did you unravel the clues to guess Matt’s location correctly? Natalie Morales did! (I didn’t…) Any guesses for tomorrow? Here are some clues that Matt revealed this morning: “With the Alps to our backs, we make tracks for a party of epic proportions.” Hmm…not sure what my guess is just yet, but my fingers are ready to rifle through this book one more time!
Matt Lauer, sighted this morning on the Malay Peninsula! He popped up in Kuala Lumpur (smartypants Al Roker totally guessed correctly!) where, though it was morning for those of us in Eastern Standard Time, Matt was readying for a night out on the town in Malaysia.
While Matt revealed his location on a skybridge connecting the two iconic Petronas Towers, Patricia Schultz, in the new 1000 Places to See Before You Die, highlights the foodie delights to be found in Kuala Lumpur, colloquially referred to as KL. “From streetside hawker stalls and brightly lit night markets to white-tablecloth restaurants with world-class chefs,” the authentic array of edible delights is a true feast to behold. Check out the stalls lining the Jalan Alor in the city’s Golden Triangle district, or take the elevator up to Seri Angkasa, the revolving restaurant atop the 1,380 foot KL Tower. And taste-test, they did, as Matt and fellow Todayster Amy Robach sampled some of the local Chinese-Malaysion fusion food. (Travel a halfhour outside the city center, to the edge of a rainforest, and they could have taken a cooking class with food writer and cook Rohani Jelani at her house-converted-to B&B, Bayan Indah!) They also rode in a rickshaw (technically a “trishaw”) festooned with brightly colored tassels and fake flowers, and Amy took us on a tour of an orangutan rehabilitation center.
Ernest Hemingway has said of Madrid, It has none of the look that you expect of Spain….Yet when you get to know it, it is the most Spanish of all cities, the best to live in, the finest people, month in, month out the finest climate. By day, it’s an elegant, formal city of museums (featuring work by Spanish artists Miró, Dalí, Juan Gris, and Antoni Tàpies — as well as Alexander Calder, Man Ray, and Jean Dubuffet), palaces (visit what was the royal residence from 1764 to 1931!), and tapas (yum!). At night, the city comes alive — giving New York City, aka “the city that never sleeps,” a run for its money.
This morning, Matt confessed that he had to change his travel itinerary due to weather conditions, which makes me want to scour the global weather map to see what locations might have been affected by severe weather — any guesses where he might end up later this week? Our own Patricia Schultz placed her guesses (rather, her recommended itinerary!) yesterday. Stay tuned to see if any of those destinations show up later this week — until then, we’ll be following along in the book!
It’s that time of year–when, for a week, thanks to the Today Show, I can’t seem to get that Carmen Sandiego ditty of my PBS-watching youth out of my head. Today marked the first day of Matt Lauer’s 10th “Where in the World” trip, and he revealed his location to be the Skeleton Coast, Namibia.
Noted for its “haunting beauty and unconfined space,” our own Patricia Schulz describes the Skeleton Coast as “a little explored desert paradise of wide-open spaces–undeveloped, unpeopled, and far from civilization” in the new1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Its name btw, refers to the treacherous, barren shoreline, where shipwrecks and whale bones litter the fog shrouded beaches. But what else? There’s seal breeding ground (pups arrive in late November or December…maybe Matt should extend his stay!), awesome flocks of pink flamingos, and massive shifting dunes around granite shelves and veins of schist (if you saw the segment this morning, you saw Matt skiing down a sandy dune!).
Only Matt (and probably his producers) knows where he’ll end up next, but here’s the itinerary that Patricia Schultz would have recommended for his week on the go. (And, hey, maybe he’ll show up at one of these hot spots tomorrow!)
5 suggested destinations in various regions of the world where Matt has not been:
1) Lake Bled, Slovenia An emerald-green glacial lake, Bled was the favorite getaway of Tito, former president of Yugoslavia. The restaurant at Tito’s former residence is one of the area’s best (and you can spend the night) — with views of the Julian Alps, and the tiny island with an 11th century castle at the lake’s center.
2) Hanoi, Vietnam In the narrow, crowded tree-lined streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter — one of the city’s most charming neighborhoods — flag down a cyclo (a pedal-powered rickshaw) to navigate the enjoyable chaos. Streets are lined with hole-in-the-wall merchants stores, food stands, traditional cafes and the occasional centuries-old temple.
3) Sepik River, Papua New Guinea An expedition down this mysterious river leads to the world’s last unspoiled reservoir of nature, culture and tribal art. In villages reachable only by boat, life has only just emerged from millenia-long isolation.
4) Bruges, Belgium The “Venice of the North” is a romantic stuck-in-time city of medieval architecture and willow-lined canals was once a prosperous trading hub — today a beautifully preserved city of important small museum and atmospheric inns and restaurants.
5) Iquitos and the Peruvian Amazon Brazil may get most of the attention, but Peru is one of the best places to experience the incredible biodiversity of the Amazon — at the point where they claim the river originates, 2,400 miles from where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
I don’t know about you, but I would gladly hop a plane to any of these destinations (I’m just saying, if anyone’s offering), but what about you? Where do YOU want to get your next passport stamp?
And, did you know that every place that Matt has been over the past 10 years is one of the 1000 Places to See Before You Die? (That’s an impressive checklist he’s got going — though he might want to step up the pace from just 5 places each year!) Check out this gorgeous slideshow of destinations via the Today Show, of highlights from Matt’s past trips.
Queue up Tchaikovsky on iTunes, decorate the tree, and while you’re caught up in the spirit of decorating, pull out the crayons and scissors for some holiday playtime.
The Nutcracker & Mouse King are a brand-new puppets by professional puppeteer Noel MacNeal, based on his book 10-Minute Puppets.
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