Who: Brooklyn artist and Missed Connectionsauthor Sophie Blackall
What: A Love-in-Transit Party Where: New York Transit Museum
Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights When: Tuesday, February 14, 6–8 PM Why: Valentine’s Day!
(Click the flyer below or right here for a larger version.)
Sophie Blackall is an illustrator and author who lives in Brooklyn. Her latest book is Missed Connections, in which she illustrated the most intriguing “missed connections” listings that she found on Craigslist.
As a publicity intern at Workman, my regular work includes putting together press kits and mailings. But every once in awhile, I get a task that’s a little more out of the ordinary! Like when I was recently asked to find a snake piñata for a Splendid Spotted Snake event.
After some brief research, I became determined to make a piñata myself. When I left work that day, I had my mind set on a large, snake-like balloon and papier-mâché piñata, which I would then paint and cover with crepe paper. Once I arrived home and consulted my mother, however, my plan quickly changed after she wisely reminded me that papier-mâché has never been my artistic medium. (To bring you up to speed, I’ve had some scarring formative papier-mâché experiences: Picture a bespectacled third grader attempting to make a festive paper bowl with just a balloon, newspaper, glue, and a dream. Now imagine a loud balloon pop, a crumpled blob of gluey newspaper, and a newly disillusioned third grader. You get the picture.) Not to mention, my mother was also careful to point out that the piñatas of my youth were radically unsafe (thanks, Mom), and that newer piñatas are equipped with colorful strings that, when pulled, open a secret trap door in the body of the piñata. The candy is then released into the ecstatic and, most importantly, uninjured group of waiting children. Oh, the wonders of modern piñata technology!
My very splendid, very spotted piñata!
I decided to go to Home Depot to look for a wide pipe of sorts that I could cover with a splendid spotted exterior. Luckily I found one that was lightweight and somewhat flexible. The downside: it was black and ribbed. I bought it anyway, took it home, and cut a hole for the trap door in its “belly.” To cover it, I wrapped it in a taut layer of plaster (the type used to make casts for broken bones — this can actually be found in craft supply stores). This step got rid of the ribs, giving me a splendidly smooth snake body, and covered the black exterior. For the head, I used this same plaster over a balloon (almost too close to the aforementioned bad experience for comfort) and for the tail, I wrapped the plaster over a freehand newspaper cone. Then I waited patiently for these parts to dry and attached it all with yellow duct tape.
Instead of painting it, I decided to give the snake texture by wrapping it in yellow crepe paper. I sprayed the snake with adhesive and then wrapped the snake in strips of the crepe paper.
Lest you think it was ALL about the piñata...there were lots of activities to keep kids entertained!
So now I had a yellow snake with a big hole in its belly! I crafted the spots and face out of felt, and glued them all on with tacky glue. To keep with the theme, I then filled the snake with: gummy worms (like little snakes), gold and red Mardi Gras-type necklaces, and confetti (aka flying spots).
Spots, spots, and more spots! Kids decorated their own spotted snake art.
SPOTTED at the event: Authors Betty Ann Schwartz and Alexander Wilensky!
To seal the great beast’s belly, I sewed one ribbon onto a big sheet of felt, and taped 15 or so ribbons to that same sheet. These were the trick ribbons! Only the magic ribbon would unleash gummy worm joy onto the children. So once the snake’s cavity was stuffed, I fitted the felt into the hole and my snake was complete!
After about 7 hours of crafting, a few haunting childhood memories, and a major glue meltdown, I was done! I drove my masterpiece into the magical land of New York City, and led it into the magical offices of Workman Publishing, where my efforts were recognized with the esteemed title of “Intern Extraordinaire”!
The Splendid Spotted Snake piñata made its grand appearance at an event at McNally Jackson in NYC on Saturday, November 5, 2011 where it was a big “hit”–or pull, as the case may be. Thanks again to everyone involved in the success of this event!
Hey, visitors to and residents of New York City! What if I told you that I can get your beautiful mug on TV sets all across the nation? And what if I told you that not only would your face would be adorned with a sweet fake mustache, but that you’d be helping to set a world record?
It’s true! This Thursday, November 10, join Dan Rollman and Corey Henderson, authors of The RecordSetter Book of World Records, plus dozens of other RecordSetters as they set the world record for Most People Wearing a Fake Mustache While Watching the Live Broadcast of a Morning Show. Aspiring RecordSetters should show up at 7 a.m. at the corner of 44th Street and Broadway, outside the set of Good Morning America. We’ll position ourselves behind the big glass windows so people all across America can watch as we make history.
What do you need to participate? Just yourself, a fake mustache, and a camera-grabbing orange T-shirt—so the folks at home are sure to see you. No orange shirt? Just show up and we can provide one. And there’s no need to invest in a fancy ‘stache, either: An eyeliner pencil or even a (non-toxic!) marker can get the job done.
The RecordSetter's toolkit
For inspiration, I offer this related record: Most People Wearing Fake Mustaches in a Book.
Check out lots more World Records at the RecordSetter website, where you can brag about records you’ve set and find others that are just begging to be broken. And follow @RecordSetter on Twitter for up-to-date record-setting info. See you bright and early on Thursday!
Have you ever locked eyes with a handsome stranger while pushing your cart through the produce aisle, but been unable to think of something charming to say? Have you ever ridden next to someone cute on the subway, only to watch her get off at her stop before you could pluck up the courage to ask her name? Have you ever had a moment, but missed the connection?
Join us at the launch party for Brooklyn artist Sophie Blackall’s new book, Missed Connections. Sophie will discuss her art and the inspiration behind the book, and then audience members will be invited to share their own missed connections stories. You can visit WORD’s website for more information, and RSVP on Facebook.
When: Thursday, October 6, at 7 PM Where: WORD Bookstore: 126 Franklin Street in Brooklyn, NY
Plus: Feeling inspired by Sophie’s project? Share your missed connection story with Time Out New Yorkand enter for a chance to win an original signed illustration by Sophie Blackall—an illustration of your story!The winner will also receive a copy of the book, as will two runners-up. Contest ends today, October 5!!
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Brooklyn artist Sophie Blackall found inspiration among stories of lost opportunities when she discovered the Missed Connections section on Craigslist. Enthralled by the idea of strangers seeking out strangers based solely on a single shared moment, she decided to illustrate her favorite entries, compiling her beautiful watercolors first on her popular blog and now in a wonderful book, Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found.
Hey, Tri-Staters– Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry’s popular American Idol for books is coming to Manhattan in two weeks! Get your pitches ready… set… go…to the Bowery Poetry Club on October 12, 2011 at 8:00 pm.
What the heck IS a Pitchapalooza?(And do I get to throw stuff?) Well, in a sense, yes! If you’re one of the lucky writers selected, you’ll have the opportunity to throw that brilliant book idea at a panel of publishing industry experts. And who knows… you may just walk away with some leads toward securing a book deal. (Yes, writers have gotten actual legit publishing deals as a result of participating in Pitchapalooza.) But the way it works is: About twenty writers will be selected at random to pitch their book. Each writer gets one minute—and only one minute!
Who are these so-called “industry experts”? Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry (below), aka The Book Doctors, are co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully. Arielle Eckstut has been a literary agent for 18 years at The Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. She is also the author of seven books and the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. David Henry Sterry is the best-selling author of 12 books, on a wide variety of subject including memoir, sports, YA fiction and reference. They have taught their workshop on how to get published everywhere from Stanford University to Smith College. They have appeared everywhere from The New York Times to NPR’s Morning Edition to USA Today.
But, I’m really just going to leave feeling brokenhearted and criticized, right?: Not a chance. At Pitchapalooza, judges will help you improve your pitch, not tell you how bad it is. The panel critiques everything from idea to style to potential in the marketplace and much, much more. Authors come away with concrete advice as well as a greater understanding of the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Whether potential authors pitch themselves, or simply listen to trained professionals critique each presentation, Pitchapalooza is educational and entertaining for one and all.
So what’s my prize? At the end of Pitchapalooza, the judges pick a winner! And that lucky winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her book. Not too shabby…
Is there a catch? In order to have the opportunity to pitch, you must purchase a copy of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published. Oh, but anyone who buys a copy of receives a FREE 20 minute consultation, a $100 value. If you don’t want to pitch, the event is FREE.
Not convinced? Here’s the enthusiastic crowd from a Pitchapalooza event at Anderson’s Bookshop in Illinois:
For your further reading and viewing pleasure, check the links below. Otherwise, hope to see you at the next Pitchapalooza!
As you’re probably aware, last month New York state passed the Marriage Equality Act, legalizing same-sex marriage for the entire state! The law goes into effect this Sunday July 24, when thousands of New York couples will flock to their local city marriage bureaus and make their unions official. In fact, so many people are expected to turn up at the City Clerk’s Office here in NYC that the city has set the cap at 764 marriages (divided amongst the five boroughs). Couples—gay and straight—who want to get married on this special Sunday had until today at noon to enter their names in a lottery, and the lucky chosen ones will be notified on Friday afternoon. Can you imagine planning a wedding in just 48 hours?! It’ll be stressful but undoubtedly worth it, especially for those people who have waited years to see their dream become a reality.
We here at Workman are so excited about this weekend’s nuptials that we’ve decided to share a little wedding gift with the happy couples. On Sunday and Monday, a team of intrepid assistants and interns (myself included) will take up posts outside the City Clerk’s Office in Manhattan and hand out copies of Steven Petrow’s Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners—not just to the brides and grooms, but to their friends and family, gay and otherwise, who could likely benefit from a little guidance on this special day and at gay weddings in the future.
Liz adds some wedding flair: a curly ribbon!
After all, “traditional” weddings are steeped in old rituals, but how does the game change when there are two brides or two grooms? Who pays for the rings? How do you introduce two men who are married—as partners? as husbands? What happens to the conventional mother-of-the-bride role when there are two brides, each with her own (potentially domineering) mother? It’s a new and exciting world out there, but it also leaves a lot of questions, all of which are answered in Steven Petrow’s definitive guide to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) life.
Maggie lends Josh a helping finger.
Will you be goin’ to the chapel/government building this weekend to get your marriage on, or even just to enjoy the festivities? Let us know in the comments! And if you’re in Manhattan, be sure to come say hey—we’ll be the ones snapping pics and jumping for joy (oh, and handing out copies of the book).
Nothing says "wedding" like BOOKS.
Want to know more? Check out this radio interview with Steven Petrow on The Brian Lehrer Show (click the link or just stream the interview below), where Steven not only covers the logistics of this weekend’s historic wedding event, but answers lots of caller questions about other aspects of modern life for LGBT folks and the people who love them.
The lottery to get married this weekend in New York City may be closed, but Sunday’s weddings are just the first of many more to come!
Today marks the fourth annual World Autism Awareness Day. Adopted by the UN in 2007, the day is an occasion to promote awareness of autism and the millions of people it affects worldwide. It’s also a great opportunity to raise money and support for continued research into the subject.
When Miriam Smith was looking for a gift for her autistic grandson Griffin, she realized that there weren’t any books out there that were suited to his particular needs. So she and her daughters Afton Fraser (co-author and Griffin’s mom) and Margo Smithwick (the photographer) teamed up to create Point to Happy, the first ever book made specifically for kids on the autism spectrum—and the perfect gift for Griffin.
Join us at 7 pm tonight for an event with the authors at Book Revue in Huntington, NY! They’ll be discussing the inspiration for the book, and how it’s helpful to kids with varying degrees of autism. Visit Book Revue’s website for details.
As a preview, check out this video of the book’s creators explaining why the vibrant photographs and grippable pointer are so valuable to autistic children, who often benefit greatly from visual support.
To learn more about autism and what you can do to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, visit AutismSpeaks.org.
Here is a list of a few things that kids love, in no particular order:
1. Gross stuff
2. Making a mess
3. Making things explode
4. Experiments
When you combine all of these, and throw in some pictures and facts, you have the most dynamically explosive and dangerous book, perfect for boys and girls who want to make things and learn about them too. We give you, THE BOOK OF POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SCIENCE by Sean Connolly. Sean made his way through five cities and six schools last week, wreaking havoc and demonstrating some of the best experiments from his prize-winning book.
Those watching learned a little about friction with Newton’s Science Friction and got messy with the crowd-pleasing Edward Jenner’s Germ Experiment. In the photo you can see a group of 4th, 5th, & 6th graders from Knapp Forest Elementary School in Grand Rapids, MI, with their eyes glued on Sean.
The tour ended in Washington DC as Sean accepted the 2011 AAAS & Subaru SB&F Award for Excellence in Science Books in the hands-on category presented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Quite the honor!
On Sunday, Sean appeared at the AAAS Family Science Day, where he presented the great video made by the Workman Studio and demonstrated more of his dangerously cool experiments. Even The Washington Post took notice!
Cheers to our friend for bringing a first-place prize back home to the UK and representing Workman children’s authors!
As someone who still remembers all the words to Hippos Go Berserk! at age 28, spending the day with Sandra Boynton was akin to having a kitchen full of freshly baked cupcakes at my disposal. In a word: Amazing!
At 10am last Saturday I arrived at Books of Wonder, a nearly unrivaled children’s bookstore in New York to find my Workman colleagues already hard at work. The Main Event would take place from 12-2pm, and would be kicked off with live performances of songs from Boynton musical classics Philadelphia Chickens and Blue Moo. At 10 the stage was still being assembled, the lighting tweaked and the mics sound-checked. My cohorts and I stuffed goody bags for the kids while the marvelous Books of Wonder staff ran around making sure they were ready for the impending crowd.
By 11:30 a few curious onlookers had started to make their way to the back of the store to claim a prime spot near the stage. The stacks of Boynton titles started to slowly disappear, the plush chickens, cows, ducks, and aardvarks were tucked one by one under an arm or into stroller for purchase, and the craft table where I was stationed drew the attention of young people barely tall enough to see over the top. We were all surrounded by a gallery of Boynton art, including an entire wall of prints from Amazing Cows!, portraits of some very serious farm animals, and rather suspect assembly of eavesdropping chickens.
We were welcomed at noon by Peter, our host and Books of Wonder’s proprietor, and by Sandra, who was lovely and welcoming. They introduced the musical acts, which began with a group of slick dudes signing “Be Like a Duck”, a fan fave from Philadelphia Chickens. They were followed by Sandy’s daughter Caitlin performing her perennial hit “Faraway Cookie”, another tune from the Philly Chickens album. The lovely Sparklets closed the set to an enthusiastic crowd with their hit “Blue Moo” from the book and album of the same name.
Sandy then took her place at the signing table and awaited the hoards of fans young and old. We manned the craft station for the duration of the event, handing out paper templates for “udderflys” (yup, cows with butterfly wings) and “cowlidescopes”, all the while humming “Blue Moo” and dancing with varying degrees of talent.
By 2:30 Sandy had met with each and every audience member and had signed loads of Amazing Cows! for some very happy readers. We sent the last of the udderflys sailing home, as families went off to shop for holiday gifts and Christmas trees. It was a lighthearted day filled with great music, good company, and a lot of cows. I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the holiday season. Many thanks to Sandra Boynton and her entourage for making such a spectacular appearance!
If you haven’t bought your copy of Amazing Cows! yet, do so without delay. I guarantee that when your kids turn 28, they will still remember every word.
Sophie Blackall is an illustrator and author who lives in Brooklyn. Her latest book is Missed Connections, in which she illustrated the most intriguing “missed connections” listings that she found on Craigslist.
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