Elizabeth Bird

Fusenews: Monsters, and Vampires, and Spice Girls, oh my!
October 10, 2008

Poetry Friday news!  According to Lee Bennett Hopkins on the ccbc-net listserv "The 2nd Children's Poet Laureate has been announced by The Poetry Foundation. The recipient is MARY ANN HOBERMAN."  Those of you who placed your bets on Hoberman may collect your winnings on the way out the door.

Ah. The great children's books about economic ruin.  The Slate article, Mom, What's a Credit Default Swap?: Books to read your children during a financial crisis, is flush with books written about hard times as well as books read during economic  depressions.  Interesting facts include the mention that Eudora Welty was a huge fan of The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew.  "According to Welty, when she discovered the Peppers in 1918, at age 9, she began daydreaming about being poor. Not just poor, but really poor, like Polly Pepper, whose destitution seemed enticingly exotic to the relatively comfortable Welty."  Author Erica Perl even makes a passing mention of One Hundred Dresses and All-of-a-Kind Family, which earns her extra points.  Note that How to Steal a Dog is even included.  Thanks to Daphne Kalmar and Erica Perl who both sent me the link.

• More Halloween fun.  As if that stunningly terrible Entertainment Weekly cover wasn't enough, now there's a new Twilight movie poster out there to contend with as well.  Ironically it's EW's PopWatch Blog doing the critique this time.  Admittedly I'm not the novel's biggest fan, but don't the filmmakers want someone to see this movie?  Thanks to YPulse for the link.

• Got this from illustrator Brian Floca yesterday: "A musical FYI for you here. A friend has written jingles for some of the stores and, yes, the library in Marfa, TX. (This though she's a Brooklynite. Go figure.) It's jingle no. 2 on her myspace page." Shoot.  I need to hire this woman to write something.  Thanks to Brian Floca for the link.

• Speaking of Halloween, clearly the wrong Spice Girl was dubbed "Scary".  Looking for a little fear for you Halloween?  How's the title Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell Named Best-Selling Children's Author strike you?  They mean in Britain, but that doesn't make me feel any better.  Thanks again to YPulse for the link.

• Daily Image:

You would have to be a very particular kind of hipster to pull off a monster hoodie.

I just ain't cool enough (but I wish I was).  Thanks to Shaken and Stirred for the link.

Posted by Elizabeth Bird on October 10, 2008 | Comments (0)