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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
tonight I worked at a branch of the library that was so busy (until 8pm), there was nowhere to park in the rather large parking lot. People were CIRCLING THE LIBRARY, which is pretty cool. ("I need The Sun Also Rises, and I need it fast! My husband is driving around the parking lot.")

Parking was short because of the big lunar new year celebration, which makes it even cooler. I had to work three hours in a row (!!) on the desk, but it was fine and fun! (Plus, they gave me a 1/2 hour break from the desk, which was quite thoughtful.) The lobby was full of kids on their wheelie shoe-skate things along with people spilling out of the meeting room (where the party was) laughing and talking over the strains of various chinese string instruments. Not bad for a cold rainy tuesday in January!

Anyway -- I keep having this fantasy that I will sit down and write up one of the many things I've been meaning to write up for ages. Tonight is not that night! But here are some wonderful links I've also been meaning to post:

LISTEN:

both from local Cut

first, here's a charming, summery, unreleased song from The Online Romance. It's a sorta stereo-labby, dreaming of summer song, but I'm pretty sure it will be a good straight-up summer song, too. (dig those matching outfits!)

second -- localCut has started a series on classical music (Furniture Music). Its mission is this: "For the entirety of 2009, Willamette Week freelancer Robert Ham is going to focus much of his attention on classical music in an effort to learn as much as he can about it but also to gain some insight into why it has become so inaccessible to common folk like you and me." I am intrigued!


LOOK AT:

A new to me favorite photo blog is smosch.com. Sandra makes beautiful photographs in Sweden, but I first came to her work from a wonderful series she did on vacation in New York. LOVELY!

CONGRATULATIONS:

to Neil Gaiman for the Newbery Award! I read the Graveyard Book right before Christmas, and I enjoyed it so much. He does that rare and wonderful thing that the best authors (of children's books and otherwise) do -- he tells the story, but he tells it with style and wit and warmth. (but not warm in a gross re-heated for kids way.) He never condescends to the reader, which is a major pitfall for many authors who go from writing for adults to writing for children if you ask me -- he writes for people. The beginning of this book is very out-of-the-corner-of-your-eye-creeping-up-the-stairs scary (the scariest!) yet still in language and tone appropriate for young readers. It's a rare talent and I'm so glad he won this award for it.

WATCH:

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, I saw Henry Selick (director/screenwriter of Coraline) at Live Wire last month (how can it only be last month???), and he was so great and obviously one of those people who loves his job. (and now I know the DARK SECRET of the Pillsbury Dough Boy!) I love the Coraline boxes that Laika studios sent out (so cool!), I love to read of people's reactions... it's just a lovely thing. I know it's promotion, but it's so above and beyond -- it's not just about advertising, it's about reaching out and being proud of your work and doing something kind. I know it sounds cheesy, but it makes me happy to know I'm in the same city as people who do this sort of crazy and wonderful thing.

Here's a Coraline trailer -- I'm even more excited to see it now than I was. It's so candy-colored creepy! And I love that every second of it is the result of someone's (many someone's) hands making it happen. (Am I the only one who yells AL SWEARINGEN at the TV every time one of the ads comes on?! Ian McShane does the narration on those or I'll eat my hat.) (direct link to trailer here.)

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