Endicott Redux

Tanglewreck

Time has lost its moorings. Time tornadoes are ripping through London, depositing artifacts from centuries past and stealing people from the present.... So starts Jeanette Winterson's children's novel Tanglewreck. The story follows eleven-year-old Silver, who has been living with her selfish aunt, Mrs. Rokabye, and Mrs. Rokabye's pet rabbit Bigamist (so named for his "habits"), ever since the rest of Silver's family vanished under suspicious circumstances. Silver lives in an old and cold house called Tanglewreck, until the strange Abel Darkwater shows up looking for a missing clock called the Timekeeper, purported to control all of Time.

As Silver journeys to find the Timekeeper, she's introduced to Regalia Mason, the Chief Executive and President of Quanta, a company that controls nearly everything -- except for Time. Until, that is, Regalia invents Time Transfusions, taking Time from "useless" people who have too much and selling it to "important" people. It's up to Silver to outwit Abel and Regalia, and to save Time.

I've long been a fan of Jeanette Winterson's writing, and so I wondered what her first book for children would be like. Ultimately, there's a big adult life message in the story -- "the machine age and the computer age both promised to give mere mortals more time in their lives, but less time is what it seems we have. We are using up Time too fast, just as we are using up all the other resources of the earth" -- nevertheless it's a fun read, full of quirky characters and adventures. And there's a simpler message to hang on to, too, for (as Abel Darkwater tells Silver) "there is always time for a piece of chocolate cake, oh yes." How true.

Under the Radar continues

Stop into Gwenda Bond's Shaken and Stirred to read her excellent essay on the works of Margaret Mahy -- one of the best writers of YA fantasy from the 1980s, whose work still holds up extremely well. And after that, stop by Colleen Mondor's Chasing Ray to read her essay on Pamela Dean's wonderful novel Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary. The collection of essays in this week's Under the Radar have been illuminiating -- reminding me of so many great novels that deserve to be read over and over by new generations of young adult readers (and adults!)

Recommendations From Under the Radar

Once again the indomitable, well-organized Colleen Mondor has put together a fascinating schedule of writers, YA novels, and blog discussions titled "Recommendations From Under the Radar." And what a collection of literary gems it is. The full schedule of the week's posts on supporting blogs can be found here. One of today's offerings is a look at Elizabeth Knox's Dreamhunter Duet by Gwenda Bond at Shaken and Stirred. Also today, Bildungsroman is digging deep into "the Final Girl Theory "* and the novel Innocence by Jane Mendelsohn -- with a three-way (and three part!) discussion of the novel between literary bloggers Little Willow of Bildungsroman (Part I), Colleen Mondor of Chasing Ray (Part II), and Kiba from lectitans (Part III).

*"The Final Girl Theory" is the image of the last girl standing in the final scenes of a slasher horror movie. The term was coined by feminist film critic Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film.

Ben Okri: Discusses his Approach to Writing

Terri recently reviewed Ben Okri's new novel, Starbook and I thought many of you might be interested in viewing this brief film of Okri discussing his approach to writing.

I also suggest stopping by MySpace Videos here, and checking out the other short videos of Okri discussing Starbook. Each one is fascinating.

NPR: "The Bestiary"

This Sunday, September 2, the NPR program "To the Best of Our Knowledge" is doing an hour on animals in myth entitled "The Bestiary."  Best of all, the program will include a dramatization of Mario Milosevic's poem, "When I Was." Mario has been a long time contributor to the Journal of Mythic Arts, and he told us that Anne Strainchamps, the program's producer, found the poem while perusing the Endicott Studio site. For anyone who misses the program on Sunday, it will be available on the To the Best of Our Knowledge website starting on Monday.

Stop by the Journal and read more of Mario's wonderful poetry which can be found here in the Mythic Poetry table of contents. His stories and poems have appeared in Asimov's, F&SF, Black Warrior Review, Poets Against the War, Rattle, Space and Time, Snake Nation Review, and many other magazines. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Rhysling Award. His first two books of poetry, Animal Life and Fantasy Life were published in 2004 by Ruby Rose's Fairy Tale Emporium and are available here.

Capclave 2007

The Washington Science Fiction Association’s Capclave convention is being held October 12 – 14 at the Washington DC/Rockville Hilton in Rockville, MD. The convention “offers a relaxed atmosphere in which notable authors, editors, artists, and fans will explore the creation and enjoyment of fantasy and science fiction.” This year’s focus is on the neo-pulp revival.

Jeffrey Ford is the guest of honor, and special events include him interviewing Ellen Datlow, an award for the first-ever WSFA award for best small press short story, a 60^th birthday party for the Washington Science Fiction Association (with cake!), and a silent auction. Workshops (which you must register in advance for) include a Contracts Workshop with Jane Jewell, How to Read Aloud with Catherynne M. Valente, a Reviewers’ Workshop with Peter Heck, and a Writers’ Workshop with Allen Wold.

Check out the Capclave website for more information. And you can also read a wonderful memoir by guest of honor Jeffrey Ford here, in the new Summer Issue of the Journal and a terrific Slavic pirate story by Catherynne M. Valente here in the same issue.

Step up to the Christopher Barzak World Domination Tour

Now that Christopher Barzak's new novel One For Sorrow has officially launched today, the blogosphere is full of delicious chatter, reviews, interviews, and just plain excitement about the novel. You can start with Matt Cheney's Mumpsimus to get a list of links of where to find interesting Barzak news (updated throughout the day). At Chasing Ray you can find Colleen Mondor's wonderful discussion on Christopher's short fiction (illustrated with some gorgeous photographs), and at Gwenda Bond's Shaken and Stirred you can read a fabulous short essay written by Christopher on the process of writing the novel.  And I know there is a party somewhere...with karaoke and dancing.

New Endicott Offices

This is just a quick announcement to let everyone know that the Endicott Offices have moved from Wisconsin to Arizona. We are now situated in the desert, beneath the long shadows of the Catalina and Rincon Mountains. I have changed the address in the upper left hand column for those of you sending us review copies, ARCs, and other materials for consideration. For those of you who might have things already on the way to Wisconsin, have no fear, they will be forwarded. And for those of you who sent books earlier in the summer -- now that I have finally moved and unpacked, I shall be able to sit down, put my feet up, and read all the wonderful books. Reviews should be out shortly and thanks for your patience.

The Sunday Poem

I've been thinking lately about how much advertising we're exposed to every day -- online, in print, over the airwaves; on buses, billboards, the sides of buildings -- only rarely are we completely free of it. And the goal of most advertising is, basically, to make us feel dissatisfied. There is something lacking in our lives, we're told over and over again -- a lack that can only be cured, of course, by buying the advertised product. Compared to the sparkly models in the ads, we mere mortals are inadequate beings ---  unless we buy _________________. (Fill in the blank: A new shampoo or the right brand of shoes...a bigger SUV or a firmer pair of boobs....) Underneath runs the message that we're unacceptable the way we are. How on earth, I've been wondering, does anyone manage to feel good about themselves when we live our lives against a media soundtrack that constantly seeks to undermine us?

While this affects all of us -- men, women, and children, the problem is particularly insidious for women, bombarded everywhere by imagery measuring a woman's worth by how she looks, and holding us all to standards of beauty that are as artificial as they are narrowly defined. (For an example of just how artificial, go to the Jezebel website to see Redbook Magazine's cover photograph of country singer Faith Hill, and then the actual photograph of Ms. Hill before she was turned, through the standard practice of photo re-touching, from a human being into a media construct.)

Today's Sunday Poem is in honor of all the brave girls and boys who dare to define beauty for themselves, Madison Avenue be damned. It's called "Fat is Not a Fairy Tale" by Jane Yolen, from the Poetry I80 website. Jane, as most Endicott readers know, is the multi-award winning author of nearly three hundred books (and counting), many of them rooted in myth and folklore. For more information on her upcoming books and wide-ranging work, visit her website.

The drawing above is by Rubens.

Mythic Passages

The Autumn Issue of Mythic Passages, the webzine of the Mythic Imagination Institute, is now online. The theme this time is "The Price and Rewards of Sacrifice," with a wide range of articles, stories, and poems on the subject -- including Phil Cousineau on the Art of Pilgrimage, William F. Doty on Neil Gaiman's 1602, Wilhelm Oosthuizen on mysticism and art, Brenda Sutton on the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, Marilyn Strong on death, and much, much more. The cover image (above) is "The Corn King" by Charles Vess.

More from Elizabeth Hand...

In a year notable for the breadth and quality of the Young Adult fiction being published, Elizabeth Hand's novella Illyria is still a knockout. From the small press PS Publishing, Illyria isn't marketed specifically for Young Adult readers (and certainly holds appeal for adults too), but I've been passing Hand's magical coming-of-age tale on to teen readers of my acquaintance with great success -- particularly teens with an interest in Shakespeare and dramatic arts.

The tale concerns two teenagers, Maddy and Rogan, in an eccentric extended family living in a ramshackle colony of houses in upstate New York. Three plots are skillfully braided together: one involving a production of Twelfth Night at the local high school; one (the fantastical element) concerning the discovery of a miniature magical theater; and one a story of thwarted love. As usual with Hand, her characters are so vivid that it's hard to believe they exist only on the book's pages. For readers with a good working knowledge of Shakespeare, the story will have even more resonance and depth.

Writing in the Mumpsimus blog, guest reviewer Craig Laurence Gidney noted: "Illyria is the setting of Twelfth Night, a surreal landscape hermetically sealed from the rest of the world, where a set of twins find love and adventure. This mirrors Maddy and Rogan’s unorthodox relationship, and fuels it. Hand's story is primarily a bildungsroman in the realistic mode, though it is infused with fantastic elements, such as the magic toy theater and a not-always-benevolent fairy godmother. It’s a uniquely American take on similarly-themed works by Angela Carter or Jeanette Winterson, a sort of 'mythic reality' fiction. As usual, Hand’s prose has a feverish quality where emotions and gestures are epic, and archetypes lurk just beneath the skin. On a deeper level, Illyria shows that talent is like an amoral force of nature, with the power to create and destroy." (Read the full review here.) 

In Praise of Small Beer...

Let us now say a prayer to the Gods of Health, Energy, and Fortune that they smile with favor on Kelly Link and Gavin Grant, the hard-working publishers of Small Beer Press. This request is a completely selfish one, mind you, for I adore the books they've been publishing and I want them to continue for a long, long time.

Case in point: Elizabeth Hand's new novel Generation Loss. Best known for her fine dark fantasy novels, such as Waking the Moon and Mortal Love, Hand has crossed genre borders here to produce a sharp, brilliant literary thriller. Her protagonist is Cass Neary, a photographer who once enjoyed fleeting fame chronicling the punk scene in lower Manhattan. Aging, strung out, all-but-forgotten, Cass accepts an assignment to interview a famous photographer (one of her heroes) on a remote island off the coast of Maine -- and stumbles into a dark mystery, mirroring the darkness lodged in her own soul. It is, indeed, a novel about loss -- in art, in life, and through the ravages of time. Hand explores the many meanings of loss, and how it shapes our lives. Her protagonist is a deeply flawed woman, yet her story remains a compelling one even when she herself is at her most trying. I started the novel with scant sympathy for Cass, pulled into the book instead by its vivid milieu and secondary characters. By the novel's end, my compassion for its prickly hero had grown  -- along with my deep admiration for Liz Hand's storytelling powers.

"Generation Loss is a crossover novel," wrote Graham Joyce in the Washington Post, difficult to classify, uncomfortable, spiky. Hand is one of those writers who has challenged the restrictions of genre writing. Here, she both fights with and against the conventions of the thriller genre to get at an evil deeper than its mere perpetrator. When the killer is revealed, it's more a confirmation of dread than a surprise. So although Generation Loss moves like a thriller, it detonates with greater resound."

Also from Small Beer Press comes Water Logic, Book 3 in the "Elemental Logic" quartet by Laurie J. Marks. This series belongs, in my opinion, among the modern masterworks of "imaginary world" fantasy by writers like Ursula Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Patricia McKillip. Why, then, are Marks' books not better known? Partly, it's a problem of timing. Le Guin, Wolfe, Kay, and McKillip all appeared on the fantasy scene when the genre was younger and smaller, allowing new books to receive more attention, and more time and space on bookstore shelves. The first two books of the "Elemental Logic" series, by contrast, appeared (from another publisher) at a time when the fantasy genre was flooded with swords-and-sorcery books featuring female heroes. I initially resisted reading them myself, turned off by the generic swordswomen on the covers -- for there was little about the packaging to suggest how literary, complex, and completely fresh Marks' writing is. (I'm indebted to Delia Sherman for persuading me to give the books a try.) 

Marks must also (sadly, for this day and age) resist pigeon-holing or marginalization as an openly gay writer. Yes, there are gay characters in her books. There are also straight characters, tall characters, short characters, strong characters, weak characters...in short, the books are peopled with people, not types. If, like me, reading too many mediocre "imaginary world" fantasies has made you grow a little weary of the form, then try the "Elemental Logic" books. They're both muscular and tender, both adventurous and thoughtful, both earthy and utterly magical. They'll restore your faith in the genre.

And one more from Small Beer: Endless Things, the final book of the "Aegypt" quartet by the incomparable John Crowley. I'll try to recommend this one without gushing, but it's hard not to gush where Crowley's concerned.  The "Aegypt" quartet is an absolutely splendid work of modern magical fiction, weaving threads of history, alchemy, philosophy, and mythology together into a mystical, mind-bending, multi-layered story that opens further and further with each re-reading. Book #4 is full of all the twists and surprises we've come to expect from this dazzling series, while concluding the over-all story in a highly satisfying fashion. And now that I've finished the book, I'm off to read the whole series once again....   

Metamorphosis #14: Karena A. Karras

Karena A. Karras hails from Chicago, where she graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also studied at the American Academy of Art, The Naguib School of Sculpture, and the Vogue School of Design. Her work is often compared to that of Surrealist painters such as Dorothea Tanning, Remedios Varo, and Leonora Carrington, but Karras doesn't follow the tenents of Surrealism herself. Rather, she's interested in expressing metaphysical ideas through the use of Jungian archetypes and mythic symbolism. As her website explains,"Through the utilization of the study of mythology, psychology, philosophy, metaphysics, fantasy, and the world of dreams, her work becomes a visual and tangible respresentation of an interplay between these worlds."

In a fascinating interview conducted by Pam Grossman earlier this year, Karras discussed her working methods, her influences, and her friendship with Leonora Carrington. "Leonora influenced my way of thinking more than anyone else and also helped me to resolve my fear of growing old. We had long discussions (and sometimes arguments) in coffee shops around Oak Park about things like the word metaphysics, that would last for hours, then go back to her apartment where she would fix me her favorite drink, Bombay Gin (she is English after all), Ginger Ale, crushed green peppercorns, and lime juice -- very good! Her views concerning spirituality and the world will always have an influence on my life. "

Karras began painting and drawing around the age of four. "My drawings were mostly of anthropomorphized mice and other animals, some with wings and dressed in Victorian bustle back gowns. In a way I think my own voice or vision began back then. Once in grade school the teacher asked the class what we wanted to be when we grew up. My answer was a swan. Reality seemed so pliable and unfixed and that feeling or sensibility, this seeming reality of appearances as being intertwined, inseparable and interconnected, remained with me throughout my life. It does not feel right to me unless this sense of as above, so below and this interconnectedness of all things is somehow expressed or depicted in my work. Hence the women who are sprouting roots from their ankles and growing leafy branches or flowers instead of hair, or being part animal and part human."

More of Karena A. Karras' work can be viewed on the artist's website.

Mythology in Modern Life

The good folks from the Mythic Imagination Institute (sponsors of the Mythic Journeys conference) are now offering a unique education program in "Applied Mythology," which will take place at the New York Open Center from October 2007 to August 2008.

This is, they explain, "an intimate one-year program with an extraordinary faculty. The course unites the finest minds in the academic, social, and artistic arenas, whose common thread is a deep understanding and every day application of mythic imagination. Between them, these teachers use myth and archetype in the realms of the highest levels of politics, inside prisons and with the homeless, with youth, in the university and as the foundation of art, from Broadway performance to the Kennedy Center. Authors of numerous books, plays, papers as well as operas and games, the Applied Mythology faculty conducts a remarkable series of master classes, coordinated by the Creative Director and Co-president of Mythic Imagination Institute."

With teachers including Michael Meade, Jean Houston and Ari Berk, among others, this looks like a fascinating program. More information can be found on the NY Open Center website. (The art above is "Icon" by Stu Jenks.) 

The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna Marie Ferguson

If you are a fan, as I am, of the cycle of Welsh mythology known as the Mabinogion, or have yet to really delve into these myths and would like a unique introduction to the tales, I recommend that you check out The Llewellyn Tarot.

The Llewellyn Tarot is the flagship product of Llewellyn Publications, America’s oldest publisher of new age and metaphysical books. Released last year to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Llewellyn, the deck is a tribute to the publishing house, its founders and the history of Wales itself. I’ve been waiting for a while for someone to tackle the Mabinogion in a Tarot deck (although with a little trepidation). The Llewellyn Tarot, with its careful research, rendering and presentation, does not disappoint.

I was especially thrilled with the choice of artist for the deck, Anna-Marie Ferguson. Ferguson’s first steps on the Tarot scene were her creation of what has since become a Tarot classic, Legend: The Arthurian Tarot. Since then, her fans (myself included) have anxiously awaited the release of a new deck.

Ferguson’s style is stunning, suited to the major myth cycles, and her love of said myths is instantly recognizable in her work. Her dreamy, gorgeous watercolors are clearly the result of not only great technical skill, but a deep visceral connection with the subject matter. “Long before the art begins, there is much done to till the soil,” Anna says. “For in-depth paintings and large projects, it is essential that I cultivate a love for the subject matter (if not already there) that will sustain me for months or years.” The finished paintings invite the pleasure of getting lost in the myth itself.

Many old friends and stories are represented here (Rhiannon, Bran the Blessed, Branwen, Llew Law Gyffes), along with a few more obscure tales (The Dream of Macsen Wledig, Seithennin’s neglect of Cantref Gwaelod). Ferguson’s High Priestess card is the most powerful visual depiction of Cerridwen I’ve ever seen, hands down. “To live within reach of the supernatural was natural instinct to the medieval Welsh,” says Anna. “This mystic realism is, I feel, one of early Celtic literature’s most appealing qualities. It is not fantasy, but organic reality, seen on occasion through an imaginative, poetic lens – the same way we experience tarot.”

A deck like The Lewellyn Tarot can only begin to touch on the reams of knowledge available on its subject. But it’s a perfect first step for anyone who wishes to follow the long, winding path of Welsh legend and a great catalyst to send a receptive soul running to gather all the stories, art and scholarship they can get their hands on. “In my choice of projects, above all considerations, it has been my mission to introduce the old, lesser-known legends to a wider audience and thus contribute in my own small way to their future good health as ‘living legends,’” says Anna. “When done with care and in good faith, the marriage of a tarot deck and mythology can benefit both traditions.”

You can learn more about Anna-Marie Ferguson at her website, and be sure to check out this interview for some fantastic details on her artistic process during the creation of The Llewellyn Tarot. The quotes above were excerpted from the interview and this essay by Ferguson on the Welsh tradition (both are in PDF format). (Images are from The Llewellyn Tarot  by Anna-Marie Ferguson, © 2006 Llewellyn Worldwide.)

The Sunday Poem

 

Our Sunday Poem today is "A Leaf, a Hare" by Rebecca Dunham, reflecting on the state of Odysseus' marriage to Penelope upon his return from his epic journey. It comes from the Verse Daily website, reprinted from Dunham's collection The Miniature Room.

Dunham received her PhD in creative writing from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and is now Assistant Professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. Her awards include the Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellowship, the 2005 Indiana Review Poetry Prize, and a 2005 Academy of American Poets Prize.

The picture at the top of this post is "Penelope and the Suitors" by JW Waterhouse.

Starbook: A Magical Tale of Love and Redemption

Ben Okri has long been one of my very favorite writers, not only for his award-winning trilogy The Famished Road, Songs of Enchantment, and Infinite Riches (which are among the finest works of mythic fiction ever written), but also for his many other gorgeous novels, short stories, and poetry collections. Okri's latest, Starbook, is another novel that belongs on every mythic fiction fan's shelf. It's a smart, sharp adult fairy tale set in a vivid mythical landcape -- a novel rooted in ancestor mythology, art, history, and the dark story of the African slave trade. "There's a lot about the past that we can't know except by stories," says the author. "If these are not passed on, how can we understand who we are, and what we can become? ...One has to read the clues of what seems to be lost, in art, artefacts, intuitions, dreams. The artist is a conduit through which lost things are recovered."

Okri's own life has a fairy tale quality (if one speaks of the old, dark versions of fairy tales and not Walt Disney's bloodless re-tellings) -- a life rich in moments of tragedy, triumph, and personal transformation. Born in northern Nigeria, Okri and his family lived in England until the boy was seven and then returned to Africa, where he witnessed the civil upheavals and horrors of the Biafra War first-hand. As a young man, a government grant sent him back to England to study Literature -- but when his grant dried up, he found himself living rough on the streets of London. In a Guardian interview, Okri explained the pact he made with himself during that troubled time: "It seems you have nothing - no money, no friends...But at the edge of the abyss, you find you have a choice; that life isn't a given, it's a choosing." He willed himself to keep writing, and by 21 had published his first novel. By 32 he had won the Booker prize." (I recommend reading the full Guardian interview, by Maya Jaggi, which is fascinating.)

Although Okri writes in English, his work is strongly influenced by Yoruban mythology, oral folk tales and spiritual beliefs. His father, a Christian preacher, "re-embraced the religion of his ancestors and became an animist. It made me see that Africa can't be looked at truthfully through an external ideology. You can't wander through the marketplace without noticing both the market women and the goddesses they believe in." This was, says Okri, a "seriously revolutionary moment in my life - though it took time to filter through. I realised you cannot evoke a place truly till you find a tone, a narrative, in tune with the dimensions of that place. You can't use Jane Austen to tell stories about Africa."

Starbook is not yet published in America, but the British edition is available here. If you're new to Okri's work, also be sure to pick up The Famished Road, his Booker Prize winner. For more mythic fiction in the Yoruban tradition, try The Palm-Wine Drinkard and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by the late, great Amos Tutuola. For Yoruban myth, I particularly recommend Yoruba Trickster Tales by Oyekan Owomoyela.

Wolves in New York

Last autumn, we recommended the Improbable Theatre Company's show The Wolves in the Walls, a "musical pandemonium" based on a fabulous children's book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean. This autumn, we're pleased to report, the show will be traveling from the UK to New York's New Victory Theater.

I expect tickets are going to go fast, so even though it's not until October (October 5 - 21, to be precise), it's probably best to reserve tickets soon. Click here for more information, and here for a nifty little Wolves in the Walls animation.

“Our best work comes from mistakes and accidents; theatre is too important to take too seriously.”  -- The Improbable Theatre Company.

Metamorphosis #13: Alexis Anne Mackenzie

 

Alexis Anne Mackenzie started making collages in a visual journal she kept in high school. She went on to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and now lives and works in San Francisco. "My general intent, throughout all my work," she says, "is to portray the world as a flawed thing of beauty - a place that shines brightly, but has a dark side to match."

Interviewed in ArtblogSF, Mackenzie explains where she finds her source material: "I spend a lot of time in bookstores.... When I go book-shopping I rarely have a specific thing I'm looking for, since specific things are nearly impossible to find, so it's completely serendipitous. I may have a general idea of the type of element I need but it's a very make-do process. When I came to SF from Boston I shipped seven boxes of books and I've acquired much more since, so I really have a pretty good library going. Some of it is not for cutting, however.... It can be a tough call sometimes, whether or not to destroy one thing in order to create another. I never use copies.... Always cut directly from the source.

"One of the trickiest things to learn has been that the higher the quality of the source material, the higher the quality of the final creation. This may seem obvious but it was a long road of becoming accustomed to cutting books up and feeling technically able to do the thing justice by taking it apart, and not just being destructive. So yeah...it's basically an ongoing treasure hunt."

See the full interview, Mackenzie's website (which is still evolving), and especially her Virb page for more wonderful collages. (With thanks to Phantasmaphile for the latter link.) 

Leaping around the world...

What did we do before YouTube? It's just so great for finding favorite videos -- like the one above, "Braided Hair," by 1 Giant Leap (along with Speech, Neneh Cherry, Ulali, and many others).

1 Giant Leap consists of Jamie Catto (from Faithless) and Duncan Bridgeman (musical director for The Rhino Drum Show created by Endicott contributor William "Todd" Todd-Jones), who traveled around the world to create "a unique fusion of sound, image and spoken word from global musicians, authors, scientists, and thinkers, and to explore 'The Unity in the Diversity.' " They released their first video and CD in 2002, and are now in post-production for a follow-video from their second trans-world journey.

Click here for another little video in which Jaimie and Duncan explain the project.

Nominees for the World Fantasy Award

                                                                                            Wow, the new list of nominees for the World Fantasy Award is up and it is a fabulous list of books, short fiction and anthologies. A special congratulations to Jeff Ford, nominated in three separate categories, Christopher Rowe for his terrific short story "Another Word for Map Is Faith," Catherynne M. Valente for her brilliant Orphan's Tales, Ellen Kushner for The Privilege of the Sword, and Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow for their anthology Salon Fantastique.

Check here to see the full list of nominees in each category.

Summer and Fall

The Summer Issue of Faerie Magazine is now available, and following on yesterday's post, you can read an article where Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess talk about their film Stardust. Also included in this issue, Chandra Cerchione-Peltier writes about one of Endicott Studio's favorite performing troupes,  Daughters of Elvin (check out their awesome MySpace page), and Surlalune covers Tales of Sleeping Beauties.

And if you are already thinking Fall, Clarkesworld Magazine will be publishing Realms, an anthology collecting the best of the fiction from their online journal. The stories "step into a world of wonder, epiphany, and danger. From the return of old gods to the adventures of the last dragon on Earth, from quantum physics to manticores trained for the circus, this unique anthology takes readers on journeys to realms both distant and oddly familiar. . . ."

There are some wonderful writers in the book, both acclaimed authors and those newly published. Here's the line up: "Realms collects the work of 24 visionary writers of short fiction, including such World Fantasy, Philip K. Dick, Tiptree, Hugo, and Campbell Award winners and finalists as Jay Lake, Jeff VanderMeer, Elizabeth Bear, Catherynne M. Valente, Caitlin Kiernan, Ian Watson, Sarah Monette, and Holly Phillips — and amazing stories from up-and-comers like Ekaterina Sedia, Cat Rambo, Barth Anderson, and many more!"

You can pre-order the anthology in hardcover or trade paper from Wyrm Publishing; and if you order by August 17th, there is a 30% discount off the cover price. The anthology will debut at the World Fantasy Convention (Halloween weekend).

Stardust in your eyes

All right gang: Here's the Stardust trailer, just in case you didn't know it was out. Take a crowd and go see it! It's a splendid time for all.

And then check out the cool Stardust website where you can play games, download ring tones and wallpapers and a whole lot more. Also, check out Charles Vess' blog, where you can see photos from the west coast opening along with images of the signed limited prints and the sculptures. Very cool.

The Sunday Poems

We have three mythic poems for you today: "Agatha, Pin Oak," "Alphabet Rising," and "The Cerne Giant" by Kelly Lenox Allan. The poems come from Margins, a web journal devoted to modern magical realism. The journal has discontinued publication but the archives (from 2000 - 2006) can be perused here.

Kelly Lenox Allan received a BA from the University of Virginia and an MFA in writing from Vermont College. Her poems and translations have been published in numerous print and online journals. Her chapbook Chasms, translations of the Slovene poet Barbara Korun, was published in 2003; other translations appear in Voice in the Body and Six Slovenian Poets. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

The Cerne Giant (also known as the Rude Man or Rude Giant) is a chalk figure cut into a hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England. Though commonly believed to be prehistoric, the earliest written reference to the giant dates back only to the 17th century. According to legends, a real giant was killed on the hillside, its body marked by local villagers where it fell. The site has long been a popular spot for fertility rites and folklore.

Metamorphosis #12: The White Hare

Here's a sweet little animation by Matthew Simkins for Seth Lakeman's magical song "The White Hare." I'm a big Seth Lakeman fan, not least because he's a Devon lad, writing songs that are often based on the myths, legends, and history of Dartmoor (where I also live). You'll find another good Lakeman video posted on Endicott's MySpace page.

More information on the "three hares" symbol that you see on the medallion in the video can be found here. More information on hare mythology and folklore is here. For wonderful mythic fiction involving rabbits and hares read The Limits of Enchantment by Graham Joyce, Hannah's Garden by Midori Snyder, and Medicine Road by Charles de Lint, illustrated by Charles Vess.

Speaking of good videos, don't miss the Ojos de Brujo peformance on Midori's MySpace page. It's a killer. Have  a good weekend!

Metamorphosis #11: Andrea Dezsö

 

Andrea Dezsö is an artist, writer, and teacher at Parsons The New School of Design in New York. Her work has been widely exhibited and published by McSweeney's and Fantagraphics, among others. Her art ranges from bookmaking to papercuttings to embroidery to typography to macabre sculptures made out of insects and burrs...all of which you can find on her website, which is a delight to wander through.

   

Interviewed by George Mill, Dezsö noted: "I have been in love with space since I was a child in Communist Romania with all the space-race propaganda around. We learned that Soviet space exploration was the best, and Gagarin was our biggest hero. I love the naïvely bold imagery of that period, graphics meant to convey man’s power to conquer space."

Recently Dezsö was awarded the 2007 Six Points Fellowship in Visual Arts to create The Demon Bridegroom and Other Stories, a series of animated video shorts. These will be based, she says, "on mystical Jewish folk stories from my native Eastern Europe. I will use the folk tales as the foundation into which I will weave my own thoughts and experiences departing from a literal depiction of the tales. The animations will reflect elements of Jewish mysticism and humor, in which reality and fantasy intertwine, characters transcend time and space, travel between worlds, and interact with beings from other realms."

She'll be posting more material on this as the project develops, so keep an eye on project's web page.

The Need for Wonder

In this video from the Human Forum Conference in Puerto Rico, Endicott contributor Ari Berk discusses the need for wonder in children's lives. He's introduced (in song!) by Fred Johnson. Part II of Ari's talk is here.

One for Sorrow: Christopher Barzak

While reading One for Sorrow, Christopher Barzak's remarkable debut novel, I was reminded of a quote from Danish author, Tove Ditlivson: "Childhood is long and narrow like a coffin, and we do not get out of it without help."

Adam McCormick is a shy teenager, quietly existing on the fringes of his high school and his raucous working class family. Yet when the body of another student, Jamie Marks, is found murdered and buried by the railroad, Adam is moved by a sense of solidarity to visit the site of Jamie's lonely grave. Impulsively, Adam climbs into the grave and begins an intimate friendship with the ghost of the murdered boy.

This is a poignant and lyrical rites-of-passage novel, written with a gentle touch. Adam believes in loyalty, in love, and in compassion, but the world around him hardly seems to value such emotions. Adam's struggle for authenticity presents him with two possible directions: remain a boy and follow the ghost of Jamie Marks into oblivion, or brave the harder path toward adult life with all its complexities.

Barzak deftly combines the supernatural elements of the plot with the ambiguous realities of a small town: the pathos of his fractured working class family, the girlfriend who introduces him to sex and then betrays him, and even the ghosts: mild mannered like Jamie, or violent and spiteful like Frances, a girl who murdered her abusive father. Adam must learn how to negotiate such complicated unions without losing himself.

Barzak gives the teenage Adam a subtle depth. He is observant, sensitive, and reflective, meditating on the events swirling around him even as he acts impulsively. Hiding in his girlfriend's closet for the day, he absorbs himself in Catcher in the Rye -- but finds Holden's well-heeled drunken escapades in New York too alien to relate to. I think what I like best about the novel is Adam's voice. Too often contemporary novels with young adult protagonists feel compelled to exaggerate the teen voice by liberally lacing it with slang in an effort to make it "fresh" (a new marketing word) -- yet Adam's voice is clean, effortless,  "ordinary" in a way that allows the emotionally charged power of the story to shine through.

I have always admired Chris Barzak's short stories (one of which can be found in the current Young Adult Fiction Issue of the Journal of Mythic Arts) and I am thrilled that he has now brought his considerable skill into the novel.

Amy Ross Re-visited

Following up on our feature on Amy Ross, Amy now has a new blog showcasing her work: Nature Morph. Check it out for information on her upcoming shows in Portland, Boston, Atlanta, and Miami; for fascinating images of works-in-progress; and for metamorphic mushroom imagery like the picture on the left. Great stuff!

Metamorphosis #9: Julianna Swaney

Here's yet another young artist creating lovely work on the theme of transformation and metamorphosis: printmaker Julianna Swaney. Swaney graduated with a BFA from Maine College of Art in 2005. She currently lives and works in Michigan.

Interviewed in the Winter 2006 issue of What You Make It, Swaney was asked how she developed her personal style. "I aways admired printmakers who use intricate or repetitive details," she answered. "Artists such as Kiki Smith and Albrecht Durer inspired me to spend hours over a copper intaglio plate drawing feathers and fur. You can get incredibly detailed in intaglio. After I learned that technique I wanted my drawings to look as detailed as an intaglio print. It's sort of strange because I'm actually not a very patient person, but I love drawing detail....

"I think that a few of the most obvious [of my influences] are my interests in lace and Victorian hair. The Victorians created whole pictures out of human hair, which I think is both fascinating and macabre. I like to wonder about what it would look like if people's hair just grew that way, into intricate flowers and branches where birds could just land."

Please visit Swaney's Oh My Cavalier! website and her MySpace page to see more of her enchanting work. (With thanks to artist Rachael DiRenna for the links.)

From Asgard to Valhalla

From Asgard to Valhalla by Heather O'Donoghue is a truly fascinating look at Norse myths, and the ways they have influenced culture and creative artists from William Blake and Richard Wagner to JRR Tolkien and Neil Gaiman.

Reviewing the book in his article "The Eternal Lure of Guys and Trolls" (published Sunday in the London Observer), Peter Conrad writes: "The attraction of Norse lore, as O'Donoghue remarks in her summary of its development and its adaptation to the modern world, lies in its disrespect for the gods. Christianity and Islam have a mortifying reverence for divinities who are, after all, nothing but our inventions, or the projections of our cowardice. At least the gods of Olympus were no better than us, merely longer-lived and more