In the special Halloween issue of READ, I interviewed a very dead Jane Austen. At the end of the interview, there was some confusion as to what happened. Well, the truth of the matter is that Ms. Austen changed. She turned from literary sweetheart to brain-eating zombie in like no time whatsoever. It wasn't cool, my friends.

She attacked me. She ate my brain. I won't go into the gory details but it wasn't pretty.

So yeah, now I'm a zombie. Arrrrgggghhhhh! Hahaha. It's not so bad. I can still type, apparently, which is nice. I don't hold any sort of grudge against Jane Austen. I still believe her to be a fine writer. I hope everyone reading this takes it upon themselves to read some of her work. If not now, then in the future. She can't help the fact that she's a zombie now anymore than I can. Stuff happens, you know? Sometimes it rains, sometimes your favorite sports team doesn't win, and sometimes you join the flesh-eating undead. These things just happen. You gotta roll with the punches, my friends.

That's all I have to say right now. I wish you all well. Feed your brain. READ.

-Zombie Bry

A Halloween story about vocabulary by Debbie Nevins

Yesterday I wrote about word mix-ups. Thinking a word means one thing only to find out it means another—and that you’ve been using it incorrectly for years. I hope you remember what puce means. And if you don’t, go back and read the preceding entry.

With Halloween coming on, I was thinking about words that mean ghost or spirit and I thought, will-o’-the-wisp! Now, that is a magnificent word! (Yes, yes, it’s a glomming together of four words, will of the wisp, but it is a word.) A will-o’-the-wisp, I thought, is a fleeting spirit or being (Will?) that you can never quite see because it/he is always just outside your peripheral vision, hiding in the … um … wisp? So, I looked up will-o’-the-wisp in the dictionary and found this definition:

1: IGNIS FATUUS  2: a delusive or elusive goal

Huh? Ignis what? Quickly I turned to ignis fatuus and found it to be

1: a light that sometimes appears in the night over marshy ground and is often attributable to the combustion of gas from decomposed organic matter    2: a deceptive goal or hope

Hmmm. Man, when I’m wrong, I’m really, really wrong. Or was I? This is where it gets interesting.

Have you ever heard of UFO sightings? People see unexplained lights in the sky and think aliens are coming to abduct us all? Sometimes those lights are explained away as “swamp gas.” I happen to own several acres of swamp in western Connecticut and I have never seen strange lights or aliens or glowing gases hovering above it, but I guess such a phenomenon does exist.

That flickering, ghostly light is called will-o’-the-wisp. Not because of its scientific explanation, but because of its folkloric explanation.

Now let’s travel back in time to the British Isles—where Halloween itself originated—and find that those ghostly lights are thought to be spirits of the dead, wandering the earth, leading foolish travelers into harm’s way. Unable to enter either heaven or hell, the angry spirits appear as vaguely visible figures holding lanterns, guiding hapless travelers through the dark. Or so the traveler thinks—until he falls off a cliff or into a chasm and is never heard from again. (Suddenly the number 2 definition of will-o’-the-wisp makes sense, too, doesn’t it?)

Ah, and what did those ancient Brits call that mysterious Lantern Man? There are many variations, but in some places, he was called Will of the Wisp. (A wisp is a bundle of straw lit on fire to serve as a torch.) In other parts of the country, he is called Jacky Lantern. Or Jack-a-Lantern.

Aha! Will-o’-the-wisp has a Halloween connection after all! If you explore the folklore behind both Jacky Lantern and will-o’-the-wisp, you will find some fascinating stories! Here are two links to get you started.

www.inamidst.com/lights/wisp/
http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/will-o-the-wisp.html

And it all began because I wasn’t sure about the meaning of a word! Happy Halloween!

The following blog entry was written by Debbie Nevins, Executive Editor of www.weeklyreader.com.

Sometimes we can get a poor innocent word all wrong.

Being a writer, it goes without saying that I love words. But I’ll say it anyway: I love words. That doesn’t mean I loved vocabulary quizzes when I was a kid—anymore than you probably do. Memorizing words for a vocab test commits that knowledge to your short-term memory. Once the test is over, you quickly forget it. All those excellent words just fall right out of your brain, dribble out your ears, and then vanish into thin air. You can’t blame your teacher for trying though. A good vocabulary is a great thing. The way to really remember words is to use them—say them, write them, read them.

But here’s the funny thing. Sometimes you can inadvertently attach the wrong meaning to a word and it settles all comfy into your long-term memory. You go through life using the poor word incorrectly. For most of my life I thought the word puce described a nasty, mustard yellow-green, vomit color. I was wrong. Puce is a color, but it’s a brownish purple. Or a dark grayish-purple. Or a dark red—even dictionaries don’t agree on what puce is, so I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad.

But still, how could I make such a mistake? Probably I was subconsciously associating puce with puke and putrid and pus.

On a related note, as long as we’re in the P-U section of the dictionary, I always thought the word pulchritude meant … well, I wasn’t sure what it meant. Something like … disgustingness. If pulchritude (that’s PUHL-kreh-tude) was on a multiple-choice vocab test and the answers were A. hideousness, B. stupidity, and C. physical beauty, I would have a hard time deciding whether to choose A. or B. Of course, the answer is C. Pulchritude means physical beauty. Go figure.

All of which begs the question: what is the name of that nasty, mustard yellow-green, vomit color? If it’s not puce, what is it?

Pssst: Come back tomorrow for a special Halloween edition of word misidentification…

 

Ok, well that was just silly!

Hooray! He picked the door with the lady behind it! But what if he didn't? What if he picked the door with the <gulp> tiger behind it??

Check back here tomorrow...

Hellooooo READers!

And welcome back to school! Yayyyy! ... oh that's just mean.

Well anyway, you have arrived at WORD, the official blog of READ magazine. We haven't been around that much over the summer but we aim to be ever present throughout the school year. We will be posting lots of student writing here as well as extensions from READ magazine, literary and video links, book news, author interviews, etc. etc.

As soon as you get back into the swing of things, give us a holler at word@weeklyreader.com. We're here for you!

Here's to a great year!

The following blog entry was written by READ magazine's summer intern, Craig Nadler. Craig will be leaving us next week. And we will be sad to see him go. Don't go, Craig!!

Awhile ago I went to the movies. I decided to see Angels and Demons, basing this decision on the fact that I L-O-V-E-D the novel by Dan Brown. Two hours and twenty minutes later, as I watched the credits begin to roll over the screen, an old expression came to mind: lost in translation. I'd heard the saying before, but its meaning was never truly clear to me until that moment. I exited the theater and walked down the long hallway, surrounded on all sides by "coming soon" posters. And, it soon became clear that each title was more familiar than the next. Isn't that one based on a fairy tale? Wasn't that a book first? Hmm ... Is Hollywood running out of good ideas? I guess it makes sense to adapt existing plots to the big (and small) screen. Setting. Check. Characters. Check. Conflict. Check. It's all there. And, if a piece of writing already has success in that form, there's a good chance it'll have success with a big budget and cameras, too. Right? Wrong!

Big screen adaptations are not foolproof plans. There has been a fair share of flops as a result of the re-imagination of literature. The 2004 adaptation of the comic book super heroine Catwoman was a box office disaster. In 2007, the film version of Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass flopped hard. Even retellings of classic literature, like the 1995 film version of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, are not guaranteed box office gold. As I thought more about the curse of adapted literature, I tried to figure out why something so treasured on the page could prove to be so condemned on the screen.

Part of the value of a good piece of literature is its ability to be interpreted by the reader. Words on a page do not force feed an image to the reader. Even with precise details, an author can only present so much. It's the reader's ability to create a mental image of his own that makes reading such an invigorating experience. Although actors are talented, they cannot often express the same emotions that an author can detail on the page. Sometimes, what goes on in the head of a character is more profound than how he or she behaves on the screen. An actor can portray the emotion "anger" on-screen through squinted eyes or a loud voice or a waving fist. However, that's it. Beyond these classic representations of anger, there are a limited number of ways to present this physically (and visually). Through writing, however, an author can express the same anger with much more depth. Through language and literary devices (like similes and metaphors), the description of an angry person can go on for pages!

Come to think of it, the film adaptations of literature most successful and memorable are those that add a creative twist to a classic. Take, for instance, the film 10 Things I Hate About You (which is about to premiere as a television show on July 7 on ABC Family), based on William Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew." And, there's also the 1999 film Cruel Intentions, based on the 18th century French epistolary novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Laclos. In both movies, the setting is updated to the late 20th century, and the characters are represented as American teenagers. It seems a successful book does not guarantee a successful motion picture. Often, the literature's message can get lost in translation from page to theater. Don't wait around for a novel to be adapted into a film. Go out and buy the book or the play or the comic book in its original form; it's guaranteed to be a smash hit!

 

Today, Kim Paras, Weekly Reader's Manager of Copy Editing, muses on why she loves libraries.

My public library recently put a stack of forms on the counter that read "I love my library because ..." Beneath that opener was a bunch of blank lines.

Cool! The nerd in me was eager to tell my librarian why I loved coming to the library, why I visited so often, and why I would sometimes spend hours upstairs-"Where did that tall girl with the glasses go?"–only to reemerge with no books in hand.

Why do I love the library? For starters, I love to read! And to be surrounded by shelves and shelves of books? Oh gosh, just give me access to food and lock me in--seriously, I won’t mind. Sometimes I go to the library knowing exactly what I want. "It's Halloween and I'm in the mood for Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None." At other times I enter thinking I know what I want--"It's time to tackle Chekhov"--but then I leave the library with something entirely different under my arm, say, The Reader. "I must read the book before seeing the movie!"

When I was little and my mom would take me to the library, I would feel as if I'd entered a different world. I would begin wandering down the aisles, carefully slipping books from their shelves and reading the back covers, and everything outside--school, homework, even other people--would be forgotten. The library has the same effect on me today. The first thing that strikes me when I walk through the doors of the library is the quiet. Perhaps it is stating the obvious for me to point out that the library is quiet, but when you're there, no one has to shuss you. You just know, you know? You walk inside and you have taken a trip to, well, wherever you wish. You can lose yourself in novels, mysteries, biographies, history, poetry, plays, or nothing but dictionaries. And that doesn't begin to cover everything. No wonder some people actually get lost in the library.

The library also has that "library smell." Not a bad smell, mind you. Just a certain smell, the way school has a certain smell and the way a new car has a certain smell. And the library has its own sounds. Quiet, careful footsteps in the next aisle over. Creaking floors heard from rooms overhead.

For me, the library is an escape. When I'm in the library, 50 other people may be there too, but I feel like I'm alone, wandering the aisles, carefully slipping books from their shelves.

What do you love about the library?

Check this out! 

Leeawesome and her roommate were inspired to create this music video by the School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books competition and High School Musical 3. 

Great job girls!

If you are a frequent visitor to our bloggy, please stand by. We are in the process of switching over to a new venue and are experimenting with new softwares. It is because of this that you are not seeing many posts lately. Hopefully, once we switch to something else, we'll be on fire. ... not actually fire, mind you, that is just silly.

Our dear friend Edgar Allan Poe was nicknamed the master of macabre, which translates to the master of all things ghoulish, ghastly, grisly, gruesome, horrid, morbid, and deathly. I'm not too sure that's a reputation I would be comfortable with, but for Edgar and many other writers, it's exciting to focus on the dark side of life. Nowadays,  people say not to be so negative. Stay positive and you will bring positive things into your life. Does that mean Poe's obsession with the shadows was a negative force? Certainly not! Death is as much a part of life as birth. 200 years ago, people were much more comfortable with the idea of death. Employing this theme into poetry and prose can be a very positive and healthy activity.

To master the macabre like Poe did, it's essential to take stock of symbols that represent what's come to pass. A few categories to consider are plants and animals, colors, environment, and psychology.

We can begin by looking at Poe's famous raven, the black and unpleasant sounding bird. There's also the crow, which was used in a very dark movie in the 1990's aptly named, "The Crow." Other dark symbolic animals are black cats, rats, spiders, and bats and even amphibians like frogs and toads that thrive in wet and slimy creeks. Anytime these animals are included in a writing piece, a very dim atmosphere is created for the characters. Deep forests, vines and twisty, knotty trees can also enhance this effect.

Black isn't the only "color" that supports deathly themes but sticking to dark shades when describing character's clothing is a good idea. However, red, the color of blood, is also a decent choice. One exception is the innocent, naive character. He or she can be adorned in powdery blues, whites or anything that acts as a stark contrast to the cold and shadowy backdrop. Speaking of setting, some classic environments include thick, wintry wooded areas that encase log cabins as in "The Tell-Tale Heart."

Eerie animals, muted colors and scary, cold unwelcoming environments all set tone for macabre characters that are usually very close to death. Sometimes, they have just lost a loved one, like the precious Lenore or maybe they themselves are fighting a dark force that wishes them gone. But if it's real depth you're looking for, be sure to include a character that may be a little bit insane. Nothing is scarier than losing your mind! So, don't be afraid! Get out there and write some good and healthy death stories!

In READ's survival issue, we told you to visit us today to see "Doll Face," an engaging character in a wonderful film by director Andrew Thomas Huang. Enjoy!

In READ's survival issue, we told you to visit us today to see Steven Frank's mini-miniseries episode of "Mnemonic Man." Well, here you are... and here it is!

It must be the time of year--these final weeks leading up to Christmas--that is why I can't stop thinking about FOOD! There are so many great traditions to look forward to. Being an Italian American, I get to eat homemade spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, fettuccini alfredo and baked ziti all the time, but when the holidays roll around, I'm actually more excited to eat fish. Yeah, you read it right. And not just fish sticks and tartar sauce, I'm talking fish that most kids would gag over. Yes, I, Jennifer, look forward to smelly, fishy foods with tails and tentacles on Christmas Eve. Now, how could a person who ate homemade spaghetti every Sunday be convinced to eat fish on such an important holiday and actually enjoy it?

When I was a kid, our family ate at least seven different kinds of fish on Christmas Eve; a gluttonous feast prepared every year by an epicurean trinity: My Nana, my Grandma and my Mom. There was no arguing with the trinity about the menu. Each of these women took a shine to a certain dish, which through the years became her specialty.

Nana's favorite was the calamari and the squid. Standing no more than five feet, Nana would fight with the best of the Italian ladies on Tremont Avenue's fish market to pick out the absolute freshest squid she could buy. "Nothing but the best for her family," Nana would say. Watching her prepare these tiny, tentacled creatures was less than appetizing. But she did season, batter, bread, and fry each wriggly piece so that when they were dipped in freshly made tomato sauce, they just tasted like butter! My dad literally salivates at the mere thought of Nana's calamari and I remember even as a kid, watching him eat them and thinking how much he resembled a little boy in a sandbox!

Next, was Grandma's fresh shrimp cocktail. Just as fresh as Nana's squid, Grandma's shrimp lived up to the name "fruit of the sea" because they would pop like a sweet, ripe orange when you bit into one. Grandma sat me down in her kitchen when I was about eight years old to teach me how to properly de-vein a shrimp. Keep in mind, in my family activities such as these are considered a rite of passage. Grandma said, "If you position the knife at the tippy top of the shrimp's back and make a slice all the way down to the tale, the vein will just slide right out!" And she was right. Through her expert teachings, my shrimp cleaning skills far exceed many adults; though describing the process to my girlfriends at school did not win me any popularity contests!

Finally, there was Mom's breaded and fried flounder. Oh! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Every Christmas Eve, after mass, my Mom and I would wrap ourselves in aprons so as not to ruin our dresses. It was my job to sprinkle bread crumbs in one plate and flour in another while Mom would wash the fish and beat the eggs. Then, the assembly line would begin. I would cover each piece of fish in flour and egg and pass it off to Mom who was in charge of breading and frying. And while our fish was being prepared, we had this great tradition of singing and dancing to this Christmas tape she bought in a drug store with all these really funny Christmas songs that, to this day, I've never heard anywhere else. Those songs, the fried flounder and my mother's arms working diligently next to mine for all those years are memories I will remember every Christmas Eve. I still have that cassette tape!

Well, there you have it. The trinity of yum. I'm not sure who made the rest of the seven fish. Sometimes, Nana would do more than one, sometimes an aunt or cousin would bring some, but we have always enjoyed a giant fish dinner the night before Christmas. Somehow, many years later, it's not the toys I remember most or the snow, or pretty Christmas dresses, it's the fish and the amazing trinity who taught me how to cook it.

Yesterday afternoon, Americans took a moment before diving into a turkey feast to give thanks for the their blessings. Whether it was a thank you for being healthy or an A on a math test, yesterday was the day to say thank you. Well, today is the day to commit your gratitude to paper through the melodious meanderings of the Ode. An ode is typically a short poem that expresses your personal feelings about a person, an event or an object in nature. If you're the formal type, you might consider the classical ode but if you're like me, and Pablo Neruda, you may just want to rock it freestyle!  Seeing as how Thanksgiving marks the official holiday season and unofficial season of celebrating food, I humbly submit to you my:

Ode to Thanksgiving Sandwich
by Jennifer Hickey

Upon black Friday's wakening
In the bowels of Frigidaire
In Tupperware
In tinfoil
sleeps your delicious savory parts
secret is your potential to those
sans vision.
Oh the mighty Thanksgiving Sandwich
Leaning tower of turkey showered in juicy gravy bits atop a sesame roll.
Last night's dinner cannot hold a flame to your beauty.
Do we dare to rest your tender meat atop mayonaise?
Oh HECK yeah! 

Ahh ... the possibilities of stuffing and mashed potato;
both or just one?
And tarty colorful cranberry to tease and tickle tastebuds.
You are clearly an integral piece.
More gravy
More gravy
and cover with the top! 

A mess
A mess
beautiful sloppy mess
seeping out of the bread back
and plopping in my very loose and forgiving pajamas
dribbling from my chin and neck
staining my Pink Floyd tee shirt circa 1992
and I am oblivious!

I am devoured as I devour you my savory sweet dinner between bread
as I sit Indian style upon my couch
I am one
I am eternally thankful for this shameful face stuffing.
 

Thank you very much! Now it is your turn! Turn your blessings or favorite foods into an Ode and send them to us!

In Connecticut, where I live, I awoke this morning to see ice on the pond and snow flurries dancing in the air. I love flurries, and I also love the word flurries. It is one of those magical words that perfectly fits the thing it names.

All words have sounds--or are sounds--whether we speak them aloud or hear them silently in our head. Onomatopoeia (on-uh-mat-uh-PEE-ya) words are those that imitate the sounds they describe, such as buzz, pop, meow, and hiccup. But I'm not talking about those kinds of words. Flurries, after all, don't make any sound at all.

How can a sound describe something soundless? There is another category of words that fit their subject in a more subtle way. Non-auditory onomatopoeia, you could call it. (However, even those kinds of words mimic an imaginary sound, rather than reflect an ineffable quality).

Flurries--say it--is soft and light. The singular, flurry, doesn't have a harsh or heavy consonant in it. No Js or Zs or Ks. Even its vowel sound, short U, is quiet. It doesn't howl, whine, or whoop. The Y sound at the end, the long E sound, is playful.

Flurries. Flying, floating, fluttering flurries. Winter's coming on.

What other words can you think of that fit their subject perfectly? Send us your examples with a brief explanation of why you think the word fits its subject.

Many of us think of the American Indians in November as we celebrate Thanksgiving. And during that time, we are reminded of the great contributions they have provided our country.

Did you know that Iroquois chiefs were invited to speak at the constitutional convention? They shared the Iroquois model of government with Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington which our founding fathers incorporated into our own system.

American Indians were also the first to discover popcorn. It's true! After building piping hot fire on the beach, they would move the wood and embers away and place the corn kernels on the hot sand until it popped! Bet you never heard that in Social Studies class.

One of the most important contributions that American Indians continue to provide to the entire world is their stories. If you've haven't had the chance to read any Native American literature yet check out The Shadow Brothers by A.E. Cannon or The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. Native American literature is rich with culture and traditions of people who perfected living off the land by communing with nature. Almost all of their stories stem from the ancient myths that have been passed down through generations.

What is a myth?

A myth is story that attempts to explain something about the world and that expresses an important belief or value of a culture. Some myths reveal how the universe was created while others explain things like why it is important to value your family. Myths can be very interesting because they often include supernatural beings like gods, goddesses, or trees and animals that can talk. Myths aren't about history or facts... they express inner truths—what we feel inside our hearts.

Deer Hunter and White Corn Maiden is a Tewa myth about the most beautiful and talented youths in the village who fell so deeply in love with each other that they refused do anything but be together. Deer Hunter no longer hunted even though the tribe needed food and White Corn Maiden no longer worked her pottery. On top of that, they ignored the tribe's traditions and avoided special ceremonies to protect the tribe from angry gods. Because they wouldn't listen, the gods turned them into stars in the night sky; one chasing the other, forever together and forever apart.

My favorite part of the Deer Hunter myth is the image of the dead White Corn Maiden chasing her husband around the village because he didn't want to be near her smelly, decaying body anymore! I also like how the spirits have such an interest in the tribe's everyday life; so much so that they come down and talk to them.

The very best thing about Native American myths is that they are a great source of inspiration. Writing your own myth can be a lot of fun because you can be as creative as you want to.

Check back in a few days to learn how to write your own modern myth!

Last year, the literary world lost a great and profound writer. When Kurt Vonnegut passed away in April of 2007, my first thought was that we would never again be let into his weirdly beautiful disjointed worlds that mirror ours with broken images. But then, after some silent mourning, I began to realize... if any writer still exists post-mortem, it is Kurt Vonnegut. He is, in his own words, "unstuck in time".

READ magazine published a time travelling issue last year in which we adapted Vonnegut's classic novel, Slaughterhouse Five, into a Readers' Theater play. That was one of my favorite READ plays to work on. Besides that, I've read a lot of Vonnegut's novels but still have at least half of his library to enjoy. I'm very glad for that.

Happy Birthday to you, Kurt. I miss you now. But I will read you soon.

You are not a bug stuck in amber. :)

Here ye, hear ye! (...not sure if it's "Hear" or "Here" so I'm using both. 99% sure it's "Hear" now that I think about it. Oh well, too late to change it.)

Today is election day. Some guy named McCain and some other guy named Obama both want to be president. Everyone likes one or the other, but here at READ, we like Poe.

WE LIKE POE! WE LIKE POE!

That's right, we like Poe. And in honor of Poe, we are celebrating his 200th birthday on January 19, 2009 with a brand new Weekly Reader web site. Have ya heard that you can be a part of it?

Get your video camera and film a special birthday tribute to the man who wrote such classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Rambo, the entire last season of LOST, and much much more...

Wait... what?

Don't worry about it. All will be explained on January 19th. In the meantime, click here to visit our TeacherTube page where you can upload your video birthday wishes.

The winners will get their videos published on READ's Poe website as well as winning $100 million!

OK, well we'll give you $100 anyway.

HURRY! DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 21!

Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe!

P.S. The video lies. It says "Upload your videos here", but really it means

UPLOAD YOUR VIDEOS HERE.

Yesterday was Edgar Allan Poe's death anniversary. Was it a coincidence that we posted our birthday video contest details on the same day? Actually, yes it was. It was a total coincidence.

At any rate, we have finally found a place for you to upload your electronic birthday wishes. CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR YOUTUBE PAGE. There are contest details in the upper right corner of the page. Click on "more info" in our READ Magazine box.

Basically, if you're 18 or younger, and you have a video camera and some Poe sensibilities, create your heart out and dedicate your video to the master of macabre. He's turning 200 in January! And READ is creating an electronic experience in his honor. You could be a part of it!

Here is the video we created. You can also see it on our Youtube page (where we are accepting your video birthday tributes). 

Now it's your turn!

Create an electronic birthday card for Poe. You can make a video of one of his short stories or poems. You can get your whole class to throw a birthday party for him and send us the highlights. Or write an original script that features Poe as the main character. Send us the footage. Use your imagination! The opportunities are endless!

Upload your videos on our youtube page by clicking on "post a video response".

Any questions can be directed to word@weeklyreader.com. Just make sure to put "Poe Contest Question" in the subject. Or you can leave a comment below.

OK! Have fun! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

We Do!!!

Happy Punctuation Day Yes Today is a big holiday Bet you didnt even notice Hey if we can celebrate things like groundhogs hearts and fools then we can certainly take a day to honor the humble punctuation mark

Today September 24 is the 5th annual National Punctuation Day This great holiday was founded by Jeff Rubin a former newspaperman who now dons a red cape to reinvent himself as the superhero Punctuation Man to inspire schoolchildren to love the poor underappreciated little puncs

According to Rubins website httpcolonbackslashbackslashwwwdotnationalpunctuationdaydotcom National Punctuation Day is and I quote a celebration of the lowly comma correctly used quotes and other proper uses of periods semicolons and the ever mysterious ellipsis

Of course on the site that quote is cluttered up with these funny little doodads that look like this “ , , , . ” Whatever they mean

Myself Im a big fan of the dash I find it quite dashing

And hey how about that cute little comma Is it not adorable

And lets not forget parentheses those mirror image identical twins are very affectionate why just look at how they embrace an interjected explanatory or qualifying remark

Well I could go on and on about the philosophical virtues of the question mark and the joie de vivre of the exclamation point and dont get me started on the semicolon

Check it out for yourself Here Ill make it easier for you

Oh no! Word had a birthday on Labor Day and we missed it! Dang! Well, happy birthday, WORD. We're very sorry if you've been feeling neglected lately. We are going to try our hardest to keep you up to date this year. And speaking of this year...

Hello readers of READ! Welcome back to school! And welcome to the new era of READ magazine! You should now have in your possession our first issue of the year. It's the one with Icarus flying toward the sun. Oh no his wings are burning! Ack! Will he survive? Turn to page 14 to read all about it!

This year, we are very excited because each issue of READ contains a *new* Writing section. Do you see it? It's there in the back. It starts on page 26, immediately following our exclusive interview with Esther Friesner.

As you can probably tell, my blogging skills are a little rusty. But that's ok because I'm going to be blogging a lot more frequently and practice makes perfect! Yay! And so is Alicia! Yay! And Audra, too! Yay! But if you aren't interested in our word ramblings, send us your poems, stories, and essays. Here at WORD, we love to publish student writing! Email us at word@weeklyreader.com.

OK, that's it for now. Hope you are enjoying Issue 1!

The WORD inbox tells me that some of our student writers are heading back to school. Woe is Jason, indeed! (For those who don't know what I'm talking about will just have to check back on Sept. 12.) Well the editors at READ hope you all had a great summer whether you're already back in a classroom or counting down the days. The editors at READ have been working hard on this year's issues. Thank goodness, though, we did manage to squeeze in some summer fun. Reports indicate that Bry's car climbed Mt. Washington; Audra organized some kind of guacamole fest with lots of friends and lots of chips at an Upstate New York cabin. As for me, I hit the beach a few times and deeply regret never getting to the bottom of the secret of the Montauk Monster. I spent two beachy days there and did observe that the people of Montauk are too relaxed about the whole thing. Weird!

I'd like to use my back-to-school blog post to thank the following students for submitting their six-word memoirs to READ. They were in Cathy Alexander's 7th grade class during the past school year. Following the lead of this book, these fabulous writers tell us a very little something about their lives. The students in blue are appearing in the very first issue of READ. Thanks again writers!

Six Word Memoirs

Determination is my key to success. --Hyrum Weiler

Mom said, "No." Second option: Dad. --Diane Guzman

On your mark. Get set. Splash. --Lydia Pearson

It never hurts to be different. --Katherine Shaw.

Red crayons don't taste like cherry. --Emily Randall

Jumped off a moving skateboard, concusions hurt. --Sam Dodson

Jumping on the bed. Bad idea. --Sarah Nay

Toes tap, tutus swirl, I curtsy. --Taylor Brown

Practice makes permanent--not always perfect --Maddie May

High society boy with cheap clothes. --Armaan Velji

Nobody knows what's behind the smile. --Samantha Dean

Amazing athlete, "High achiever", don't contradict! --Jimmy Dyer 

I'm my orthodontist's main Guinea pug. --Lena Pearson

Blonde at heart, has brown hair. --Emily Hewitt

Intake into inquiry; inquary into insight. --Yikan Ge

Kill alarm clock with the hammer! --Stephanie Moon

I'm a header. Strong. Responsible. Determined. --Kyla S. Dickson

Once coccon, now a social butterfly. --Cara Young

To be myself, I act myself. --Suzanne Shorrash

Assigned homework, did homework, forgot homework. --Hope Carlson

Luv 2 text, $300 phone bill. --Katie Conway

Normal kid trying to achieve greatness. --Rory Martin

Burning hole in Dad's wallet. --Kristina Naso

Outside in the yard equals dirty. --Sam McCoy

If not the clown, then what? --Lindsey Foster

School:The nightmare of my life. --Hannah Tippetts

May spontaneously combust from exhaustion. --Katherine Jory

To new world; have new life. --Chuanze Wu

Fantasy sucked me away from reality. --Asaada Corley

I'm out of drawing paper again. --Rachel Pettit

Picked hard road ... paid off later. --Whitney Findley

A Michelangelo at four, still drawing. --Brion Chatman

All I can do is smile. --Krisna Patel

Ten games, undefeated season, golden trophies. --Kylena Branan

OCD, but unorganized to the max. --Katherine McLemore

Stealing is wrong unless it's home. --Zach Langley

At the peak of undiscovered talent. --Jamila Surpris

Come on! What could happen? --Elizabeth Trompeter

Pirrouting when I should be walking. --Hannah Watkins

Cheerleading, softball, school. I'm never home. --Sarah Oliver

99 years of life; Nana died. --Ndia Burton

Hit the balll over the fence. --Zach Gabrielson

Think of sparkling stars, my freckles. --Kara Strom

Illinois to Georgia, missing the snow. --Maddi Miller

Long haired vegetarian, not a hippie. --Morrison Nolan

Life's game: generous winner, gracious loser. --Alex Bowen

Tumbling all day, future gymnast star. --Leah Hodges

Best friends. Broken friends. Better Life. --Karen Eddington

Work piled on. Never stopped stressing. --Alex Marihew

Dumb blonde? I don't think so! --Meredith Pounds

Daddy said he'd visit;he lied. --Liz Shah

Daddy?! Oh wait you're not here ... --Jacoya Davis

Soccer jersey is never grass stain free. --Kimberly Pham

I'm short ... Do not bother me. --Saneen Shakeel

Loves music. Listens all night long. --Elaine Duong

I haven't figured it out yet. --Zane Bader

Global warming rising but still snowing. --Tony Wu

Can't shut up, gets in trouble. --Urvashi Betarbet

Just close your eyes and pray. --Jenna Bass

My life is a question mark. --Mariah Bowen

Grow older, but never grow up. -- Emilie Lostracco

Little brother, little sister, oh my! --Jenna Freeman

Goodbye sweet 7th grade. Hello summer. --Riley Weyner

Karma--my one and only enemy. --Rohan Mahadevia

Georgia to Pennsylvania, still best friends. --Katie Linton

My life doesn't have a hypothesis. --Devan Heyburn

Basketball, basketball, basketball bouncing through life. --Casey Staggs

Gone, but still barking from heaven. --Valerie Ward

My white jersey nevers stays clean. --Rob Youngblood

Smart girl. High standards. No limits. --Laura Anderson

I'm running away, but also forward. --Sarah Tucker

Will work for food. Chocolate anyone? --Natalie Neuman

All A's at heart, D average. --Keith Jackson

Dare to dream, but never sleep. --Aine Imbach

Working hard. Working together. A team. --Lauren Franklin

Don't need a parachute for free-falling. --Schafer Sirmer

Always living like there's no tomorrow. --Mary Helen Bowen

The following blog entry was written by Sarah Solomon, an intern here at READ.

When most people hear the word sonnet, they automatically think of William Shakespeare, and for good reason. However, the sonnet was around way before Shakespeare was born, and continued to be modernized after his death.

What makes sonnets different from other types of poetry is their distinct structure. Sonnets have a set number of lines and an organized rhyme scheme. However, there are different types of sonnets, such as the English sonnet, the Italian sonnet, and other variations.

Shakespeare usually wrote English sonnets, which have 14 lines and a rhyme scheme of:
[ABAB CDCD EFEF GG]
Each letter corresponds to the last word of each line. So the first and third lines will rhyme, the second and fourth lines will rhyme, etc.

But you have probably already seen many Shakespeare sonnets. Here are some other ones you might not have seen. Sir Thomas Wyatt was born in 1503, and wrote sonnets way before Shakespeare. Here is one, entitled "Farewell love and all thy laws forever"

Farewell, love, and all thy laws forever,
Thy baited hooks shall tangle me no more.
Senec and Plato call me from thy lore
To perfect wealth, my wit for to endeavor.
In blind error when I did persever,
Thy sharp repulse that pricketh aye so sore
Taught me in trifles that I set no store,
But scape forth, since liberty is lever.
Therefore, farewell, go trouble younger hearts,
And in me claim no more authority;
With idle youth go use thy property,
And thereon spend thy many brittle darts.
For hitherto though I have lost my time,
Me list no longer rotten boughs to climb.

— Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)

This is an Italian sonnet. Though the rhyme scheme of an Italian sonnet is somewhat flexible, the first eight lines are
[ABBA ABBA]

More modern sonnets are a lot freer with their rhyme schemes, and the poems are not as structured overall as the more classical ones. Edna St. Vincent Millay lived from 1892 to 1950--not so long ago. Here is a sonnet she wrote, entitled "Only until this cigarette is ended"

Only until this cigarette is ended,
A little moment at the end of all,
While on the floor the quiet ashes fall,
And in the firelight to a lance extended,
Bizarrely with the jazzing music blended,
The broken shadow dances on the wall,
I will permit my memory to recall
The vision of you, by all my dreams attended.
And then adieu, -- farewell! -- the dream is done.
Yours is a face of which I can forget
The colour and the features, every one,
The words not ever, and the smiles not yet;
But in your day this moment is the sun
Upon a hill, after the sun has set.

—Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

There are other structural elements to sonnets, such as the literal structure of ideas (like an essay) and the rhythm of the words (enunciation). But that would be a whole other story.

Try writing your own sonnet!
It's harder than it looks!

The following blog entry was written by Sarah Solomon, an intern here at READ.

Today is Maurice Sendak's 80th birthday, so let's take some time to admire the illustrious illustrations he has done.

Maurice Sendak was born in Brooklyn on June 10th, 1928. As soon as he saw Fantasia by Walt Disney when he was 12 years old, he knew he wanted to become an illustrator.

He started illustrating other authors' children's books, and learned how to adjust his style of drawing to the other authors' writings. After a while he started writing and illustrating his own books. His two most famous works are Where the Wild Things Are (1963) and In the Night Kitchen (1970), both children's books.

Both of these books have a common theme. The protagonist, a young boy, is bored or fed up with his waking life so he travels to an imaginary place.

In Where the Wild Things Are, Max gets in trouble with his mom and is punished by being sent to his room with no supper. There his bedroom turns into a forest, and he travels to where the wild things are:

That very night in Max's room a forest grew
and grew-
and grew until his ceiling hung with vines
and the walls became the world all around
and on ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max
and he sailed off through night and day
and in and out of weeks
and almost over a year
to where the wild things are.

In In The Night Kitchen, Mickey dreams that he is baked into a cake by three bakers and then flies a plane made out of bread dough to the top of a giant bottle of milk. Mickey is completely naked for most of the book, and because of that, In the Night Kitchen became the 25th most challenged book between 1990 and 2000 according to the American Library Association's "list of challenged and banned books".

Both of these books have distinct illustrations with ferocious colors and beautiful drawings. Check 'em out!

Where The Wild Things Are

 

In The Night Kitchen

In the May 2 issue of READ, we asked students to tell us about their experiences "being swept away" into books. Thanks to Brennan Baringer, 14, for responding to the call. Great job Brennan! We hope your "hunger" always persists and you always find the most delicious books to quench it.  

Reading is the link to worlds where anything is possible--from gods and goddesses to magic and mythical creatures. It is a fiery passion that descends upon us and casts its luring trap--that makes us want to read more and more. Good books will seize you and never let go. They will lure you in and you will be lost in its pages, shouting for joy and weeping with sorrow at each twist and turn.

When I find a good book I read it heart and soul. I read it over and over hungering evermore for the words that are food for my mind and soul. Characters eventually become part of you. You see them and it almost feels as if they are alive:living, breathing, and feeling. When they get into trouble you want to be there. You want to save them and protect them because they have been there for you and you want to be in the story to save what you treasure.

The most loathesome part of the book is the ending. The book has become a treasured friend and the end is saying farewell. You don't want an end though, you want to be lost in a neverending story that only ends when your
dragon-sized thirst for the masterpiece is slain.

Click here for Student Writing Showcase 2008.

That's not much fanfare! Well, I could tell you about all the great student writers we have showcased this year. I could discuss the wonderful authors who have leant their voices and commentary (like M.T. Anderson, Karen Cushman, and Cynthia Leitich Smith). I could describe the way neat-o video version of 1,000 Words. I could tell you all about the Letter To Self article and writing prompt. I could write up a super-duper self-promotion that shows in detail how each one of these things makes for a really cool place to chill out, read some excellent student writing, get inspired, and moves you to write whatever your heart desires! I could... and I kind of just did... but I think I'll just pipe down and let you check it out for yourself.

AND if you do get inspired and DO write something. Send it to us at word@weeklyreader.com. We're always looking for the best student writers to publish right here on WORD!

Cheers mates! Enjoy!

The following is a WORD Bloggy endorsement from Esther Yan, a 6th grade student.

The readandwriting website is very interesting in two ways. One way is that they give an opinion on a book. For instance, they were giving an opinion on the Chronicles of Narnia. A Canadian reviewer said, "The chronological order makes the books more strictly allegorical than they really were intended to be...". Another way is that they have many categories. Some of the categories are "Books and Authors", "Get Published", "Writing Tips", "1000 Words", and more.

There are four ways that I would use "www.readandwriting.com". First, I would use it for finding books. I would go to "Books and Authors" to find some comments or opinions on the articles/stories that they have in READ and Writing magazines. It would be helpful for writing an article about a story for English/Language Arts.

Second, I would use it to find cool websites and interesting articles. For instance, if I was curious about the National Book Festival, I would simply click on "Cool Links" and scroll down until I found the section that was talking about the National Book Festival. It's easy as 1-2-3!

Third, I would click "Writing Tips" and check out the writing tips. The tips they give are very interesting. For instance, they tell you about revising. Did you know E. B. White (author of Charlotte's Web) revised his story 8 times?

Lastly, it tells that you shouldn't give up on your writing when you are confused. In the movie A Christmas Story, the main character Ralphie has to write a theme for the teacher on what he wants for Christmas, so he writes that he wants "a Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time". He imagines his teacher saying, "Poetry. Sheer poetry, Ralph! An A+!" But when he gets back his paper, it doesn't have an "A+" on it, instead, it says, "You'll shoot your eye out!"

Those are four ways that I would use this readandwriting website.

Thanks for the raving review Esther!

Check back here tomorrow and every day for two weeks straight for Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest Runners-Up!

I started reading The Horse and the Boy this weekend. It is one of the seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. In the anthology I am reading, the order of the books is as follows: 1) The Magician's Nephew, 2) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, 3) The Horse and His Boy, 4) Prince Caspian, 5) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 6) The Silver Chair, 7) The Last Battle. A little amazon.com research just told me that the publishers of this anthology put them in this order because it is chronological.

One Canadian reviewer named "Godly Gadfly" says on amazon.com: "The chronological order makes the books more strictly allegorical than they really were intended to be..."

Another reviewer, C.N. White from Raleigh, N.C. says: "...reading these books in chronological order spoils all of the surprise and magic out of the first visit to Narnia (in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe), because we already know what's going on. ... Things don't always need to be put in chronological order. If you're going to read them, please read them in the correct order: 1) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, 2) Prince Caspian, 3) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 4) The Silver Chair, 5) The Horse and His Boy, 6) The Magician's Nephew, and 7) The Last Battle"

I was wondering why Hollywood skipped The Magican's Nephew and started with The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe! Now it makes sense! They were being smart! What a concept!

I wish I had known about this before I started reading these books. It's too late for me. If you have any intention of picking up the Narnia Anthology (and you should, it's great!), please heed the advice of these intelligent readers.

It's really a shame that the publisher chose to put the bookss in the wrong order in the anthology. Chronology isn't always the best way to do things.

Sidenote: I told my 2 year old nephew that I was reading a book where there are talking horses. He refused to believe me. "No!" he said. I assured him that it was true and he just shook his head and walked away.

Coming to WORD tomorrow: One class' reaction to Babylon's Ark, a Center Stage play in READ. Stay tuned...

The Pulitzer Prize web site offers plenty to read and see. Of course it can't post a play on its site, but I hope to one day see winner August: Osage County one day. My fellow blogger, Audra gave it ten thumbs up (for the record, Audra only has the normal two thumbs, but she really, really liked the play).

There's so many categories and so many winners that I'll have to ask you to check it out yourself:www.pulitzer.org. Enjoy! I'm  going to check out the Investigative Journalism category myself right now.

It was announced last week that the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be produced as not one but TWO blockbuster movies! That means that, including Book 6 we get three more Harry films! Yay!

Personally, I think this is a very smart idea. Deathly Hallows was one of the best books I have ever read and Hollywood's decision to make it a two-parter should give us a very clear, very detailed on-screen image to compliment our entire literary experience. I can't wait!

Film 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is set for theatrical release on November 21, 2008

Film 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One is set for theatrical release (hopefully) the following November (2009)

And, assuming all goes well and "You-Know-Who" doeesn't wreck everything...

Film 8: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part Two will come out in May, 2010.

Friends, I do believe this deserves a "Boo" and a "Yah".

BOO YAH!

Here is a phony bologna movie trailer someone put together on Youtube. It shows a bunch of old Harry Potter movie clips but is still a good way to get you amped.

Bloggy is having technical difficulties. Please stand by...

Are you standing? OK, you may sit.

For weeks now we have been unable to receive comments in our inbox. WORD is also being inundated with spam. All this makes for a very unhappy bloggy. :(

We are working hard to fix these silly problems. In the meantime, if you would like to comment on any post directly, you can send an email to word@weeklyreader.com. We are still receiving emails... just not comments.

So yeah, give us a holla. Let us know what's up! Let us know if you've tried to comment and haven't seen your comment appear.

Did you get the Animals issue of READ yet? We haven't. How's it look? Let us know at word@weeklyreader.com.

Are you reading a fantastic book? Tell us all about it at word@weeklyreader.com.

Have you written a story or poem that you want to share with us and/or the world? Email it to us at word@weeklyreader.com.

We are here. Send us anything. We will cut through the spam to get to you.

Word (@weeklyreader.com)

This is a very important question that I often ask people around me. Sure it's nice to get to know someone a little better, as shown by their choice of books. But really, I ask because I'm selfish. BECAUSE I always need something to read. And I like to go to people whose taste I trust. Just a few months ago, Audra gave me a good recommendation: Disgrace by JM Coetzee. Bryon and Deb once made me read The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon. All good recommendations!

And to tell you the truth, I really like to push my own agenda, too. I mean, I like to get people to read my favorite books. I made Bryon read The Poisonwood Bible and he got sucked into it. (Audra, Deb, Amy, what about you? I thought we all were going to bond over this book.)

Well, I just found a new way to get book suggestions and push, I mean recommend my own. It's goodreads.com, where all types of readers list, review, and recommend books. I feel that my reading possibilities have broadened more than I could ever think. And I get to count all the books I've read.

So far, I'm up to 140 that I remember. Here's to many more!

Happy Leap Year Everybody!

Well actually, it's leap year all year. I guess today is Leap Year Day? Can I get a ruling on this?

Anywho, by now you should have READ's special Time Travel issue in your classroom. It's weird because we worked on that in the past.... and now, here you are, in the present, reading it. Whoa. Cosmic man.

Well, how do you like it? Feel free to give your two cents by clicking COMMENTS below or emailing us at word@weeklyreader.com.

We have already received one observation from a very intelligent class at Holy Cross Lutheran School in Wichita, Kansas. Their teacher, Ms. Vanwey, writes

"My 7^th  graders were in a tiz concerning Time Will Tell! How did the author add together 24 and 25 to come up with 60 as the age Jon was when he came back to 2008."

Well, that's a very good question. Our math is all screwed up! When Jon Pacone returns to 2008, he should be 49, not 60! Our only sorry excuse is that we stink at math. But someone on our end definitely should have caught this oversight. All apologies to time travelers everywhere.

Also, the question was stated of whether or not Jon would have been living two different lives at once. The first being the first time he lived through those years, and the second being his return to the past self living those years. Hmm... well... you see... um... time travel is a very tricky thing involving lots of compound theories and... um... holy cow! Look! Quick! Behind you! There's a flying cow!

Moo.

Well, at least Billy Pilgrim can time travel with class.
So it goes.

It happens maybe twice a year... I don't like it anymore than you do. I am sorry to say that our blogging skills, as of late, have fallen to the wayside. Sorry about that.

I'm trying to do my best with War & Peace. I got through Part One, barely. I will try to get back into Part Two tonight. But it's not easy, let me tell ya.

Some sad news, our resident Writer's Strike/pop culture blogger, Jessica, has left our fair company. We wish her well and will miss her bloggy presence.

Also, we've got magazines. Yes, as a side-job to blogging, we also put out these two magazines called READ and Writing. And next year, we are combining the two. So there's that.

All of this adds up to lots of work for the WORD bloggers here at Weekly Reader. But wah wah wah, right?

Where's the student writing? Where's the book and author news? Where is the bloggy we know and love? My friends, I tell you, a re-birth is coming. Please sit tight and bear with us during these slow times. We promise you... the best is yet to come.

Word.

The following interviews were conducted by Weekly Reader Senior Edition editor, Laura McClure.

 

This year’s Caldecott and Newbery medal winning books transport readers into the past. Newbery-winning book, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village, by Laura Amy Schlitz, explores life in the Middle Ages. Caldecott-winning book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick takes place in the early 1900s in France. Weekly Reader talked with both authors about their success stories. Here’s what they had to say:

 

Q&A with Brian Selznick
Weekly Reader: Which came first--the words or the illustrations?

Brian Selznick: It started just as a written story. … I thought maybe [there would be] one drawing a chapter or some spot illustrations. While I was working on the book, I started watching all these old movies and I thought it would be interesting to try to tell the story [with images] like an old movie.

 

WR: How long did it take to finish the book?

BS: I worked on the whole book for about 2 1/2 years, [including] a year to do sketches. … On a good day I could finish two complete drawings. I made them all one-quarter the size that you see in the book. … When you blow up a drawing, … it makes everything softer and lighter, like old movie stills.

 

WR: Do you see yourself in Hugo, the main character?

BS: I definitely do. … When I was a kid, I really loved to draw and to make things. Hugo is actually much better with his hands then I was as a kid. I remember being frustrated with what my hands couldn’t do.

 

WR: What advice do you have for aspiring authors or illustrators?

BS: The most important thing is to just write about or draw the things that really interest you. … A reader or someone looking at pictures very often can tell whether or not the person making the thing loved it and was really interested in it.

 

Q&A with Laura Amy Schlitz

Weekly Reader: What inspired you to write this book of monologues and dialogues?

Laura Amy Schlitz: The children [at the school where I am a librarian] study the middle ages. … They give their imaginations to it and I wanted them to have a dramatic piece [to perform] so I wrote those short plays, those monologues for them and they’ve been performing them for many years now.

 

This book shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Middle Ages. Why did you decide to show all aspects?

I think when you know about the Middle Ages, you can’t help realizing what a dangerous and difficult time that was. … Suppose it’s winter and you get your feet wet. You don’t have another pair of shoes. If you get frostbite, you’ll go lame. … Those are facts [of life in the Middle Ages], but it doesn’t follow that the people were all miserable. They also had hope and good days and aspirations.

 

What do you hope readers take away from this book?

I would like to think that readers can imagine that time, but I think what I want most is for readers to be able to have the excitement of pretending to be somebody else. The thrill of performing the pieces in front  of the audience—I want the readers to get the applause.

 

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a chapter book now, I’m on chapter 29 but I don’t yet know the end, I don’t know how far am I from the end and I’m just trusting that the end exists somewhere and that I will find it.

Why, hello there, fellow WORDians. How's everyone doing? Did you catch American Idol last night? I was mostly in and out of the room when it was on, but I did manage to catch that guy with the dreadlocks. He's totally my favorite right now, and it's not just because I think he's adorable. Which is he. But anyway...

With all this Idol watching, I'll admit, I haven't been able to make it to the library in awhile. Actually, I can't just blame my predilection for cheesy reality shows taking up all my time. (Although American Idol is the number one show in the country, so while you're scoffing at me for admitting I watch the show, percentage-wise, I think it's safe to assume that at least some of you watch it as well.) I also haven't been to the library in awhile because I usually end up at a bookstore and buy my books. However, this is an expensive habit, especially since I usually read the books I buy once, and then put them on a shelf and never look at them again. (Except for when I read them over and over.)

I should go to the library more. But apparently libraries are a little different than they used to be. That's right. They're not just for borrowing books anymore. Or even for borrowing cds and dvds. They're for playing video games.

That's not a typo.

Video games!

A library in Michigan has started hosting video game parties! Can you believe it? I used to get shushed for whispering a little too loudly while working on a research paper with a buddy. And now kids are playing video games there!

I guess anything that can draw people into the library is a good thing--but what about the serious readers? I don't think I'd be able to do research or sit in a corner with a good book if people were playing Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution next to me.

What do you think? Do you go to the library for the books, or for the social experience?

An eyelash fell off yesterday, and I made a few wishes. World peace. To be a millionaire. To wake up and realize I'm actually married to Brad Pitt (and I look like Angelina). An end to the writers' strike.

Well, one out of four ain't bad.

That's right! The strike is over! Woo-hoo!

Television shows will start to come back pretty soon. We can catch up on all of our favorite shows. No longer is there a need to watch Rock of Love 7: Tommy Tutone Edition (Jenny, Jenny, I Really Want Your Number!) or Who Wants to Buy My Baby? or America's Next Top Paperweight Quality Control Assistant General Manager or whatever other reality show they come out with next. There will be scripted shows!

Say it with me. "Scripted." It sounds so nice rolling off the tongue.

Who would have thought the strike would have lasted three months? Who would have thought we'd miss new TV so much?

I mean, yeah, don't become a couch potato. You should still go out and see natural light once in awhile. And, of course, don't start slacking on your reading. But at least there will be options.

Now, if only my other three wishes would come true...

OK, this is really random. And no, for once this isn't going to be an entry about the on-going writers' strike. (Although, I did read that the strike might be ending soon. Yay!) But I was doing some writing today--as is required in my line of work--and I thought I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. But writing is so subjective. What if all my adoring fans don't like it?

Remember that scene in A Christmas Story (I'm sure you've seen it--they practically play it 24/7 in December. Not that I'm complaining, because it is a hilarious movie.) where Ralphie has to write a theme for his teacher on what he wants for Christmas?  He writes this empassioned essay about how he wants "a Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time." Then he imagines his teacher saying, "Poetry. Sheer poetry, Ralph! An A+!" Well, when he gets the paper back, there is no A+. Instead, scrawled across the top, it says "You'll shoot your eye out!"

Sigh.

Sometimes, doesn't it just feel like that? You put your heart and soul into a piece of writing, and all you get back is the proverbial "You'll shoot your eye out."

Anyway, my point (I do have one) is that it shouldn't matter what you write. OK, yes, for school, if you're assigned an essay, please follow your teacher's requirements, and do the studying and all the preperation and all that. I don't want any angry letters, please. But anyway, I really feel that it's most important to write about something you care about. And enjoy doing it. It's not the subject that matters.

So write on. Don't worry what people think about it. As they say, you can't please everyone. As long as you enjoy writing, that's all that matters. And the more you do it, the more confident you'll get with your writing, and the better you'll get.

And if you do write about how you want a BB gun, be careful.

After all, you don't want to shoot your eye out.

I was just thinking. (Yes, I tend to do that occasionally. But don't worry, it doesn't happen too frequently.) Have you ever read a book more than once? And not just twice, or even three times, but so many times that the binding is all cracked and the pages are in danger of falling out and you could probably recite it line for line?

I'm asking because right now I'm re-reading Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding for about the zillionth time. (I've also read Bridget Jones's Diary a zillion times as well. The first one is better, but Edge of Reason has its charm.) It's partially because I haven't had a chance to go to the book store in awhile, and partially because if I don't have something to read on the train I'll fall asleep and miss my stop and not be able to come in and blog for all of you, and I don't want all of you crying. I just can't handle that pressure! But anyway, I'm mostly re-reading it for the zillionth time because, well, I love it. I do. I know every joke, and I cry at the same parts every time. But I still love it. And I never get bored reading it.

It's a really weird phenomenon.

Seriously, right? I mean, I'm sure you all have read a book multiple times, and it didn't bring you any less pleasure. Maybe, if you were older when you read it again, you were able to appreciate it on a different level. Maybe it brings you comfort. Of maybe it's just an awesome book. But it's weird, because I don't think there's any other type of medium where this can be replicated.

Movies can be watched multiple times and still be enjoyable, but I feel like you need more time in between each viewing. If not, it gets a little tedious.

TV shows definitely can't be watched multiple times. For example, I love the show Lost (which starts again today, by the way, and I'm so excited!), and yesterday, last year's season finale was on. Now, I tried to watch it to get pumped for today. But, after just a few minutes, I had to turn it off. Not even Josh Holloway could keep my attention. I would much rather have been reading my book!

Now, if a hottie like Josh Holloway cannot keep my attention on a second viewing, well, then that gets my attention. It just goes to show you how much pleasure you can get from a favorite book.

So, what's your favorite book that you've read ten bajillion times? What do you like about it? Are you excited for Lost? We can compare our theories tomorrow.

I know you all know there is a writer's strike going on (because I mention it practically every time I blog. What can I say, I like TV!). But the Grammys are going to go on as scheduled.

Hear that sound? That noise was all of us collectively sighing in relief. Because seriously, in my book, it's not an award show without the scripted witty banter and the "hilarious" jokes from the presenters.

The writers struck up some sort of deal thing, and they're going to be allowed to write for the Grammys. They've been on strike for awhile, so they must all be desperate to do some writing already.

I'm glad that the Grammys will be on. A lot of my favorite performers were nominated this year for various categories: Foo Fighters, Amy Winehouse, Fergie, Rihanna (although I am kind of getting sick of "Umbrella." Ella, ella, eh, eh. Oh man, now it's going to be stuck in my head again for another three weeks), John Mayer, Justin Timberlake, and Paramore. I'm excited to see who will win.

Speaking of Paramore, I just so happen to have an interview with lead singer Hayley Williams. Want to see it? Sure you do. And if not, well, I'm not going to lie, I'm going to be a little hurt. But no pressure. Anyway, here it is:

WORD: How would you describe yourselves as a group and how would you describe your music to someone who's never heard it before?
Hayley Williams: I would say that the last record we did is fun and catchy, and the new one has an edge to it. Live, we're interactive, and fun. We don't take ourselves too seriously.

WORD: Is it weird being the only girl in the group?
Williams: There are times on the road where you feel lonely, but the dudes in the band are like my brothers. Outside of the band I only have one or two girl friends.

WORD: Are the guys ever over-protective of you when you're on the road?
Williams: [laughs] They can be sometimes.

WORD: What kind of school did you go to?
Williams: I went to a program similar to home school, but it had more interaction with other students. There were 90 students in the school. That's where I met Josh and Zac. [When the band formed] everything just sort of fit with us.

WORD: How long does it take to write a song?
Williams: Some songs might take a day or five minutes, but some might take a month. Sometimes it's easy and quick. I like hearing the music first, and then writing lyrics. The guys are good about letting me write what I feel. We're a great team. Without one of us, the band would be completely different. We hang out all the time. We're all very close.

WORD: Are your parents supportive of you playing in a band?
Williams: Our parents are all great. I think if our parents saw us struggling, they would worry more about us being away from home. They love coming to shows. Our parents are awesome.

WORD: When you were playing at school talent shows, did you know you were going to make it big? What was your defining moment as a band?
Williams: I remember when we were playing Cornerstone [a small concert]. A lot of smaller bands got their start there. I don't think we even dreamed about Warped Tour. We started [as a band] in talent shows at school and church, and moved up to being the local band. We just got really lucky.

WORD: I know you're all still in your teens. Do you guys still attend school?
Williams: Josh, Jeremy, and I just graduated. I've actually been out for about a year. I did some Internet courses while the band was on the road.

WORD: What was your favorite subject when you went to school?
Williams: I was better at English and reading than science and math.

WORD: Is that when you realized you liked writing and got interested in writing lyrics?
Williams: I do remember having a lot of assignments expressing ourselves, like journal writing—that's when I really started enjoying it. My mom was a teacher at my school when I was younger, so I always had encouragement. She always thought it was good that I said what was on my mind.

WORD: What would you want to be if you weren't in a band?
Williams: This band is our career—we want to keep doing it. For a time, I thought about going to cosmetology school to do something girly and creative and not as aggressive. But I just don't really see not being in a band right now. This is what we want to do. Paramore is our dream.

WORD: I read that some of your items of clothing are on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in Ohio. How were you selected to donate your clothes? Have you seen the exhibit?
Williams: We got extremely lucky. People from Warped Tour suggested an exhibit where they would make a time capsule where people could be exposed to Warped Tour and see what goes on there. I guess they figured we have become a big impact on the tour. We were so grateful! It's crazy that my dress is on display in a place where items from Johnny Cash, and even newer [acts] like Madonna and *NSYNC are hanging.

WORD: What's the best part about touring?
Williams: We love our fans so much! It's crazy to think how quickly things happen. We like hanging out with our fans.

WORD: Have you ever had any crazy experiences with fans?
Williams: There are always going to be some awkward run-ins. We were walking to the mall, and some kid jumped out in moving traffic! I think he wanted to give me a hug, but realized that some big people from the tour were protecting me, so he gave Josh a hug instead. He ended up following us around the mall. [But] we enjoy it because it means people are enjoying our music.

WORD: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Williams: On the road, you're in a different city every night. We [the band] love going out to eat as a group. It's really good friend time—time to build relationships. We love Mexican food and going to TGI Fridays. At home me and the guys like going to the park. We like being kids.

WORD: It sounds like you spend a lot of your free time with the band.
Williams: We all get along really, really well. We all really love each other. We love sharing everything together. It's awesome.

WORD: Do you have any advice for teens who would like to be in a band?
Williams: Know why you're doing it. You could end up doing it for the wrong reasons and get burnt out.

***

So are you happy that the writers will be writing for the Grammys? Which artists do you think will win in the different categories? Do you love Paramore as much as I do? Will we ever be able to get "Umbrella" out of our heads?

Now, if only the writers would settle the strike and come back to writing for TV, all would be right in the world. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm getting so sick of reality TV...

It's a real thing. No, seriously, the Bloggies is a real thing. Apparently this thing has been going on for eight years. Who knew?

The Bloggies is the Oscar of blogs. Well, not as prestigious as the Oscars. After all, the winner only gets a certificate, which, at least in my opinion, is not as cool as a gold statue and a basket of swag. But, at least winners don't have to worry about it being canceled on account of the on-going writer's strike, like the Golden Globes were canceled this year.

So anyway, for the Bloggies, you get to vote for your favorite blog. There are all sorts of categories to vote for too. Lots of cool ones were nominated ... however, I did notice one huge snub! That's right, WORD was not nominated! Can you believe it? I think we should all start a write-in campaign. Who's with me?

Well, despite the glaring omission of WORD (must have been an oversight by the nominating committee--don't worry, I'll write them an angry letter), I think honoring good blogs is a great idea. Blogging allows everyone to express themselves, to share opinions, to write! [Shameless plug: write for WORD! Send your entries here!] And the great thing is that anyone can blog. Do you have an interest? advice? time to kill? Write a blog about it! Anyone can do it. There's no better way to get your writing out to the masses.

Do you have a favorite blog (besides for WORD, obviously)? Who are you voting for in the Bloggies? And could you please get me some swag?

I finished reading An Arsonist's Guide To Writers Homes In New England. It was good. I wasn't thrilled with the ending though. You know how no matter how much you dislike a protagonist, you still have to root for him/her? Well this is one of those books that really pushes your likability limit. I kept wanting to grab the main character and shake him, screaming, "What's wrong with you? Why don't you just tell your wife the truth?"

Well ok then, so now what? The great War & Peace challenge doesn't start til February 1. Seeing that I can't wait that long to read another book, I started reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy last night. So far it's about a post-apocalyptic world. A boy and his father are walking down a road. Woo Hoo. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2007. After reading the first 50 pages, I can't for the life of me see why. I'm hoping it gets better. I think I heard somewhere that there are cannibals in it.

Shrug. I'll have to get back to you.

Word.

Say it isn't so.

In the saddest news since Barbie left Ken, today it was announced that one of comic books' most beloved couples, Peter Parker and Mary Jane are breaking up.

No!

I wonder what went wrong in the relationship. Did Spidey leave his webs all over the house? Was MJ just not as exciting as she used to be?

It's so sad when fictional characters break up. (And no, that's not sarcasm.) Even though they aren't real, people are invested in these relationships, and it's kind of sort of, well, heartbreaking. When people are little, they imagine what their significant other will be like, and often hope the story will be like one of their favorite literary romances. Or maybe that's just me? Well anyway ...

There are so many great couples in literature and comics. Superman and Lois Lane. There's everyone's classic choice, Romeo and Juliet. (Although I do hope you take the romance figuratively, in the sense that they do everything in their power to be together and that love is the only thing that matters. The whole "both people end up dead and everything ends in tragedy" thing is a little much for a real-life romance.) There's Scarlett and Rhett from Gone With the Wind. Oh, and Jennifer Cavalleri and Oliver Barrett IV from Love Story. (Although that romance ends in tragedy as well.) The list goes on and on.

My favorite literary couple is Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones's Diary. (Actually, they're just a modern version of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, which is also a super-romantic couple.) And no, I don't just love them because Colin Firth plays Mark in the movie and he's completely gorgeous. (Although that doesn't hurt.) It's just that Mark comes to her rescue and is always there for her and you just know that he really loves her ... swoon.

Anyway, what are some of your favorite literary couples, and why do you like them? What do you think of the breakup of Peter Parker and Mary Jane? And are you just as upset as I am that a fictional couple just broke up? I really thought those crazy kids could make it work. Well, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to eat a pint of ice cream and blast some Alanis Morissette ...

"Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing."
  - Salvador Dali

What do you think this quote means in terms of writing? Do you agree with it? Click comments below and let us know.

Then, time travel to late February and read the Leap Year issue of READ magazine.

See you there...

We all know plagiarism is bad. And since this is a reading and writing blog, plagiarism probably ranks up there with murder in terms of evilness. OK, maybe not murder. But it is bad. And according to some, Jessica Seinfeld, wife of Jerry, allegedly plagiarized her cookbook Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food. And she's being compared to assassins.

Allegedly (We must be sure not to assign blame until it is proven one way or the other. After all, I certainly cannot afford to get sued. Especially by someone with pockets as deep as Seinfeld.), the book was eerily similar to The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine.

Did she do it? I don't know. Both cookbooks involve finding ways to get kids to eat healthy. Both came out around the same time. Both have really, really, really long names. (I mean seriously, the cookbook names sound like the titles of emo songs or something. Come on Fall Out Boy, "Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows)" is too long for the name of a song! But I digress.) But is it plagiarism?

Maybe it's just a coincidence. The world is fraught with similar products. Look at Coke and Pepsi. Or ... other things that are similar, which I can't seem to think of right now. But there are plenty.

If Mrs. Seinfeld did in fact plagiarize the idea, she should be punished, and not just because she's rich and I'm jealous. (Although I am.) Plagiarism is bad. We've established this already. I don't know if I would say it's as bad as being an assassin. Well a literal assassin anyway. Wait a minute. If you're a plagiarist, aren't you technically a literal assassin, because you're killing something literary? OK, that's a stretch, I know, but I totally just blew my mind with that.

Well anyway, has anyone actually seen these two cookbooks? Are they that similar? Would you eat your vegetables if they were hidden in something delicious? I would probably end up picking them out and hiding them in the couch cushions or something, but that's just me. Anyway, don't plagiarize, kids!

In the January 4th issue of READ, we presented a Charles Dickens classic called The Child's Story. The ending was a little difficult and we asked you to tell us what you thought of it. The following is an interpretation by student READer Maggie Smith.

In Charles Dickens's short piece titled The Child's Story, a lone traveler walks along a road and interacts with characters that represent stages in his life. Each of these characters call to the walking man, and invite him to join them in whatever activity or occurrence sets apart that particular age, such as learning as a child or teenager, or being in love like a young adult. At the end of the short story, the narrator speaks directly to the traveler as a grandchild to his grandfather. This surprising point of view makes the piece take on new meaning.

For example, the clever narrative explains the grandchild's understanding of the grandfather's life, and how he or she knows that their grandfather loves to remember and to enjoy simply being with his family, and they love him back. When I read this passage, I envision a grandchild telling the story to his beloved grandfather as their happy relatives look on. The line "because this is what you do to us, and what we do to you" explains the close relationship this family has.

Also, the grandchild narrator mentions several events that explain the grandfather's life. The mention of the young man falling in love just as "somebody I won't mention did with Fanny" is clearly the child hinting shyly at his grandfather's wife, presumably named Fanny. In addition, all of the children of the middle-aged "always busy" gentleman leave to go to sea, India, abroad to seek riches, and Heaven. These specific examples are probably the grandchild's way of mentioning his aunts and uncles.

Lastly, the narration in Charles Dickens's story sheds light on how young children view life in simple stages that seem vastly far away. The grandchild uses simple language and foreshadowing, while never exactly stating what is going on. The reader must deduce the meaning of each character and event by themselves. Also, the child's mention of the journey as "magic, and very long when he began it, and very short when he got half way through" emphasizes the simple, sparse viewpoint of the child.

In conclusion, this revealing and surprising narration in The Child's Story is bright, beautifully simple, and uses small clues to illustrate both the child's and the grandfather's lives. Charles Dickens used this to his advantage, and this story still rings true even today.

If you haven't yet read Dickens's story, you can find it on page 14 of the January 4th issue of READ... or here.

In the January 4th issue of READ, we presented a Charles Dickens classic called The Child's Story. The ending was a little difficult and we asked you to tell us what you thought of it. Here are just a few of your responses.

Jack Spahr
The last line of the story titled The Child's Story was: And I think the traveler must be yourself, dear Grandfather, because this is what you do to us, and what we do to you. The traveler was one who went on his way along the path seeing as a young boy grew from a boy to a grandfather. I suppose that the traveler would be the grandfather as he travels through life. As he travels he follows a path almost like a time line until he comes to the end. Unfortunately I did not understand the "because this is what you do to us, and what we do to you" part of the final sentence. Perhaps it has some meaning relating to what he and the child did as they both went through the path. As he walked and met the boy time and time again they did many things together. I'm not too sure about what it does mean although the sentence does hold some significant meaning.

Abby Johnston
The Child's Story seems like it was written by someone older than a child. This story seems like some kind of life story wound into something interesting to keep a child amused. The last line surprised me, but after I thought about it, it made more sense. These children were either dying or going far off to somewhere, just like a grandfather would, yet the parents weren't terribly sad, they knew it would happen and they accepted it. I think this story helps the grandfather accept dying.

Chris Covert
The last line in The Child's Story was very well-written by Charles Dickens. It was easily comprehended and sent a large message. It was very powerful. It did not surprise me because that title stated that it was a story from a child. I understood it. The last line states that the boy thinks his grandpa is the travelling man because he watches people change as they grow up until they leave and all he can do is remember them, as the boy can watch his granpa get older and pass away, leaving the boy to remember him.

Connor Fitzgerald
It did not surprise me much to know that the speaker was talking to the grandfather. The last sentence told that the speaker was speaking to the grandfather, and as the story progressed from the beginning I began to know that. Thankfully the story was easy enough to understand, and I began to figure out its deeper meaning once I was finished. I already explained what its basic tale was. The traveler goes on his travels and meets along the way multiple people. He's simply meeting the same person after an amount of time and doing things with him. All in all it was a fine story though with a good deal of meaning to it.

The last line of the sstory did surprise me a little because it sounds like one of those stories that tells you a lesson, and usually someone older tells you something like that. I think that I understand some parts of it. One part I believe I understand is throughout the story it is telling you what is important to people at each age. For example, it was important for the child to play, and for the young boy to learn, and so on. The child could be telling the story of how they thought their grandfather watched them grow up, and watched them go through those phases in life. Plus, he won't be able to find them becouse they grew up, and are "gone" forever. Only when he wants to remember them, is when he can see everyone again. I hope that explanation made sense, because it did to me. :)

Later today... come back to WORD to read Maggie Sullivan's extremely thought out and insightful explanation of Charles Dickens's The Child's Story...

In the meantime, if you haven't yet read Dickens's story, you can find it on page 14 of the January 4th issue of READ... or here.

That's weird that you mentioned that story yesterday, Jessica. Well, not too weird because it's news. But let me tell you why it's at least a little strange...

I just started reading this book called An Arsonists's Guide To Writers' Homes in New England. Now before anyone gets worried about my mental health, let me say that it is a work of fiction by Brock Clarke (author of Ordinary White Boy). So far, it's quite good. It's about this dude who burned down the Emily Dickinson house in Amherst, killed two people (accidentally? I don't know yet), went to jail for ten years, got out, married, and had a couple kids before the "real trouble started". That's where I am now. Chapter Two. It only seems like a lot of stuff was packed into Chapter One because it was. That's all. But it worked. I like Clarke's voice. He seems to have biting shades of Chuck Palahniuk (arthor of Fight Club, Haunted, and more).

So the weirdness was that you wrote about true-to-life deviant vandals at Frost's house while I was reading about an imaginary dude burning down Dickinson's.

Fire and ice. Heh. Word.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-from "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Well, apparently Mr. Frost wasn't the only one who took a road less traveled.

According to a story on CNN, teens broke into the poet's house. (Don't worry, he wasn't harmed. He wasn't even there, because, well, he's been dead since 1963.) The vandals had a crazy house party, and they destroyed everything in the historic landmark.

How could they do that? Don't they have any respect for the four-time Pulitzer Prize winner? I know I do. I don't care much for poetry. (With the exception of Shel Silverstein, because he's awesome. I mean, seriously. I dare you to read The Giving Tree without shedding a tear. Go on, I can wait.) But even I quote from "The Road Not Taken." It's such a meaningful, thought-provoking, insightful ... excuse me, I'm getting a little ver clempt. (That means "choked up," bubbala.)

I'm sure if you haven't heard of "The Road Not Taken," you've read--and quoted, maybe without even realizing--other poems by Frost. How about "Nothing Gold Can Stay"? You totally have. And if not, tell your teachers you should be reading some Frost. At best you'll get some brownie points for wanting to learn more about poetry and a great American poet, and you'll enrich your brain. At worst ... well, no. There's no "at worst."

But back to the matter at hand, how could those vandals do such a thing? Maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they didn't know it was Frost's house. But still ... I say it's unforgivable!

And when the vandals get caught--which they will--it will be, ahem, poetic justice.

The following blog entry was written by Meredith Matthews, the editor of Current Health magazine.

Spend Your Holidays in Persepolis
Not Persepolis the place--an ancient city from the Persian Empire. I'm talking about Persepolis the movie, based on the graphic novels of the same name (it opens on December 25). The book's author, Marjane Satrapi, co-directed the film adaptation.

 

I was lucky enough to see an advance screening, along with a WORD alumnus, Sandhya. I hope I can put into words how terrific an experience it was!

You should know that I am a huge Persepolis fan. I've given the books to friends for birthdays and giddily got Satrapi’s autograph when she spoke at a local university last year. (Her French accent is so lovely!) I even own a copy of her picture book, Monsters Are Afraid of the Moon. (It's not as visceral or funny as the Persepolis books, but Satrapi's illustrations are just as pleasing.)

So I was worried about the big-screen version being a disappointment. I should have known better, though. As the co-director, Satrapi kept careful control; after all, Persepolis is her memoir, so naturally she'd want to make sure the film reflected her true self. In press notes handed out at the screening, she says that she received all kinds of pitches from Hollywood about adapting the book--including "a Beverly Hills, 90210–type TV show and a movie featuring Jennifer Lopez as my mother and Brad Pitt as my father." Yikes!

 

There was nothing I didn't like in the film that actually got made--well, OK, Sandhya and I agreed it ran a little long, but that's to be expected. After all, Persepolis follows Satrapi from age 9 to age 24, during which she lived through a political revolution, an eight-year-long war, and journeyed from Iran to Austria and back before finally emigrating to France. Also, like the book, the first portion spends a good deal of time explaining Iran's recent political history and how it affected Satrapi's family. (I thought the movie did a good job of making this information understandable; when I first picked up the book, it took me a few re-reads to get everything clear.)

 

From the opening title sequence, with its gently cascading flowers and stars, the film was a truly wonderful visual experience. It is animated but not cartoony because the animation was done the old-fashioned way, not using computer-generated images like, say, the upcoming Alvin and the Chipmunks. Everything is in black-and-white, just like the books, except the present-day scenes. The graphics, which in the book are powerful for their simplicity, become even more dynamic when motion is added to them! (The war sequences and "Eye of the Tiger" scene in particular bring the story to life.)

One thing I didn't expect when I stepped into the screening room was just how much the addition of sound would bring to the narrative. When bombs crashed or punk bands blared, I felt the story in a way that I wasn't able to when I just held a two-dimensional image in my hands. And it was interesting to actually hear the characters speak. Granted, they spoke French, which I don't (thank goodness for subtitles). But since French is the language Satrapi's been fluent in ever since she studied at the Lycée Français in Tehran as a girl, it felt authentic to her experience. (An English-language version is apparently in the works, but I actually enjoyed seeing it in French.)

I was pleased that the movie didn't stray very far from the books. A few threads were condensed just for timing, I assume; for example, when a young Satrapi sees the aftermath of a bombing, she is horrified (and the audience along with her). But the film leaves out some backstory, so viewers don't realize that one of Satrapi's friends is among the victims. The cuts--like details about her ever-changing living arrangements in Vienna, or about her art-school project--didn't affect the story much at all, and I didn't really miss them.

Sandhya and I stayed through the closing credits and left the theater elated and inspired. I actually am hoping to see the movie again, it was so much fun, and well worth the price of a ticket. If you've never read the Persepolis books, you’ll want to after seeing this eye-opening and entertaining film. And if, like me, you're a Satrapi devotee, I think you will be very happy with the way her story comes across on the silver screen.

If you go to see Persepolis, check back in with WORD and let us know what you think. And have you read any of the other books that are being turned into movies? (The Golden Compass? I Am Legend? The Mist? The Water Horse?) How well do you think these stories survived the translation to film?

Editor's Note: Look for an excerpt of Persepolis in READ magazine this March!

I went to see Beowulf in IMAX a couple weeks ago. It was ... well, it was big, that's for sure. This Hollywood blockbuster is very true to the original story all the way up to the part where it completely veers. It's like, pretend you're driving down a highway behind a tractor trailer and you're thinking to yourself, "That tractor trailer is doing exactly everything it should. The driver of that big rig is very good at what he does." And then all of a sudden, the tractor trailer plunges headfirst into a volcano. "That's odd," you think, "I don't remember there being a volcano here."

Yeah well, that's Hollywood for ya.

Beowulf is the classic tale of a hero, the likes of which the world has never seen. This guy is sheer muscle and brawn. When the gods look down on him, they think, "Why can't I be more like Beowulf?" That's not in the story, I'm just saying. Beowulf is pretty much the toughest dude you'll ever meet.

One day, this monster named Grendel goes and kills and eats a whole bunch of Danish King Hrothgar's men in the great hall of Heorot. These scenes are violent and bloody and, let's face it, pretty cool. Grendel is a terror that, it seems, no man or army of men can defeat. Heh. Not so fast...

Enter Beowulf, a hero from Geatland. He brings a small army with him over the seas to come and fight the beast. Beowulf is pretty much pride incarnate. If anyone was every a glory hound, Beowulf is it. He wants all the glory of all the world. And, it's no lie to say, he's also very full of himself. That's ok though, he has the resume to prove it. All his life, Beowulf has been killing monsters. Grendel, he assumes, will just be one more notch on his belt.

When he fights Grendel, Beowulf chooses to do so without weapons or armor. In fact, um, he, ehhh, kind of fights the monster wearing nothing but his birthday suit. Yikes.

Anywho, Grendel is just the beginning. After Bewoulf and Grendel have their massive fight, Beowulf has to go and meet, um, Angelina Jolie.

Yeah. Angelina Jolie plays Grendel's mother. And this is where the movie takes a turn for the bizarre. If you're looking for literary accuracy, walk out of the theater now because the film is about to drive itself right into a volcano.

It's cool though. It's entertaining. It's animation. It's Beowulf... kinda.

All told, I enjoyed the movie a lot. It was packed with plenty of action and gore and heaven knows I love me a good literary adaptation. Even if it is a little off the mark at times.

I highly recommend you see this movie in IMAX. Don't wait for the DVD to come out. The IMAX experience is killer. And you'll be missing out on some beautiful scenes if you do wait. IMAX has a way of taking you over. There's one scene in particular, where a hawk snatches up a rodent and flies off away from Heorot. The flight goes on for a few minutes and you start to feel as if you are the rodent trapped in it's claws. Neat-o.

If you have yet to read the original Beowulf, we have a three part Reader's Theater adaption of it here. Knock yourself out. It's really quite good. One of our freelance writers, Wim Coleman, did a fantastic job adapting it.

Oh, and just for a taste of what to expect at the movie, here is a preview. Enjoy.

I just got my 2008 calendar, which made me realize that 2007 is almost over. There are only ... (wait, give me a minute, math isn't my strong suit) 12 days left! And I haven't even started thinking of my resolutions yet!

Well, I know it's a little early, but the early bird catches the worm (or something slightly less cliche). So, just now I thought of my top ten literary resolutions for the next year.

1. Read more books. Good books--not just trashy magazines. Why find out more about Britney, Paris, and Lindsay when I could be catching up on Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Speaking of which ...
2. Read a Harry Potter book. Any Harry Potter book. Bad WORD blogger! I know, I know, how could I not have read Harry Potter yet? Well, stop yelling at me. I've been ... busy with ... stuff. OK, there's really no exuse.
3. Buy and actually read the new Gone With the Wind spin off. I know I shouldn't judge it until I read it, even though I know it's not going to be as good as the original.
4. Write a television pilot. Well, as of now the writers are still on strike. I want my TV!
5. Lose 5 pounds. It's not exactly a literary resolution. OK, it's not a literary resolution at all. But still ...
6. Start keeping a dream journal. Dreams can sometimes be great story starters, but who can remember them after awhile? Plus I'd like written proof of every time Justin Timberlake asks me to marry him.
7. Reread some of my favorite books that I haven't read in years. Maybe I'll get some new insights. And maybe this time when I read The Shining by Stephen King, I'll be able to go to the bathroom without checking to make sure there isn't a dead woman in the bathtub ... if you don't know what I mean, you should read the book yourself. And if you have read the book and aren't afraid of the bathtub corpse lady ... well, you are far braver than I.
8. Read the book first before I see the movie. Because the book is always better anyway.
9. Write more by hand. It's so much more satisfying than typing on a computer. Plus, as a lefty, I don't get that nice smudge across what I've just written when I'm typing.
10. Write the Great American Novel. A girl can dream, can't she?

OK, so those are my early resolutions. Hopefully, as it gets closer to New Year's eve, I can think of a couple more, because you can never have too many goals when it comes to reading and writing.

So (OK, you know what's coming ...) what are some of your literary goals for the new year?

Fantasy aficionados, rejoice! Because those of you who have felt a void in your hearts after all the Lord of the Rings movies and Harry Potter books were done with, your prayers have been answered. Peter Jackson, the director of all three Lord of the Rings, has just signed on to produce The Hobbit.

In case you don't know (and maybe you shouldn't call yourself a fantasy fan if you don't), The Hobbit is a book by J. R. R. Tolkien, who wrote The Lord of the Rings.

So, are you excited about a return to Middle Earth? Do you think this movie is going to be awesome? And if you read The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings books, can you fill me in on what happens? Sadly, I've never read any of them. I did sit through the first Lord of the Rings movie, but I must admit, it was under much duress. I'm not a huge fanasy fan (although I did enjoy the Orlando Bloom aspect of the movie). OK, well then, let's get some comments that we all [read: I] can understand. Who would you cast in this movie?

Well, we asked you before what you would pay to get your hands on J.K. Rowling's new book The Tales of Beedle the Bard. And no, you wouldn't be able to wait for this book to go into the bookstore bargain bins [side note--yay for alliteration!] and you wouldn't be able to get it for free at the library. There were only seven copies of this book that were published. What would you pay? $19.95? A hundred? A million?

How about $4 million?

Yup, that's right. That's how much the book was auctioned off for. Wow, too steep for my blood. (Unless my boss wants to give me a raise. Crickets. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? No? Didn't think so.)

The money raised at the auction goes to The Children's Voice, which is a charity set up by Rowling. I guess that softens the blow, well a bit anyway. It still would have been cool to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard--and to have a spare $4 million lying around. Ah well.

So now that you don't have to worry about saving up for the book, what are you going to spend your hard-earned cash on? (OK, don't tell me you're going to buy Guitar Hero 3, even though that game does sound awesome. What books are you going to spend your hard-earned cash on?)

As I suspect none of you are as into the chick lit genre as I am, how about Artemis Fowl? A bunch of you who have posted comments on WORD reccomended it, and I trust you guys. I've never read the series myself, but a quick Wikipedia search says that it's a fantasy series with a style similar to Rowling's. So there you go.

So, what's on your book wish list? Should I check out Artemis Fowl? And are you still bitter about not being able to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard? I know I am. The only thing that would make me feel better is a brand new book. Or Guitar Hero 3. No, no. A new book is better. Definitely the book.

The following blog entry was written by Sarah Chassé, a copy editor of READ, Writing, and a whole bunch of other Weekly Reader magazines.

Quick--think of the last five movies you've seen. Were any of them based on a book? It seems like every hit novel gets made into a film these days. Need I mention the Harry Potter movies? The Chronicles of Narnia series? Bridge to Terabithia? Charlotte's Web? Even epic poems like Beowulf are getting the Hollywood treatment. Are the people who make movies running out of ideas or what?

But don't get me wrong; I love seeing my favorite books come to life on the big screen. So this past weekend I saw The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman and talented young newcomer Dakota Blue Richards. The fantasy flick is based on the first book of a trilogy by British writer Philip Pullman.

If you've read the Harry Potter books, you'll recognize a few familiar themes in the pages of The Golden Compass. The main character, a young girl named Lyra, is an orphan destined for great things. Like, oh, helping to save the universe. And like Harry, she lives in a world full of adventure, danger, and magic.

In Lyra's reality, every person's soul lives outside his or her body in the form of an animal-shaped daemon (pronounced like demon). I know. You're thinking, "Huh!?" But I swear, it starts to seem normal after you've been reading for a while. Lyra and her shape-shifting daemon, Pan, battle the sinister Mrs. Coulter, who is part of a government plot to kidnap children to the Arctic and conduct terrible experiments on them. Along the way, Lyra is helped by wise witches, warrior polar bears, and a mysterious golden compass given to her by her uncle.

And that little summary is just the half of it. Or maybe just the quarter of it? I can't possibly fit all of the action and intrigue from the book into this blog entry. And you know what? It didn't quite fit into a two-hour movie, either. Important plot points felt rushed and confusing in the film. But then again, two ferocious, talking polar bears fighting to the death was more exciting with swelling music and deafening snarls than it was on the page. The movie was worth my $10, but the first thing I said when the lights came up was something you've probably heard before: "The book was better!"

Why do you think books are often better than movies? What books would you love to see made into a film? What books would you hate to see made into a film? Have you ever liked a movie better than the book it was based on? Am I asking too many questions? OK, just one more: What literary smash do you think will be the next Hollywood blockbuster?

We at WORD love words. (After all, that's what we named ourselves after. It wasn't one of those ironic names, like the bald "Curly" from the Three Stooges.) So we get a little excited when dictionaries pick their "word of the year." Last year, Merriam-Webster picked "truthiness" from The Colbert Report. It's a great word, made even greater because it was made up by one man, and it spread and entered the lexicon; it wasn't from some stodgy, well, dictionary.

Well, it was all a lie! OK, maybe that's a little dramatic. But apparently dictionaries pick their words of the year to garner publicity! Can you believe it? Here I am, thinking that a word has gained enough attention to be officially recognized, and it's all a stunt to sell more dictionaries! I am appalled I tell you, appalled!

Let's do it up right! I know you all love words as much as I do. And since we have no hidden agenda, we should nominate our own words of the year. (I would never try to trick you guys. And I think the words of the year should be, ahem, "weekly" and "reader" because they are great words. Joking, of course.)

So what is your word of the year? Here are some of my favorites:

-chartreuse (because it is a cool color, and hey, it just sounds awesome)
-ostentatious (because who doesn't love showing off, just a little bit)
-Jessica (because I'm a bit of an egomaniac, which is also a cool word)

I know you all have favorite words. Send them in, and let me know why! (Unless you are shilling for the dictionary company!)

I'll admit it: I'm not a huge comic book fan. I just never got into going to a comic store and digging through the racks. I wouldn't even know where to begin! It's a shame, because comic books and graphic novels and the like are a great medium. They're probably one of the more influential types of stories today. However, most of my knowledge of comic book characters come from the movies. And, while I was Batgirl for Halloween this year, it was more because they had the costume in my size than because of any love for the character. In fact, I didn't even know her secret identity! (A collegue just informed me that Batgirl's idenity is Barbara Gordon, Commissionor Gordon's daughter. You learn something new every day!)

But now Marvel Comics are putting their issues online. For a fee, you can read all about the adventures of the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, and all of the other loveable mutants and heroes. This is pretty cool, at least in my opinion. I mean, I would never be able to track down issue number 4 where Spidey's suit is the wrong color (totally made that up, by the way, I have no idea what color Spiderman's suit is in issue 4), but if it's online, maybe I would look it up. I like when things are easy and accessible. And then I can read up on all the crazy backstories that are probably awesome. Plus, it would give me something else to do at work ... clearly, for research purposes only, of course.

So, how do you like your comic books? Would you read them online, or is part of the joy getting the ink stains all over your skin/putting Silly Putty on the frames to pull up the image? (Do people even still do that anymore? Wow, suddenly I feel old.) What comic books have you read lately? Who's your favorite superhero and why? And who do you think is superior, Batman or Superman? My vote is for Superman. Without his utility belt, Batman would be nothing.

Well, those TV writers are still on strike ... but they're talking again! They're hoping for a pay increase, and they might actually get it. That's excellent, because I know I for one am going crazy without new programs. And if the strike goes on for a lot longer, it might even affect movies. I don't like the sound of that one bit. No TV and no movies makes Jessica a dull girl. (Oh, for all you out there who aren't movie nerds like I am, that was a reference from The Shining, which is an old movie--and an awesome book, by the way--so at least you can rent it if the strike goes on.)

I'm certainly glad that the writers might be back to work soon. But there is one thing that's been nagging me about the strike. (OK, one other thing besides the leaving us without new TV episodes.) These people are writers. And, while I'm sure we all have different opinions of the quality of TV shows, these are good writers, more or less. So what's with all the boring signs? "Writer's Guild of America on Strike!" Yeah, that's creative.

Come on, WORDians. If you were a Hollywood writer who was on strike (and if you were a Hollywood writer, you certainly would be on strike. We don't like scabs. Solidarity, brother!), what would your sign say?

Here's mine:

Writing? It's in the Scripture!

Uggh, I guess it's harder than it looks. But I bet you guys can do better! What would be on your signs?

Oh, and on a completely different note--tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. For all of you celebrating, eat some latkas for me! (I don't think I've ever used my kitchen, so I must enjoy the latkas vicariously.)

 

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Boys and girls!

Children of all ages!

READ Magazine is proud to present...

THE ONE...

THE ONLY...

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!!!

(See this is where you applaud madly and scream with glee.)

Click here for Willie's goodness.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

Please, remain calm.

Mr. Shakespeare has been delayed.

He will be here on Monday. Well not HERE... but here.

Please do not panic.

The time is near.

He is coming...

Recently, we got a hold of Joyce Carol Oates and asked her one question. We could have asked her more but, for some reason, we only asked her one. Hmm... that was probably pretty stupid of us. OK, well, we'll have to find her again sometime soon. But for now, we only have the one thing.

Ms. Oates, as you may know, is the author of such books as Freaky Green Eyes, Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, and most recently, The Gravedigger's Daughter. We asked her what her favorite Shakespeare play is. Shakespeare, as you may know, was a playwright who wrote such works as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Die Hard 4: Die Hard With Avengeance. Well, the first two anyway.

Ms. Oates responded thusly: 

My favorite of Shakespeare's tragedies is King Lear, which I have read and re-read numerous times. It is a great, demanding, profoundly moving work, with fairy-tale origins; its vision of evil, and of the power of "good" to transform evil, is searing.

Searing? Yes. Powerful? Yes. Hungry? No thanks, I had a nice lunch before.

Why are we talking about William Shakespeare? I dunno. I think the better question is: Why aren't you talking about William Shakespeare?

Think about it!

Then come back and check with us here on Friday. We've got something for you.

Ooh! Presents! Yayyyyyy!!!!!!!

Tis the season...
WORD

Did I blog about this before? I feel like I blogged about this before? Hmm... anyway, I have decided that I'm not reading enough. Awful right? The editor of READ magazine isn't reading enough. So I'm implementing a new literary diet into my daily routine. If you haven't guessed what it is yet, then you aren't one who reads subject lines are you?

25 pages a day

It doesn't seem so hard, right? I think the last time I blogged this idea I said I was going to attempt to read 50 pages a day. Well, that was probably well over a year ago and if I remember correctly, it only lasted for about a month. Let me tell you though, that was a wicked cool month.

Reading regularly is easy once you get into it. Set your own goals and try it yourself. Read 10 pages every night before you go to sleep. Or read 5 pages in the morning while you're eating breakfast. Whatever you want. Or... you could just read. There doesn't have to be any strict rule about it. Maybe this whole idea turns you off. That's fine, too. I suppose it could seem like a project to force yourself to read a certain amount every day. And the last thing you need is yet another project. Am I right?

Well anyway, this is about as informal a bloggy entry as you'll ever see here. Things have been crazy hectic lately and it's all we can do just to keep our heads above water. I hope you are enjoying your READ magazines. Are you? Hope so. I really do.

Stick around here for a couple days. We've got a huge hit coming your way on Friday. Want a hint? Check out the back cover of READ Issue 7. That's the Native American issue. Do you see that guy there wearing the crown? Yeah, he's pretty cool. Trust me.

OK. Read.

WORD

Before you stuff yourself with turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce ... oh, sorry there, I was busy wiping away my drool ... anyway, you should check out the new movie Enchanted.

I was a little leery before I saw it. I mean, an animated Disney movie, with the characters coming out into the real world? But I was utterly, well, enchanted by it. (Sorry, it had to be said at least once. It's out of my system now, don't worry.) A cartoon princess, Giselle (Amy Adams), falls in love with her prince, but the wicked stepmother (Susan Sarandon) doesn't want Giselle usurping the throne. So the wicked stepmother sends Giselle into the real world. Uggh, and who wants to be in the real world? Certainly not me.

Once she lands on the mean streets of New York, the lost, confused, and adorably-naive Giselle meets Robert (Patrick Dempsey), an equally adorable single father. Robert is convinced Giselle is nuts, but helps her anyway.

But wait, of course there's more. Giselle's prince is off to the real world to save her. The queen sends a henchman with a poisoned apple to do away with her. There's a musical number in Central Park, thousands of critters cleaning house (ew, by the way), a dragon ...

Adams's Giselle is wide-eyed and innocent. But just wait until she discovers anger--and real love--for the first time. It's a star-defining role. If you didn't know who this actress was before (I'll admit, I had to do an IMDB search myself), you will after this movie.

The movie is charming and touching. Hilarious, heartwarming, suspenseful. I almost felt myself crying at some points, but then I got mad at myself because it's a Disney movie and I'm an adult. But still ... Oh, and watch out for references to other famous Disney movies.

Basically, Enchanted is everything you'd expect a Disney movie to be, yet it some how defies all the stereotypes and cliches. Plus Mr. Dempsey isn't too hard on the eyes. I'm just saying.

Anyway, no matter what you do, have a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy spending time with your families, eat some good food, and try avoiding the crowds at the malls. Oh, and if you get bored, why don't you write us about some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions, or what you plan to do with all of your spare time, or what books you want to read next. (Hey, this is a literary blog, I had to throw it in!)

What could be better than running a toy store? How about running a magical one? Yeah, awesome! In the new movie, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a 243-year-old toy store owner (Dustin Hoffman) is leaving his business to shy, insecure Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman). Will she be able to overcome her self-doubt and run the store, or will the stuffy accountant (Jason Bateman) spoil all the fun?

No, really, will she be able to? I don't know. I haven't seen it yet. (What's the point of being a writer if you don't get free press passes for advance screenings of movies? Sigh.) So I'll be right there with you experiencing this movie. If you see it over the weekend, drop a comment, and we can compare notes!

Oh, and I know you all want to help others. The good folks behind the movie are organizing a toy drive, and they're trying to set a world record for the most toys collected. So do some good, and help people out. Click here for more information.

And here's some more fun for you. Not only is Natalie Portman a beauty and a smartie--she went to an Ivy league school!--but she always picks cool roles for herself. Molly Mahoney should be no different. Read on for an exclusive interview with the actress.

Word: In the new movie, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, your character Molly Mahoney is a piano player. Do you play an instrument?
Natalie Portman: I learned the piano a bit for the movie and hope to continue (I've been lazy so far!). I really enjoyed it.

Word: The movie takes place in a magical toy store. What was your favorite toy when you were growing up?
Portman: I really liked making stuff out of clay and Plasticene. My mom and I would go to museums and then try and make stuff like what we saw. I also liked cutting my Barbies' hair and drawing on their faces.

Word: What was it like filming the movie?
Portman: It was really fun. We had kids and/or animals in every shot, so it was always unpredictable and exciting.

Word: How long did it take to film?
Portman: 3 months.

Word: Where did you get inspiration for your character?
Portman: My imagination.

Word: What was it like working with Dustin Hoffman?
Portman: He's hilarious. He always tries out new things and has great ideas for ways to make a scene more special.  He's very caring and acted so lovingly toward me that it was easy to find our onscreen closeness.

Word: How closely does the movie follow the book?
Portman: I haven't read the book.

Word: Did you do your own stunts?
Portman: I didn't really have any.

Word: What was the best part about filming?
Portman: Getting to dance on bubble wrap!

Word: How did you become an actor?
Portman: I really liked performing and begged my parents to let me audition, since we lived in New York. They finally gave in, and luckily I got some jobs.

Word: When your character finds herself in charge of the toy store, she has a lot of self doubt. Do you ever have self doubt? If so, how do you deal with it?
Portman: I have lots of self-doubt. I get over it by reminding myself that everyone, even the most amazing people I know, all have moments like that and that it will only prevent me from doing the things I hope to do.

Word: Who has been your favorite person to work with so far, and why? Who would you like to work with in the future?
Portman: I really liked working with Mike Nichols. He is so funny and smart and has lots of interesting stories and experiences to impart. I also loved working with everyone on Magorium--Zach Helm, the director, is super smart and easygoing. Dustin is always making you laugh and being really unique. Jason is hilarious and is also a great person. And little Zach [Mills] is so bright and curious and fun to be with.

Word: Do you like watching your own movies?
Portman: Not really. I get embarrassed and think how I could've been better.

Word: You've been in the new Star Wars movies, been a character on The Simpsons, and have even been nominated for an Oscar. How do you choose your roles?
Portman: I do what I think I might learn from, what will be a positive, interesting experience, and what people might enjoy watching!

Word: What is your all-time favorite movie, and why?
Portman: I love Days of Heaven. It's hard to explain why.

Word: If you couldn't be an actor, what would you want to do?
Portman: Maybe a farmer? or a doctor? or an astronaut? or a mom? I don't know!

Word: What was your favorite subject in school, and why did you like it?
Portman: I liked English a lot because I love stories--so reading fiction for homework is actually fun. I also loved math--it was so exciting to think about things like infinity.

Word: If you could only one book, listen to one CD, and eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would you choose and why?
Portman: Probably The Bible, because it's a big book with lots of good stories that could keep me busy for a lifetime.  I like Bach's The Goldberg Variations by Glenn Gould--it's very relaxing and beautiful and I don't think I'd get sick of it.  And maybe eat salad because I don't really get sick of that either--and it is very nutritious! (Also maybe Carvel ice cream cake.)

Word: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Portman: Travel and read. Scuba dive and hang out with friends.

Word: What advice can you give to teens who would like to become actors?
Portman: Stay curious--try and be sensitive to how people feel around you and think about what other lives are like.

OK, now it's your turn to leave me some love. If you had a magic toy, what would it do? Are you excited for this movie? Are you going to get popcorn or Junior MInts? (I can't decide ...)

Last year, READ adapted L.M. Montgomery's classic novel Anne of Green Gables into a Reader's Theater play (if you would like a copy, email us at read@weeklyreader.com).

For some reason, the story has been on my mind lately. So I decided to rent the movie. I just got finished watching it. Hey, I never said I was cool. Anyway, enjoy this fun video some other way un-cool person made on youtube. Then go to the library and get yourself a copy of the book.

P.S. The Cure rulz too.

Look. We get it. You're an amazing writer. You've inspired billions of children to become interested in reading. You've given us a literary icon for the ages. But come on, J. K. Rowling, isn't it enough already?

Apparently not.

The Harry Potter author is back and writing. This time, it's a collection of fairy stories called "The Tales of Beetle the Bard." But here's the kicker: only seven copies will be published.

That's right. Seven. Do you know how many copies of the different Harry Potter books were sold? I don't know either, but it was was more than seven. Like seven plus multiple millions. So it's likely that you won't get to read it.

One copy of the work is going to be auctioned off, and the others are going to be given as gifts.

Now that's just greedy.

J. K. Rowling, if you insist on writing instead of relaxing (I envision her diving into her millions of dollars ala Scrooge McDuck), at least have the decency to share your work with the rest of us. Now you're just showing off! Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Is anyone out there interested in reading the new work from Rowling? And what would you pay to get your hands on "The Tales of Beetle the Bard"?

I'm sure you've heard the terrible, terrible news by now. Yes, that's right. TV writers are on strike. That means no new shows. No new jokes on the late night talk shows. And worst of all, if the strike continues, more reality shows. Nooooooooo!

The TV writers are on strike because they don't think they are being paid fairly. (I mean, really though, who does?) What with the Internet broadcasting shows and people posting shows, the poor writers feel they are not getting their fair share of the pay.

I feel for them. I do. And, although I do not write for TV, I sort of feel like a scab for posting a blog right now. Maybe I should go on strike as well. (And no, it's not just because I want a three-day weekend. OK, maybe it is.) Writers should be fairly paid for what they do.

Now, we're all reasonable people here. There must be a way to solve this strike so everyone winds up happy. And I'm sure they'll come to a happy compromise sometime in the near future. But until then, where does this strike leave us, the viewing public? After all, we can't survive on reruns and reality shows alone. What will we do without original programming?

Well, I guess we could always read a book ...

I'd like to report a crime.

Not a murder or anything. No, no. Nothing like that. But a crime against decency.

Have you read Gone With the Wind? If you haven't, you should. It is only the greatest book ever! No lie. The. Greatest. Book. Ever. It's about a million pages long, but it's got romance and drama and passion. The story of a ... OK, I don't even want to spoil it for you if you haven't read it. You just have to read it. It's that good. Even if you haven't read it, or seen the amazing movie, I'm sure you can quote from it. Ever said, "As God as my witness, I'll never be hungry again"? You have, don't deny it. 

In the 90's someone felt it was necessary to write a sequel, called Scarlett. This was not the greatest book ever. It probably wasn't even the greatest book of the week. Scarlett told what happened to Scarlett O'Hara after everything that happened in the first book.

Meh.

I mean, yeah, I read it because I loved GWTW. But it was completely unnecessary. It wasn't even by the same author, because, well, Margaret Mitchell, GWTW's author, was dead. For almost 50 years. But I digress.

So, after we thought we could all put this Scarlett mess behind us and just enjoy GWTW, they have to go and do it again. According to an article on CNN, Daniel McCaig, a former advertising copywriter turned Virginian sheep herder and supposed Civil War "expert" wrote another sequel (really prequel, actually, really none of those things, I don't know). This time it's from Rhett's point of view, and it's called, obviously, Rhett. Rhett Butler is Scarlett O'Hara's love ... never mind. Read GWTW if you don't know who Rhett Butler is.

I am not happy.

I'm sure it'll be decent. And I'm sure I'll read it. But why? Why? Why take away even more from GWTW?

Well, fiddle-dee-dee!

Are you excited for this book? Do you like reading stories from other characters' points of view?

Or are you like me, and when you heard of this you just thought, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a ..."

Well, it's the weekend. Are you going to see a new movie? Well, if you're like me, you're probably tired of all those seriously serious Oscar-bait movies out there right now. So what's an alternative? Try Dan in Real Life. Steve Carell, Dane Cook, what's not to like?

The movie is about a widowed father, Dan (Carell), with three daughters. During a family reunion, Dan meets the woman of his dreams at a book store. But when he gets to his parents' house, of course the woman is already there. And [cue the dramatic music] she's his brother's (Cook) girlfriend. Ooh, the plot thickens!

Now, this movie could have easily veered off into shtick. But if you were expecting something like Carell's break-out role (Ahh! Kelly Clarkson!), you will be disappointed. (By the way, that movie was rated R, so you should not have seen it anyway!) This is not a gross-out comedy. Dan in Real Life is surprisingly sweet, and it paints an earnest picture of family life.

Dan has flaws--besides for the whole falling for his brother's girlfriend thing, he's completely over-protective of his daughters--but he's human. (Or, maybe, he's human because he has flaws. Hmmm, did I just blow your mind?) We want him to get the girl, but we don't want him to hurt his brother. His family is our family, and we've all been there before. (Well, again, maybe not the falling for the brother's girlfriend part.)

The movie is not all hugs and bonding. There are pratfalls and crazy coincidences. There is Carell's trademark awkwardness (which he perfected on NBC's The Office). But behind it all, there is love.

So, go on now, see the movie. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll eat a lot of popcorn.

Oh, and you know I love all of you out there in the Word-osphere. So, yay, bonus for you all! Here is an interview with Dane Cook. Enjoy, and have a great weekend! (Oh, and go read a book or write something!)

Word: Were you always the class clown growing up?
Dane Cook: The exact opposite actually. I was the shy, introverted kid in class, I was an observer. I knew I wanted to perform; at home I was comfortable [performing]. I was kind of a wallflower. I was so afraid of speaking in front of class. In high school I joined drama and creative writing. Slowly but surely I found my voice.

Word: How do you come up with your material? Is it based on real-life situations?
Cook: It's a mix--personal experience, things I've heard from friends. I'm interested in one thing--getting laughs. For example, for one bit, half happened to friends and half happened to me and I built a bit.

Word: Do you ever feel pressured to be funny? Do people come up to you and say, "Hey, you're a comedian, say something funny"?
Cook: You do get that. There's a time when you're "on." But then I go back into a chameleon state of observing. Some people are one all the time, but I don't feel that's necessary. My favorite comedians are more reserved. Johnny Carson--I used to love staying up with family. I didn't understand all of it, I just loved him. Loved Johnny, his persona. You need to find out about yourself--what's likable. Find the tones so that you're relatable.

Word: Do you ever get stage fright? If so, how do you overcome it?
Cook: No, I never had stage fright. The first time I was on stage I felt so comfortable. It was a bit of a character, a performance. I felt at home, and I couldn't wait to paint a verbal picture.

Word: Now that you've been in some major movies, do you think you're going to keep doing movies, or are you going to do more comedy tours?
Cook: I would like to mix it up and do both. The thing about touring is you might not get everywhere your fans are. I can hit a lot more people and a lot more places with film. Coming from a shy, quiet background, [performing] makes me feel so fulfilled.

Word: Do you like to have your jokes prepared in advance, or are you better at winging it?
Cook: It's a mix. As a performer, you want to evolve constantly. You need to be prepared. Education, preparation, you can't beat it. Being adaptable is important, too. You have to live. You have to be flexible. It goes back to jokes. I just want to make you laugh.

Word: I read that you were one of the first celebrities to use MySpace to get your name out, and you also used your own money to create a Web site. Why did you decide to do this? Would you consider your efforts a success?
Cook: I found as a comedian there is a lot of down time. You don't have auditions every day, and I needed to find my fans. I was sitting in front of my computer, and thought "Is there a way to have a dynamic Web site as a comedian?" I'd go into these places [such as Myspace] and said "Check this out!" It wasn't a job. I thought, "Wow, this is easy." I can find the pulse of America. I need to get better and more versatile. I still think of it as one person at a time, and it's still as exciting and glamorous. I still update it, do my message boards. I'm very hands on. Now I don't have as much time, which is frustrating, I'll admit it. I try to do podcasts and use whatever technology I can to get to the masses.

Word: Is there any topic that you wouldn't make a joke out of? Why?
Cook: No. I can't sit here and say I wouldn't go near this or that. Even dark edgy stuff can be a pinprick for someone. What I mean is, people will say you made it OK to talk about something and comedy has a way of making you open up. But not every comic can get away with everything. There might be a way to talk about things.

Word: What kind of encouragement did you get growing up?
Cook: My mom was the biggest fan of mine. She said, "Anything you do you'll be the best at." She would be so encouraging, yet she would be honest. She knew I had the ability to perform. Every step of the way, she said go for it. "Embrace that which defines you," that's what my mom said to me. My dad's encouragement was more of a tough love. He said, "Are you going to talk about it or show me?" He was as encouraging as my mom, but tough. My parents got separated [when I was] in junior high school, so I know what it's like to have one parent. Life goes by pretty darn quick, so you have to work hard on yourself. I felt like a nobody when I was growing up. Work hard on you.

Word: Do you ever read reviews about yourself? If so, what goes through your mind when you get a bad review? What about a good review?
Cook: Look, sometimes, you hit anyone on the right day … But I don't partake in negativity. I'll allow myself to go into the far reaches of my mind. I try to stay pretty positive and not listen to negative people. Cynical people will try to knock you. You have to know how the world works. I got this bad review once and it was like a cannon was shot in my stomach, so I too know how it feels to get a bad review. Everyone's got an opinion. You can't let it go to your heart or your head, even though sometimes it will. You got to keep walking. Get up and take a walk. Sitting and letting things fester is the worst.

Word: What other jobs have you had?
Cook: I was a dietary aid in a nursing home, clerk in a video game store, worked a plow … [I did] anything I could to do stand up comedy every night.

Word: What do you like doing in your spare time?
Cook: I'm pretty low maintenance. [I like] going to the movies. I'm a big gamer. In another life I'd be a designer. I'm interested in graphics, and I'm kind of a geek. I do the opposite of entertainment [in my spare time]. [I'm in] a relaxed state. But I did what I do. I've loved what I've done for 17 years.

Word: What advice would you give students who want to become comedians?
Cook: I walk a fine line when we speak of advice. There are always things you can say. Being truthful with yourself, starting now. I tell people first and foremost to carve your own path. You can emulate people. Observe people that you care about, and take their advice. Don't think so much about what people tell you you have to do.

It's that time of year again! No, not when you should start getting your Halloween costume before all the good ones are sold out and you're stuck being the guy with the funny nose and mustache attached to your glasses ... again. (Although, yeah, you probably should start getting your Halloween costume before all the good ones are sold out.) It's Teen Read Week!

Every year, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA--like salsa, just not as yummy) urges teens to, well, read. This year, YALSA's theme is LOL @ the Library.

I know I love to LOL, especially when I'm reading. Don't you? Sure you do. And what better place to do it than the library. (As long as you're not laughing too loudly--it is a library after all, and you don't want to be shushed!)

Not that you guys need an excuse to read, because I know you are all constantly reading and writing. But it's kind of nice to have an official reason to saddle up to a good book in the library. So, what are some of your favorite humorous books?

Well anyway, if you'd like to participate in the official Teen Read Week, you better hurry off to the library because it runs from October 14-20. (I know, I know. Bad WORD bloggers! We should have told you sooner. Sorry, we were just so excited about our awesome 1,000 word writers that we just plum forgot.) But there's always time for reading!

Are you still waiting around? Get yourself to the library and read!

Being October, there's really only one thing worth talking about, and that is postseason baseball. However, being that the Yankees choked for like the third year in a row, I really don't have much to say. Grr.

The Red Sox are currently tied in the bottom of the 9th against the Indians in Game 2 of the American League Championship series. I say, Grr again, sir. The only reason for me to watch is with a hope that they do not make it to the World Series. But I digress...

The point of this bloggy (or at least the point we try to make) has not a whole lot to do with sports and everything to do with reading; which is why, at this late hour I am reminded of last night's game, and of Mr. Stephen King.

King was at the game last night. He's a die hard Boston Red Sox fan. But for some odd reason, he wasn't paying much attention to the action on the field. During the 4th inning, his team had the bases loaded. Everyone at Fenway was on their feet cheering, thumping, eager for a hit. Everyone, that is, save for King. You see, King was reading. That, my friends, is devotion to the written word.

The odd moment was captured by the video cameras and a broadcaster subsequently, went into the stands and interviewed King. It turns out that he was reading a book called The Ghost, by Robert Harris. The book isn't even out yet. However, King was devouring it while the Red Sox continued to plow their way toward a win (Boston took Game 1 by a score of 10-3, Grr).

What does all this mean? Is it any wonder King likes to read? Come on. Be serious. Anyone who has woven 5 sentences together to tell a story knows that the more you read, the better your writing becomes. And the Master of Horror probably knows it better than anyone.

There has been some talk already about King's devotion to the Red Sox (or lack thereof). I don't put much stock in it. The man is obviously a huge fan. But he's also a bibliophile. He's addicted to words as much as he is to baseball. Personally, I think it's cool that he can marry his two passions. Granted, the whole scene could have just been a setup to promote Harris's book. So what? When's the last time you saw a television advertisement for a book anyway? Think about it...

Anyway, it's 1:00 a.m. and the Sox and Indians are still tied in Game 2 (11th inning). I think I'll sign off now before the inevitable game-winning, clutch homer by Papi. Sigh. Does that guy ever not save the day? Harrumph. Maybe I'll just go read something.

Word.

Dim the lights and cue the dramatic music.

Tonight ... on The Great Book Publishing Challenge ... we'll decide which novel will be published. Will it be the romance? The mystery? The western? Your votes decide. So, who will be ... the next great American novelist?

Does this sound like a reality show you'd watch? It might sound silly, but some publishers are running American Idol-style competitions to publish books. An article on NPR talked about how a social networking site ran this competition, and it actually found very talented people to get published.

I think it's great that people are getting excited about writing. And this is definitely a way to get your foot in the door of the publishing world.

But I wonder what the "audition" round would be. Instead of wannabe singers screeching "Unchained Melody," would it be wannabe writers sitting in front of a computer, staring at a blank screen? Would it be a video clip of a person stuffing his manuscript into an envelope and getting a paper cut? (Ouch!)

Would you enter a contest like this? You know what, I think I would. Of all the reality shows out there, this seems like it would be the one with the least amount of humiliation. No eating pigs' brains, no vying for the love of a washed-up 80's singer, no singing. And the chance to become a published author. Sounds pretty good to me.

If you entered this contest, what would you submit? A poem? A short story? Your biography? Hey ... wait a minute. No need to even enter a contest. [Shameless plug alert] You can be published on this very blog! Yay! Go on and e-mail your masterpiece to word@weeklyreader.com.

Jessica, out!

Spotlight fades to black as credits scroll over the screen.

OK so yes, I've been slacking. If you're an avid reader of the bloggy, then I apologize. Sorry Deb. Ha!

Anywho, to quickly recap, the National Book Festival was held last Saturday, September 29 on the National Mall in our nation's capitol. And it was cool.

Terry Pratchett is a very funny speaker. He's an author of science fiction and fantasy novels and is probably most famous for his Discworld series. Admittedly, I have never read him. Sad, I know. But after hearing him speak and guffawing (that's right, guffawing... look it up) over almost everything he shared with us, I would be out of my mind not to pick him up soon. Here, allow me to share a few of Mr. Pratchett's anecdotes from the day...

"People come up to me all the time and say, 'You know Mr. Pratchett, your books mean so much to me. They get me through bad times.' Well, they get me through bad times, too!" - Pratchett on surviving trials of life through the power of writing.

"Adult books give you money. Children's books give you prestige." - Pratchett on balancing a writer's soul against balancing his checkbook.

"This Book Festival has all sorts of writers that come up here with their note cards and share with you their ideas... They're all very smart writers! Whereas I just sit there in front of a keyboard until my eyes bleed." - Pratchett on his own personal writing pains.

"The way to describe a character in your writing is through mannerisms... not dialogue and not by writing pages and pages of description. Character back stories tend to occur on their own accord. For me, I think about my characters long and hard for a very long time and eventually, they just come out." - Pratchett on intimate relationships with one's characters.

When the Q&A portion came around, one fan asked him if he had any sort of writing process. Pratchett answered, "Yes. I absolutely must have oxygen." The audience laughed, of course, and then he got serious. "No, but you write when you can," he said. "You write against a wall or in a phone booth if you have to. Wherever and whenever you can. ... Although I do have one daily ritual I should tell you about. When I first sit down to write, I feel overwhelming panic. But it eventually goes away."

The National Book Festival was full of such words of wisdom and laughter. Readers got their fill of their favorite authors, live and in-person (isn't that the same thing?). To learn more about the many great writers and artists that were in attendance, check out the web site. Or better yet... see you there next year.

As I mentioned previously, I attended the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. this past Saturday. Authors were everywhere and it was all I could do to keep a professional air about me.

First up was Patricia MacLachlan. Ms. MacLachlan is the author of the 1986 Newbery Medal winning novel, Sarah Plain and Tall. Have you read it? Because I am very sorry to say that I have not. Could you please tell me how great it is without ruining the plot for me? Email your thoughts on the book to word@weeklyreader.com. Or just leave a comment below.

Anywho, Ms. MacLachlan stepped up to the microphone and started to tell us about the time she received a letter from an 8 year old boy. It read:

Dear Ms. MacLachlan,
   Thank you for writing Sarah, Plain and Tall. It is the second best book ever!"

"Sadly, I never found out what the first best book ever was." She told her laughing audience.

"As a child," she went on, "I would invent imaginary friends and characters for myself. ... I see there are a lot of children here today and I just want to tell you that you are living the lives right now that you will write about later on in life."

Ms. MacLachlan seemed very relaxed throughout her talk. She told us about how she sometimes finds it really really hard to write. In fact, sometimes she hates writing! "I don't always know how to write plot," she said. "What is plot? Seriously. What is it? Plot is hard!"

Admitting you don't know where a story comes from is the first step to recovery, I suppose. The second step, in this author's mind, is keeping her ears open.

"One evening, I was eating dinner with my family and my daughter wouldn't touch her food. I asked her why and she said, 'Because the broccoli is moving on my plate.'" Awww. How cute is that? Good enough to write a short story about. Yeehaw! Inspiration, thy name is child.

"Life is mysterious. You never know what's going to happen." Ms. MacLachlan wrote her latest book, Edward's Eyes, for her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease. In it, she included a great many characters from her mother's life (friends, loved ones, etc.) in order to help her remember. What a story, huh? I want to read it just for that truth.

When the Q&A portion came around, Ms. MacLachlan was asked by one of her youngest fans, "How do you stay focused as a writer?" She replied, "Well, it takes me a long time just thinking about a book. Sometimes I think about a book for a year or more before I even begin writing it. Oh, and I play a lot of computer solitaire."

Still more to come from the 2007 National Book Festival.

Stay tuned...

Before you get started reading this entry, you should click here to read a general overview of the YPulse Tween Mashup.

Both Deavon and Seth commented on Tuesday's blog entry. Neither of them quite understood what the word "tween" means. Sorry guys, my fault for not being clear. A tween is basically a young person that falls between the age of 10 and 13. It can be quite a confusing time in life. Tweens aren't kids anymore but they aren't quite teenagers either. They want to be soooo bad though. And in an effort to grow up too fast, tweens sometimes start acting older than their age even though they might not really know the mistakes they are making as they make them. It's OK to make mistakes. Everyone does. That's how you learn. Just don't run the race so fast! You'll miss all the good stuff.

GOOD STUFF GOOD STUFF GOOD STUFF!

Heh. Nice transition. As if.

I learned about quite a few things at the YPulse Tween Mashup last Friday. First and foremost was that I never really knew the extent to how drastically times have changed. When I was a tween... well first of all, the word "tween" didn't exist when I was a tween but whatever. As I was saying, when I was a tween, my friends and I certainly had our distractions, our games, our fun. But we never could have fathomed all the myspaces and youtubes and AIMs of the future. When I was a tween, I had this clunky Garfield phone in my room. Looking at the picture now makes me both nostalgic and, admittedly, a little angry actually. You see, the handset there in Garfield's back? Well, when you pick it up and put it to your ear, there's this big button that sits there next to your mouth. All you have to do is breathe on it just a little too forcefully and Garfield hangs up on you. End of conversation. Sorry friend. Call back later when the Internet comes to town.

Well we all know that the internet (or internerd as I like to call it) is here to stay now. Everyone is so wired these days! It's almost impossible to remember a time when "www" simply meant... well it didn't mean anything. I'm losing track here. Why don't I just chill out and tell you about Kiki.

Nope, not even trying for transitions anymore.

I learned about Kiki magazine at (where else?) the YPulse Tween Mashup. Kiki is the magazine "for girls with style and substance". If you're a tween or early teen girl, you want this magazine. It's full of wise fashion sensibility, tips for better health, book reviews, and even nifty projects you can take on yourself!

You know, there's a lot of magazines and websites and clothing stores and music and media and T.V. and celebrities and all sorts of nonsense telling you who you should be. The masses and the advertisers shout, "Britney is cool! Be like Britney!" And lots of people do exactly what they are told. But Kiki is one of the few entities that doesn't tell you who you should be. Kiki asks you who you want to be. And then they try to tailor their pages to suit your needs. I had a chance to meet Jaime, Kiki's founder and editor at the Mashup. She's a very nice woman with two tween daughters herself. She started the magazine with their, and your, best interests in mind. To learn more about Kiki, or ask Jaime a question, click here.

And while we're on the subject of being a girl, something I'm sure I know nothing about, you can also check out Beinggirl.com. It's a website "for girls, by girls" that answers all your questions about, well, anything girl related, and that includes slumber parties! Click the image to the left to read more. (How do they get it to blink? Wild.)

In Beinggirl's own words, "Girls have fun. Girls have opinions. Girls have a lot of questions about stuff like PMS, dating, their bodies and even serious subjects like addiction and abuse – just about anything you can think of that has to do with being a girl."

Don't look at me. I'm just here to give you literary news. But definitely check out Beinggirl.com if you seek answers.

Let's see, what else is in the news?

Just stop it. Your transition ship has sailed long ago...

Well that's just fine and dandy cuz I think it's getting a little too tired in here to write anymore now anyway. But we'll be back soon, from the front lines of the YPulse Tween Mashup... or not... At any rate, I have a funny feeling that WORD's gonna be in DC again tomorrow though.

Stay tuned...

I think that Sarah Moffet said it best in a comment here:

This weekend I visited the Twilight Zone. It was supposed to be the National Book Festival, but I must have made a wrong turn off Constitution Avenue. Instead of stumbling onto a somber, sparsely attended book fair, I found the Mall overtaken by the masses, who were beaten back from overrunning authors by platoons of Junior League members. Even more terrifying were the forty-people-deep lines for the vegetarian vendors (and believe me, half the people in those lines were not vegetarians), rivaled only by the wait to purchase books in the sales tents. People, everywhere, were carrying armfuls, bags, and strollers of books.

America reads. Who knew?

Yes folks, Sarah is talking about the National Book Festival. It's that one, special time of year when writers travel from all corners of the world and all walks of life to converge under large, outdoor tents with the sole purpose of speaking to their captivated audiences about the power of the written word. Well, and to promote their latest works, too. Let's be honest. :)

The 7th annual National Book Festival took place in Washington, DC this past Saturday. It was brought to you by first lady of these United States, Laura Bush, the Library of Congress, and Dr. Billington, the Librarian of Congress. Don't tell me you've never heard of the Library of Congress? Well, they're only just the BIGGEST library in the country! Here to preserve information and help promote literacy throughout our great nation, the Library of Congress is akin to... well... the mother ship of all Dewey's Decimals. But don't just take my word for it, here's what they have to say about themselves on their website:

"The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations."

Boo yah! Word. And so forth... At any rate, they're a really big deal.

This was WORD's second year in attendance and let me tell you, we were thrilled. To be able to sit on the outskirts of a book and listen to the person responsible for it is something no silly blog entry can relate to you. Who's your favorite author? Have you ever seen him/her in person? No? Oh, you simply must! Keep your eyes open for when they're coming to your town. Most authors have websites these days. You can track them down like the hungry bibliophile that you are. Just... be careful of psychotic tendencies. Please.

At any rate, WORD was there. It was a gorgeous late September day and the authors were in bloom. Mystery writers, biographers, fantasy word smiths, illustrators, poets, historians, young adult novelists, and plot maestros of all genres got up on stage, one by one, and spread their good words out to us--to all of us eager readers, who would love for nothing more than a good book to curl up with (and maybe a wasted cliche to spot every once in awhile just to say, "Hey! I got my eye on you... writer!").

You see, writers in general are an unpredictable brood. You never know when a writer is going to say something profound... or flake out. Public speaking is not always a writer's forte. But in this case, you're not going to show up to the National Book Festival and give a half-hearted shpeel like, "Well, duh, I dunno why I write books. I guess it's because I like... you know... like to uhhh, write... or something."

Oh no no no. These heavy hitters are the real deal. And later this week, you will see for yourself what I mean.

Stay tuned...

In the meantime though, you can check out last year's coverage of the 2006 National Book Festival by clicking here and/or here.

OR!!! ...

You can check out the National Book Festival Young Readers' Online Toolkit! Yah! Totally! Do that! Do that right now by clicking here!  

This past Friday I was in New York. The city. Ask me if the brights are light. Go on? ... Well they are.

The YPulse Tween Mashup was held at the Jacob Javits Center. If you've never been there, it's this big, long building that houses, among many other things, the Book Expo America.

YPulse is this whole other web site out there in www land. It's also a finger on a pulse (the name is not accidental). It is dedicated to understanding what makes tweens tick. Cuz as it turns out... you're quite an interesting bunch. :)

Hosted by Anastasia Goodstein (YPulse's puppet-master and author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online), the event was a mix of old school practices and the wave of the future. There's a whole lot of both out there. You probably don't remember this, but there was a time long ago when there were no computers. There were no cell phones or emails. No iPods or earmuffs. Nah, I'm just kidding. The world has always had earmuffs.

Here's a question for you: Which do you prefer?
a) texting your friends
b) emailing your friends
c) talking on your cell
d) writing a letter in longhand scripture using a quill and ink before having to walk all around the house searching everywhere for an envelope and a stamp and then having to, after all that work, walk to the mail box or the post office and mail the thing

No! It's a serious question! Leave a comment below. Tell us a, b, c, or d... and tell us why.

But that's what the Mashup was all about. It was a bunch of old folks sitting around in a room, scratching their heads and saying, "Um. Does anyone understand tweens? ... Hello? ... lil' help?"

So have you ever heard the word "tween" before? Maybe sometime 'tween lunch and dinner? Well, it's nothing to be afraid of. It's not a label or a brand name. It's just a way of classifying. Like Gen X or horseshoe burns on a bull's... no, I kid. Here's what the Urban Dictionary has to say about it:

Tween: A word that is used by marketers to describe youths between the ages of 10-13. Although some believe that tweens are actually between the ages of 10-15. Despite the fact that tweens have always existed, marketers continue to lay claim to discovering them. ... No one discovered the tweens.

Ha! Right on. Embrace your 'tween-dom while you have it, friends.

So as a tween, what are your favorite web sites? Keep in mind, this is not a ploy. If you say, "WORD", you will not get a free tee shirt (although we will be flattered). Just curious is all. Tell you what though, if you write up just a few paragraphs about your favorite web site, we just might post your writing here. Put "favorite web site" in the subject line of an email and send it to word@weeklyreader.com. Make sure and tell us why you love it!

YPulse: It's a neat thing. In this day and age, we're all wired. The old and the young alike. We might as well have some dialogue about this cyberspace place... right?

What's up?

Later this week: More from the YPulse Tween Mashup...

Coming this week to a bloggy near you...

Coverage of the YPulse Tween Mashup in New York City

AND

Coverage of the National Book Festival in Washington, DC

Stay tuned...

Did you ever stop to wonder where certain words came from? (OK, probably not. You all have busy lives, I know.) But if you did stop to think about it, you might be surprised to learn that a lot of words are actually eponyms.

According to an article on CNN article on CNN, a lot of odd words were actually named after people. Like the word 'dunce' was named after John Duns Scotus. A lot of people thought the guy's scientific theories were pretty dumb. Soon anyone with a dumb theory was a 'dunseman.' Later, the word morphed into the word we know today.

That's pretty bad.

There are some people who have accomplished good things, and their names have become words. Take Gabriel Fahrenheit's name, for example. I mean, everyone likes knowing what the temperature is and all.

But if my name were to become an eponym, what would it mean? Would 'pulling a Jessica' mean succeeding while be kind, generous, and all-together awesome? (An example of usage: Wow, Mike got voted captain of the football team today. He  deserves it because he works really hard and lead his team to victory. He really pulled a Jessica.)

More than likely though, 'pulling a Jessica' will come to mean spilling soda on your keyboard and having to call the computer guys to get you a new one.

I don't think I like that one bit.

So, what other words do you know that are eponyms? If your name becomes an eponym, what will it mean?

Authors are people. They have lives outside their novels. (Just like teachers have lives outside their classrooms. I didn't believe this when I was in elementary school, but now that some of my friends are teachers, I guess I have to accept this fact.) Sometimes, authors' lives are actually more interesting than what they write about. Take, for example, calculus text book writers. Joking.

According to an article on CNN, some famous authors had really bizarre lives, and deaths. For example, Sherwood Anderson, a famous short story writer, died from swallowing a toothpick that was hidden in an hors d'oeuvre.

O. Henry, the master of irony who wrote "The Gift of the Magi" and other short stories, was actually a criminal named William Sydney Porter. He was accused of embezzlement, and put in jail. Being in jail might have been the best thing that ever happened to him. This is where he came up with his pen name and started writing. (And no, I'm not going to say that this was ironic. That's lame, even for me! Ha, totally just went there anyway.)

It just goes to show--you can't judge a book by it's cover! (I know, I know, even I was groaning as I was typing that.)  What are some of your weird things that might get published about you after you're a famous author? Come on, we all have them. After all, you might all know me by my blogs, but you know nothing of what I do in real life. I could be a criminal, or collect used chewing gum, or insist on wearing the same shirt every day for luck, or have to tap the light switch three times before I can turn it on ...

Just kidding. I'm a perfectly normal blogger.

And anyway, who would wear the same shirt every day? That's just gross. Pants, on the other hand ...

"There's nothing here. It looks like there was something. But now it's gone. This place is dead. And we need to bring it back to life."
      - Mike, 11, Town Council, Red District

Well, we didn't get any student reviews of Kid Nation yet. I suppose the contest deadline was a little ridiculous. Sorry about that. Just trying to stay topical here. At any rate...

I really really really enjoyed the first episode of Kid Nation. Aside from the fact that I have some of the same qualms about it that others do--it's kinda messed up to drop 40 kids in the middle of nowhere and say, "OK, survive."--it's a super-duper reality show. To read some disturbing controversy about Kid Nation, click here.

It's going to be interesting to see everyone work together to make the town work. There were already problems during the first couple of days. But they all seemed to be resolved. Even Greg, the vandal, the bully, the Blue District rebel, seemed to have a change of heart at the end of the show. I guess the golden star worth $20 grand might have had something to do with his sudden urge to help out. But that's ok. Money is a great motivator. Greed, however, is not.

"I'm a beauty queen. I don't do dishes."
    - Taylor, 10, Town Council, Yellow District

Oh man, Taylor. There are no beauty queens here! Get over yourself! I'm just kidding... mostly. I'm glad she didn't decide to leave at the end of the show. The town council would have fallen apart if she did. Not because she's a great leader or anything... but leaders need to stay in place or else your nation falls apart. No matter how terrible a job you're doing. Ahem. I think Taylor's going to end up turning it around herself. I really think she's going to step up before the end of the show and show what she's made of. Go Taylor!

I was sad to see Jimmy leave. At only 8 years old, he was the youngest kid on the show and also the only one to choose to leave the town at the end. Oh well.

Kudos to Sophia (Green District) for winning the gold star!

Best quote of the night was when the town council chose to keep seven new outhouses over a television set:

"We got the Port-O-Potties! Yah!"
     - Jared, 11, Red District

Question: If they had chosen to take the TV, what kind of reception would they have had? I have a feeling nothing. They'd probably be watching 24 hours of snow and fuzz a day... not to mention pooping in the road.

OK, that's my silly review. It's not very good but the show was!

Here is WORD's gold star to you -- the deadline is null and void. Send your review of any Kid Nation episode this season to word@weeklyreader.com and we'll post the best up here on our humble bloggy. The first one we post still gets the tee shirt. It's not worth $20,000 but it has a cute doggy on it.

OK, now here's Jared doing some Shakespeare...

Yah!

Did you watch Kid Nation last night? Did you like it? What did you think?

OK, here's the deal, write up a review of the show and send it to word@weeklyreader.com. We will post the best one here, on WORD, tomorrow. And here's the best part -- the winner will receive a free tee shirt!

But you have to write it quick because the contest deadline is midnight tonight!

Oh, and if we don't get any reviews, you'll have to suffer through mine tomorrow. Better get writing!

Word.

Ahoy and avast there, matey, you scourge of the seven seas. Today be the day all us landlubbers be celebrating! It's ...

National Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Shiver my timbers, what an awesome day!

I mean ... um ... what's the pirate version of 'awesome'? Arrrrrr.

This day started as a joke by two mateys, but now it's recognized all over the country.

So grab yar eye patch, your peg leg, and your doubloons and celebrate! What be yar plans? How about reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson? Or read our interview with Geoffrey Rush from Pirates of the Caribbean.

So what be yar favorite pirate tale? Surrender it to me, and mark it with an 'X.'

You don't want to walk to plank now, do you?

Well, it's that time again. Most of you are back in school. And if you're not, well, you will be soon. I feel for you, I do. But fear not. There are plenty of reasons to be happy (or at least less sad) about being back in school. We've counted down the top reasons for you.

 

10. You can start reading your favorite Weekly Reader magazines again. Yay for shameless plugs!

9. Sometimes when you're assigned required reading, you actually discover books you enjoy that you never would have read on your own. Hello, Salinger, Heller, and if we're lucky, Rowling.

8. Only 79 days until Thanksgiving. It really sneaks up on you!

7. Writing assignments become excuses for bragging about what you did all summer. This summer, I went mountain climbing, traveled to Europe, sailed across the Atlantic ...

6. Speaking of writing, it's a lot easier to write notes to your friends or crushes when you're sitting next to them again. Dear John, do you want to go out? Check yes or no.

5. Be honest, you're kind of sick of watching bad reality shows and reruns. It couldn't hurt your brain to actually learn something. For some reason, history and English class seem a lot more entertaining ...

4. This is the year you can become captain of the team, editor of the yearbook, a straight-A student ... anything you want! I'm going to be head cheerleader!

3. Four words: brand new school supplies! If there's anything more satisfying than cracking open a crisp notebook and writing with a new pen, I don't want to know!

2. Cafeteria food almost seems edible after a summer of camp gruel. Mystery meat, I never missed you so much!

1. You can be published on Word. Another shameless plug? Well, it is pretty cool ...

 

What are your top reasons for being less-sad about going back to school?

Two years ago today, WORD was born.

When you break it down into weeks (104), it seems like a lot. Or maybe it doesn't. It's hard to say, really. I'm not going to attempt to add up the days because 365 X 2 is no walk in the park... wait... it's 730. I think. Whatever. Not important.

What is important is that you enjoy your time here. If you're just starting your school year and you have just received your first issue of READ magazine, how did we do? Did you read Bad Blood? It's a story about Jarrod, a kid who swindles an old lady out of a car. Well, it's about much more than that, but it's all in the context.

Or maybe you've just read through your first issue of Writing magazine? How was it? How did you like the article called Help! I Hate Writing! Did it help? We'd love to know.

Here on WORD, everyone is welcome. This blog is an extension of both READ and Writing magazines. Feel free to stop by any time and leave us a comment under any post. You can browse through the archives to the right and see what we've been up to the last 104 weeks. You can even email us your own writing! Send your poems, short stories, and essays to word@weeklyreader.com. We post a lot of student writing on this board and sometimes, we even publish your writing in our magazines!

So welcome back to school. Stop by our bloggy often. We update it several times a week with author news, interviews, book reviews, and much much more! Let us know if we can help you out in any and all things literary.

Oh yeah, and WORD also has a myspace page at www.myspace.com/wordblog. You, too, could be WORD's friend!

See you soon.

Word.

I never thought I'd see the day, but MTV is going intellectual on us! Apparently, MtvU (the MTV station for colleges) has picked its first poet laureate.

John Ashbery, 80, will now have his work used as promotional material for the MTV station. This is a really cool honor, but it's certainly not the first for Ashbery. He's won almost every award associated with poetry. He's even won a Pulitzer!

His poems are often filled with humor, which seems perfect for the MTV crowd.

Lines from Ashbery's poems will be used to hopefully get more people interested in poetry.

Well, all of us here at WORD know how cool poetry is. Yay to MTV for realizing it as well.

It's Friday! Woo! And one of the best parts about Fridays (besides knowing that you have two days to relax) is that new movies come out. I, for one, have been seeing tons of movies this summer. There were pirates (read a review here and an interview with Geoffrey Rush here), wizards (read a review here and an interview with director David Yates here), and our favorite yellow family (read a review here and an interview with director David Silverman here). And don't forget a web-slinging superhero, a grouchy ogre, and a car that was more than meets the eye.

Wow, that's a lot of movies in one summer! So that's where all my paychecks disappeared to. Anyway, today a movie opens that I've been waiting for. It's The Nanny Diaries, based on the novel of the same name by Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus. As I've mentioned before, I love chick lit. And I found this novel particularly fun, witty, and funny. The hilarious story of the mistreated nanny who must put up with all her employer's demands (such as dressing up as a Teletubby for Halloween) is chick lit at its finest. Which is why I'm a little nervous about the movie.

Last summer, The Devil Wears Prada, the movie based on the book by Lauren Weisberger, came out. It got great reviews, and Meryl Streep even earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the super-mean boss. And I liked the movie, I did. It's just that I liked the book better. There were entire scenes left out of the movie. Characters were completely changed. It just wasn't the same.

I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen with The Nanny Diaries. I don't want the picture in my mind to be tarnished. I don't want my appreciation of the story tainted.

Well, I'll probably go see it though. Because the book is always better than the movie anyway, right? Sure it is. So I might as well just enjoy the movie for what it is. I actually can't think of any movie that I liked better than the book--and I love movies! Can you think of any movies that you liked better than the book versions? I bet you can't!

Anyway, enjoy your weekend. Go see a movie or something. Or read the book.

The United States does not seem like a nation of readers, according to a recently released poll.

Just over 1,000 adults were interviewed by the Associated Press-Ipsos poll. One in four (or 25 percent) of those people said that they had not read ANY books last year. Not a Harry Potter. Not a Hemingway. Nada. The majority of people interviewed said they read up to five books last year. People who had read more than five or fewer than five were just about equal in the poll.

Religious or popular fiction books were the top choices of readers. Women also claimed to be bigger readers.

So what does this all mean for our nation? Can nonreaders learn the love of reading? Are they busy doing something else? What are the differences about readers and nonreaders? Does it come down to time, interest, or other distractions?

Has anyone gotten a nonreader to love a certain book? I gave my copy of The Poisonwood Bible to a  friend like that, hoping she would love it like I did. Never happened. I guess it's difficult to convince someone who's never been lost in a book to give it a try.

Should readers care about what nonreaders do with their time? Maybe. Some people worry that a lack of interest in reading will damage the publishing industry. I don't want this to mean there will be less of a selection for me and my reading allies.

Readers unite! (So what should we do now?)

Hey there, Wildcats. Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure that you've heard that High School Musical 2, the sequel to last year's enormously popular High School Musical came out last weekend. Did you catch up with Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, and the rest of the gang?

Do I have a point, or am I just trying to make conversation? Well, you don't have to be so mean. But yes, I do have a point. Apparently Disney is pulling out all the stops to make sure you get all HSM2 all the time. They've even made it into a book!

Would you want to read this story? Or do you think this is a cheap marketing ploy? Usually, I enjoy anything that gets people reading. And I do love movies, and singing. And that Zac Efron is just so adorable! But still, when you combine all these elements, does it work?

What do you think? Do you want to read HSM2? When you see that "As seen in the movies" section at Barnes and Noble, do you continue walking? Or do books and movies combine to form the most awesome hybrid ever?

Apparently, there's no rest for the weary. 

That's right, kids. J. K. Rowling, who just finished the Harry Potter series, and who, in my opinion, should be relaxing on a tropical island (her own private one) and sipping fruity drinks with little umbrellas, is writing again.

All of you Potter-philes take note: I know you're hoping upon hope that Ms. Rowling is writing an eighth Potter book. Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but she's not. Harry is finished. (I'm talking about the book series. I don't know if Harry survived or not in The Deathly Hallows; I haven't had a chance to read it yet. But if I knew, I wouldn't tell you, so don't come back yelling to me about how I spoiled the ending.)

Rowling's new book is going to be a detective novel. And the really cool thing is that she's writing it in the same Scottish café she wrote the Potter books when she was a struggling writer. So now Rowling is officially the richest aspiring novelist out there. It's just like when Jerry Seinfeld goes to comedy clubs and does his stand-up routine. He certainly doesn't need the money, but he does it anyway. Well, good for them.

So, will you read J. K. Rowling's new book when it comes out, or has Rowling fever died? (Possibly like a certain wizard? Did Harry die? Wait ... no, don't tell me. I'm going to read it eventually.) If you were a billionaire, would you continue working? Will you please get me a fruity drink with an umbrella in it?

Editor's Note: It was just brought to our attention that the J. K. Rowling sighting was made up by an over-eager fan. I guess we'll just have to be happy with Harry. For now ...

Stephen King, author of over 58,000 novels about things that go bump in the night, recently went to a bookstore in Australia and vandalized copies of his own books!

What happened was, he went over to the "King section" (a room in the back that is twice the size of the moon) and started etching his signature in blood across the inside front covers.

When employees of the bookstore realized what was happening, they approached King hesitantly (it is common knowledge, you see, that Stephen King is a Werewolf-Vampire-Chupacabra that feeds on the flesh and souls of the innocent.)

"Excuse me," said the first scared-to-near-death employee, "may I ask you what you are doing defacing our property, Mr. King?" Instead of answering her with words, the popular novelist's eyes turned to fire and his hair transformed into a nest of venomous snakes. The employee ran for her life. Unfortunately, King was too quick for her. He sprouted wings and overtook the poor woman in the How-To section of the bookstore. Witnesses at the scene stood in shock as he temporarily satisfied his demon appetite.

As for the books that Mr. King defaced with his bloody John Hancock, they are now listed on eBay.

Caveat Emptor: The books are cursed. Well duh!

At least that's how I heard it anyway. Some other guy tells a different story of what happened here.

Read Stephen King's review of Harry Potter here.

Read an exclusive interview with Stephen King here.

Are you one of the lucky ones who bought an iPhone? (If you are, I'm so totally jealous. Can I borrow it sometime? Or maybe just hold it?) Well, the iPhone is soon going to have a new feature.

The publishing company HarperCollins is setting up a link that will allow iPhone users to read excerpts from some of their upcoming books.

So you can talk on the phone, text, listen to music, browse the Internet, and read--all on the same gadget.

Would you want to read on your iPhone? Personally, I think I would. I love reading, especially when I travel or when I'm eating alone. But sometimes it's just a pain to lug a big fat heavy novel around. Reading on the iPhone (even if it is just an excerpt of a novel) would be much more convenient. Hopefully other publishing companies will follow suit, and we'll have a larger choice of what to read--that is, if you can get your hands on an iPhone.

Then again, I don't know if I would want to pay $500 plus just to read part of a book. I can read a whole book for free at the library! I guess going to the library just doesn't have the same coolness factor as holding an iPhone.

Well, since I don't have an iPhone, I guess I'll just keep reading books the normal way. But do you think putting book excerpts on the iPhone is a good idea? Do you think you could get me an iPhone?

I really want an iPhone.

What do you like about emo? The emotional lyrics? The catchy riffs? The eyeliner? (Definitely the eyeliner!) Well, what about the comic books?

That's right, comic books. In September, Gerard Way, lead singer of My Chemical Romance, will be publishing his own comic books called The Umbrella Academy. The basic storyline, from what I can gather, is about a superhero troupe called the Umbrella Academy, who had a sort of falling out. But now their adoptive father has died, and they must band together to save the world.

Even the characters have cool rock star-ish qualities. There's The Horror, who can possess monsters. There's The Rumor, who can make lies come true (so could my younger brother, now that I think about it). And don't forget Spaceboy, the leader, who, for some reason, has the body of a Martian gorilla. (Also like my younger brother! Joking.) Hey, I just report the news. I don't make this stuff up!

I don't know about the concept, but still, I'm intrigued. Comic books are huge now, and they are a great way to get reluctant readers to take the plunge and start enjoying reading. And anything that gets people to read is good in my book. (Get it? Read? Book? OK, even I'm groaning at that one.) Plus My Chemical Romance is huge now as well. So add the hugeness of comic books with the hugeness of the band and you get ... something very, very big.

So, are you excited about the adventures of Spaceboy and friends? Do you think rock stars can write comic books (after all, they do write lyrics)? I guess we're going to have to wait until September to find out!

Last week, I saw The Simpsons movie. I've been meaning to tell you about it... actually, I've been meaning to do a lot of things... but that's neither here nor there... nor there... nor even there.

CAN WE GET ON WITH IT, PLEASE?

The Back Story
I've been watching The Simpsons since Day One. Actually, it was since even before Day One because I was actually one of the many who was lucky enough to catch them when they were nothing but rudimentary sketches on The Tracy Ullman Show.That was way back in the day. Back when Homer at least tried to give some kind of fatherly advice:

"Relax. What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind!"

So to say that I'm a fan of this animated family is, at the very least, an understatement.

The Creators
(Read an exclusive interview with Director David Silverman)
The people behind The Simpsons took a big risk making this movie. Many of their diehard fans are about as serious as Comic Book Guy. Impressing them after 18 seasons is not an easy task. However, the 90 or so minutes of yellow-skinned shenanigans (though they are not the funniest 90 or so minutes ever recorded on film it was still hilarious) are impressive.

The Laughter & The Heart
I laughed. A lot. The audience was filled with a crowd of all ages. People were enjoying it, sure. But at times, I think I laughed a little too loudly at jokes that, apparently, only I found amusing. It was a good, solid movie. And it wasn't only funny, it was touching. Believe it or not, the Simpsons can actually pull on a heartstring or two when they really want to. Being that that is not their ultimate goal, however, it makes the gooseflesh even more sensitive when it breaks.

The Plot
After Homer adopts a pig (yes, Spiderpig), he dumps all of said pig's... um... waste in the Springfield River. This causes the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to come down hard on the town. Springfield's level of pollutants is so great that the EPA decides to encase the entire town in a giant, unbreakable, glass dome. Makes perfect sense right? Well, that's the government for you. Zing! Where was I? Oh yes. Spoiling the movie for you... ok well that's the premise and I'll stop right there because I don't want to give anything else away. Except this: Homer ruins everything. And Homer inevitably has to try to fix what he has ruined. Basically, it's everything you love about classic Homer mixed with a more complex, introspective (yet still careless and carefree) Homer. It's good stuff.

Bart & Homer
They've never really had what you would call "a healthy father/son relationship." But in this movie... well, they still don't. But they do have their moments. There is a well-hidden love there that does exist between them. Neither of them would ever admit it of course, but it's there. You can find it in Bart's full-faced laughter when his father hits himself in the head with a hammer for the umpteenth time. Or when Homer calls his son "the boy", he sometimes gets a distant look in his eye. Could it be pride? After all, Bart is nothing if not the spitting image of his dad.

The Town
Yes, every single character in Springfield is in this movie. But if you're looking for side-stories, look to FOX Sunday nights at 8:00pm. This feature film is all about Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Spiderpig... and sometimes Grandpa. I'm glad the creators didn't stray from the family's storyline too often. It made for a much fuller movie-going experience.

The Vulgarity
The movie is rated PG-13 and there are a few instances where I was thrown for a loop. I won't go into them here, but if you saw the film, you know what I'm talking about. I'm not quite sure how I felt about those, shall we say, deviations from what you would expect from the Simpsons. Not that they were ever a wholesome family. Heh. Not at all. But there were certain times in the movie where I think the writers might have gone over the top a little. Still funny though. :)

All in all, it was an entertaining ride. The Simpsons never fail to tickle my smile. Here's to another 18 years... and as the least likely character said during the credits, possibly a "sequel".

The Oopsie Daisy
Oh wait, this is supposed to be a literary blog, huh? Ehhhhhhhh.... um.... ok, go read a book.

Ah, and you thought we were done with our Harry Potter entries. Well, my friend, you were wrong. The final book might have already come out (we have a great review here), but the boy wizard is still making headlines.

A 16-year-old in France posted his own translation of The Deathly Hallows on Monday. Problem is, the French version of the book won't be out until October 26. So the boy was arrested.

I'm all for taking action against those who transgress against laws. And we all know that plagiarism is bad. And immoral. And not cool. But was this boy really doing something so bad? OK, he did take J. K. Rowling's words without her permission. If he was trying to make money off of this, than that's even worse. Was he trying to make money? I don't know. Probably.

But if you take it at face value, he is just a fan of Harry Potter who wanted his French peers to be able to enjoy the book right now. That's not so bad. It's kind of noble actually, if you ignore the breaking the law part. (Please note, Weekly Reader does not endorse breaking the law, even if it is in the name of literature.)

Well the boy's translation was removed. But it's clear that even after so many books, people still have a fever for Harry. And what's the cure for that fever? More cowbell! Just kidding. Keep on reading Harry Potter!

It was a dark and stormy night ...

Clichéd? Yes. Hackneyed? You betcha! Bad writing? Well now, that's the point!

That famous line is the inspiration for an annual contest that salutes bad writing. The contestants must come up with a really bad first line to a non-existent novel. This year's winner combined awkward syntax and bathroom humor, among other things.

This is the winning entry: "Gerald began -- but was interrupted by a piercing whistle which cost him ten percent of his hearing permanently, as it did everyone else in a ten-mile radius of the eruption, not that it mattered much because for them 'permanently' meant the next ten minutes or so until buried by searing lava or suffocated by choking ash -- to pee," Gleeson wrote.

What a novel idea! (Get it? Oh, and on that same note, contestants can get awards in several categories, one of which is "vile puns." I could totally win that!)

No, seriously, I think this is a really cool contest. There are so many bad writers out there, but to do it purposely, that takes some finesse! And it's definitely harder than it looks.

Here's my attempt:

"Mike looked into Sally's bright blue glowing orbs, her eyes, the windows to her soul (streak-free, no less!), which were as deep and mysterious as the ocean and brought back memories of when he was a lifeguard that summer five years ago and that little girl--why hadn't she listened to him?--had gone out too far and was carried away by a massive riptide; suddenly, Mike no longer wanted to swim in Sally's waters."

Go on, give it a try!

We've been waiting for 18 years, and The Simpsons movie is here! And nothing embiggins the summer--nay, a lifetime--with joy like finally seeing the beloved Springfieldians on the silver screen. Is it going to be a satirical masterpiece filled with hilarious quotes like the episodes of old, or will it be silly and nonsensical like the episodes of today? Will it leave viewers saying "Meh," or will it be the best ... movie ... ever?

OK, I know you're thinking that this is a blog about reading and writing, so why am I writing about the Simpsons? Well, not only is The Simpsons a pop-culture phenomenon, but the show has parodied many great novels. It's also featured the voice talents of some awesome authors, such as Stephen King, Helen Fielding, J.K. Rowling, Tom Wolfe, and Gore Vidal.

And as a special treat ... mmmmm, treat ... for all of you Simpsons fans out there, here is an interview with director David Silverman.

Word: For years, there have been rumors of a Simpsons movie. Why now?

Silverman: It's actually been in the works for some time, but we didn't have the man power. Some screenplays just take a long time.

 

Word: What does a director for an animated feature do?

Silverman: A director for animation does the same as the director for a live action movie. You talk to the animators, which isn't too different from how you talk to the actors. You are also in charge of blocking, which is figuring out where a character goes in the shot. Part of my job is saying where we're going. You have to make a decision at every step of the way. As a director, you have to choose the direction of the film. I’ve also been sitting with the writers and working with rewriting. At that time, I come up with other ideas.

 

Word: Do the voice actors record together? Which is done first, the voice recordings or the animation?

Silverman: Sometimes we have as many as four actors in at once. But the voice recordings are first. You don't want to hamstring the actors, and the animation restricts them. The animation is inspired by the actors. The way the performers act affects the staging.

 

Word: Did you go to school to learn to be an animator and director?

Silverman: I went to the University of Maryland and then to UCLA to study it, and I got into all the aspects of animation.

 

Word: Did you do any of the animating for this movie?

Silverman: I didn't have the time. I'd be a little rusty animating for the movie.

 

Word: Why was this movie made as a cartoon instead of live action or CGI?

Silverman: We didn't make it live action because we actually wanted people to see it. Doing a CG movie would change the Simpsons universe. They would become different characters. The Simpsons are hand drawn. Almost every other cartoon you see today is made on a computer. We send some of the scenes to be animated overseas in Korea, but for the movie a lot more was animated here. The bulk of it is here.

 

Word: How do you know if a joke for the movie is still funny after hearing it over and over?

Silverman: You just know it's funny. Sometimes I hear jokes in old episodes that I wrote years ago and they are still funny.

 

Word: Do you worry about the movie living up to the fans' expectations?

Silverman: We want to make sure all the jokes work. We want to live up to everyone's expectations--and our own. We know fan expectations are high, and so are ours.

 

Word: If people could only see one movie this summer, why should they see The Simpsons?

Silverman: I hope they can see more than one movie! Well, tell them it'll be a very funny, enjoyable, visual ride.

 

Word: Can you tell us anything about the plot of the movie? Any secrets you want to spill?

Silverman: As the movie gets closer, I'm sure we'll let some cats out of the bag. But right now, that bag is sealed.

We all love reading here. (Well, I'm going to assume we all do. After all, what would you be doing reading a reading and writing blog if you didn't? However, you know what they say about assuming ...) That love of reading often goes hand in hand with buying a lot of books, which consequently get left all over the house. I, for example, recently added to my chick lit collection with two more books, Something Borrowed and Something Blue, both by Emily Giffin. Don't judge me!

Anyway, sometimes buying books gets out of hand. Suddenly, you have more books than you know what to do with. (OK, so you know what to do with them. You read them. I meant you don't know where to store them. Sheesh!) This happened to John Puchniak from Pennsylvania. Puchniak is a bookstore owner who took his love of books to the extreme, and amassed 3,000 of them. And then his house was condemned.

Apparently, having 3,000 books sitting around your house is a fire hazard. Who would've thunk it?

Well, Puchniak is now living in a hotel and is trying to get the city to let him move back into his home.

Now, I love books as much as the next person, but there is a limit. I'm sure Puchniak hasn't even looked at some of his books in years, so how about donating some of them?

I mean really, who has that many books anyway? ...

Besides a library, of course.

A disgruntled writer and Jane Austen-aficionado recently conducted an experiment to see if the classic writer could get published here in 2007. According to the UK's Guardian Newspaper, David Lassman, the director of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, sent slightly modified versions of the first two chapters of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey to major book publishers. Lassman changed the titles of the books and names of main characters, but left the plot details the same. Then the rejections piled up and seemingly, only one publisher out of 18 spotted the ruse.

Lassman told the Guardian, "I was staggered. Here is one of the greatest writers that has lived, with her oeuvre securely fixed in the English canon and yet only one recipient recognised them as Austen's work."

After reading this article, I started thinking about the nature of publishing. Interestingly, the people reading manuscripts for these publishers did not recognize Austen's nor did they think they could publish it. I've always leaned toward reading modern fiction rather than classics (with notable exceptions). Language and art evolves with time and people. So I do understand why dear Jane may have slipped under the radar. Those people were busy looking for the next bestseller, which most likely will be a lot different than Austen. And yet, I think to a well-worn copy of Northanger Abbey that I purchased in a Cambridge bookstore, which currently gathers dust on a shelf at home. Austen did pave the way for the new masters I so enjoy. Ah, it's probably time to give dear Jane another try.

What do you think?

Muggles, the wait is over--Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is here, casting a spell on readers all over the world. And 8.3 million copies were sold on the first day. 

In other Harry Potter news, even though millions and millions of copies of The Deathly Hallows have been sold, apparently the book will not be on the New York Times's best sellers list. It is technically a children's book, and there's some rule that children's books can't be on the list. There was also an argument that the Harry Potter books were hogging the list and no other books could get on it. Well, no one likes a list hog, but come on! Shouldn't a best seller be on the best seller list? Are you outraged, or are you too busy reading to care?

So anyway, what do you think? Did it live up to your expectations? Was it worth the wait, or was it the equivalent to Christmas morning? (You know, you're excited for days, weeks, even months before the big day. Then you open your presents and play with your new toys for a little while before the novelty wears off and you start figuring out your plans for New Years.) Are you glad to finally know what happened, or are you just relieved that people will stop referring to you as a 'Muggle'? Does Harry die? Oh wait, don't tell me. I haven't had a chance to read it yet--or any of the Harry Potter books for that matter--but I'm definitely going to one of these days.

And even if you are sad that this is the last Harry Potter book, you can be happy about one thing: the end of all the wizard and magic-related puns! That is, until the next movie comes out ...

I don't know how you people did it. I honestly don't. I just finished The Half-Blood Prince about half an hour ago and already I'm on pins and needles here in sweaty-toothed anticipation of tomorrow. How on earth have you slept these past couple of years? How will I sleep tonight? Wow.

The Half-Blood Prince was by far the best book in the series (with The Goblet of Fire coming in a very close second). What a story! I'm not going to review it here because, well, first of all, I'm two years too late for that. But more importantly, if you're one of the few Muggles out there who have yet to read it, there's really nothing I can tell you expcept: READ IT! Well... read the other five books first, of course. Every single thing you've heard about their greatness is true. The hype is real.

"I am not worried, Harry. I am with you."

Do you remember those words? Dumbledore spoke them gently to his favorite pupil as they came out of the cave together. They resonate with me.

So tonight, I will sleep. And tomorrow, I will wake, and go pick up The Deathly Hallows. Then I will drive to New Hampshire and spend the next week on the lake, reading the final installment in J.K. Rowling's brilliant, heart-wrenching, beautiful, magical series. For the first time, I'll be sharing this experience with readers everywhere. Up until this moment, I have been behind in the game. But no more. I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere, except with you and Harry, to once and for all defeat the evil Lord Voldemort.

It's really a great feeling to know that you'll be reading the same words as countless other people around the world tomorrow isn't it? How often does this happen? Not as often as it should. We're all going to be connected through Harry. We're all going to share his experiences one last time, together. I'm going to be thinking about you all when I crack the book open for the first time tomorrow. And then... well, then...

I will not be afraid. I will not worry. Because I will be with Harry. As will you, dear friends.

Happy reading.

2 days till the last Harry Potter book! Woo!

Until then, get your fill of Harry Potter by seeing the newest movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. You can even read an interview with the director here.

I would definitely recommend this movie. Before I get into why though, I have a confession to make. This is really hard to admit, so go easy on me. Deep breath ... OK, here goes. I, a Weekly Reader editor and strong advocate of both reading and pop culture, have never read a Harry Potter book. Never even had an interest to do so. I thought it was for kids, and was dragged kicking and screaming to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which I enjoyed. I became hooked on the movies--but never picked up one of the books. I know, I'm so ashamed! On that note, I get a little confused sometimes by plot points in the HP movies. I don't even remember all the characters' names. So please, keep this in mind, and bear with me.

So back to the movie. If you were hoping for a colorful game of Quidditch or some of those fun bean things that have all those weird flavors, you're out of luck. This movie is a lot darker and more serious than the other films. But, rightly so. After all, Harry Potter is now a teenager, and as we all know, there is no darker time than when one becomes a teenager.

At the start of the movie, Harry is expelled from Hogwarts because he performed magic in front of his horrible Muggle cousin. But it was in self-defense! Harry must go on trial in order to get back into school. He is also introduced to the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society that is fighting against Voldemort.

However, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, doesn't want to believe Voldemort is back. He installs a new professor at Hogwarts: a chipper, pink-attired cat lady named Dolores Umbridge. Despite her cheerful persona, she causes havoc at the school, and as she gets more power, takes more away from the students and faculty. The students are not even allowed to practice defensive magic!

Well, after some moody protests, Harry is convinced to start Dumbledore's Army, an underground band of students who practice spells in secret. Will they be able to stop Voldemort, who we all know is back, and is sneaking into Harry's mind to control him? Will Umbridge destroy Hogwarts? What will come of the prophecy "either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives"? Just who is Bellatrix Lestrange? What's with that girl who can change her hair color (no, seriously, I was really confused)? Well ... I'm not going to tell you. There are spoilers all over the Internet for the new book, and I'm certainly not going to be the one who's responsible for spoiling the movie for you. Go see it!

Seriously, go see it. Despite being dark and scary, there are also tender moments of sweetness. Harry gets his first kiss, Ron and Hermione cast unrequited looks at one another, Luna Lovegood provides deep thoughts among her wide-eyed stares, Harry learns to count on his friends and cares deeply for his godfather Sirius Black. It's chaos planted in familiarity, scary and tender, dark and yet somehow hopeful. Just like being a teenager.

Oh my!

With only 4 cruel July days to go, Muggles everywhere are freaking out! Everywhere I turn, it's Harry Potter this and Harry Potter that. Things are quite different than they were just a couple of weeks ago when I posted this. Now, there are all sorts of magical stories in the news.

For starters, the new film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix cleaned up at the box office over the weekend. Anyone who has read this book knows it is darker and more intense than its predecessors. Actually, things really stopped being "fluffy" at the end of The Goblet of Fire. Let me tell you something, that scene in Goblet where Harry confronts Voldemort and about a dozen death-eaters is probably one of the scariest things I've ever read. But I digress...

In China, there are "Harry Potter knock-offs" floating around. What are they exactly? They are poorly written books that use the characters of J.K. Rowling's epic series and place them in unbelievable scenes. They are counterfeit novellas full of phony plots that in no way at all are affiliated with the real Harry Potter. From what I've heard though, a lot of people over there in China really dig 'em. So I guess they aren't bothered by the whole copyright infringement thing. Me? I'm a purist. I need my books authentic. There's just no substitute.

I'm about halfway through The Half-Blood Prince right now. These kids have really grown up, haven't they? Ron's making out with Lavender Brown but really, he wants to "snogg" with Hermione. It's sooo obvious, Ron! Even Harry sees it! Of course, Hermione seems like she's got the hots for Ron as well. Meanwhile, Harry's wandering eye has landed on Ginny, Ron's younger sister! Uh oh Harry. Don't you know it's "pals before gals?!" I hope this doesn't get out of hand. But ahh ... young love. The heart wants what the heart wants, does it not, my friends?

On an unrelated note, our dear old blogger friend, Sandhya told me about this new fad called "wizard rock". Rather than trying to explain it to you, you can read the NPR article on it by clicking here. It seems pretty wacky and I like it.

That's it for now on the HP front. Wish me luck in my quest to finish book 6 by Saturday.

Peace.

OK, Word-watchers, in an attempt to give you a non-Harry Potter entry before the big day, I thought I would offer you a ginormous riddle. Ready? Here goes. What do crunk, speed dating, DVR, and sudoku have in common?

Answer: They're all words that have been added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Every year, the editors of the dictionary go through thousands of words to figure out what new words should be added. This year, these bad boys were among the ones that made the cut.

It's pretty awesome when slang becomes official. But it also makes me a little jealous. What about my made-up words? (I have a habit of adding '-ified' to the end of nouns. I also add '-ish' to times--it gives me a couple of minutes leeway.) What, do I have to start campaigning, ala Stephen Colbert? He got 'truthiness' to be recognized last year. I want one of my words to become immortalized in the dictionary! The fame, the glory, the ability to not have to spell-check my work ... yeah, that would be sweet.

So do you agree with any of the entries from this year? Do you have any words that you think should be added to the dictionary? I'll vote for your words if you'll vote for mine ...

Attention, Muggles: Your wait is over. The newest Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is out today. First-time HP director David Yates weighs in on the sure-fire blockbuster.

 

Word: Were you nervous directing Phoenix knowing what a success the previous films were?

Yates: No, just very excited about the challenge and the opportunity to dive into the world and to make something on a scale I've never been able to explore before. Making films as big as Potter doesn't give you much time to navel-gaze or to worry, you just get on with it--and it has been enormous fun every step of the way.

 

Word: How true is the movie to the book? How important do you consider following the book when you direct a film?

Yates: I enjoyed the book enormously and compressing it into a screen time of two plus hours proved to be the biggest challenge of all. There are bits it was hard at first to leave out--but I wanted to focus the story as much as possible to serve the medium we were working in. I think we've caught the spirit of the book without compromising the film experience for the audience.

 

Word: Is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix similar to any of the other HP movies?

Yates: This one is a bit edgier and grittier than the others--I really wanted to push the performances and the characters, to believe them as much as possible--because it is quite an emotional story and it is essential that the audience engage with and believe the relationships they are seeing on screen. It is inevitable as the characters and the stories grow older so do the films, and I'd certainly say this is the most grown up Potter so far.

 

Word: What was your favorite part about making this movie?

Yates: Working with Dan [Radcliffe], Rupert [Grint], Emma [Watson] and the rest of the cast, all of whom were great fun to be around. 

 

Word:  What was the most difficult part about filming this movie?

Yates: The length of time it took to shoot. Most films I've made were shot over a period of weeks, or a couple of months. Order of the Phoenix, because of the size of the story and the level of complexity in visual effects, took almost a year. Keeping focus and perspective is the biggest challenge across that time span, especially when you are shaping how a characters journey unfolds through the story.

 

Word: Are you going to direct the sixth HP?

Yates: I've had such good fun making this one, it [would be] really difficult giving it up and leaving The Half Blood Prince to someone else. I also had a feeling that there was unfinished business somehow over the two years it took me to make The Order of the Phoenix. I've become completely involved in the world and the characters that Jo [J.K. Rowling] has created, and I wanted to spend more time with them. So yes, I will be doing The Half Blood Prince. Can't wait in fact.

 

Word: If people could only see one movie this summer, why should they see HP?

Yates: Because it is a terrific ride but goes deeper and darker than the films the audience has already seen.

 

 

Yah!

So I finished reading The Order of The Phoenix this past weekend and I'm now into The Half-Blood Prince. And holy cow! Chapter Two - Snape! He's... well, I don't know what. It's weird. Is he really who he says he is now? Ack! Don't tell me! Keep it to yourself! I'll know soon enough, I imagine.

I am so happy I finally got into this craze. It's never too late, right? With 11 days to go before the final installment is released, I'm truly amped about Harry! Boo yah!

More to come, Muggles...

Hey, kids! We're going to learn some grammar. Yay!

           

Calm down, calm down. Don't get too excited there. Yes, I know, learning grammar is awesome. What? Do I detect sarcasm there?

           

OK, fine. So maybe grammar isn't the scholarly equivalent to a trip to Disney World. But if you want to be a good writer, you have to know certain rules. And who doesn't love following rules …

           

Anyway, just let me quickly tell you easy ways to remember some tricky grammar rules. Then you can get back to your regularly scheduled lives of pool parties, barbeques, and the like. (By the way, I don’t recall receiving an invitation to any of those parties. Must have gotten lost in the mail.)

 

Lie or Lay?

People lie. Well, duh. Every teenager who sneaks out of the house knows that. But it's also the case in lie vs. lay, and a great way to remember this rule. Someone lies down, but you lay your clothes out on the bed. And, by the way, I know you were out past curfew. Don't you lie to me!

 

If I were vs. If I was

Follow the Fiddler on the Roof  rule here. It's like that song, "If I Were a Rich Man." OK, OK, do you need a modern reference? Well, Gwen Stafani and Eve redid the song a few years ago as "Rich Girl."  (Actually, their version is a cover of Louchie Lou and Michie One's song. They did the first reggae version of "Rich Girl." But I digress.) Anyway, my point is, remember the song. So you would say "If I were."

 

Where you at?

Just don't. It's wrong, and it sounds dumb. Say "Where are you?" OK? Thanks.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the final Harry Potter book comes out in only 18 days. You know this. The whole world knows this. What I want to know is: where is all the fanfare? Surely this is the biggest thing to happen to young adult literature since... well since the last Harry Potter book came out. Shouldn't we be seeing little witches in the streets by now? Shouldn't there be reports of stores unable to keep brooms in stock? And for crying out loud, where are all the lightning scars?!?

Ouch. The whole lack of Potter madness is giving me a headache. There are only 18 days left, people! Where are you?!?

I suppose I should count my blessings that it hasn't gotten crazy yet. I'm still only halfway through Book 5. I'm a man on a mission. Between what I have left of The Order of the Phoenix and The Half Blood Prince, I'd guesstimate that I have about... oh... 800 pages or so to go. That comes out to just under 50 pages a day. No sweat, right? Right. No sweat, mon!

Anyway, Order of the Phoenix is getting realllllly good. Things are heating up between Harry and Cho. Harry is secretly teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to a bunch of students and they call themselves Dumbledore's Army! The forces of good and evil are preparing themselves for battle against each other. And the calm before the storm is full of such raw intensity that I almost don't want to turn the next page for fear that the very book might explode in my face! Omigosh. It's so good.

I understand I'm probably the only person on the planet that hasn't read all 6 books yet. But come July 21, if all goes well between now and then, I should be all set to crack open The Deathly Hallows with the rest of you when it arrives in my mailbox.

So 18 days... let's see some magic.

So what are you reading?

We all ask this question and get asked this question. But when it comes to becoming a better writer this question can mean more than your everyday small talk.

 

I took the opportunity to attend a lecture at Manhattanville College's Summer Writer's Week, where Francine Prose read from her book on this topic, Reading Like a Writer (2006). Prose looks at "the greats"--Dostoyevsky, Flaubert, Kafka, Austen, Dickens, Woolf, Chekhov, to name a few--and examines why their works have endured through the years.

 

Prose, who also teaches at Bard College, wants aspiring writers to savor the language of the masters and decipher why they choose particular words to convey certain feelings.

 

I think Prose's book has some valuable advice to a reader like me, who also wants to write. When I read, I usually speed my way through a story, anxious to know what comes next. It takes a special kind of writer to make me slow down and get lost in the language of the book. Sometimes, I get both.

 

By poring over the finer details of a story, Prose proffers that the reader, for instance, can learn about creating character and advancing the plot through dialogue.

 

But then there is Anton Chekov. During the lecture, Prose read from her "Learning from Chekhov" chapter, which examines how Chekov broke all kinds of "rules" for writing fiction. He practiced "writing without judgment" and be the "unbiased observer" of his characters. 

 

In the spirit of Chekhov, Prose also advises, "Forget about what you read. Go out and look at the world."

 

With this, I came away with two pieces of advice that somehow don't conflict: learn and then unlearn. This way, the writer has a store of knowledge and tools at hand. Yet, the writer still makes room for the muse.

 

So what is Francine Prose reading? Well, she said she had just finished rereading David Copperfield. How 'bout you?

"It was curious to think that the sky was the same for everybody, in Eurasia or Eastasia as well as here. And the people under the sky were also very much the same—everywhere, all over the world, hundreds or thousands of millions of people just like this, people ignorant of one another's existence, held apart by walls of hatred and lies, and yet almost exactly the same—people who had never learned to think but were storing up in their hearts and bellies and muscles the power that would one day overturn the world."
     - George Orwell, 1984

When most students think of George Orwell ... or ... well ... do most students think of George Orwell? Hmm. Have you ever heard of a little book called Animal Farm? It is a delightful story about a bunch of barnyard animals who overthrow their evil captors and then run their own society. On a base level, it is a colorful children's story where "two legs equals bad" and "four legs equals good" ... or is it the other way around? On a much deeper level (one we needn't worry about til at least college), it is an allegorical commentary about Soviet totalitarianism. "Huh?" Don't worry about it. For now, just have fun reading the book and focus on how the animals take on human qualities and what we (as faulty humans) can learn from their story.

And then, once you've mulled that intensity over, try 1984 on for size. This heart wrenching novel used to be my ultimate favorite. I got over that a few years ago though when I was reading it for no less than the 15th time. The brutality of those words were just too much to live through again. I would, however, honestly give anything to have those first 14 reads back. Listen:

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

How can anyone handle that?!? Plus, when the Ministry of Truth, the Thought Police, and Big Brother are all out to get you, it's all you can do to keep yourself safe from what lies in the dreaded Room 101.

Be afraid.

Oh, and happy birthday, Georgie Porgie.

Do you have the end of the school year blues?

Is the promise of summer vacation just mere days from your grasp?

When you're sitting there in Geometry, gazing out the window, does a little piece of you die inside?

Well, you'll be out soon enough. In the meantime, feel free to gripe about your woes here. Write a poem about your terrible plight and send it to word@weeklyreader.com. Put "End of School Blues" in the subject line and we'll post the best one here.

Word.

Why hello there! Happy Thursday to you!

READ Magazine's publishing year has come to an end. Our last issue took the form of a web site called Student Writing Showcase. We received so many great submissions for it. Thank you all!

Next year, we want to publish a new piece of student writing in every issue of READ (and Writing for that matter). Right now though, we are specifically looking for poems and stories about MAGIC. We are also looking for poems and stories about MONSTERS. Please email your work to word@weeklyreader.com. Put either "Monsters" or "Magic" in the subject line (depending on what your writing is about).

A writer's work is never done, eh?

Word.

The following post was written by Alicia Zadrozny, Associate Editor of READ and Writing Magazines.

It was Friday night and I was in the mood for a party. I had spent the day perusing Book Expo America, picking up book galleys and meeting authors. (I'm hoping heaven is a lot like BEA, lots and lots of free books, but sans the bathroom lines.) Anyway, I headed downtown to Webster Hall not knowing exactly what to expect from the Rock Bottom Remainders, an improbable band formed with mostly famous and best-selling writers. Some of the better known members include Stephen King, humor columnist Dave Barry, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom and Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. Frank McCourt made a special guest appearance. Roger McGuinn, formerly with the 1960s rock band The Byrds, was billed as the concert's "real musician." The $25 admission price benefited children's literacy programs.

By all appearances, this was going to be a concert like any other. Lines of people waited outside the venue to get in, after the show had already started. There was a surly bouncer and even a snotty reporter who huffed and puffed when told she had to wait in line.

By the time I got inside, the band was in full swing playing their favorite rock music through the ages, such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Monkees. So now you're probably wondering if these writers sing and play instruments as well as they write. Well, I'll spell it out for you. Stephen King: Terrible. Scott Turow: Truly, truly terrible. Dave Barry: Tape his hands down and take away that guitar. Mitch Albom: If only you had spent your Tuesdays practicing that keyboard. Amy Tan: Gets my vote for the worst singer-ever.  I'd go through all the performers, but that gives you a pretty good idea.

Most likely, it's a certain sort of person who's going to love this kind of concert. It's the person who gets the joke behind the joke. It's not their corny cracks at each other. It's the fact that Stephen King gets people to pay money to hear him howl his way through Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London." The "king of horror" is also a master of irony. His real song was, "I'm so bad; I'm good."

Roger McGuinn saved the musical day to an extent with "Turn! Turn! Turn!" along with some other old hits by The Byrds. So what if his accompanists couldn't stay on key with him? I didn't really mind. It was just plain funny to see these writers have so much fun together. They looked like a bunch of goofballs, sure. But they are also very smart goofballs.

Editor's Note: We here at Weekly Reader love and admire the above artists for their day jobs. Any negative criticisms toward their musical ability is overshadowed by the brilliance that comes through in their true work: Teaching the blind to bowl. God bless you fine people.

On Friday, I attended Book Expo America (BEA) at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. It was a day filled with literature great and small, classic and contemporary. Readers from all corners of the country flooded the floor where publishers flaunted their achievements in the printed word.

The Jacob Javits Center is a mile if it's a yard. The place is big. It covers no less than five New York City blocks and is multi-leveled. No wonder the show is three days long! Lucky for me, I still have a bit of a bounce in my step and I was able to get the full BEA experience in just under 8 hours.

I met a Monster Spotter named Scott Francis, and a wizard author named Zendric. Zendric's passion for keeping Monsters at bay will be shared with the world this August when her very important survival guide, A Practical Guide to Monsters, hits bookstores everywhere. In it, she shows us characteristics of Chimera and vampires, griffons and Thri-kreen (giant, intelligent insects that hunt in packs) and then offers advice on how to defeat them all in battle. Monster Spotter's Guide to North America is a result of an deep obsession that's 1,000 times more dangerous than bird watching. By looking through a monster spotter's eyes, readers learn stories of Phantom Felines, The South Carolina Lizard Man, The Gloucester Sea Serpent, The Black Fox of Salmon River, The Lake Utopia Monster, Colossal Claude and many many more (including, of course, Bigfoot). Scott's book also comes out in August. Don't be surprised if you see Zendric and Scott side by side in an issue of READ next year. Stranger things have been known to happen.

At Seven Locks Press, I read a recipe inspired by Shakespeare in Spice Chronicles: Exotic Tales of A Hungry Traveler, watched Santa Claus promote his new book, and met an extraordinary young man who has created The Adventures of Captain Candy. Young author Ryan Lederer's fully illustrated, action packed book comes out in July.

At the LongPen booth, a machine signed my name to perfection, exactly as I had done!

I learned a bit about Old English from Patrick Conner at West Virginia University Press.

Grammar Girl wowed me us with a live presentation about apostrophes! ... or should that be apostrophe's? ... Either way, I think I need to get out more.

The Book Expo was a genuine sharing of ideas, of stories. Authors of all walks of life were in attendance and many of them, like Joe Hill, were more interested in checking out the lit than talking about themselves. (I'll let you figure out who Joe Hill is on your own. Not everything in the blogosphere should be linkable.)

Stay tuned for in-depth coverage of the Rock Bottom Remainders concert. Coming next week...

The following blog entry was written by Sarah Chassé, a copy editor of READ, Writing, and a whole bunch of other Weekly Reader magazines.

 

Watching TV rots your brain, right? Not necessarily. I spent last night learning some great new vocabulary words from my television--and no, there isn't a new reality show called Playing Scrabble With the Stars. We're talking the finals of the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which aired live on ABC.  The competition, held in Washington, D.C., featured 286 spellers from the United States and Canada. In the 13^th round, eighth grader Evan M. O’Dorney of Danville, Calif., spelled the word serrefine (seh-ruh-FEEN) to become the Super Bowl of spelling’s newest champ.

 

OK,  so maybe serrefine (an adjustable spring clamp used in cardiovascular surgery) isn't the most useful word—you can't exactly drop it into casual conversation. But it's still a cool word to know. Here are some other unusual words from the Scripps finals you can dazzle your friends and family with:

 

rascacio: (rah-SKAH-see-oh) a scorpion fish found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod to Brazil

 

bouleuterion: (boo-leh-TEE-ree-on) a council chamber in ancient Greece

 

schuhplattler: (SHOO-plat-luhr) a traditional folk dance from Bavaria and Austria in which dancers rhythmically strike their thighs, their knees, and the soles of their feet

 

grognard: (groh-NAHR) an old soldier

 

aniseikonia: (ah-nigh-sigh-KOH-nee-uh) a defect of binocular vision in which the two retinal images of an object differ in size

 

My favorite word from the bee was definitely schuhplattler (just don't ask me to demonstrate it). Have a favorite word of your own that you'd like to share? Drop us a comment! (And make sure you spell your word correctly!)

Gosh I love the last day of May. Forget about the fact that the weather is gorgeous and the flowers are, um, whatever. Today has a much more special meaning to me than sunshine and pollen. For today, my friends, is Walt Whitman's Birthday.

WWWWD?
- A poem by Bry

I imagine myself walking, climbing, treading the mountains
I am one man hiking his way to the top, to the peak of all peaks!
What lies in the distance is an unknown, an always known,
A question we all must ask.

What would Walt Whitman do
At the top of the mountain?
Would he stand there and laugh at the sky?
Would he fly off like a bird to the future of earth?
Would he sit for a spell, and just cry?

What would Walt Whitman do
Dear friends all around me?
Would he become one with the grass and the moon?
Would Walt breathe the air of ancestors, long gone, never forgotten
Or hideout in the universe's shed.

Walt Whitman, my friend, oh what would you do
If the mountain itself crumbled under you?
If the world turned to dust and left all of us,
Tell me what would you do, dear Walt Whitman?

"We're connected," he said, "You and me, on this thread,
This thread between space, between blurs.
If you tug on my beard, ancient rhymes will be cleared
From my mouth, to the page, to your WORD."

Walt Whitman, Walt Whitman, oh what would you do?
"Come with me. I will show you..."

--------------------------------

On The Beach At Night Alone
 - A poem by Walt Whitman

On the beach at night alone,
As the old mother sways her to and fro, singing her husky song,
As I watch the bright stars shining--I think a thought of the clef of the universes, and of the future.
A vast similitude interlocks all,
All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets, comets, asteroids,
All the substances of the same, and all that is spiritual upon the same,
All distances of place, however wide,
All distances of time--all inanimate forms,
All Souls--all living bodies, though they be ever so different, or in different worlds,
All gaseous, watery, vegetable, mineral processes--the fishes, the brutes,
All men and women--me also;
All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations, languages;
All identities that have existed, or may exist, on this globe, or any globe;
All lives and deaths--all of the past, present, future;
This vast similitude spans them, and always has spann'd, and shall forever span them, and compactly hold them, and enclose them.

--------------------------------

Happy birthday, brother.

To read last year's birthday wishes, click here.

The following entry was written by Jessica Livingston, Associate Editor of Know Your World - Extra Magazine.

While perusing the Internet today (for research, I swear!) I came across a most disturbing article. Apparently, Tom Wayne, a man who owns a used book store, has so many books that he doesn't have the space for all of them. Libraries and thrift stores won't take the extra books--they don't have the room either. So, Tom is burning them.

Yes, this is probably a publicity stunt. To "raise awareness" about how people aren't reading. But isn't there a better way?

 

Clearly, with the proliferation of the Internet, people aren't reading books as much as they used to. (And yes, I'm aware of the irony of posting this blog on the Internet while complaining about it at the same time.) There are some really cool things online. I mean, where else can you get the biographical information about your favorite author and a site where you can watch cheese age? Good stuff! But is it really worth it if it causes the destruction of books?

 

The books that are being destroyed aren't even banned books. Not that I agree with the idea of banned books, but at least then there's a reason for the obliteration of knowledge and culture. An ignorant reason, but a reason nonetheless. Burning books for attention is just senseless.

 

So, I implore of you: Go out and buy some books! Whether it be the book you've read a thousand times or one you've always wanted to read--build up your own library. That way, there is room in book stores and libraries and thrift stores for new treasures. And innocent pages won't be led to the slaughterhouse.

 

A colleague of mine just sent me a link to a very cool site! It's called Book Mooch and it is a way to give away your old books, earn points, and get free books from other random people out there in cyberspace.

Unfortunately for me, this doesn't work very well. I hoard my books. I never let them go. Sure I'll let close friends borrow books of mine from time to time, but I have a serious problem parting with them for good. So yeah, not the site for me.

But for the average, non-lunatic reader who likes to share, this place is for you.

Check it.

Bridge to Terabithia comes out on DVD in a couple of weeks (June 19). Plenty of time to read it if you haven't already.

Watch this movie trailer for a taste of what you've been missing.

The following movie review was written by Jessica Livingston, Associate Editor of Know Your World-Extra Magazine.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

"The world used to be a bigger place," says Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (in theaters today, May 25). "It's still the same," answers Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). "Now there's just less in it." More false words have never been spoken. AWE packs in more action, more humor, and more suspense than the first two Pirates movies combined.

 

When we last left Sparrow, he was at the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker and Barbossa was brought back from the dead to help. In AWE, the motley crew of pirates needs to save Sparrow. They must band together with pirates from across the globe to save piracy itself from extinction because the East India Trading Company is out to control the seas.

 

There's an ancient sea goddess bound in human form. And don't forget Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), who wants to save his father from Davy Jones. And will Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) earn back Will's trust after it seemed like she was in love with Sparrow?

 

Oh, and there's also a little matter of Sparrow seeing hallucinations of crabs made of stone, an elusive peanut, and multiple versions of himself (although I don't think anyone would complain about that, especially the women in the audience!).

 

Confused? OK, admittedly, AWE is a little hard to follow if you aren't paying attention. So pay attention! Aside from all the action-packed swashbuckling, thieving, and double (and triple, and quadruple) crossing, there is also an intricate plot unfolding so keep your eyes open for it!

 

Even though the running time is over 2 hours and 45 minutes, the action never stops, and you'll never look at your watch. (Unless you make the mistake of drinking a large soda while you're watching!)

 

From the morose opening where captured pirates, including a little boy, are being hanged, to a spaghetti Western-ish standoff, to the most un-romantic wedding of all times (followed by the most romantic kiss ever), to the sword fighting, to Keith Richards making a cameo as Sparrow's father, you're in for a summer blockbuster.

 

Dead men might tell no tales, but AWE is one tale you won't want to miss!

The following interview was conducted by Jessica Livingston, Associate Editor of Know Your World-Extra Magazine.

Ahoy there, matey! It's that time again--the pirates are back! Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End sails into theaters tonight! When we last left the crew, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) was at the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker. But the real shocker was that Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is back among the living! Weekly Reader recently caught up with Rush and found out all the dirty details (and we do mean dirty! Haven't pirates ever heard of soap?) about the new film. We'll bet all our pieces of eight that you won't want to miss this!

 

WORD: How is Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End different from the other Pirates movies?

Rush: The first movie was mostly about the curse on Barbossa and all of his pirate gang. In Pirates 2, the introduction of Davy Jones brings a much greater supernatural/mythological feel to the story. In the third film all of the numerous story lines that have been established really start to clash. Questions such as "Is Jack Sparrow able to survive the power of the Kraken?" or "How did Barbossa come back from the dead? Who helped him? Why?" and "Does Elizabeth feel guilty for betraying Jack?" ... Well, all of these crucial issues find surprising solutions.

  

WORD: I read that in this movie, it has been said that "piracy is at stake." What does this mean?

Rush: The pirates from all over the world--whether they are from England or the Caribbean or Africa or Asia--they are being stamped out and executed by the East India Trading Company, which is like a corporation that wants to control the seas for their own profits. This is more or less what happened in history. The great age of piracy only lasted from the mid-1600s until the early 1700s.

  

WORD: Everyone in the Pirates movies seems to be "bad guys"--pirates, thieves, traitors, etc. Yet pirates have a huge appeal. Pirate costumes were even the most popular costume this Halloween. What do you think the appeal is of being a pirate?

Rush: In their day, a lot of the pirates were probably adventurers and sailors who had a criminal past. They might also have come from impoverished backgrounds or situations where their chances for success in society were minimal. At sea they were free from the laws of any country. It was a tough and violent life, but perhaps being a pirate gave them a sense of freedom, and they could create their own memorable identity. I think this is why people admire them and dress up like them at Halloween or for parties. Books like Treasure Island and plays like Peter Pan made the pirate life seem very attractive and adventurous.

 

WORD: Did you feel a lot of pressure making this movie, knowing how popular the first two Pirates were and how much money they made?

Rush: We all knew the first movie told a very fresh and exciting story, but because it was such a huge runaway hit that meant the next two films had to be really good. And the writers and the producer and the director were determined to make them great. They liked the characters as much as the audience did and they wanted to create a memorable and worthwhile epic. Parts 1 and 2 are like one big movie with an intermission. Pirates 3 has bigger and better stuff in it. It really goes right off the edge of the map.

  

WORD: Did you do your own stunts in this movie?

Rush: I worked very hard on my sword fights. I had to prove to the audience, as the oldest pirate, why he was still the meanest leader around. Which meant he had to be deadly with a sword--and fight dirty and unfair--just to survive. All of the actors, of course, have stunt doubles because sometimes in the big wide shots with dozens of pirates fighting at full speed, it is too dangerous for the actors. When you watch the film on DVD, see if you can pick when and why the doubles might have been used.

 

WORD: Is this the most challenging movie you've ever been in? Why?

Rush: Some movies are challenging even if they are relatively small in budget and focused on few characters because there may be complicated emotional story lines that the actors have to make very truthful and honest and interesting. A film like Pirates also offers a challenge because of the size of the budget and the scale of the production. Sometimes I would be filming complicated sequences with lots of dialogue, on a badly rocking ship 30 miles out to sea, with a monkey on my shoulders and its trainer always yelling out instructions to it, or with cannons going off and debris and smoke going everywhere. So I suppose it has been the most challenging, but that has also made it the most fun and the most memorable. We have been together as a team for over 4 years now, so it's been a big part of our lives.

 

WORD: Growing up, were you a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland? Was it exciting when they redesigned the ride to have characters from the movies?

Rush: I only got to go to Disneyland with my two kids about eight years ago when I first went to America, but I knew about the ride because we used to watch the Mickey Mouse Club on TV when I was little. It is a great honor for me, and kind of crazy, to know that Barbossa is now in the ride as a fixture. I hope to take my grandchildren to see it, even though I don't have any yet.

WORD: Were you always a fan of pirate and adventure movies? What do you like about them?

Rush: I've always loved sword fighting movies. My favorite is Scaramouche, which isn't about pirates, but I recommend that you check it out. It is a very old movie, but it has one of the longest sword fights in the history of movies set in a theater, and the actors are really doing it--all of it. Adventure movies like Indiana Jones and Zorro are great, particularly when there is a blend of action and humor.

 

WORD: In a summer full of sequels, why see Pirates?

Rush: There are seven and a half hours now in the trilogy. It is a big work. It has many significant principal characters, as well as a gallery of very popular minor ones. Also the plot is full of many details about the period, the attitudes and the conditions, and hopefully it is unpredictable and full of surprises. The main characters are forced to make very important decisions about what they truly believe in. So as well as being fun, I hope people try and imagine what they would do in the same circumstances. I know just from reading chat rooms and fan web sites how involved and perceptive the audience is.

 

WORD: What was your favorite part about filming this movie? What was your least favorite part?

Rush: My favorite part was the sword fighting rehearsals and then being able to visit many different parts of the Caribbean, which is so far away from Melbourne, Australia, where I live. My least favorite part was when the monkey would get anxious or frightened and shriek. I was scared he was going to bite my nose.

 

To find show times for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, click here.

 

To learn about how your class can order Know Your World - Extra, ask your teacher to click here.

Well, here we are.

In case you haven't heard, our entire staff here at Weekly Reader has moved to Pleasantville, NY. We are now part of Reader's Digest. Yah! Click here to see a picture of the building. I'm sure there are better images out there. If you know of one, please let me know.

Today, well, today we are the new kids on the block. This place is pretty big and we are getting our bearings slowly but surely. A bunch of us ate lunch in the cafeteria and it was quite good. Although, I opened a ketchup packet the wrong way and it shot out all over me. Grr. But it's all good!

So yeah, check out the Reader's Digest web site (the link is above) when you get a chance. I'm still unpacking but I just wanted to give you a heads up on our new mailing address.

READ Magazine or Writing Magazine
Weekly Reader Publishing
1 Reader's Digest Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570

And, of course, you can always email us at word@weeklyreader.com.

-Slightly Off-Centered