Cecil Castellucci's Blog, page 13
September 16, 2011
in progress : literary diaspora
As some of you, but surely not all of you, may know, I have been conducting my very first conceptual art project which I call The Literary Diaspora You can follow along @litdiaspora on the twitter or on the litdiaspora on the tumblr I hope you will.
What is the Literary Diaspora? It's a playful game of narratives. Think of it like a strange exquisite corpse, where I send a blank postcard and a word or phrase to visual artists and ask them to send back a piece of work inspired by it. Then I print 10 copies of that image and I send one of those cards to an author and ask them for a microfiction, or a poem, or tiny philosophical thought. The other cards I slip into that authors book in bookstores. Not just in LA! Everything is done through the post. Mail! Lovely mail!
A diaspora is a scattering or a dispersion.
I am curious to see what will come back to me. And it's been great fun to see what's been returned.
Some pretty amazing people have participated. Visual Artists who have returned cards include Becky Cloonan, Chip Zdarsky, Darina Karpov, Jen Wang, Julia Denos, Ken Garduno, Rachel Perry Welty, and Sara Varon to name a few.
Authors who have returned text include: Blake Nelson, Cory Doctorow, Emma Straub, Marie Mutsuki Mockett, Marisa Silver, Natalie Standiford, and Patrick deWitt to name a few
There is always more arriving. I hope you will follow along!
And if you are at the West Hollywood Book Fair, on Oct. 2, you may just find a card in a book you buy.
Returned art by Gabriela Salazar / word given "dreaming"
Returned text by Steve Almond on the card "Relaxed Shoe" by Joe Infurnari
July 29, 2011
star wars essay – my life long love / hate affair
So excited to share with you all an essay that I wrote about my life long love-hate affair with Star Wars! It's up on the fabulous io9 today. Please enjoy!
my star wars indie rock song "nerdy girl" by nerdy girl
Me and some of my fave peeps on the Ep 1 line '99
July 26, 2011
another year, another comic con
It was just a quick dip this year. A little skip in and skip out to the nerd prom. I headed down on Thursday at the crack of dawn and took the train down to San Diego. I ran into my one of my swell agents on the ride down so a good time was had gabbing away.
On the way to the convention center I saw this Dr Who Exterminator dress. Love!
My first stop was the DC booth. I'm a Roaring Brook /:01 girl now, but my instinct this year was to go to DC and check in. Mostly because I had a meeting with my Plain Janes editor the divine Shelly Bond. Also because I am still trying to cook up something DC. Keep all fingers crossed.
Then I skipped over to Top Shelf where I hung out with the fabulous Nate Powell. Nate's new book Any Empire is fantastic. You should go get it now. And I think many of you know that Nate is drawing my new hybrid prose/ graphic novel The Year of the Beasts. (Roaring Brook Spring 2012) He had just handed in a chapter and so I just threw him love love love of the art art art.
Me and Nate Powell!
A quick wander around the floor and then it was time for my panel on Teen Comics. It was Me, Hope Larson, Gene Luen Yang and Nate Powell and it was moderated exquisitely by Scott Westerfeld.
(picture nicked from Melissa Wiley)
I could have talked for about this subject (What is YA graphic novel!) for a million more hours with these smart cats. Really brilliant things said. Go buy all of their books if you haven't yet. As a special treat Scholastic gave me a box of ARCs of First Day On Earth to hand out. It's exciting to have a new book making its way in the world.
Then it was time for the soirees. I went to Scholastic's party for Jeff Smith's Bone (Congrats on 20 years!). I got to hang out with Raina Telemeiger (congrats on your Eisner, Raina!) and Lisa Yee!
Then I ended the night at the CBLDF party. Support them. It's important.
The next day it was a nice breakfast with people like Marc Bernardin and Josh Fialkov. Then some more wandering around. Buying a Gama-go t-shirt. Buying an original piece of art from Ken Garduno (like I do every year.)
Running into a female Chewbacca.
Buying a choker from Sherri L Smith at the Tired Girl collective
eating Just Jenn Yoda cookies.
Heading over to the Javi Grillo Marxuach Ramiel signing
falling in love with this awesome Spoonful of Star Wars art project 100 figures 100 paintings
and then paling around with the lovely Becky Cloonan. (You should pick up her new mini comic WOLVES.)
Then it was back to Los Angeles. This year, a short but sweet show. See you next year Comic Con.
July 20, 2011
LaunchPad 2011 (aka Space Science Camp)
Most of you know that I really love outer space. Almost all of my books have some kind of observational astronomy in it. My newest book, First Day on Earth, (coming out in November 2011) is a Sci Fi(ish) book. And my current work in progress, The Tin Star, is a two book series that takes place on a space station around an extra solar planet. So, you know, finding out that there was a workshop to teach writers about space science… well… I could not apply fast enough.
And so last week I went to LaunchPad 2011 (aka space science camp.) It was the most fun and brain breaking thing ever.
LaunchPad is the brainchild of astronomer and sci fi writer Dr. Mike Brotherton (Spider Star and Star Dragon) It's been funded by NASA and the NSF and its goal is to teach writers (of sci fi) space science so that the science is correct in your fiction. (I know, right? AMAZING!)
It takes place at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. (by the way, we all know Laramie has a bad rap. But it's a sweet cute place. Totally adorable. For example, i saw a pair of victorian boots that I am coveting and also the cowboy saloon and dancehall which we got to sneak into and look at its amazingness – including saddle seat bar stools and a buffalo that snorts smoke. I was sad the saloon was closed for summer.)
Cowboy Saloon and Dancehall. I know you are two-stepping in your mind right now.
We were there for one week. Every day we had a lecture on space science. For a space dork like me it was amazing. I learned so much.
My fave things were the lecture on Dust. 
Learning about Stars. Learning about space medicine. Dark Matter. Spectrograph lab.
I even liked cosmology. (although it nearly broke me.)
We had two observing nights. I so desperately wanted to see M51 because there is a supernova in it right now. But we couldn't see it from where we were. A stupid streetlamp was in the way and the weather was not cooperating. But we saw clusters (open and globular) Saturn. M82 galaxy. The Ring Nebula. I admit, many of these things looked like smudges. But they were very. cool. smudges.
We also went to WIRO (Wyoming InfraRed Observatory)
It was way up high on Mount Jen… Gorgeous. There was a lightning storm that surrounded us below. We could see bolts in the sky.
Lovely grad students Rana and Jessie let the few of us stay later help to open the telescope door and engage the telescope.
Dani opening the observatory doors.
Me in front of WIRO (pic by Liz)
The late night WIRO crew – Chris Rowe, Dani Wolff, Me!, Liz Gorinsky, Shelly Li (Todd Van der Mark took the pic)
I enjoyed the fine company of all of my fellow classmates. And I know that my reading list got huge. I think you should probably go read them all, too. Liz Gorinksy, Greg Fishbone, Mike Albo, KC Ball, Shelly Li, Todd Vandermark, Christopher Rowe, Stan Schmidt, Jennifer Willis, Danielle Wolff, Henry Strattman, Deborah J Ross , Shariann Lewitt, An Owomoyela , Pembroke Sinclair, Eric James Stone
And if you write Sci Fi, or long to, you should totally apply to LaunchPad next year. (And if you are science organization, (hint hint NASA and NSF) you should continue to support them.)
July 19, 2011
comic con/ first day on earth/ diaspora
I just got back from Space Camp (aka Launchpad Workshop) and I'm going to do a little write up about it before Comic Con, but I thought i'd just give all of those who are going to Comic Con a heads up that I'm on a panel
"Comics For Teens" panel (w/ Nate Powell , Hope Larson, Scott Westerfeld and Gene Luen Yang) 7/21 at 4:30 in Room 26AB And I'll be roaming the floor on Thursday and Friday so please say hello!
Reminder! You can still win an ARC of my new novel FIRST DAY ON EARTH. Just email me at Misscecil (dot) earthlink (dot) net your real or imagined alien abduction story. More details here.
And if you are an artiste going to comic con, I'll be bringing along some blank postcards for my Literary Diaspora project. Find me or tell me where you'll be if you want one.
Love, Cecil
July 4, 2011
First Day on Earth ARC Contest + Weird Space Tales Radio Theater
Hello my lovely friends!
I've got five (5) ARCs of my brand new novel First Day on Earth (Scholastic, Nov 2011) to give away.
First Day on Earth is the story of Mal, a boy who may or may not have been abducted by aliens and who meets a guy Hooper who may or may not be from outer space.
So I am having a contest. A "Tales of Alien Abduction" contest.
That's right. Send me your short (300 words) tale imagined or real of your encounter with a UFO or your alien abduction. The five most vivid, thrilling and weird tales will win an advanced copy of First Day On Earth signed by me. But wait! That's not all! These five tales will then be crafted into a Weird Space Tales Radio Theater drama that I will record and podcast with the help of special guests! (like Grant Baccicio! Creator of the Doctor Floyd Radio Show! ) (in either all in one episode or five minisodes depending on what I can pull off).
Fun for all of us to enjoy! Radio Theater! Awesome!
The RULES:
Submit a microstory (no more than 300 words, please!) of your alien abduction / encounter with a UFO (real or imagined!) post in comments or email to misscecil@earthlink.net by July 31st
Winners will be announced mid-August.
There will be two (2)ARCs reserved for someone under 18 years old. Please make sure to state if you are under 18 / over 18. (under 18 winners will have to get permission from their parents to give me an address to receive the book)
All are welcome to enter. Yes, that means anywhere in the entire world. UFOs land everywhere!
The winners give me, Cecil Castellucci, permission to adapt their thrilling tale into a radio play that will be performed and reenacted and available to all on a fun podcast of complete radio theater delight! Winners names will be credited.
Have fun!
Also, remember, you can Pre-order First Day on Earth right now!
Skylight Books (FYI any of my books ordered from Skylight Books are most likely signed) *
*currently the book is not listed on Indiebound or Powells, but you should totally support your local indie bookstores.
From Scholastic's jacket copy:
A startling, wonderful novel about the true meaning of being an alien in an equally alien world.
"We are specks. Pieces of dust in this universe. Big nothings.
"I know what I am."
Mal lives on the fringes of high school. Angry. Misunderstood. Yet loving the world — or, at least, an idea of the world.
Then he meets Hooper. Who says he's from another planet. And may be going home very soon.
July 1, 2011
my newest project revealed!
My New Project Revealed!
from Publisher's Marketplace yesterday!
FICTION
Children's: Young Adult
Cecil Castellucci's THE TIN STAR and A STONE IN THE SKY, a two part series pitched as Casablanca recast, re-envisioned, and set on a space station, to Nancy Mercado at Roaring Brook Press, by Kirby Kim at William Morris Endeavor (NA).
June 30, 2011
Grandma's Gloves and California Book Award Round Up
It may be a little after the fact, (I'm slow to blog these days) but since I just got word that I won the Children's Literature Council of Southern California's "Best Narrative Voice in a Picture Book" for Grandma's Gloves, I thought I'd post a little about the California Book Awards where I won the gold medal for the same book!
The awards took place in San Francisco on June 2nd and it started off with a visit to two of my gal pals Abigail Ulman and Kimetha Vanderveen who I know from the Macdowell Colony. Kimetha is an amazing visual artist (buy her art!) and she's participating in my Literary Diaspora. You are following my Literary Diaspora, right? My first conceptual art piece that combines visual artists, fabulous authors, postcards in those authors books, micro texts and the US Mail! Fantastico!
The awards took place at the Commonwealth Club. Mark Twain was our host.
I won for Juvenile and Dana Reinhardt won for Young Adult for her book The Things A Brother Knows.
I asked Dana to take a pic of me when I gave my speech. I don't think anyone saw my face. Next time I have to give an acceptance speech, I'm going to ask for an apple box to stand on.
I am so glad to be a California lady, so the award means a lot to me. Behold, My beautiful plaque!
If you want to watch the ceremony, here is a video.
June 8, 2011
LARB YA response roundup
Over at the LA Review of Books where I am the YA editor, we had some YA authors respond to the WSJ article. Just wanted to provide a little round up.
Cecil Castellucci – Better to Light a Candle Then Curse the Dark
Margaret Stohl – Funhouse Mirrors
Cassie St Onge – The Outsiders
Ned Vizzini – Rock and Roll
June 5, 2011
WSJ kerfuffle. LARB response.
There was a kerfuffle in the YA world. I wrote a response for the LA Review of Books (where i am the YA editor). Stay tuned for responses on the LARB blog all week from some awesome YA writers.
