Grace Lin's Blog, page 107
April 29, 2011
fortune cookie friday
"Plan your year in the spring, your day at dawn."
-Chinese Proverb
April 28, 2011
tomorrow at the Eric Carle Museum
I've been so bad about announcing my upcoming events...and one is coming up tomorrow!
This Friday night, April 29th at 6:00 pm, join producer Steven Withrow, director Edward Dalaney, authors Jane Yolen and Richard Michelson, and ME, in a screening of the film in our cozy Auditorium, followed by a panel discussion and small reception at the Eric Carle Museum in Northampton, MA. More info here.
I hope some of you can make it!
This Friday night, April 29th at 6:00 pm, join producer Steven Withrow, director Edward Dalaney, authors Jane Yolen and Richard Michelson, and ME, in a screening of the film in our cozy Auditorium, followed by a panel discussion and small reception at the Eric Carle Museum in Northampton, MA. More info here.
I hope some of you can make it!
April 27, 2011
And the Winners are...
I'm happy to announce the winners of paperback edition of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Celebration! Eight people will receive the print of their choice from the Grace Lin Gallery, my etsy store. The winners, chosen completely at random (which means I just picked some numbers and then counted the order the e-mails came in) are...drumroll please....Jennifer Beckstead
Patty Davis
Jessica Armato
Laurie Slagenwhite Walters
Carolynne Lathrop
Martha Bisek
Jo Wong
Jennifer Hopwood
Congratulations to you! You should receive an e-mail notifying you of your prize and to arrange other details (if not, just contact gracelin.manager@gmail.com).
So sorry I could not give an etsy store print to everyone who entered. But stay tuned as I plan on having more great giveaways in the future!
April 26, 2011
booktalk tuesday
Shakespeare's Secret by Elise BroachIndieBound Description: Starting sixth grade at a new school is never easy, especially when your name is Hero. Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, Hero isn't at all interested in this literary connection. But when she's told by an eccentric neighbor that there might be a million dollar diamond hidden in her new house and that it could reveal something about Shakespeare's true identity, Hero is determined to live up to her name and uncover the mystery.
My Thoughts:Ohh, I love Elise Broach's books. I loved Masterpiece and I love this one too. I remember this came out when everyone was saying Chasing Vermeer was like a Da Vinci Code for kids. While I could see the similarities, I think Shakespeare's Secret is a better comparison!
April 25, 2011
on my desk monday
Writing supplies! I'm trying to write my new novel "Return to Sky" which means I need hair clips to hold back my growing-out bangs (I chose ones with goldfish to bring me luck!) and candied ginger. All my novels have been fueled by a steady ingestion of candied ginger. I usually eat the Trader Joe's brand but for some reason my local Trader Joe's has been sans candied ginger lately...which means I've resorted to Whole Foods and their expensive Australian version. Sigh. Hopefully, this will at least last me a chapter or two!
April 24, 2011
Sunday Chinese School
Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!Today's word is:
rainbow
cǎihóng
April 22, 2011
fortune cookie friday
"Even from such a well-sealed thing as an egg, a chicken is hatched."
-Chinese Proverb
April 21, 2011
orchard house
Spring is here! To celebrate, I ventured out and saw something that has been long on my "to do" list. I went to Orchard House!
Orchard House? What is that, you ask? Does this help?
Yes, it was the home of Louisa May Alcott, the author of one of my most memorable childhood books, Little Women!
I live only 40 minutes away from this historical site, but until this spring I had never visited. Now I no longer have to hang my head in shame.
It was a great fun. I admit don't love Little Women as much as I love Anne of Green Gables (my trip to PEI does still rank a bit higher) but it was rather awe-inspiring to be walking through the same rooms where such classic literature had been written.
They didn't allow any photos to be taken in the house, but in the gift shop they did sell..
Graces! To be honest, I'm not sure what these were, exactly.
And I did get to peek into the Concord School of Philosophy, established by Mr. Alcott who had some good ideas (like schools should have recess) and some wacky ones (like trying to exist on only plants that reached to the sky--so it went beyond vegan, no potatoes or carrots--the family had to almost starve before he gave that one up):
But of course it was Louisa May and the parallels of her life and Little Women that interested me the most. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and everything she told us was fascinating.
For example, all the characters of Little Women were based on Louisa May's family. However, she changed all the names (even her own for, of course Jo was based on herself) except for Beth. Beth had already died when Louisa wrote Little Women and she couldn't bear to write her differently. She wanted the character of Beth to be as exactly as she remembered her sister, name and all.
The other thing I found gratifying was the real life story of the character of Amy, based on Louisa's sister May. I've had issues with Amy, (probably because I felt she was the sister I had the most in common with) and it was nice to hear that all the money and effort that the family poured into May's art education was not in vain.
She never became a great master artist of her own name (the first edition of Little Women was illustrated by her but received negative reviews), but she was the teacher and the key reason that Daniel Chester French became an artist and sculptor. According to the guide, everyone thought Daniel Chester French was a loser but May stepped in and said he was an artist and taught him...the tools he used to sculpt Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial were the ones May Alcott gave to him.
Pretty neat, huh?
All in all, it was a great time and the perfect way to spend a spring day! Go if you have the chance.
Now I'm off to reread my copy of Little Women...
Orchard House? What is that, you ask? Does this help?
Yes, it was the home of Louisa May Alcott, the author of one of my most memorable childhood books, Little Women!
I live only 40 minutes away from this historical site, but until this spring I had never visited. Now I no longer have to hang my head in shame.
It was a great fun. I admit don't love Little Women as much as I love Anne of Green Gables (my trip to PEI does still rank a bit higher) but it was rather awe-inspiring to be walking through the same rooms where such classic literature had been written.
They didn't allow any photos to be taken in the house, but in the gift shop they did sell..
Graces! To be honest, I'm not sure what these were, exactly.And I did get to peek into the Concord School of Philosophy, established by Mr. Alcott who had some good ideas (like schools should have recess) and some wacky ones (like trying to exist on only plants that reached to the sky--so it went beyond vegan, no potatoes or carrots--the family had to almost starve before he gave that one up):
But of course it was Louisa May and the parallels of her life and Little Women that interested me the most. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and everything she told us was fascinating.For example, all the characters of Little Women were based on Louisa May's family. However, she changed all the names (even her own for, of course Jo was based on herself) except for Beth. Beth had already died when Louisa wrote Little Women and she couldn't bear to write her differently. She wanted the character of Beth to be as exactly as she remembered her sister, name and all.
The other thing I found gratifying was the real life story of the character of Amy, based on Louisa's sister May. I've had issues with Amy, (probably because I felt she was the sister I had the most in common with) and it was nice to hear that all the money and effort that the family poured into May's art education was not in vain. She never became a great master artist of her own name (the first edition of Little Women was illustrated by her but received negative reviews), but she was the teacher and the key reason that Daniel Chester French became an artist and sculptor. According to the guide, everyone thought Daniel Chester French was a loser but May stepped in and said he was an artist and taught him...the tools he used to sculpt Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial were the ones May Alcott gave to him.
Pretty neat, huh?All in all, it was a great time and the perfect way to spend a spring day! Go if you have the chance.
Now I'm off to reread my copy of Little Women...
April 19, 2011
booktalk tuesday
The Wizard of OZ by Frank L. BaumIndieBound Description:
"Follow the yellow brick road!"
Since it first appeared in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has brought joy to generations. In it, a girl's dream world comes to life as the cyclone lifts Dorothy from Kansas, depositing her in the enchanted land of the Munchkins. H ere she meets the famous Oz characters: the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Wicked Witch of the West. Her adventures along the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City and the Wizard himself evoke the rich, universal appeal of a classic fairy tale.
My Thoughts: Well, anyone who has read my book The Year of the Dog probably knows that I have always dreamt of being Dorothy. But strangely, even with this fixation I didn't set out to make a "Chinese Wizard of Oz" when I wrote Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. It was actually inspired by a Chinese folktale called "Olive Lake" which is much older than the Wizard of Oz. Perhaps both Frank Baum and I were inspired by the same tale!
April 18, 2011
on my desk monday
Gifts from a school I visited in Chicago! I couldn't fit them in my luggage so I left them with my sister in Chicago for her to mail to me and I just got them (she gets busy). The gifts are Where the Mountain Meets the Moon-themed--the vase has a fish and the wind-chime is made of chinese copper coins and red threads!Don't forget to enter the Where the Mountain Meets the Moon paperback celebration drawing ! You can win a free art print of your choice from my etsy store just by e-mailing gracelin.manager @gmail.com. And to accommodate KidsBuzz Readers, I've just extended the entry deadline April 27th! Read here for more details.
