Monica Edinger's Blog, page 113

Alice vs Wonderland?

Lewis Carroll meets Lady Gaga in this psychedelic update of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This new adaptation blends the lyrical whimsy of Alice with high-octane physical theater and the dynamic vision of acclaimed Hungarian director János Szász (Mother Courage, Marat/Sade, The Seagull). The result is a fresh, funny, and emotional remix of Carroll's classic coming-of-age tale.

Next month at the American Repertory Theater.  If you get to see it (I'm in NYC and this is in Boston so I...

Ducks, Pie, and Mash-Ups

There's a new blog on the scene, Philip Nel's Nine Kinds of Pie.  Phil's a children's lit academic — hold on, don't go away, he's cool — with a wonderful range of tastes and interests.  He got a lot of attention for his Dr. Seuss work, but he's done other cool stuff too.

Phil's latest post is "Too Bad His Duck Is So Crazy" featuring the witty and needs-to-be-better-known Tim Egan.  Like Phil I had always enjoyed his picture books, but really fell in love with him when I encountered the first...

Author's Intent vs Reader's Take

There is a fascinating discussion over at The Book Smugglers about Jackson Pearce's YA fairytale reworking of Red Ridinghood, Sisters Red. The bloggers present clearly and compellingly why they were dismayed by the text while the author in the comments indicates that her intent was just the opposite.

(via Finding Wonderland)

Emma –Clueless — Aisha

"Are you making fun of me?"

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(via the bookbench)

Whose Favorite Books?

David Elzey wonders about the suggestions Susan Orlean has been getting after tweeting a request for #booksthatchangekidsworlds.  They do have more to do with adults remembering beloved books than what Orlean's five-and-a-half-year-old son will necessarily go for (and remind me of similar suggestions made in response to a Nicholas Krisof op-ed piece of last year).  Coincidently J. Bell has a post on the trickiness of recommending a book to a kid.  (The responses

Charles R. Smith Poses a Great Question

What if Harry Potter were Black? (thanks to Rasco from Rif.)

Book Scrying

Thank you, David Barnett of the Guardian, for letting me know about this mind-blowing map which evidently shows real-time Book Depository purchases all over the world.  Very, very cool indeed.

Camilla Salander (possible spoiler if you haven't read all the Larsson books)

Okay, I just finished Steig Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.  I was pretty satisfied except for one thing — Camilla Salander, Lisbeth's twin.  What is up with her?  Why is she mentioned here and there and then no more?  With all the attention given to Lisbeth there was nothing done with Camilla? Why does no one seem to care?  Not Blomkvist?  His sister? The baddies?  The goodies?  Let me edit that — why does no one appear to care?  Is she a clumsy red herring?  I have a hard t...

Anthony Browne's Shape Game

Turning a doodle into a picture is one of Anthony Browne's favourite games. So what happened when the children's laureate sent an outline to artists, authors and actors and asked them to have a go?

This and this.

The Little Fellow

When I was in high school it was typical to have John Lennon or Mick Jagger up on your bedroom wall. I had Charlie Chaplin — the above lifesize poster, as a matter of fact.  He may have been my grandfather's age at the time, but for me he was that fey twenty-something in the films of his that I saw on public television.  Elegant, flirty, sweet, clever, and adorable.   As he charmed everyone in his day so he charmed me decades later.

My crush on Charlie has never left me and so I've been...