Monica Edinger's Blog, page 58

Jean Merrill’s The Elephant Who Liked to Smash Small Cars

Jean Merrill’s The Pushcart War is one of my favorite books. Decades back I read it aloud many times, wrote and put it on as a play, and also did a movie of it. This year I’ve decided it is time to return to it and so I plan to read it aloud to my class, have them create an animated version (I’m revising my script for this), and help me advocate for getting it back in print. For this last I’ve been poking about a bit to find out more about it and came acrossthis really, really, subversive lit...

The Unjournal of Children’s Literature

The “un” movement is an intriguing one. Until recently I had only heard about it in terms of unconferences, participant-driven events such as this one. But now there is another sort of un-thing, an unjournal. Created by children’s literature graduate students at the University of San Diego, the inaugural issue of The Unjournal of Children’s Literature is up and ready for viewing, reading, and responding. Gorgeous to look at, clearly designed in terms of navigation, fascinating in terms of co...

The Edinburgh Book Festival

The Edinburgh Book Festival is one of the best public celebrations of books in the world. Beginning in 1983, it now goes on every August featuring an enormous range of writers and events for all sorts of readers. After years I hearing about it I finally got a firsthand taste of it last week and it was as fabulous as reported.

Arriving at Charlotte Square, a beautiful space in Edinburgh’s New Town, I found a small village of white tents (and a Spiegeltent) connected by a boardwalk, surrounding...

Scotland

Our final few days were in Scotland, mostly in Edinburgh with a day trip up to Loch Ness and back. I was partly there for the Edinburgh Book Festival for which I will do a separate post. This one is about the other aspects of our time in Scotland.

First of all, we took the train from King’s Cross in London and were very amused by the commercialization and lines for the so-called “Platform 9 3/4″ of the Harry Potter books. Years back when then books had just appeared but not the movies I rememb...

London Part Two

I have to admit that my relationship with London is mixed. My mother and her sister and parents came here after escaping Germany in 1939, thanks to Lotte Passer, my cousin who passed away earlier this year at age 99. My first time was when I was six during a year we spent in Germany (my father was a specialist in German politics) and I have come many times since then. Sometimes I stayed with family friends, sometimes with my own friends (one, in particular, whom I first met in Sierra Leone, a...

London Part One

We took it very easy yesterday and spent most of it in and around Kensington Gardens. We walked along Kensington Place Gardens trying to figure out the flags of the different embassies. We then entered the park and looked for the Orangery. (Years ago Roxanne and I had a lovely tea there and, since Tyner was eager to have a traditional tea, I suggested we go there.) Took a bit of time to find it as we kept being distracted by signs for the Princess Diana Memorial Walk and wondering what it was...

Oxford and Alice (of course)!

We began by meeting Mark and Catherine Richards, old friends who lead the UK Lewis Carroll Society, and spent some time in and around Christ Church. Mark spoke to the bulldog (the Oxford security guard complete with bowler hat) at Tom Tower, the main entrance to the college, about going in to look for someone Mark knew there. We were advised to wait until the college was open to the public at 2 and so wandered over to Christ Church Meadow. I had fun looking for my room in Meadow Quad as it ha...

Oxford Day Two

We began with breakfast at the Hall at Keble College. Our rooms are very nice, but I think it is the gorgeous Victorian quads and the hall that make staying there so unique.

Breakfast at the high table!

We then went across the street to the Pitt Rivers Museum— perhaps my favorite museum in the whole world. Here’s a post from last year’s visit to give you a taste. This time I dragged Tyner right to my favorite object, the silver bottle with the witch, and then we separated to wander. As happens...

Oxford Day One

It felt as if our first day in Oxford was twice as long as most days, understandable as we had just completed an overnight flight from NYC*.

We left our baggage at Keble College as our rooms weren’t ready and went over to the Vaults for breakfast. You can see the Sheldonian Theater behind Tyner where there were graduation ceremonies being held that day.

Sitting there I saw this intriguing stone and wondered what the story behind it was. Looks like three young people died all together?

We then t...

Off to Oxford, London, and Edinburgh

I’m off on a play/work jaunt to the UK later today.

First stop is Oxford to do some research for my newAlice project.* I’ve visited many times, the most memorable being a magical week in 1998 at Christ Church, celebrating Lewis Carroll’s centenary. Ever since I’ve avoided the inside of the college, wanting to keep pure my memories of that wonderful time: living in Meadow Quad, extraordinary meals at the Hall, champaign at sunset, late night port, the Deanery Garden, and much more. Now I do nee...