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  • Eloise by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight

    Eloise by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight

    Eloise is a classic 1955 picture book written by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary Knight. Writer Kay Thompson (1909–1998) was also a composer, musician, actress and singer. Illustrator Hilary Knight was born in Hempstead, Long Island, New York, in 1926. Most popular picture books endure because they appeal to a dual audience of children and […]

    July 4, 2022
  • The Psychology Of Writing Critique Groups

    The Psychology Of Writing Critique Groups

    I’ve been participating in various online writing critique groups for about fifteen years. These days, some highly algorithmic critique groups work to encourage participation, gamify frequent participation and reward peer-to-peer encouragement.

    June 18, 2022
  • Rip Van Winkle Can Get In The Sea

    Rip Van Winkle Can Get In The Sea

    I finally read the short story “Rip Van Winkle” (1819), by America’s first well-recognised author, Washington Irving. Some say that Irving invented the American short story. (Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe turned it into literary art.) Importantly to the history of literature, “Rip Van Winkle” is one of the first allegories which features an…

    June 3, 2022
  • Eric Carle-esque Collage In Children’s Illustration

    Eric Carle-esque Collage In Children’s Illustration

    Some children’s illustrators use paper collage to illustrate their books by painting and and decorating their own assortment of cut paper. Think The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle’s artwork is often shown in classrooms as a model for children creating paper collages. Today I’d like to introduce you to a few artists who create similar artwork.…

    May 30, 2022
  • Invisible Bird by Claire-Louise Bennett Short Story Analysis

    Invisible Bird by Claire-Louise Bennett Short Story Analysis

    Claire-Louise Bennett’s story is a great mentor text if you’re writing (perhaps autobiographically) about a period in someone’s life, looking back after much has been forgotten, when memories come episodically. The difficulty with these stories is: How to end them?

    May 29, 2022
  • Aliens and UFOs in Storytelling

    Aliens and UFOs in Storytelling

    A brief history of aliens, UFOs and otherworldly creatures in art, literature and storytelling more generally.

    May 28, 2022
  • Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack by Lynley Dodd Analysis

    Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack by Lynley Dodd Analysis

    Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack (1999) is a picture book written and illustrated by New Zealand storyteller Lynley Dodd. A duckling saves Hairy’s life. Although many of the Hairy Maclary stories are written with the carnivalesque picture book structure, this one is not. Hairy is not on a fun adventure this time; it is summer, and he wants to sleep. He almost loses his life! Plots like this require the classic Odyssean mythical structure.

    May 28, 2022
  • The Wind Is My Lover (Singoalla) Swedish Classic

    The Wind Is My Lover (Singoalla) Swedish Classic

    I need to show you these beautiful illustrations by Swedish illustrator Carl Larsson, more famous for colourful, domestic scenes.

    May 21, 2022
  • Aerial Views Of Beaches In Art And Illustration

    Aerial Views Of Beaches In Art And Illustration

    Paintings and illustrations of beaches from above and from a distance.

    May 20, 2022
  • Garden Paths In Art And Illustration

    Garden Paths In Art And Illustration

    Paths through woodland and gardens, mostly with a hygge vibe, though this can be subverted.

    May 20, 2022
  • Bookshops In Art And Illustration

    Bookshops In Art And Illustration

    Bookshop storefronts and interiors, as depicted by various artists and illustrators.

    May 20, 2022
  • Combining Gestures And Dialogue In Writing

    Combining Gestures And Dialogue In Writing

    A while ago I took a close look at how writers craft body language beats in dialogue scenes. This is a difficult skill for various reasons: Many gestures are common and we do them over and over (e.g. She nodded, he smiled.) Writers tend to have our own go-to body language tics which need to…

    May 19, 2022
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