A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED CHILDREN'S LITERARY SALON ON MAY 1 AT THE NYPL BERGER FORUM

Olivier Tallec and Oliver Jeffers are both avid world travelers and authors whose bold and colorful children’s books are bestsellers in the US. Join them for an animated conversation at the New York Public Library, moderated by Pamela Paul, Children's Book Editor of the New York Times Book Review.

Olivier Tallec’s books are as colorful as his travels. After graduating from the École Supérieure d'Art graphique in Paris, he worked as a graphic designer in advertising before devoting himself to illustration. His work has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines and he has illustrated over 50 books for children, including Waterloo and Trafalgar (Enchanted Lion Books) and the well-known series ‘Rita and Whatsit’ (Chronicle Books). In 2010, Big Wolf & Little Wolf was chosen as a Batchelder Honor Book.

Oliver Jeffers brings a strong sense of artistry and whimsy to his books. Originally from Northern Ireland, he graduated from the University of Ulster with a degree in Visual Communication. He is widely known for his picture books for children, including How to Catch a Star, The Great Paper Caper, and This Moose Belongs to Me (Philomel).  Lost and Found received the Blue Peter Book Award in 2006 and The Incredible Book Eating Boy was named Children’s Book of the Year at the 2007 Irish Book Awards.  He now lives and works in Brooklyn.

Dates: May 1, 2013 | 6pm - 7pm
Place: New York Public Library, Berger Forum
Moderated by Pamela Paul

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This event is part of the series: Picture This! Conversations with illustrators from Paris and NY organized by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.

This event is presented in partnership with Enchanted Lion Books and the New York Public Library's series: Children's Literary Salon:Talks on Contemporary Children's Illustration.

BACKING A YOUNG PERSON TO FLY: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AN "ARTS ANGEL"

 "Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, "Grow, grow." - The Talmud

 

I recently went to see a 12-year-old friend of mine in her school production of the musical Bye-Bye Birdie.  It's a huge deal to be in a school show, especially a musical.  It takes months to learn all the songs, lines, and choreography.  I know it meant a lot to this young person that I was there to back her.  A whole posse was there to cheer her on,  and I know it made a big difference to her.  It takes a lot of courage to get up on that stage, and it feels good to know that folks are out in that audience rooting for you.

I've also committed myself to going to the school show of my four-year-old friend Lucy.  She's the daughter of one of my best friends.  Lucy told me that her class will be singing Bob Marley songs for their end of the year performance.  They have been rehearsing for a long time.  I told her I would be there.  I was also there for her first dance recital. 

Supporting the arts isn't just about going to Lincoln Center or BAM or Carnegie Hall.  It means hanging up young people's paintings and drawings front and center in your home or going to see their first dance or music recital.  It means listening appreciatively when they play the piano or sing around the house without worrying about how "good" they are.  Let them enjoy creating for creation's sake.

I think a lot of young ones give up early on doing these things because they quickly pick up on the idea that you have to be "good" at that thing. The emphasis in our society is on performance instead of enjoyment of the process.

When I was eight, my dance teacher let me choreograph my own piece for a recital and also come up with the idea for my costume.  I was going to be the sun in this dance, so my mom made a yellow satin leotard and then sewed red sequins in the shape of a sun on top of the satin.  She dyed my ballet shoes red and then secured long pieces of red ribbon to them so I could wrap the ribbons up my ankles.

I will never forget the experience of having a dance teacher that trusted me enough to have me choreograph my own  piece and design my own costume.   It has always stayed with me that an adult backed me to follow my own mind and implement my creative vision for something.

It's my aim to pay it forward by supporting the young people I know in their artistic endeavors simply by lending my attention to and complete appreciation for the intelligence and creativity they bring to the table.

Who are you an arts angel to?  Who could you be an arts angel to?

FROM THE AUTHOR OF ROBOT DREAMS COMES THE LOVELY AND WHIMSICAL BAKE SALE

 I was munching on a homemade chocolate chip macaroon at neighborhood joint The Treats Truck  Stop, when a book sitting on the counter caught my eye.  It was called Bake Sale,  and on the cover was a live eggplant and a live cupcake putting frosting on cupcakes together. 

Yes, that's right, the main characters of Bake Sale are an eggplant and a cupcake who are close friends.  The book is done in the style of a graphic novel, and at its outset we find Cupcake, the proprietor of The Sweet Tooth Bakery, getting ready to open his shop for the day. He opens for business, and in come some customers - a tomato and then a soda can.  Finally, his friend Eggplant comes to pick him up to go out for lunch and then to band practice.

Through the friends' lunchtime conversation, it becomes known that Eggplant is saving up to visit his famous chef and cookbook author Aunt Augustine in Istanbul.  When Cupcake learns that Turkish Delight, the greatest pastry chef in the world, is Aunt Aubergine's business partner, he develops an interest in making the mecca to Istanbul with Eggplant.

Dreaming of Turkish Delight, Cupcake starts to fall off his game.  He gets distracted at band practice, and loses his mojo as a bakery owner. Can he find his way back to his dreams? I'll let you read the book to find out the deets!

Here's what I loved most about Bake Sale:

• It's whimsical, but also has sweet and deep themes running through it
• The illustrations are excellent
• The main characters are food items, who sell food and go shopping for food and who take their pets to well-loved NY events such as Westminster Dog Show and Blessing of the Animals.  Unconventional pairings that work!
• The illustrations and recipes reflect the time Sara took to research bakery life and baked goods
• There are recipes you can actually use
• It confirmed my hunch that cupcakes are not just something for us to consume; they too have important dreams and deep emotional lives

For more information about author/illustrator Sara Varon, check out her site: 

* The author's publicist sent me a copy of Bake Sale at my request, with no guarantee on my part of a positive review.

TREAT TWITTER LIKE A COCKTAIL PARTY

I never thought I'd be a user, much less a fan, of Twitter, but after a few trusted friends encouraged me to do so, I hopped on the bandwagon a little more than 3 years ago. 

It's been a really great ride so far:  I've found work projects; forged connections that evolved into real-time friendships and collaborations; and discovered info about amazing arts and culture events in NY.  I'll never forget riding up to Asphalt Green to join hundreds of other New Yorkers welcome home Brooklyn Olympic medalist Lia Neal from London.  How did I find out about this awesome event? Through Twitter!

Every single day, I feel like I've won the jackpot in terms of  the huge dose of inspiration I receive from seeing all the amazing things that people are doing and thinking about out there.

I thank my fellow/sister Twitterers for this gift, and offer you some of my own thoughts about being a presence on Twitter:

* Do treat Twitter like a cocktail party.  Don't spend the whole time talking about yourself.  Do shine the light on other people.  See what they've been up to; make connections between other guests at the party.  Follow Friday is a nice opportunity to do that.

* Don't treat Twitter like a bullhorn.  It's fine to share your thoughts, projects, photos, etc.  But no one wants to be bombarded with constant announcements about you, your product, your service, your articles, etc.   

* Do pick themes for Follow Friday. I'll do ones like "All Things Theater" and "Literary Delights".  It lends cohesiveness to your tweets, shows what you are committed to, and lets people who do similar types of things see and connect to each other.

* Do show thanks or a friendly acknowledgement of some kind when you are mentioned in someone's Follow Friday tweet. 

* Do have your Twitter account at the ready when you read magazines, newspapers, and online publications.  Every Thursday, when I read the NY Times arts, business, and style sections, I add interesting-sounding people mentioned in articles to my account and often give them a shout-out along the lines of "Enjoyed the piece about you in today's @NYTimes !  Congrats!"  Doing so has led to some great online and offline connections.

* Don't be a clique-y tweeter; that is - don't just follow or send tweets to people in your world, whether it's the world of dance, politics, baseball, or sock monkey collecting.  Twitter is a great place to branch out, make new friends from all walks of life, and find out what people are doing in all corners of the earth. 

* Do show appreciation for people and places that have moved, inspired, or served you well.  Recently, I tweeted a thanks to the people, a restaurant, and cultural institutions that helped make my parents' visit from CA to NY a special one.  People love to be spotlighted for what they do best.

* Don't send a lot of cryptic tweets that come across as inside jokes or as messages designated for one or two people.  Doing so makes other guests at the Twitter party feel left out, annoyed, and confused.

* Do write Tweets using a variety of tones - light and playful, funny, serious, thoughtful, spontaneous.

 *Don't be a "one-note" Tweeter.  For example: No one wants to read tweet after tweet with links to articles about how the world is going to hell in a hand basket.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  What are your Twitter Tips?

30% DISCOUNT FOR CREATIVE TIMES READERS ON TICKETS TO "ANN" THE PLAY

 

 

“A BRAVURA PERFORMANCE!” – Chicago Tribune

 

Tough as nails.
Funny as hell.

 

ANN

A new play starring HOLLAND TAYLOR

 

SAVE OVER 30%

 

$85 Orchestra & Loge (A-C) (reg. $125)

 

$55
Rear Loge (D-E) (reg. $75)

 

Visit Broadwayoffers.com or call 212-239-6200 and use code ANNMKT1
Or, bring this offer to Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 W. 65th St.

 

 

BOX OFFICE HOURS 

Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun Noon-6pm 


 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE 

Tues 7pm, Wed 2pm & 8pm, 
Thurs 7pm, Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 3pm

 

This season, a true original comes to Broadway at Lincoln Center.

ANN is a no-holds-barred portrait of Ann Richards, the legendary governor of Texas.
This inspiring and hilarious new play brings us face to face with a complex, colorful and
captivating character bigger than the state from which she hailed. Written and performed
by Emmy® Award winner Holland Taylor (“Two and a Half Men”), ANN takes a revealing
look at the impassioned woman who enriched the lives of her followers, friends and family.

After playing throughout Texas to sold-out audiences, ANN went on to win critical acclaim
both in Chicago and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. And now this extraordinary
play comes to Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater in a production directed by
Benjamin Endsley Klein (resident director of War Horse). Don’t miss this unforgettable
performance that The New York Times has called, “frank, funny and warm. As Ann Richards,
Holland Taylor is a FIERY DYNAMO.”

 

*Offer valid for performances thru 6/9/13. Additional blackout dates may apply. Offer subject to availability and priorsale. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Offer may be modified or revoked at any time without notice. Allphone and Internet offers subject to normal service charges. Offer available for select seats and performances. Limit 6 tickets per order.

AN OPEN LETTER TO HOLLAND TAYLOR, THE WRITER AND STAR OF "ANN"

Dear Ms. Taylor,

I was totally blown away by Ann - the play about the late Texas Governor Ann Richards which you wrote and star in.  When I talk to friends who really know how to lean in and listen, and describe you and the story of the play to them, my eyes well up and so do theirs.  I'm no sap, but damn!  You do know how to move an audience!

I first learned of your play while watching the CBS Sunday Morning News Show.  Within the first 30 seconds of viewing the segment, I knew I had to go see Ann.  It was the same gut feeling I had when I saw Eva Zeisel, then celebrating her 100th birthday, on this same show.  Ms. Zeisel was a world-class, Hungarian-born industrial designer best-known for her work with ceramics and her "playful search for beauty."  Falsely accused of trying to assassinate Stalin (!), she survived 16 months of solitary confinement in prison.  Ms. Zeisel also narrowly escaped the Nazis. 

When I saw the piece about Ms. Zeisel, and then learned she lived not far away from me, I knew I had to meet her in person.  What an amazing experience it was to visit with her shortly after she turned 100.

Like Ms. Zeisel, the Ann you portray was a strong and creative risk-taker, with a fighting spirit and an awesome sense of humor.  So when I saw the CBS news segment, there was that deja vu feeling of "I've got to go and see this person."  And so, last week, I journeyed from Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn to Lincoln Center in Manhattan to see Ann.

Here's why I think you and your play are important now:

* It's pretty common knowledge that roles for women in Hollywood, especially after a certain age, are limited.  As you said on the CBS segment, you've played your share of moms.  I'm glad you took things into your own hands and wrote a role that would allow you to portray a whip-smart, gutsy female who pushed past restrictions placed on women in order to step out big time into the public sphere.  You show that we women have to literally write the roles we want to play in this world.  Thank you for that!

* There is a particular way that females get targeted when they venture way out into the public sphere and take a stand on important issues. The attacks are often personal and vicious. (Just ask Hillary Clinton!)  I appreciate that you came forward to depict a woman who dared to step out, speak her mind, and act on her principles.  
 
Here's what I loved about your depiction of Ann Richards:

*  You showed the way Ann  brought her working class sensibilities into her job as a politician - specifically, her straight-forwardness, integrity, lack of pretense, and unwillingness to sell out on her values.   

* You caught the nuances of Ann Richards without affect or over-acting.

* I mostly forgot that I was at a play.  I generally felt like I was hanging out with Ann Richards in her office. 

*  You depict Ann's simultaneous affection for but lack of deference to Bill Clinton when he was in office as President - e.g. the joke she tells him about Arkansas on the phone right before hanging up on him. Brilliant! (And the audience laughed hard here!) By the way, I saw that picture you posted on Twitter of President Clinton wiping tears from his face upon seeing you after he saw the performance.  That picture spoke volumes about the power of your play.

* You refer to Ann's relationship with Congresswoman and  Senator Barbara Jordan and the Lady Longhorn basketball games they went to together.

Thoughts on Your Play, Going Forward 

Ms. Taylor, I hope that lots more people go see your play during its run.  I hope that people of different ages and incomes and races get to go and see it.  It offers hope, inspiration, and a reminder that it's possible for all of us to have big lives while holding our families and friends close to our hearts.   

It is also my wish that I have the honor of meeting you in person before the show's run has ended.  That would be the gift of all gifts.

Thanks for taking your vision and making it into a reality.  Both your play and your personal life have had huge ripple effects, and will continue to do so.

Ms. Taylor:  Like Ann Richards, you are a rolling stone that gathers no moss.  Like Ms. Richards, you kick the a** of sexism and other injustices, and take no prisoners.

Keep up the good work, Ms. Taylor, as Ann looks down and smiles.


With Appreciation,

Eleanor Traubman
Editor, Creative Times
creativetimes.blogspot.com     

GOOD NEWS! ANN, AN AMAZING PLAY STARRING HOLLAND TAYLOR, HAS BEEN EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1!

NEW YORK HAS FALLEN IN LOVE WITH ANN

“As the INSPIRING ANN RICHARDS,

HOLLAND TAYLOR is a FIERY DYNAMO.”

 

“HOLLAND TAYLOR is MASTERFUL.”

"Performer and subject are both SO VIVIDLY ALIVE, it's INFECTIOUS, and WE'RE HELPLESSLY DRAWN IN!"

   

EMMY^® AWARD WINNER HOLLAND TAYLOR

EXTENDS IN CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ANN

 AT LINCOLN CENTER’S VIVIAN BEAUMONT THEATER

ANN, the new critically acclaimed play written and performed by Emmy Award-winning actress Holland Taylor and directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein, has been extended through Sunday, September 1, 2013, on Broadway at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). 

ANN is an intimate, no-holds-barred portrait of Ann Richards, the legendary Governor of Texas. This inspiring and hilarious new play brings us face to face with a complex, colorful and captivating character bigger than the state from which she hailed. Written and performed by Emmy Award winner Holland Taylor (“Two and a Half Men”), ANN takes a revealing look at the impassioned woman who enriched the lives of her followers, friends and family.

ANN has scenic design by Michael Fagin, costume design by Julie Weiss, lighting design by Matthew Richards, sound design by Ken Huncovsky, projection design by Zachary Borovay and wig design by Paul Huntley.  ANN is produced by Bob Boyett and Harriet Newman Leve with co-producers Jane Dubin, Jack Thomas/Mark Johannes and Amy Danis, Sarahbeth Grossman, Jon Cryer/Lisa Joyner, Minerva Productions, Lary Brandt/Brian Dorsey, Kate Hathaway/Allison Thomas and Jennifer Isaacson in association with Lincoln Center Theater, Colleen Barrett, Nancy T. Beren, Francesca Zambello and Faith Gay, Patrick Terry/Rich Affannato, Marcy Adelman/Paula Kaminsky Davis, Campbell Spencer/ Suisman Gasparian and Bonnie Levinson/Emily Conner.  ANN is executive produced by Kevin Bailey.

ANN played to sold-out audiences at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House in the summer of 2010, San Antonio’s Empire Theatre in the fall of 2010, and Austin’s Paramount Theatre in the spring of 2011.  In the fall of 2011 the new play opened to critical acclaim at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre, and went on to have a smash hit run at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center in winter of 2011/2012.

The playing schedule for ANN is: Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm.  Tickets range from $75 - $125 and can purchased at the Vivian Beaumont Theater box office, online at lct.org or through Telecharge.com (212-239-6200).   A limited number of tickets priced at $30 will be available at every performance through LincTix, LCT's program for 21 to 35 year olds. For information or to enroll, visit LincTix.org.  A, limited number of $30.00 Student tickets for ANN are available two hours prior to curtain at the box office. Students must show a valid student ID card. There is a limit of 1 ticket per ID.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT:

www.theannrichardsplay.com

“HOLLAND TAYLOR IS BRILLIANT!” – The Hollywood Reporter

“HOLLAND TAYLOR is ENDEARING and HILARIOUS.” – Entertainment Weekly

“HOLLAND TAYLOR IS A HOOT!” – AP

“FUNNY & TENDER. A DEEPLY AFFECIONATE, CLEVER TRIBUTE.” – USA Today

"HOLLAND TAYLOR SHINES!" – Daily News

"HOLLAND TAYLOR is AN EXEMPLARY FORCE FOR FEISTINESS." –Newsday

“A WITTY, PASSIONATE LOVE LETTER. HOLLAND TAYLOR is REMARKABLE.”

–       NBC 4 New York

“HOLLAND TAYLOR is SPLENDID, capturing ANN RICHARDS’ HUMOR, DECENCY and ENERGY.” –The Village Voice

"FUNNY, AND SMART AND CANDID,…SO RIVETING YOUR MIND REFUSES TO WANDER" - The New York Observer