text:
NOTES from October 11 meeting SPEAKER: Sue Todd
President Sharon Jennings welcomed everyone and introduced some attending CANSCAIP volunteers and staff: Rita Bailey, Patricia Storms, Michele Nidenoff, Holly Main, Rob Morphy, Theo Heras, Anne Laurel Carter, Bev Katz Rosenbaum and Helena Aalto.
Sharon thanked Barbara Greenwood for another outstanding issue of CANSCAIP News and noted that attendee Jo Ellen Bogart did a great job on the Jean Little profile.
Three people, attending for the first time, introduced themselves.
Celebrate with author Sylvia McNicoll as she launches The Artsy Mistake Mystery at the Art Gallery of Burlington on Sunday, November 5 from 2:00 - 3:30.
Melanie Fishbane has several events promoting Maud.
Picture book author Lana Button is CANSCAIP's new liaison with IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People. IBBY's Canadian branch was founded in 1980 with a mandate to introduce Canadian children's literature to the world as well as bring international works to Canada's attention. IBBY Canada gives out awards and grants and also nominates Canadians for prestigious international awards. Their Children in Crisis fund offers bibliotherapy and helps replace libraries that are destroyed due to war or natural disasters. This year, IBBY has nominated Kenneth Oppel and Isabelle Arsenault for the prestigious international Hans Christian Anderson Award (the little Nobel). Lana urged CANSCAIP members to get more involved with IBBY by volunteering.
Sharon passed on message from Teresa Toten about BookShout, on Sunday, October 22 from 1:30 to 6:00 at the Toronto Reference Library's Bluma Appel Salon. This is the TPL's inaugural festival of reading for young adults. The afternoon will feature some of YA's current stars, including S.K. Ali, Kelley Armstrong, Elly Blake, Vicki Grant, Melanie Florence, Lesley Livingston, Richard Scrimger, and Teresa. There will be presentations, questions, and signings. This event is free but you have to register.
CANSCAIP's Administrative Director Helena Aalto noted that our Packaging Your Imagination conference will be on Saturday, November 11. This year, you will be able to buy an audio recording of any additional sessions for an extra $25. Virtual PYI will be offered once again.
Our September 20 webinar on grants, given by Heather O'Connor, was very successful. Forty-two people registered. Anyone who missed it can still buy/watch the video recording.
Helena noted that at our September meeting she had forgotten to thank Melanie Fishbane for her two years of overseeing CANSCAIP's social media presence.
Sharon relayed the message sent by Eric Walters: Sue Todd's illustrations on their latest picture book collaboration, Wild Beasts, are "quite frankly, simply brilliant."
Patricia Storms (programming committee) introduced Sue Todd. A graduate of OCA (now OCADU), she was initially a freelance designer who took up lino carving in her spare time. She has created art for advertising, editorial, and publishing (first for educational books and now trade). She has also created book covers, posters and tee shirts. Her work can be found in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. She has recently taken up portrait painting and is also working on her first graphic novel. In addition to making art, Sue enjoys opera, yoga, and cycling.
Sue said she came late to the lino cutting technique, (using ordinary linoleum flooring), but now she has been doing it for twenty years, and the technique provided her with a second career.
She began with a slide show on the different tracks her career has taken. She pointed out that it's useful for artists to make and see their mistakes and failures along the way. She reminded us it's a journey and that artists are always learning. She did a ton of advertising illustrations for about ten years. These jobs were challenging because the deadlines were incredibly tight. She did a lot of work for business and legal magazines, until stock images took over from illustrations. She never tried licensing (wants to) but her work has wound up on products, including Walmart shopping bags.
Sue reminded us it's never too late to bloom. She came very late to children's trade publishing. She got her first two trade book commissions only in the last couple of years, for books by Tomson Highway and Eric Walters.
A highlight of the evening was Sue's demonstration of her lino cutting technique, pointing out that whatever you carve is a reverse image; it is the space around the line that gets inked. She brought all her tools, and showed us how to carve – always away from the body! Once the linoleum is clamped down and carved, Sue spreads ink evenly on a platen. She uses a tabletop printmaking press for small works, but does larger pieces by hand. Sue mentioned that she likes every stage of this process—thinking of the image, carving it, printing it, and coloring it (computer or analogue).
Next, Sue puts printmaking paper on the plate and presses on it to make her print. Her initial thumbnails, only two inches, usually end up being remarkably similar to the final product. She refines and colors the illustrations in Photoshop and likes to use textured backgrounds. She scans in Kraft paper and colorizes/darkens.
Her second trade book was with Orca. She'd mailed them postcards for years and they finally wrote back saying they had a project for her – An African Alphabet, written by Eric Walters. She talked with the editor about how the animals were to be presented (friendly but not anthropomorphic), and she did her sketches after reading about the animals' habits and habitats.
Sue mentioned she had signed a boilerplate contract for her first book, but on An African Alphabet, she hired Sally Keefe Cohen (met through CANSCAIP), who negotiated contract changes for her.
She also noted the importance of not putting all your eggs in one basket. She buys mailing lists, sends postcards and bulk emailers, and also has a presence on several websites.
She quoted Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: 'In the realm of ideas, everything depends on enthusiasm...in the real world, all rests on perseverance.'
She cited as creative inspirations, among others: Barbara Klunder, PeeWee's Playhouse, Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, mythology, Jim Flora, and George Walker. Sue ended by inviting us to try printmaking with the equipment and linos she brought with her.
Sharon thanked Sue for her generosity in sharing her experiences.
NOTES from September 13 meeting: 40th Anniversary
SPECIAL GUESTS: Michael Martchenko, Jean Little
President Sharon Jennings welcomed attendees and those tuning in from across the country via our first-ever live-streamed meeting! Sharon is proud to be CANSCAIP's president for the third time; she hung in for the 40th anniversary cake!
Past presidents Nancy Hartry, Sylvia McNicoll, Bill Swan, Sonja Dunn and Kathleen Willing attended this special evening.
Eleven creators started CANSCAIP on July 1, 1977 in a conversation at a literary festival; they felt a group was needed for support, friendship, advice, and the sharing of professional information. Our CANSCAIP News editor Barbara Greenwood, also a past president, wrote a summary of our organization's history for the Fall issue.
Board members Holly Main, Michele Nidenoff, Patricia Storms, Bill Swan, Cathy Rondina and Recording Secretary Bev Katz Rosenbaum and Administrative Director Helena Aalto were acknowledged. Mireille Messier and Jennifer Mook-Sang were thanked for helping set up and bringing refreshments. In the midst of celebration, Sharon noted the recent losses of Members Janet Lunn and Jan Andrews.
Sharon noted that we are trying to make the organization more inclusive for Members across the country. Now, people can attend PYI virtually, and we're also holding webinars. And tonight is our first attempt at live-streaming a meeting!
Barbara Reid presented her new book Picture the Sky, published by Scholastic.
Patricia Storms presented her new illustrated book If You're Thankful and You Know It, published by Scholastic, with text by Chrissy Bozik.
Lorna Poplak presented her adult book, Drop Dead: A Horrible History of Hanging in Canada, published by Dundurn Press.
Jennifer Mook-Sang presented Captain Monty Takes the Plunge, published by Kids Can Press. Jennifer pointed out this book was a former winner of CANSCAIP's Writing for Children competition.
Heather Camlot presented Clutch, a middle-grade novel, published by Red Deer Press. Set in Montreal during the time Jackie Robinson played baseball there, the story features a boy trying to get out of his poor Plateau neighbourhood. This debut novel was also a winner in the CANSCAIP Writing for Children competition.
Nadia Hohn first announced that her picture book Malaika's Costume won an honorable mention at the Americas Awards and she will attend the ceremony in Washington at the Library of Congress. Next, Nadia presented the sequel to that book, Malaika's Winter Carnival, in which Malaika joins her mother in Canada.
Michelle Kadarusman presented The Theory of Hummingbirds (Pajama Press), a mid-grade novel about becoming your truest self.
Kate Blair presented her second book, Tangled Planet, published by DCB, Cormorant's young adult science fiction imprint. It features a young engineer on a starship planet not as uninhabited as previously thought.
Mireille Messier presented Moi Aussi!, the story of two girls striking up a friendship. One gets so caught up in the spirit of things that she lies about something they have in common.
Sylvia McNicoll presented The Artsy Mistake Mystery, the latest in her Great Mistake Mysteries series. It is based on an experience she had losing a painting of Michael Martchenko's while in charge of a CANSCAIP art show!
Sharon presented several books on behalf of Members not attending. Charis Cotter's The Painting, is a middle-grade novel published by Tundra, in which a girl going through a difficult time finds she can walk into a painting. Margriet Ruurs' latest non-fiction picture book, Birthdays Around the World (Kids Can Press), illustrated by Ashley Barron, depicts the various ways birthdays are celebrated. Mine, by Natalie Hyde, is a mid-grade laugh-out-loud novel (Scholastic) in which a boy tries to thwart the long run of bad luck that has plagued his family. The launch for Mine is on November 4 at the Earth Sciences Museum at the University of Waterloo. Holly Hatam has illustrated a picture book Dear Girl (Harper Collins) which encourages girls to love who they are, inside and out.
Helena Aalto, CANSCAIP's Administrative Director, announced that she and Debbie Ohi are looking for volunteers for CANSCAIP's newly formed Social Media Committee. Also on the committee are Melanie Fishbane and Karen Krossing. Volunteers need only spend 15-30 minutes a week on this. They must be comfortable with social media. There is a sign-up form Debbie's website.
Our annual PYI conference will take place on Saturday, November 11th, at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. Andrea Beck, the author of this year's grade one book giveaway, is our morning Keynote speaker; Ken Setterington will give the Claire Mackay Memorial Lecture.
For our 40th anniversary, we celebrated some early Canadian children's publishing success stories. The partnership of Michael Martchenko and Robert Munsch is certainly that. Their story began with the 1980 publication of The Paper Bag Princess, which is still in print! Jean Little was one of the eleven founding Members of CANSCAIP. On that memorable day, when planning this support group, Jean said, "This will never last." A very funny program of reminiscences and advice ensued.
You can view the entire evening at the recording of our live-streamed meeting. http://www.vvcnetwork.ca/canscaip/20170913
Registration is now open for the CANSCAIP Prairie Horizons 2017 Conference: Beyond Limits!
The conference takes place September 15-17 at Queen's House Retreat and Renewal Centre in Saskatoon.
Find details and registration information at the CANSCAIP Sask Horizons website.
NOTES from June 14 Meeting; SPEAKER: Frank Viva
CANSCAIP President Sharon Jennings greeted a large and very enthusiastic crowd to our last meeting of the season until September. Sharon introduced and thanked the volunteers present: Michelle Nidenoff, Holy Main, Patricia Storms, Theo Heras, Gillian O'Reilly, Heather Camlot, Gillian Dobson, and also our one staff person, Administrative Director Helena Aalto.
Sharon invited Mahtab Narsimhan to the front as we say good-bye. Mahtab is moving to Vancouver, and although she will be missed here, she will be a fabulous friend to our British Columbia community. Finally, Sharon invited newcomers to introduce themselves.
Sharon welcomed Christie Williamson, Manager of Children's Books at the nearby Indigo. Suggested by Jennifer Mook-Sang, Jennifer Maruno and Sylvia McNicoll, Christie coordinated a book signing from 4:00 to 7:00 today, open to any CANSCAIP members available to drop in, and the signed books will be part of a local authors display in the store. Eric Walters asked to introduce Christie, and said she is one of the best booksellers in the business. Christie talked about the importance of a relationship with bookstores and booksellers, and encouraged us to introduce ourselves and to bring our books to her attention – these people want to sell our books!
Jennifer Mook-Sang announced that she won the Surrey Schools' Book of the Year Award for Speechless.
Mireille Messier is the author of Fatima and the Clementine Thieves (Red Deer Press), illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard. Based in Morocco and inspired by an African proverb, it is the story of a young girl who struggles to save her family's clementine orchard from mysterious thieves.
Eric Walters presented 90 Days of Different (Orca), a YA novel with a twist. Sophie's boyfriend breaks up with her at the end of high school because she is too predictable. Her best friend makes her try all kinds of new things – and she has to write about them on social media. Readers can use social media to actually interact with "Sophie" (who Eric said is NOT him pretending to be a high school girl!) and give her advice.
Patricia Storms illustrated By the Time You Read This, written by Jennifer Lanthier (Clockwise Press), in which Oscar pens the ultimate break-up letter to his former Partner in Adventure and now Sworn Mortal Enemy. Is this childhood friendship doomed to destruction along with the world of imagination the two have built together?
Anna Aleksanyan, co-founder of the new Canadian Contemporary School of Art in Toronto, invited creators to check out their website www.ccsa.art (firstname.lastname@example.com) regarding visits and exhibits.
The Canadian Children's Book Centre is now accepting applications for 2018 Book Week Tour.
Gillian O'Reilly invited everyone to the Osborne Collection's summer exhibit "Paws, Claws, Wings and Stings: Children's Books About Animals", featuring bestiaries, picture books and early science texts, as well as modern works encouraging conservation of our natural world. On until September 9 at the Lillian H. Smith branch of Toronto Public Library.
Patricia Storms introduced and welcomed our speaker Frank Viva.
Frank Viva is an image-maker, art director, brand developer, and highly talented illustrator and author. His artwork appears regularly in The New York Times, and on the cover of The New Yorker. (He couldn't show us, or give us any hint, but he is finally getting his "punch at Trump" on an upcoming cover.)
His Toronto based Viva & Co. studio does branding, product design, corporate identities, digital and website design. He had slides of much of his work and we were surprised at the number of clients: Cottage Life, Le Crueset, vineyards in France and Italy (or Frataly, as he put it), Butterfield & Robinson, the New York subway, private schools, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and so many more. Frank told a funny story about riding his bike past the New York Life Insurance Company building in Manhattan as an art student (he studied Fine Art), certain that he would never be part of that 'big money' world; he now he designs the company's annual reports.
Frank started doodling in sketch books 30 years ago and has kept them all. He noted that his sketches are "all over the map" – just his "daily impressions". Frank informed us that he "trained his eye" to see colour, and that he always sees colour first. He finds that there are "threads" within his sketches that will connect in some way for him even though they were drawn years apart. An editor at Little, Brown saw a sketch of a "zany" character riding a bike, and suggested a book based on this character. Along a Long Road, his first book, was the result (nominated for a GG), and was created as one long 40 foot illustration. Frank lamented that once in book format, nobody noticed! But it is now on display in all its glory at the Eric Carle Museum of children's book illustration.
Outstanding in the Rain: A Whole Book with Holes is based on oronyms – phrases which sound the same: I scream – ice cream. It was a two year challenge to figure out a story around a complicated art/design of die-cuts in the pages, where the holes turn into pictures that have to make sense on both sides of the page; fork handles become four candles, and so on. One of his best experiences was a trip to Antarctica – talk about colour! A Trip to the Bottom of the World resulted. After a few picture books, Frank wrote, illustrated, and designed the well-reviewed middle grade coming of age novel Sea Change.
Frank said he started as a designer and moved to writing copy. He then tried illustration and thought about writing and illustrating books for young people. He humbly told us that he decided to combine his three talents – design, illustration, writing – because "I'm not the best at any of these." Audience members laughingly disagreed: one noted that he has an immediately recognizable style; another noted that the creativity in his books is truly inspiring. Frank mentioned that his day job was design, and that he worked on books evenings and weekends. But now his books are bringing his design work to the attention of new clients, and so his two careers "bleed" back and forth.
After Frank answered questions, he finished his fascinating talk by telling us that, "I never grew up, and I'm happiest in the middle of solving a design problem."
Sharon thanked Frank for his inspirational session, commenting that it is always fascinating to learn of another's zigzag career to the wonderful world of children's books.
CANSCAIP Sask Horizons presents award-winning children's authors Alice Kuipers and Arthur Slade for two online talks on June 19, 2017 between 1 and 3 pm.
Alice Kuipers will speak at 1 pm on "A Writing Life: Maximizing your Writing Time while Finding the Joy in your Work".
Arthur Slade will speak at 2 pm on "10,000 Easy Ways to Market Your Book".
Both talks will be shown as live Facebook videos on the authors' Facebook fan pages. You will be able to ask questions during the presentations, or you can email your questions in advance to the authors at firstname.lastname@example.com or email@example.com .
Alice's Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/AliceKuipersWriter/ and Art's page is https://www.facebook.com/arthursladefan/.
Both talks will be recorded for future viewing.
For more information, go to https://skcanscaip.wordpress.com/ .
Thank you to the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild for sponsoring these talks through a Writing Group Grant.
President Sharon Jennings welcomed everyone, including a sprinkling of newcomers. Sharon noted that she was still at the front of the room because at last month's AGM, she agreed to stay on for a second term to finish projects started. Enthusiastic applause followed this announcement.
Mentioning that we are such a great group of friends, she then announced the sudden death of Gisela Sherman, a friend to many for so many years. Gisela was a Past President of CANSCAIP, an author, actor, and environmentalist. Her last book, The Farmerettes, was nominated last year for The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. Always the dedicated CANSCAIP volunteer, Gisela will be missed.
JoEllen Bogart presented her new picture book Counting Chickens (Tundra Penguin/Random House). A different kind of counting book, it invites readers to count groups of chickens with something in common, as in "How many chicks have chicken pox?"
Michele Nidenoff presented a book she illustrated, Children's Prayers with Hope Bear (written by Judy Rois), published by the Anglican Foundation of Canada to coincide with their 60th Anniversary. The book has 24 prayers for liturgical seasons, holidays and everyday situations in a child's life such as starting school, the arrival of a new sibling, loss of a loved one, and it features a teddy bear named Hope Bear. There will be a book launch and exhibition of original artwork with a reception Saturday, June 10th 7:00 - 9:00 pm, exhibit continuing Sunday June 11th 12:00 to 4:00 pm at Rosedale Presbyterian Church, 129 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto.
Jennifer Maruno presented her first picture book. Moose's Roof (Tuckamore). Until he found a park pavilion, Moose had never thought about a roof. His friends Beaver, Bear and Squirrel all seem to be roof experts. With their help, Moose puts his antlers to good use and soon has his own roof. But Moose finds that carrying a roof day and night makes him very tired and cranky. Can Moose learn to be himself again?
Theo Heras, IBBY Canada Vice President, noted that IBBY is still looking for a CANSCAIP/IBBY liaison. Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr has received IBBY Canada's Frances E. Russell Grant to support her research on the development of children's literature in Canada in the early 1970s. The annual USBBY conference will be at the University of Washington in Seattle from October 20 to 22. The USBBY conference will include keynotes by CANSCAIPers Sarah Ellis and Teresa Toten and Theo Heras will present a paper.
Sylvia McNicoll sent an Access Copyright update. Payback claims will be accepted until May 31st. All writers and visual artists affiliated with Access Copyright as of December 31, 2016 are eligible to submit a claim for the 2017 Payback payment, distributed in November. Visit www.accesscopyright.ca/payback for more information. Access Copyright royalties, will be significantly lower this year. These diminished payments are directly related to decreased licensing revenue from the education sector, which is attempting to enshrine broad "fair dealing" policies surrounding content use that are designed to permit much of what is offered through Access Copyright's licences for free. Canadian creators as well as publishers have been impacted by these policies. The federal government's upcoming review of the Copyright Act this fall will be an important opportunity for members of Canada's creative community to be vocal and share their perspective. Prior to the launch of the review, we encourage you to contact your local MP and illustrate how the issue of "educational fair dealing" has impacted you. Access Copyright has prepared a public advocacy tool kit, available here: www.accesscopyright.ca/advocacy.
CANSCAIP's administrative director Helena Aalto noted that CANSCAIP has concluded its strategic planning with Jennifer Murray, who advised us to try and raise more money to undertake initiatives and provided suggestions for likely sources of government funding.
CANSCAIP wants to make our meetings accessible to members across country via livestreaming and will also doing more webinars. (Webinars, for which we charge a low fee, also raise revenue for CANSCAIP). In September, Heather O'Conner will be doing a webinar for us on grant writing.
The Writing for Children Competition deadline is June 30th. This is a good opportunity for unpublished writers to get feedback. Submissions go through one to three rounds with readers, and three publishers will read the works of finalists and winners.
The Packaging Your Imagination conference will be held Saturday, November 11th the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, where it was held last year.
SPEAKERS: Panel of Forest of Reading Award Nominees
Sharon Jennings introduced our panel of writers who have been nominated for one of the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading Awards (Tree Awards). Teresa Toten, author of a dozen books and winner of the GG, is nominated for the Red Maple for Shattered Glass. John Spray, who sponsors The John Spray Mystery Award presented annually at the TD Gala, is nominated for the Golden Oak for Next Round: A Young Athlete's Journey to Gold. Sue Irwin, Silver Birch Non-fiction nominee for her first book, Safety Stars: Players Who Fought to Make the Hard Hitting Game of Hockey Safer, is an elementary school teacher and avid hockey fan. Lena Coakley, nominated for the White Pine for Worlds of Ink and Shadow, was formerly CANSCAIP's office administrator; her first YA novel The Witchlanders won SCBWI's Crystal Kite Award.
Jennifer Maruno moderated the panel and presented a series of questions.
What is your writing routine?
Lena is at her desk by 9 and works until 4:30. It took her a long time to get this disciplined.
Teresa can only do a first draft at home. As she spends so much time on the road these days, when she's home she writes for long hours every day.
Sue has a day job, so her writing starts at 7 pm. During her writing time, she tries not to go online. She aims for 500 words a day and uses Scrivener software. She writes on Saturdays, too.
John Spray has his own investigative agency so he writes from 10 pm to 1 am, and also on weekends.
How do you measure success?
John says if he's pleased with what he's written and gets accolades/gratitude from kids, that's all the reward he needs.
Sue loves researching and celebrating discoveries; she finds her satisfaction in finding out something new and sharing it with kids.
Teresa says that on her 12th book, she is still as anxious and fearful and nervous as she was when she started. She says her books are never as close to what they are in her head. It's always a struggle, but you have to believe the struggle is worth it.
Lena has come to love the process and says you have to find satisfaction in that. If she's not having fun, she will write something else that she really loves.
What one thing would you liked to have known before you started this career?
Sue didn't realize that so much was involved in marketing and promoting, and would have done more research and implementation of marketing/promotion initiatives.
John says he spent a lot of time interviewing, but wished he had spent more time with his subject beyond interviews.
Teresa feels blissful ignorance is needed to feed you at the beginning.
Lena told us how, after publishing her first novel, she said to Barbara Greenwood, "Now I know how to do it," and Barbara replied, "No, you don't."
Which book do you think made you a writer?
Lena first wrote a lot of short stories, and she found it helpful to get positive feedback on those stories while she spent ten years writing The Witchlanders.
Teresa said her writing group kept her feet to the fire. She said she learns nothing from one book to the next, but she finds it useful to say to herself, "I've felt this fear before and got through it."
Sue reminded us that this is her first book; she is working on another one and has been working on it for ten years.
John said that in his day job, he wrote 1000 investigative reports before he wrote his book. He had to get more poetic for the book, but the reports gave him good writing practice. He's working on a novel now, and the experience is very different.
What was your most difficult experience with an audience?
John said "this one!" It's difficult because people are asking about mechanics.
Sue speaks with children every day, so is in her comfort zone when giving a presentation. She is more nervous talking to adults here because a lot of them are seasoned writers.
Teresa said it's difficult to get in front of your peers. As for schools, at the beginning of her career, she asked for challenging schools. She went to one where the students had never seen an author. She was presenting Me and the Blondes, and students were smoking at the back, nor did the audience react at all. Also, there was a stabbing afterwards!
Lena said all her audiences have been good this season, but all her presentations have been White Pine related, and the kids have read the book. She said in the past, her audiences let her know she needed to be more honest.
Where do you go for support?
John: The liquor cabinet!
Sue: Chocolate and her husband!
Teresa: Her writing group, her stitch-and-bitch group – anyone who will listen!
Lena: CANSCAIP; her writing community; the author friends she makes writing dates with.
Where do you go for inspiration/how does inspiration come to you?
Teresa does not plot; she starts with an idea or visual image. For Beware That Girl, it was the visual image of two beautiful girls in a hospital.
Sue came to the idea for her book via her husband, who was tall but not fast, and put in the net when he played hockey. He wrote to Jacques Pont, the first person to wear a mask regularly in games. Jacques wrote back with a list of tips for goalies. Sue's book started out as a biography of Jacques Pont. When she hears about interesting adults, she feels compelled to tailor their stories for children.
John writes to music, which helps with rhythm and mood. While writing this book, he listened to gypsy violin music and the theme from Rocky.
Lena is always telling herself stories; has a lot of people in her head.
What are you currently working on?
Lena just sold her first middle grade book, about a feral boy living in the forest who thinks he's a fairy. She is also working on a new YA fantasy.
Teresa is working on a new book that started with the image of three characters doing a blood brother ritual and girl screams 'Third on the match'.
Sue is continuing work on the book about a Canadian no one knows by name, but everyone knows what they've done.
John is working on one mystery and one fantasy. The first is called Looking for Nancy Drew. The other is called Mike Mantis PI. Mike is half human, half mantis.
What would you never write?
John: Soap commercials; nothing boring.
Sue: Fantasy.
Teresa: Game for anything!
Lena: mystery would be difficult, but would welcome the challenge.
Lena, can you give specifics about being honest with teens?
Lena said she, a normally reserved person, learned she had to talk more honestly about her own background and how it related to Worlds of Ink and Shadow.
Sue, how do you manage to teach and write?
Sue said her husband retired a few years ago, and he takes care of the day-to-day stuff. And she doesn't have children. She is not a classroom teacher—she works one on one with students and doesn't have the responsibilities of regular teachers (report cards, etc.).
How do you all keep from comparing yourself to other writers?
John said the important thing is to develop your own voice. The right books for you just come out.
Sue writes non-fiction and is very satisfied when she discovers a story and finds a publisher who wants to share it with others.
Teresa said it's always tempting to compare yourself to others, but urges writers to nurture their original voices, their own visions, to write about personal humiliations and ecstasies. That is what's important.
Lena said if you nurture your own voice and get a child coming up to you saying yours is my favorite book, that's an amazing feeling you may not have gotten if you hadn't developed your own voice.
How do you feel about the editing process?
Lena loves getting feedback and tries to incorporate it all. She works with US and Canadian editors and generally, they don't disagree. For Worlds of Ink and Shadow, her US editor wanted her to focus on a different character than she'd originally intended – a suggestion she followed.
Teresa said her US and Canadian editors get together with their comments. She likes the revision process because it means the hard part is over. There's a book there with a beginning, middle and end; she's just tidying it up!
Sue enjoyed the process. The editors made it better and were very encouraging.
John reads his employees' investigative reports and is a practiced editor himself, so his non-fiction was not edited much. He expects much more editing with his fiction projects.
Did you get a lot of rejection letters? Can you explain the process of getting published?
Lena published two picture books before the novels. She worked at the Canadian Children's Book Centre. Knowing editors didn't help. She sent her projects out cold and got rejections. Orca published her picture books, but she got an agent before she sent out her novels. She got many rejections from agents, but once an agent took her on, her books sold fairly quickly.
Teresa took Peter Carver's class in 1995, and wrote her first book there, which got picked up by Red Deer. Tim Wynne Jones was her first editor. Her next few books were not agented. Now she has an agent. The business gets more complex with international rights, etc. It isn't necessary to have agent in Canada. Go to PYI and introduce yourself to editors, etc.
Sue started small with magazine articles. She got nice, personal rejection letters that she found encouraging. She went to a PYI conference and researched a publisher because of what someone said at the conference. She recommends studying the books released by the publisher you want. She made her manuscript fit their guidelines; it was all very targeted.
John says part of it for him was luck and timing. His subject got the first gold medal in his sport for his country in 40 years. He said he knew the sport, as he himself was an amateur boxer for several years. He had writing experience from his job and he also used to write for TV. And he was inspired by the story of his subject.
The meeting concluded with Sharon thanking everyone for coming and telling attendees that when stuck on a book, she often goes through old PYI notes and is amazed at the helpful advice! She also reminded us that our last meeting before the summer break is next month – June 14th – and the featured speaker is renowned illustrator Frank Viva.
Presentation and tour of the Osborne Collection by Dr. Leslie McGrath
The Annual Meeting of Members on April 12 was held at the Lillian H. Smith Branch of Toronto Public Library, and was followed by a presentation and tour of the world-renowned Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books.
After the Annual Meeting adjourned, CANSCAIP's administrative director Helena Aalto introduced longtime Member Gillian O'Reilly, former editor of Children's Book News for 20 years, and recent recipient of IBBY Canada's Claude Aubry Award. Gillian is on the board of the Friends of the Osborne Collection, which is the oldest friends organization in the Toronto Public Library. The Friends' fundraising supplements the Collection's art conservation budget, and sponsors three lectures a year. Gillian encouraged us to join; member benefits include newsletters and invitations to the lectures.
Gillian introduced Dr. Leslie McGrath, head of the Osborne Collection since 1995. Leslie told us that early in Toronto's history, children's books were too expensive for most families, and schools provided only basic readers. For many years, children's books weren't a significant or important part of library collections and the first chief librarian in Toronto was even opposed to children's services. But as the city grew, the public began to demand change and by 1908 the provision of children's services was considered long overdue. In 1912 Lillian H. Smith was hired to head children's services for the Toronto Public Library.
Lillian Smith believed reading in a library setting prevented kids from getting into trouble, and that they should be given quality books to grow up to. She thoroughly reviewed books geared to children, and revamped the children's collection, including fairy tales and folk tales to promote tolerance and understanding. However, she disapproved of comics and popular series books, and assembled a shelf of 'bad' books as a reference for other librarians!
Boys and Girls House, the first separate children's library in the British Commonwealth, opened in 1922 on St. George Street. Under Lillian Smith's direction, many branches of the Toronto Public Library expanded children's services and book selections. Inspired by the outstanding work of Lillian Smith, Edgar Osborne donated his extensive collection of rare children's books to the Toronto Public Library in 1949, and thousands more books and other resources have been added since. Lillian Smith retired in 1962, but her aim of broader, inclusive children's collections continued.
The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books now has over 80,000 rare and modern books, book-related art, novelties like movables and miniatures, and archives of contemporary authors. Leslie McGrath's presentation included images of a 14th century Aesop's Fables, the first written version of The Three Bears, handwritten stories by Beatrix Potter, and horn books. Leslie noted that most of the fairy tales, myths and legends in the Osborne Collection are now fully digitized, and nursery rhymes and poetry soon will be.
CANSCAIPers take note! Osborne Collection librarians can provide extensive reference and research services to authors and illustrators. They can make presentations to individuals or groups, tailored to themes as requested. When contacted ahead, they will gather books and other resources for your visit, which can also be held for you over the course of several visits. For example, an author wanting authentic background for a historical story could request books from the period that their character might read. And if that sounds like too much to ask of a librarian, Leslie McGrath assured us that using the Osborne Collection is the point of this world-renowned resource, and she urged CANSCAIP to spread the word!
After Leslie's presentation, we oohed and aahed over the manuscripts, picture book dummies, books, and original art from the Collection on display for us. We also loved "Worlds and their Stories: Wielders of Wonders", the current exhibit in the Osborne's gallery, with its wonderful selection of books and artwork depicting ancient civilizations.
The Osborne Collection is a treasure trove for children's book creators and for anyone who loves books. Some creators even plan visits to Toronto that centre around the Osborne Collection. And like all libraries, it's free and open to the public!
Thanks to everyone at the Osborne Collection for a terrific evening!
President Sharon Jennings welcomed everyone including newcomers, and introduced attending board members and staff: Helena Aalto, Jennifer Maruno, Lorna Poplak (noting that Lorna has a Dundurn book coming out, moving her from the CANSCAIP 'Friend' category to the 'Member' category), Bev Katz Rosenbaum, Theo Heras, Patricia Storms, Holly Main, and Heather Camlot.
Sharon warned us that her monologue tonight would be more of a Rick Mercer rant. She noted that a social media post 'The Ugly Truth About Children's Books' is currently circulating. The post shows a mother and daughter going into a library and finding many books without female characters, or with females who don't speak, or have no dreams or aspirations. Sharon found this odd because our colleagues have published many books with strong female characters. It turned out the authors had set up a fake argument to advertise their self-published book of female biographies. She told us: Don't click 'like'!
On March 6, CANSCAIP held its first webinar. There were 50 people registered ($25.00 fee), with 15 participating live and the others requesting the video link. The webinar topic was publisher contracts, and lawyer Warren Sheffer, partner with Marion Hebb, showed participants five pages of a book contract, highlighting relevant sections, and took questions. Thanks to Angela Misri for her technical help. The office plans to organize more webinars and reach more members across Canada, who don't have opportunities to attend CANSCAIP's monthly meetings and annual conferences in Toronto. CANSCAIP members who wish to get the link to the webinar can still pay $25.00 to do so through the CANSCAIP office.
Helena also serves as volunteer promotions officer for IBBY Canada (International Board for Books for Young People). IBBY Canada is issuing a call for submissions for their Illustrator in Residence program. This position offers published illustrators a month in a public library (Northern District Branch of Toronto Public Library in October 2017), plus school visits. The residency pays $4000 for the month. Watch for submission details.
Sue Todd illustrated African Alphabet, a board book written by Eric Walters (Orca Books), introducing readers to the animals of Africa. Sue described her mixed analogue-digital process: she does a linocut first, then scans the carving, then colors the black-and-white image in Photoshop. Orca has also approached Sue about illustrating an African folktale by Eric.
Susan Marshall presented her first YA novel, releasing on April 4th, entitled NemeSIS, about sister bullies, published by the indie press Blue Moon.
Deb Lougheed presented The Secrets We Keep (Dundurn), a YA novel about secrets, lies, guilt, and moral dilemmas faced by four characters who think that they are to blame for a tragedy. Sylvia McNicoll and Deb had a co-launch recently in Burlington.
Theo Heras said that IBBY is looking for a CANSCAIP liaison officer to share news and info between both organizations. There are six meetings a year. The meetings take place in the Orchard View Library, but if from outside Toronto, the officer can do it via phone. IBBY believes books for children can build bridges to understanding and to help children talk about what they are going through.
Alfonso Ruano, the acclaimed illustrator of The Composition (Groundwood, 2003), is donating his original art from We Are Like the Clouds (by Jorge Argueta) to the IBBY/REFORMA Children in Crisis project, directed at Central American children from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras who are in grave danger in their home countries. They've fled to the US but their refugee claims are being denied and they are being detained and returned to their countries, where they face an uncertain fate. You can go to the IBBY website (www.ibby.org) to see the artwork and make a bid. The auction is running from January 20th to Wednesday, April 5.
IBBY Canada and the Toronto Storytelling Festival invite you to a luncheon with one of Newfoundland's favourite sons, Andy Jones, a founding member of CODCO, on March 31st, at the Free Times Café. Seating is limited. RSVP to Theo. Andy's books will be available to purchase.
IBBY's English language Claude Aubry award for contributions to children's literature in Canada goes to Gillian O'Reilly this year. As many of us know, Gillian, an editor, writer, and board leader, has been a tireless advocate for children's literature for many years, notably as editor for the CCBC's Book News.
Sharon introduced our guest speaker, Sarah Ramsey, Manager of the Book City in Toronto's Bloor West Village and media co-ordinator for the four stores. Sarah is a former social worker who counseled abused women and children. She transitioned to working in restaurants, but after working at The Cookbook Store in Toronto, this lifelong lover of books moved to her current gig. One of her favourite quotations is by John Waters: "If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't (ahem) them!"
Sarah said she has always loved books. She has been a bookseller for 16 years. 'Books are my comfort, my life.' How many times, she said, have we been told to never judge a book by its cover? But people do it all the time – even the youngest readers. They will look for books that look like others they have. Sarah herself owns eleven editions of a favourite book, Candide.
Sarah pointed out that children's book covers carry a unique challenge, as they must be designed to appeal to three buyers: kids, parents and grandparents. She notes that young kids are playing a bigger part in the buying decision process than ever before, as corporations are appealing them to more and more. Technology plays a big part. Young children are using iPhones and apps, and can operate the remote, etc. Sarah tries to steer kids away from big, commercial stuff.
In terms of colour, studies in marketing science say young kids prefer red, pink and blue. It's hard to know whether the gender stuff has been shoved on them or is innate. Also, they prefer cool colors over warm colors. Older buyers seem to prefer soft, kind, gentle illustrations in soft tones. Again, it's a struggle to market to three different buyers.
As kids get older, they start associating colors with emotions—yellow is joy, etc. Language plays a part in this, e.g. 'I feel blue today'. This leads to color associations.
Sarah says really simple images are key. A cover doesn't need to be crowded or complicated. The cover is trying to achieve two things: give the reader a preview of the story plus entice the reader to buy it. Style, colors, and font—all these elements play key roles.
There is a current trend to retro design. Little Golden Books is celebrating a big anniversary this year. Reissues of classic books are coming out.
As a bookseller, Sarah advises against black or white covers (they get dirty), and she says font choice is important (no comic sans!) Cutouts on dust jackets look amazing but are easily torn. Simple is best.
Sarah advises making friends with booksellers to sell your book.
Sharon Jennings noted that authors have very little control over their covers. She brought Connecting Dots, a two-year-old book of hers. The girl looks seven (she's twelve), and there's a movie projector on the cover when there's no projector in the book. (The heroine wants to be an actress.) The girl looks cute and young, but this is a book about how she's been abused. The content and the cover don't match. Sarah said this cover would probably appeal to grandmas. It has a dated feel. If she tried to sell it to a reader, she would be told she's square. Savvy MG readers would not be into it. Kids want flash. Sarah reminded us that the first edition of Harry Potter was really ugly. Sometimes cover design doesn't matter if the book is getting good word of mouth. Sharon added that different booksellers have different ideas about covers. A lot is about taste and preference.
Jennifer Maruno asked about store placement. Sarah said that in her store, order quantity determines placement (table, face out, etc.). Six or more books get table placement, four get face out, three get spined. Publishers pay for windows and end caps. In other (big chain) stores, publishers pay for table placement. Jennifer talked about how difficult it was to match books to readers at Chapters when she worked as a bookseller there. She would frequently recommend books the store had only one copy of, and she often couldn't find the book!
Sylvia McNicoll noted it's hard to get kids away from Diary of a Wimpy Kid type stuff. Sarah noted that's the type of stuff that's aggressively marketed, even at schools, in the Scholastic flyer. Sarah tries to make sure her 'book army' is educated about other books. 'We're better than algorithms.' Sarah advises kids to sit and read a chapter, and tells parents to take a book home and return it if their kid doesn't like it. She doesn't recommend the big huge books. She stays on top of what's happening in the Canadian kid lit scene.
Gillian O'Reilly talked about cover trends in YA lit such as floating girls. Sarah says teen readers are a little more willing to pick something up based on merit, content. They'll read what their friends tell them to read. Sarah mentioned that she originally ordered only one copy of a YA book based on the Black Lives Matter movement, and when it sold, she cautiously ordered two more, and has now sold twenty copies.
Sarah puts tags on books if she doesn't like a cover, saying she thinks this book is good – ignore the cover! She also noted that parents enforce gender stereotypes at the store. They won't buy books with male protagonists for girls, etc.
Theo Heras asked for examples of standout covers and stinko covers. Sarah gave the example of Nicola Yoon's YA novel The Sun Is Also a Star as a great cover, even though it's white and gets dirty. Readers have responded strongly to both this one and Yoon's Everything, Everything. In picture books, Sarah likes Sometimes I Think I'm a Fox. It's simple. But she noted the trim size is too small and it gets lost on the shelf. The Night Gardener (by the Fan brothers) is really good. Kenneth Opel's The Nest got a great response.
Sharon commented about how some publishers go for simple images while others go for busier covers.
A discussion about stock art ensued. Sarah has seen several books with the same stock art.
She also addressed the trend to the word 'Girl' in titles. This seems to be going away now.
She noted that kids look at the cover first, then the back cover, then will read some of the book. Again, after age 12, they don't care as much about covers as about recommendations from their friends. Grownups will ask a bookseller for recommendations.
Trends are cyclical. Lately, a trend in children's books is to different trim sizes, which is frustrating to Sarah because a small sized book gets lost on the shelves. She has also seen a lot of green and blue lately.
She noted that brown books don't sell.
RE: CDN vs. US books, Sarah says kids get very excited about the Forest of Reading books. Sarah uses the list as a jumping off point to talk about other Canadian kids' books.
Heather Camlot said she has found it's a good idea to take reluctant readers to meet authors. Kids will line up for a signed book and get a kick out of talking to authors.
Jennifer said maybe the author's picture should be on the back cover.
Sharon concluded by advising us the April 12th meeting is our Annual General Meeting. It will start at 6:00 p.m. and will be at the Lillian H. Smith library at College and Spadina. After the AGM, attendees will be given a private tour of the Osborne Collection, as well as refreshments.
Notes from February 8, 2017 Meeting; SPEAKER: Lynda Hill (Theatre Direct)
President Sharon Jennings welcomed a slightly smaller audience, commenting about the bleak weather and the urge to stay in one's nest. She also lamented the lack of new books and/or awards this month!
Beloved Canadian children's writer Norah McClintock passed away on Monday, February 6th. Norah wrote over 60 books for young people and won numerous awards. She was also a very popular presenter. Her PYI talk a few years ago has been cited in recent days as inspirational. She was most recently at a CANSCAIP meeting as one of the seven authors of the 'Secrets' series, discussing the challenges of writing a series with a team of authors. Sharon offered our condolences to Norah's husband Herman, their two children and families. A memorial service is planned for February 26. The CANSCAIP office will send out further information.
Next month's speaker is Sarah Ramsay, who manages two Book City locations in Toronto. Sarah will be talking covers - what works and what doesn't.
Sharon also announced that the SCBWI Canada East conference takes place in Montreal from May 26th-28th. There is a great lineup of authors, editors, agents from the U.S., in addition to Canadians Sydney Smith and Martha Skrypuch.
Helena Aalto announced that CANSCAIP's annual Writing for Children competition will launch in March this year. This is a competition for unpublished writers that requires entrants to submit a 1500 word excerpt from a longer work or a complete picture book or other short work of that length. Submissions are read by first round readers, who whittle down the entrants for a second round of judging. The second round judges send their choices to a jury for final evaluations. The jury selects ten finalists, including two winners. Applicants receive feedback from all readers at the end. The deadline for submission will be the end of June.
CANSCAIP is undergoing a strategic planning process. A recent membership survey got a thirty percent response, which, by survey standards, is excellent.
The cancelled February webinar by Warren Sheffer on publishing contracts will now take place on Monday, March 6 at 2:00. It will be recorded if you cannot 'attend' live. The cost is $25.00 either way. CANSCAIP intends to offer more webinars for the benefit of out of town members who cannot attend the monthly Toronto meetings.
Helena also told us that the PYI 2017 planning meeting took place a couple of weeks ago. The date for this year's conference is Saturday, November 11.
SPEAKER: Lynda Hill, Theatre Direct
Programming Committee member, author, performer, storyteller and librarian Theo Heras introduced speaker Lynda Hill, Artistic Director of Theatre Direct, which produces plays for young people – some adapted from children's books – that have an education focus. Theatre Direct's plays are regularly nominated for Dora awards, and in 2014, Theatre Direct launched the first international arts festival (the 'WeeFestival') dedicated to early childhood. Theatre Direct Firefly project brings storytelling and drama into kindergarten classes. Theatre Direct also leads professional development workshops for educators, and holds classes and camps for young people.
Lynda thanked Theo for the invitation to talk to us about theatre for young people and the intersection of her world with the children's publishing world. She noted that her love of storytelling came to her in elementary school via her school librarian.
Lynda told us that their plays are entertaining, but often tackle difficult subject matter. Theatre Direct fights for the rights of children to access complex arts and culture without censorship or compromise. Their mission statement notes that young people deserve the truth and meaningful cultural content. They don't regard audiences as a market, but as emerging citizens who deserve theatre that engages their intellect and discusses big ideas.
They have not done a lot of adaptations but are constantly reading children's books to help them arrive at relevant content. Their most recent adaptation was Deborah Ellis's The Heaven Shop, which became Binti's Journey. This play is aimed at the middle school audience, aged 12-15, an audience that tends to get skipped over in children's theatre. Lynda is trying to take care of the 'orphans'.
Lynda happened to read Deborah's book the year Stephen Lewis did his Massey Lecture on AIDS in Africa. Binti loses her father to AIDS and in the aftermath, she and her family exhibit resilience and determination despite the obstacles they face. Lynda felt this was an important story to share with young people, and though she couldn't offer Deborah a lot in the way of royalties, Deborah was on-board. Deborah did not review drafts of the play and did not see it until was produced. She did speak to the young people from Kent Middle School involved in developing 'Our Stories, Ourselves', a kind of companion work to Binti's Journey. The piece of theatre the students created complemented the work featuring professional actors.
The main challenge to mounting Binti's Journey was not having the money to produce a play with a large cast. So it started off as one-person show, but ended up featuring the four young people in the book. The actors playing these roles also took on the voices of the adults. This creative choice served to diminish the strength of the mostly negative adults in the story. One character was so powerful, all four actors spoke her, chorally. Young people and Deborah loved that artistic choice.
In trying to attract educators to the play, Lynda initially encountered resistance from Toronto District School Board, who didn't want to talk about AIDS. People also questioned aiming the show at middle school audiences. Lynda noted that Catholic schools (the Catholic Board has a strong HIV/AIDS curriculum) were the first to book.
Binti's Journey premiered in 2008 and has toured and been remounted several times. It is coming back this season at Theatre Direct's Wychwood Barns Theatre in Toronto. And the bonus: if kids hadn't read Ellis' work before seeing the show, they read/bought it after.
How did you arrive at that choral speaking choice?
Via workshops/rehearsals.
How did you get from book to script?
Playwrights are not always great at adapting things. They want to write in their own voices. Marcia Johnson was chosen because although she had never adapted a work, she had a humility in her approach. But there were twelve drafts of the work; Lynda wasn't sure it was going to work. The big challenge for Marcia was paring a 178-page novel down to a 50-minute piece. But Marcia didn't have any ego about it—kept chipping away.
The development process took a couple of years. The budget was $30,000 before production, $75,000 all in. Had Theatre Direct not received Laidlaw Fund and Canada Council funding, it wouldn't have happened. They don't have same kind of commissioning funds anymore. Over the next number of months, Theatre Direct will be establishing a dedicated commissioning fund and will be fundraising specifically for that. For a few years, Theatre Direct relied on the same works, but new works have been coming out in the past couple of years. When you invest in development, great art happens. And playwrights can get good royalties from remounts.
How can children's authors get a theatre producer to look at their books?
Sure, pitch to theatres. But the pond is very small. Lynda has more ideas than money. She and an illustrator friend came up with the idea of a theatre-book club; they will talk about dramatization as they read. (They are particularly in love with wordless books.) Shaun Tan's wordless book The Arrival was produced by Red Leap Theatre, which collaborated with the author-illustrator in creating a wonderful piece of dance theatre.
After the Q and A, Lynda talked about the WeeFestival, whose pieces are most often text-free and incorporate installation, dance, and song. It's exciting to make theatre without text and to see very young children engage without that stunned look they have when they watch television!
Theatre Direct also works in kindergarten classes. The children tell their stories, which are transcribed and illustrated, made into books and dramatized. The kids make their own artistic choices regarding, for example, what part of the story to illustrate. This work can spark a love of the written word, illustration, storytelling, and/or theatre.
Lynda also talked about Old Man and the River, which has a set design inspired by children's books illustrations. This is a work of puppetry without words, featuring an original score. Now they want to turn it into a children's book!
Notes from January 11 2017 CANSCAIP meeting in Toronto
Speaker: Christie Harkin, Clockwise Press
President Sharon Jennings welcomed everyone and commented how meetings have been starting later and later – everyone loves to chat!
Rina Singh presented Diwali, Festival of Lights, which came out in September, and has already gone into second printing. It's the second book in Orca's Origins series, after Monique Polak's Passover: Festival of Freedom. The book explores how Diwali is celebrated around the world. Included are photos, recipes and personal stories.
Joanne Levy presented Crushing It, which came out January 10th. It's a tween version of Cyrano de Bergerac with a gender twist. And humour.
Josephine Vaccaro-Chang was excited to announce she was recently approached by two schools to deliver workshops.
Gillian O'Reilly announced that three children's authors were recently awarded the Order of Canada: Deborah Ellis, Jan Andrews and Jacqueline Guest. All are CANSCAIP members. As well, Annabelle Slaight, co-founder of Owl.
Helena Aalto announced that CANSCAIP has embarked on a strategic plan, and the office will be sending a survey to all members.
Helena also introduced meeting attendee Terry Ibele, who, among other things, put together a complicated e-mail merge for the Children's Writing Competition that gave each candidate feedback from the various readers.
Jennifer Maruno introduced speaker Christie Harkin, co-founder of Clockwise Press, which has a mandate of promoting diversity in children's literature. Jennifer mentioned how President Obama, in his farewell speech, promoted diversity, and Jennifer said she cried when she read Missing Nimama, Clockwise's first picture book, which recently won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. Before starting Clockwise, Christie worked as a bookseller and an editor at other Canadian publishing companies, and has published many prominent Canadian writers.
Christie started by talking about her own background, and how she is aware of her own privilege. She is trying to use her privilege to do what she can. She may be screwing it up, but she's trying!
The books she's making now are the ones she wants to make. She and her partner Solange Messier look for books that will fill in some of the representation blanks in the marketplace, and they focus on contemporary, not historical, books.
She is not looking for issue/problem books, just stories that include characters from under-represented communities. Ideally, stories about under-represented communities would be by authors from those communities. Who is the right person to tell these stories? Are you the author who should tell it?' It's up to you, your publisher and your editor to figure this out on a case-by-case basis.
When she was working at Fitzhenry and Whiteside, she bought a story called Sasha's Search for Circles. It was about a boy who goes on a bedtime flight of fancy before settling in to sleep. There was no reason the character had to be named Sasha, or be white. She and the author decided to give Sasha a Caribbean name. At a conference, an African-American stopped by the booth, picked up Tadeo's Search for Circles, and exclaimed, "Wow, a book about a black boy who isn't being oppressed." Diversity in the US tends to be more about racial controversy, but it doesn't need to be.
We hear books should be windows or mirrors. Christie wants Clockwise books to be both. She wants all kids to see themselves (mirror) as normal kids getting into trouble, solving problems, etc. But readers should also get to see who and what else is out there (window).
Christie brought in some books she's worked on at both Fitzhenry and Whiteside and Clockwise.
With When Mama Goes to Work, by Marsha Skrypuch, she and Marsha tried to include all kinds of different jobs and different forms of daycare. The book reveals common ground in all scenarios-- universal experiences: the moms and kids all have lunch, miss each other, etc.
The second book was Gabby by Joyce Grant. Her friend Roy is indigenous. Joyce discussed the book with a band leader, said she didn't want to be disrespectful. He gave her suggestions for a symbol for a tee shirt that wasn't a cliché. He said stay away from feathers and dreamcatchers, and suggested a circle with lines through it of different colors representing different bands. The band leader was credited at the front of book.
Next, Christie showed us That Squeak by Caroline Beck, illustrated by Francois Thisdale. (That Squeak was also nominated for TD award this year.) This is the story of a boy whose best friend has died. Nothing in the story makes it about a white kid, so why not mix it up? The author and publisher have been criticized. One person objected to a blond woman writing about the black experience. Christie says they were going for the childhood experience. They didn't see the story about a black boy who lost his friend, but about a boy who lost his friend.
Finally, Christie showed us Missing Nimama. This was Clockwise's first picture book. It's about a young girl growing up without her mother – one of the missing, murdered indigenous women. Author Melanie Florence (who is Cree) has been criticized for writing the story because it didn't happen in her family. Christie said there is always going to be a hurdle/conflict. The tricky part is deciding when the pros of publishing outweigh the cons and who is going to be negatively impacted.
Christie mentioned the Clockwise One to One series, set in high school with a Best Buddies Club. This real, international organization pairs up kids with developmental handicaps with peer buddies. Each book focuses on a pairing. The first book is about an autistic guy and girl trying to get into pre-med program. The book is about their relationship, not about autism. Author Lorna Schultz Nicholson does not have an autistic child, but she researched the heck out of the topic, talked to families and kids. Then Clockwise had parents of autistic kids read it, tell them what was clichéd, realistic, etc.
Another One to One features a girl with traumatic brain injury. There were still people who said there was no way certain things could happen, but when Christie went back to her vetters, they said she didn't screw up—those people just had a different experience from the people she and the author talked to. You can't represent everyone, Christie said, but you can try.
She also talked about a non-fiction series on the topic of immigration. One book is about a fellow from the Congo who came to Winnipeg with his family. He started a music outreach program for youth and won civic community awards. Music saved him, and he saved others. By reading a book like this, a kid can look at a kid who doesn't speak English yet, and think, 'This is the potential.'
Christie noted that Missing Nimama was printed in a dyslexia-friendly font, as most of their books will be. Someone asked what about it makes the font dyslexia friendly. Christie said it weights the bottoms of the letters, which helps anchor the type to the page so the letters and words are less likely to flip or turn or duplicate in the reader's brain. Some non-dyslexic readers find it ugly. Some dyslexic readers find it too easy—they are so used to straining!
Q and A
An attendee asked how the books have been accepted in schools. Christie mentioned that some teachers and librarians – the gatekeepers – have said they don't have indigenous kids, or theirs is a pretty white neighbourhood. Christie is trying to get the gatekeepers to understand that if you have a really white classroom, this is what they need. Clockwise has awesome sales reps, and they go to book fairs, and Christie does talks on creating the inclusive bookshelf. She wants the gatekeepers to go beyond what kids identify with now.
An attendee mentioned Ezra Keats, who created a black character and was criticized. But he saw these kids in his Brooklyn neighbourhood. Christie responded once again: You have to decide if you're the right person to write this story. Some people have told her the story they have brought to her came from friends who gave permission to tell the story. Not everyone is a writer, and sometimes it's just a matter of helping to bring a story to the world. Christie said you have to be willing to share credit.
Someone asked how long the submission window is. Christie said, 'Till I get overwhelmed!' Clockwise is currently only publishing four books a year.
720 Bathurst St, Suite 503, Toronto, ON, CANADA, M5S 2R4
416-515-1559 email@example.com


text:
Brother Against Brother
If you love an image (whether it's yours or someone else's) and want to make sure others get a chance to see it, you can "feature" it by choosing the "Spotlight" button.
When an image is Spotlighted, it receives enhanced visibility in premium spots throughout the site. Spotlighted images are rotated through these higher-visibility positions to ensure the best opportunity for the images to be seen by JPG users.
If you see a great photo that would make a perfect entry for one of our Shoot Out photo contests but it was uploaded by another user, now you can enter that photo in the contest and, if it wins, you get to share in the contest winnings.
Like a photo editor, if you've got an eye for great work, find it and submit it to a contest. If it wins, since you staked the entry fee, you'll take home part of the prize (the rest, of course, goes to the member who shot the image).
Collections are a JPG+ feature. You must be a JPG+ member to create new collections and to add photos to collections.
Sign up for JPG+ to start using collections now!
Photo license: © All rights reserved
The Civil War was a war within. Our country was divided, each with their own beliefs, and brother went to war against brother in one of the bloodiest wars in history to fight and die for those beliefs.
6 responses
Nadya Johnson gave props (5 Jul 2008):
This re-enactment scene is so real Frank, it makes me think you had a time machine! Outstanding capture!
Tammy Espino gave props (5 Jul 2008):
A scene from days of old. Did you get shot at ? :o)
frank degenhardt gave props (9 Jul 2008):
Nadya, Tammy- Thanks for the support and the encouragement girls. I love both your works and cherish that friendship
Nancy Harker gave props (18 Jul 2008):
Beautiful capture Frank! Good one!
frank degenhardt gave props (22 Jul 2008):
Peaches, thanks so much, i deeply cherish the kind words
Patrick Heraghty said (25 Jul 2008):
Democracy in action.
Please Login or Sign Up
Login or Sign Up
Need contest credits? Get 'em here!
Payments are processed by PayPal and you will be automatically forwarded to PayPal to complete your transaction. It may take a few minutes after you complete your transaction for you contest credits to update. We will send an email to your registered email address once we have received a successful transaction from PayPal and updated you credits.
Select a Shoot Out contest credit package below.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Claiming the Ex-Wife's Social Security Benefits
Client can collect up to 50% of his ex-wife's benefit
The 66-year-old man was tiptoeing frugally and anxiously through his first few years of retirement.
The former dentist, who had once made $200,000 a year, was now living on a pension that paid him a little over $3,000 a month.
He was fretting over every purchase and skipping activities that would make retirement more fun. He loved playing...


text:
Sales Assistant & Cashier
Traffic Shop c/o MohanLal& Sons
Maintained up-to-date knowledge of store policies regarding payments, returns and exchanges.
Responded to all customer inquiries thoroughly and professionally.
Assisted in invoice processing, purchase orders, and payment transactions.
Processed accounts receivable and accounts payable.
Assisted the manager with preparation of Tax Returns (Fiji Inland Revenue and Customs Authority).
Maintained friendly and professional customer interactions.


text:
A Clan Based On Teamwork , Team participation .To Actively Compete In Stronghold Battles And On The Global Map.
Stable clan
Clan wars, Stronghold skrimishes every night atm and platoons ofc
Gold and reward tanks when you take place in CW events
TS which works all the time
No shouting at each other
Experience and fun
Active forum
and much more
Requirements for joining:
over 1500 wn8 and 1800 recent
wr 53% ->
Being able to understand and communicate in English
Installing and using: TeamSpeak3
Being active in Clan Wars and Skirmishes
Having at least one good tier 6, tier 8 and tier 10 tank for CW and SH battles
Requirements are negotiable if your activity is good.
We are also searching for new Field Commanders for CW and SH battles.Contact: Rainmaker_4, Afro740, Sanadan444


text:
AIG and Atlanta Hawks Basketball and Entertainment LLC are currently embroiled in a lawsuit that claims that New Hampshire Insurance Company failed to fulfill contractual obligations that were outlined in an insurance policy that was to cover termination of employment claims. Bruce Levenson was the controlling partner for the company that formerly owned the Hawks basketball team at the time the coach was terminated. Danny Ferry's termination was though to be covered according to the policies guidelines.
An agreement was reached between Danny Ferry and the ownership of the Hawks. The amount of the settlement was undisclosed but the company was sold (http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2015/04/23/bankers-for-levenson-oversold-atlanta-hawks-by-27/) two days later to the group that now owns the Hawks and whose principle is Tony Ressler. Danny Ferry's original contract was for six years and salary of $18 million.
He is also a board member of IT Industry and TechTarget. In regards to UCG, they provide information in the oil and gas industry such as the Oil Price Information Service which offers up to the minute oil prices and Gas Buddy which is an app that assists truck drivers in finding the very best gas prices in an area.
He later attended Washington University in St. Louis. He then attended American University where he graduated from law school. While still in college at American University, he was writing for the Washington Star. According to Time Magazine – Bruce Levenson is not only a seasoned businessman, but he is also an active philanthropist that has contributed to a variety of organizations throughout his long career. Some of those organizations include the I Have A Dream Foundation and the Hoops And Dreams Foundation. Read more on PR Newswire.com.


text:
AppetitesBook - 2016
From the critics
Community Activity
CommentAdd a Comment
Anthony Bourdain's cookbook "Appetites" is a wonderful read. In his breakfast section, for example, on the recipe for home fries, there is no recipe just a mild rant on why breakfast potatoes are a no. Full of ancedotes and Tony-isms, I read more than cooked this book. Full of color, this book will transport you all over the world. 5 Stars.
I'm trying to figure out who this egomaniac is? I guess he's a good chef but the photos in this book are really gross and over the top. Photos of dirty pans with bits of food left in them. Soup that is sloshed out of the bowl and strewn across the counter. Tacky.
Enjoyed some of the stories posted with the recipes. Most of the recipes call for special ingredients that I would not even know where to find in my area.
I did like the potato salad recipe. It's a keeper and is much better than the potato salad I have been making for years.
This is Bourdain at his most Bourdain-y: full of profanity, blood, an IDGAF attitude, jiujitsu, off cuts, etc. At the end of the day, all I really care about is the quality of the recipes. I only made two, the meatballs and the cauliflower, but they were both goooood.
The recipe is just so so. A very messy looking and just graphic book, not entirely a recipe/cook book. There is some humor involved but is on the vegetarians. Beware.
Mundane recipes and a self congratulatory tone. Tony's finally jumped the shark. This doesn't detract from Kitchen Confidential, the Les Halles cookbook, or his television work: but he's phoning it in with this one.
Parenting hasn't smoothed out the edge, but there are some useful dad-sy recipes and as always great writing. Trigger warning for vegetarians! - some images you may not care for.
AgeAdd Age Suitability
There are no ages for this title yet.
SummaryAdd a Summary
There are no summaries for this title yet.
NoticesAdd Notices
There are no notices for this title yet.
QuotesAdd a Quote
There are no quotes for this title yet.


text:
Filmmaking, as anyone who has had any experience with the industry knows, is an extremely competitive business.
And that holds true not only for aspiring actors but also for technicians, directors, and most of all, aspiring writers. You may have the vision but unless there's a credible production house or a studio that becomes a vehicle to propel it onto the big screen, the vision is futile.
A pressing question any writer asks himself/herself is who do I go to? How do I pitch my film? Will Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra, or a Rajkumar Hirani meet me?
To answer exactly those questions, the good folks at Anupama Chopra's Film Companion did an interview with the Creative Development team of Johar's Dharma Productions.
They gave some interesting insights into what goes behind greenlighting a project.
The team consists of three core members: Ryan Stephen, Nidhi Parmar, and Jugal Hansraj. Their job is to filter and skim through hundreds of scripts that land at Dharma.
Only the finest make it to Karan Johar's desk. Like 1 or 2 in a year!
While they offer a number of suggestions, one thing that all three agree on is that if you are a writer pitching a script, your story has to offer a fresh perspective even if it belongs to the tried-and-tested romcom genre.
A unique take.
The biggest put-off? Bad grammar.
"It means you don't take the writing seriously," says Jugal Hansraj.
Watch the trio talking about the process in the video below.
Also see on HuffPost:


text:
Red-crested crane brushpot from Chorley's forthcoming sale Pic. Chorleys
In recent years, relatively recently-produced Chinese porcelain has started to make waves in the auction rooms. Early 20th century pieces and many of those created right through the Republic period (1912-49) are now just as much in demand as rather earlier pieces.
Cotswold auctioneers Chorley's forthcoming sale, on Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 March, offers an important private collection of Republican era porcelain. The highlight will be a set of four rectangular porcelain plaques by Bi Botao (1885-1961) representing the four seasons. Bi Botao was a member of the well-known group 'The Eight Friends of Zhushan'. The group comprised the best porcelain artists of the period and revitalised the Chinese porcelain industry after the political unrest in 19th Century China and the subsequent fall of the Qing dynasty. The plaques, which are delicately painted with frogs, a spider, turtles and a snake respectively, estimate £18,000 – £22,000 They were acquired by avid collector Peter Wain.
The Wain provenance is particularly important as it was he who was among the first to bring Republican porcelain to the attention of the West. His great-grandfather was a potter in Stoke on Trent and Wain himself worked at the Royal Doulton factory during his holidays when he was a student. During his army service he was based in Hong Kong from 1968-1971 and it was here that his love of history and of ceramics led him to his vocation. This was the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and he was able to buy 20th century pieces including ceramics, paintings and posters at very reasonable prices.
On leaving the army he became a dealer in Oriental porcelain. He initially purchased Republican era wares cheaply on America's west coast, where they were generally available owing to waves of emigration from China after the Japanese invasion. The items purchased in America formed the basis of his first exhibition at Olympia in 1990. The market was limited but enough people expressed an interest in them to persuade him that he should pursue this line.
Drawing on this encouragement, Wain began sourcing items for his 1993 exhibition 'Heavenly Pieces' and undertook his first buying trip to China. 'Heavenly Pieces' turned out to be a huge success – it sold out. The present sale includes items from this exhibition including a pair of Meiping vases, circa 1920, decorated prunus blossom in bold enamels in the Yongzheng Imperial style. The inscribed poem refers to immortality 'One Thousand Autumns' supposedly conferred by peaches and linghzi, estimate £6,000-8,000.
Pair of Meiping vases ca. 1920 in the forthcoming sale at Chorley's Pic Chorley's
After the success of this exhibition numerous buying trips were made; with challenging economic circumstances in China it was possible to buy important pieces without difficulty. Several such trips preceded the 1998 exhibition 'Awaiting Spring' which focused on Qianjiang art on Chinese porcelain. Several items from that exhibition are on offer in our March sale including a pair of square section vases by Zhang Yun (Zhang Ziying) dated 1898 and painted with coordinated landscapes, these are estimated at £800-1200.
A pair of square form vases in Chorley's sale Pic Chorley's
Wain believed that the age of a piece or fashion should not impact on our appreciation of the best quality pots. He acted as agent for the contemporaneous Chinese potter Zlai Xaio Xiang, who undertook porcelain painting demonstrations at his Olympia and NEC fair stands. One such demonstration piece dating to 1997 is a decorated brush pot. The growth in the market for Republican porcelain was largely driven by Peter Wain and with the rise in prices even they have now begun to be copied – previously only a problem with much earlier Chinese porcelain. This sale provides collectors with a rare opportunity to buy pieces sourced by Peter Wain and, therefore, of sound provenance.


text:
US, Russia Reach Agreement To Eliminate Syria's Chemical Weapons Stockpile
The U.S. and Russia have reached an agreement on a framework to secure and destroy Syria's chemical-weapons stockpile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a joint news conference in Geneva Saturday.
According to the deal, which would be backed by a U.N. Security Council resolution, Syria must disclose its complete chemical-weapons stockpile within one week and give United Nations inspectors unfettered access to all its chemical weapons ahead of eliminating them, the Associated Press reported.
Kerry said a time frame for identifying and destroying the chemical weapons has been stipulated, and Syria could face consequences such as sanctions and other punitive actions should it fail to comply.
"Providing this framework is fully implemented, it can end the threat these weapons pose not only to the Syrian people but also to their neighbors," Al Jazeera quoted Kerry as saying. "The world will now expect [President Bashar] Assad's regime to live up to its commitments. ... There can be no room for games. Or anything less than full compliance by the Assad regime."
Kerry, referring to possibility of a military strike should Syria violate the terms of the deal, said that a response in accordance with U.N. Charter Chapter 7 -- which provides for military action by "air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security" -- could be undertaken, assuming other options fail.
According to the agreement, U.N.-appointed inspectors must be in Syria no later than November and destruction of the country's chemical-weapons stockpile should be completed by mid-2014, CNN reported.
However, Lavrov said the current agreement doesn't provide for use of military force in Syria, but if the nation fails to cooperate with investigators, the issue could be addressed by the U.N. Security Council. He added that all agreements reached on Syria's chemical weapons will be "formalized in legally binding documents," the Russian-based Interfax news agency reported.
However, it is unclear which country will destroy the chemical weapons and whether the disposal will be carried out inside or outside Syria.
Senior U.S. administration officials told reporters earlier in the day on condition of anonymity that the U.S. would not insist on including military action against Syria in the deal, as they do not expect Russia to back any such resolution in the U.N.
The agreement came on the third day of intense talks between Washington and Moscow to resolve the stand-off on Syria. Both the sides have confirmed they intend to continue the talks to resolve broader issues, including the political crisis associated with the country's civil war.


text:
Over the next ten years Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is investing in a series of building projects that will create the best possible environment for patients, visitors and staff.
The new Cancer Centre at Guy's Hospital will provide the majority of the trust's cancer services in state-of-the-art facilities.
The trust is holding a design competition in conjunction with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) to select the best design team to develop the new centre.
Come to see the designs and tell the trust what you think.
Related website: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/2020vision
St Thomas' Hospital
Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7EH
Monday 19 July 2010 to Thursday 22 July 2010
Guy's Hospital Cancer Treatment Centre Exhibition
See the designs


text:
Learning to throw knives is no easy task but it's certainly not impossible. Knife throwing is more about finesse than power. Too many people make the mistake of throwing a knife as hard as they can, but too much force in your throw causes the knife to ricochet instead of sticking. The two most important aspects of knife throwing are proper grip and a free and natural release.
While there are many ways that you can hold a throwing knife the two most popular holds are the hammer grip and the pinch grip. The hammer grip is aptly named because the hold closely resembles the way a person would hold a hammer. With the hammer grip, the edge of the knife should be held between the thumb and index finger, with the thumb resting on the spine of the blade or handle. For a successful throw from this position the wrist must remain still but relaxed upon release. The arm dropping and the knife leaving the hand should be carried out in one continuous and fluid motion. The hammer grip is best suited for heavier knives with longer blades.
The pinch grip is used to throw smaller blades with force. Using the pinch grip the knife is placed between the thumb and forefinger at its center or fulcrum where the weight is evenly balanced. This should always be done with an unsharpened blade. The knife should extend out straight as an extension of the arm. Hold the knife firmly while retaining a relaxed grip. A grip that is too loose or to tight will result in a loss of accuracy.
When throwing keep the foot opposite your throwing arm one step behind the foot of your non- throwing arm. The distance between your feet should be approximately two shoe lengths. Raise your throwing arm above your head as if you were intending to cut or chop something in front of and above you. As your raise your arm, your weight should rest on the ball of the foot that is on the same side of your throwing arm. As you drop your arm to line up with your target, you will shift the weight from the side of your throwing arm to your front foot. Release the knife when it is even with your target, but don't stop your throwing motion. The follow through is very import to ensure the knife sticks. The motion of throwing a knife is very similar to throwing a baseball except that the thumb is released instead of the index finger. There are several books available like Knife Throwing: A Practical Guide by Henry K. McEvoy to help you perfect your technique.


text:
This is what it looked like:
Monday, August 29, 2011
My Latest Spray Paint Makeover!
Three years ago, one of my dad's friends gifted my nephew with this Radio Flyer Coupe. Lets just say that car has ATLEAST 100,000 Miles on it from all the laps around their driveway! It has been loved, and over time beat up, faded, and worn out! I brought it home with me when I went down there recently and have been restoring it!
7 comments:
- Ashley Paige said...
way to go, crafty mama! love this! too, too cute!
- August 29, 2011 6:57 AM
- Cory Holder said...
The PEEBS license plate is just too awesome for words. I love it! Viva la Peebs!
- August 29, 2011 7:24 AM
- Julie Bray said...
That car is too cool!!! I could not be more impressed. The license plate completes it perfectly
- August 29, 2011 2:06 PM
- Erica said...
I'm in awe of the car.....and how you make time to do all of these neat things!
- August 29, 2011 2:29 PM
- Brooke said...
Love it, that is awesome! I am going straight to craigslist to look for one myself!!
- August 29, 2011 7:14 PM
- Susannah said...
Wow! That is amazing! You are super crafty and thrifty!
- August 29, 2011 7:41 PM
That is one heck of a spit shine, LG!!
- August 30, 2011 7:36 AM


text:
Upperclassmen Step Up to Help Sophomores Applying to the Neeley School
What do you do when you don't have enough volunteers from the community to prep new sophomores for the high-pressure interviews required to get into the Neeley School?
You call on the ones who know exactly what to do and how to do it, because they've done it successfully themselves.
Juniors and seniors from the prestigious Neeley Fellows and BNSF Next Generation Leadership programs stepped up to the task to help TCU hopefuls brush up on their interview skills in preparation for Interview Day, when business professionals come to campus on a Saturday to interview applicants for the Neeley School.
The Professional Development Center offers mock interviews to all students who apply to the Neeley School, but finding enough volunteers from the business community to participate was presenting a challenge as student numbers increased.
"Retaining outside volunteers for mock interviews during a weekday is challenging, and the number of student applicants is growing, so we created a new model," said Kelly O'Brien, director of Neeley's Professional Development Center. "We had enough upperclassmen volunteer that we were able to give every student candidate who wanted a mock interview a chance to participate."
O'Brien and Jessica Cates, director of the Alcon Career Center at Neeley, held a training session for the upperclassmen to cover the basics of how to be an effective interviewer.
"Conducting an interview is more of an art/skill than it gets credit for," said senior William Dace, a Neeley Fellow. "You have to be very attentive and act as a conductor for a conversation that can go so many different directions while still trying to give a fairly standardized interview."
"I felt like the students were able to ask us more candid questions because they knew that they would get honest answers from us, since we were in their shoes just one or two years ago," senior Alyssa Gross, a member of the BNSF Next Gen program, said.
Dace agreed. "They could ask us questions they might not necessarily want to ask older professionals. I got asked an array of things, from 'What should I except from the interview?' to "If I'm considering changing my major at Neeley how can I do that?' One person told me about a phone interview he had the next day, and we talked for 10 minutes or so about how to handle the call. I wish I could have picked the brain of a junior or senior when I was entering Neeley."
Ken Nhan, a junior in the Next Gen program, said the opportunity to be the interviewer was a unique experience. "Being on the other side of the table gave me so much insight and broadened my perspective. When students couldn't articulate their stories or get their points across well, they reminded me of myself a year ago. I felt really motivated to give them feedback so they could improve."
In addition to empathy, understanding and inside knowledge of the Neeley School, the student interviewers were more forthcoming in their assessments.
"The feedback that the juniors/seniors provided to the interviewees – both written and verbal – was far more extensive than what the business professionals felt comfortable providing in years past," Cates said. "Since feedback is so critical to improvement, this was the most valuable part of doing the mock interviews this way."
As for the interviewees, they thought the experience was "awesome," as Johnny Zhang put it.
Sophomore Chris Curran said his interviewer "gave me very relevant advice, not only for applying to Neeley, but also for the business world."
"She did a great job explaining how I could improve, but she also recognized what I was doing well," Alexandra Bianchin said of her interviewer.
"Excellent interviewer; probing questions forced me to think," Scott Martinson said.
"I'm very happy that Neeley offers these opportunities to students to help them know what to expect and learn how to really be a great interviewee," Meagan Lee said.


text:
The Lake Como School of Advanced Studies will convene a Ph.D. School on "Carbon Forms, Paths and Processes" at the Villa del Grumello, Como, Italy on 15-20 October 2017. The international school will present state-of-the-art research studying the forms, paths, and processes of carbon in Earth to address the long-term fate of carbon on the planet. The Ph.D. School of Milano Bicocca will consist of a series of invited lectures, practical sessions on cutting-edge techniques, and contributions from participants. The five-day school is intended to bring together scientists, Ph.D. students, and Post-Docs with broad international representation in geochemistry, petrology, experimental mineralogy and petrology, materials science, thermodynamics, volcanology, geodynamics, and geophysics.
Lecturers include many DCO colleagues, such as Patrick Allard (IPGP, France), Robert Bodnar (Virginia Polytechnic, USA), Giovanni Chiodini (INGV, Italy), Maria Luce Fressotti (University Milan Biocca, Italy), Brian Horsfield (University Jena, Germany), Craig Manning (UCLA, USA), Stefano Poli University Milan, Italy), Vincenzo Stagno (University Rome 1, Italy), and Dimitri Sverjensky (Johns Hopkins University, USA).


text:
When we are following the trend out there, the reality you will find might drive you to the modernity and flexibility, which is shaped well in the modern arrangement. The modern design seems very dominant in many aspects of the space beginning from the detail, shape, even the furniture too. The modern is perfectly applied in all spaces beginning from the living room, dining room, and the others. When we are entry to the dining room, you might find these space is perfectly filled by the awesome tables and chairs which are becoming the core of this space too.
Many things are used as the main material of the modern dinning table. Some smart designers choose to use the wood to form the furniture they create. This kind of furniture can be a great decision for you if you expect to get a warm accent on your space. Then, the others might prefer to use the steel and glass combination in way to make a perfect beauty for their dining room something like this is able to make the dining room they create seems more elegant and classy. The glass accent on the modern dining table they choose will make the room seems brighter and spacious because of their sparkling look. The fabric on the chairs is also needed when you want to get the cozy space.
In creating some modern and stylish dining tables, they don't only play with the material. But, more than it many people also play with the colors. The neutral colors like as black, white, and grey can be a good decision to create the modern space. Combined with the simple shaped table and some comfortable seats, here you will not only deliver the beauty to your dining room, but they coziness as well. So, are you interested to create something like this?


text:
Husband's Tears Series
|Husband's Tears Series
|Expensive Jewelery
|Treasure Hoard Numbers
|White Flower Garden, Bulblax Kingdom, Citadel of Spiders, Cavern of Chaos
The Husband's Tears Series is the fourteenth series listed in the Treasure Hoard. It spans from numbers 104 to 109 and is made up of several types of jewelry.
[edit] Treasures
[edit] Ship's Announcement
You've collected the Husband's Tears Series! Women cry with joy, men just cry at the price.
Last edited by Gotenks on 18 September 2011 at 21:31
This page has been accessed 359 times.
This page has been accessed 359 times.


text:
Checkatrade.com uses cookies to make sure you get the best browsing experience. By continuing to use this website you are consenting to our use of cookies. For further information and to manage your cookie preferences, view Checkatrade's cookie policy
Sign in to retrieve a saved callback list.
Most recent 100 reviews for Premier Lawns
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License.
Design © Mapbox. Licensed according to the Mapbox Terms of Service.


text:
It has been shown that there is a correlation between the artificial lights humans spend their days and nights under, and insomnia. The human eye can confuse being under office lights and bright lights in the evening hours at home with sunlight, and it throws off their natural circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythms regulate waking and sleeping hours based on how many hours are spent in the sunlight. The body naturally wants to shut off and sleep at night, but because there are so many hours being spent under artificial light, it becomes harder for the body to switch into sleep mode.
Innovations in LED light like the ones developed by Gooee, can help to automate human health by being able to wirelessly control LED lights. If the human body naturally needs to wind down around evening hours, the lights in the home can be adjusted to a dimmer setting with the touch of a button while keeping one task lamp bright for completing what needs to be done in evening hours. This simple adjustment can be made with the touch of the button on a tablet and it will bring all of the LED lights or LED sockets down to the ideal dimness to promote sleep and relaxation while that bright task light still allows for things to get done. And then when it's time to off for bed, the lights switch off behind the person leaving the room, and they can enter a bedroom lit ideally for sleep.


text:
The Karri Casner Environmental Sciences Fellowship supports University of Kentucky students engaged in graduate-level research in environmental studies. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the biological, ecological, chemical, and physical processes that affect water quality, air quality, soil quality, and ecosystem health. Applicants must have at least a 3.25 undergraduate GPA and a 3.5 graduate GPA. The OEPOS strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to participate fully in this fellowship program. Priority will be given to programs that provide benefits to or have implications for Kentucky. Funds are available to full-time, degree-seeking graduate students for assistance with expenses relating to thesis or dissertation research, as well as for travel to present research at professional meetings.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Casner, co-founders of WinStar Farm in Woodford County, established the Karri Casner Fellowship in 2005 to graduate students at UK for work in environmental sciences. The Farmer Institute accepts proposals late in the fall for review and distributes the awards for use in the spring and throughout the next academic year