October and the frightful tale

Macabre and dark literature reigns the month of October. Edward Gorey is right up there when it comes to the deep, soulful tale of gloom and doom. His house is open to the public as a shrine to his time on Earth. He wove his words into a poetic stance and paired them with his dreary inspired illustrations. Gorey was a master at depicting pessimistic fables with a hint of sarcastic humor. Like Poe, Gorey saw life's darker side and did not hesitate to utilize it in his writing. There's a difference between a pessimist and a misanthropist (one who hates humankind). Gorey was a bit of both and none. He put all the negative thoughts that whirled around in his head onto paper. Yet he lived his life in the public eye. He wrote and illustrated many books. His illustrations were also used for he PBS Mystery series.
Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925-April 15, 2000) was a writer and artist noted for his wry, macabre illustrated books. Born in Chicago, he attended Harvard University from 1946 to 1950, where he studied French and roomed with future poet Frank O'Hara.
Although Gorey was not into television himself, he did become a Star Trek fan. As a result a fan gave tribute, in Gorey style, to the episode "Trouble With Tribbles", which can be seen here. Or Here
Its always interesting when you find out that an enigmatic icon, such as Gorey, turns out to be, well, dare I say it...human. So, he wasn't a minion of Mephistopheles portraying his master's deep philosophies. He was a man, like many, who had a passion and acted on it. He used his creative forces as an outlet for his inner cynic. Its a good thing too. Just think what might have become of him had he buried it inside?

He's not a foe, he's Edgar Allan Poe

So much for poetic titles. If you're ever roaming around the country and end up in Richmond Virginia, you might want to stop by the Poe Museum. If for no other reason than to satisfy a strange curiosity about the enigmatic writer. They even host an "unhappy hour" for guests on special dates. What a perfect way to honor this author of tragic tales!
Other places around the country lay claim to Poe, like Baltimore Maryland where they have a Poe house and the Poe Society. New York has their claim, like the others, a place where Mr. Poe once resided and even written, no less. Poe Cottage was his final residence where his wife passed away. However, Baltimore was where he died. Like George Washington, people want to know where he slept while he was alive. Once I've left this terrestrial plane no one will be marking my sleeping places I can be sure of that. No matter, Mr. Poe left his mark on the world of the macabre and rightly so.
At the Poe Museum, in person or online, you can buy the ever sought after Edgar Allan Poe action figure (see picture). Who wouldn't want to play with their own little Poe with his own tiny raven perched on his tiny shoulder? Or how about the Poe shot glass? When you feel the urge to imbibe on your favorite shot you can see Poe's etched face staring back at you. The Poe bobble head, of course, is a obligatory gift shop item. Everyone who's anyone has a bobble head made in their likeness.
Like most people. Poe had his ups and downs. Trying to get literary notice and still make a living took up much of his young life. Like any writer who toils away at the novels and poems floating around in his or her head, Poe kept writing. Try as he might he couldn't get the literary big wigs of his day to care about torture chambers, death and tell-tale hearts. But, eventually he won out and became a published author much to the delight of readers everywhere.
So, here's to the wonderful world of Edgar Allan Poe and his museum in Virginia. Check it out and wallow in its misery.

Disapproving Rabbits

A book about rabbits? Disapproving ones, no less. What could it be all about? I mean really, does anyone really care if rabbits approve of you or anything for that matter? Well, apparently people do care. Not to be left out, the powers that be at Harper Collins decided they wanted a piece of the disapproving action. They contacted a disapproving rabbit's owner and asked her to tell all.
Sharon Stiteler usually known as Birdchick has a rabbit named Cinnamon. She noticed that her endearing pet rabbit always had the countenance of disapproval on his little furry face. Not to be undaunted, she loved her furry friend unconditionally. Even when Cinnamon decided to take on the neighbor's cat by overpowering the annoying feline, she still supported him in all his fluffiness. Cinnamon has a blog where people who are interested or simply "not amused" can keep up with the rabbit's disapproval ratings. Believe it or not, Stiteler cares for rabbits, birds and even bees! I have to admire anyone who is able to care for other living things. I do well to care for myself and that isn't saying much.
Since we love the elusive literary works, Disapproving Rabbits is our kind of book. Sure, it is'nt out yet and sure, it's been published by a major publisher, but hey, that doesn't make it any less elusory. Ok, we haven't actually been sent a book to review (hear that Harper Collins?) but we do, nonetheless, eagerly await the book's debut on October 16th 2007. And yes, this blog is more elusive than the books it reviews, so there!

Shadows Of Medusa

Shadows of Medusa is a science fiction novel intended to be part of a series. It is written by space enthusiast Brian Enke. He writes about future Mars settlements sponsored by secret beneficiaries with a hidden agenda. The story intertwines real science with interpersonal human issues. It is a suspense and a mystery novel along with the intrigue of Mars. Being a space enthusiast, Enke appreciates the science involved in a Mars mission. It is frustrating when a science fiction story takes you on a trail of the improbable and downright impossible science behind the tale. It is acceptable when the story is supposed to be a fantasy. When the laws of physics are completely ignored without any reference to magic or anything like that, well, that makes the story laughable. Enke, understands what would actually work and uses it to his advantage. You don't have to shake your head in disbelief like so many do when watching the old Sci-fi movies. They, of course, are in a genre all their own. So, here's to real science fiction the way it should be.

The word for today is...

Minion
From dictionary.com:
–noun

1.	a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power.

2.	a favored or highly regarded person.

3.	a minor official.

4.	Printing. a 7-point type.

–adjective

5.	dainty; elegant; trim; pretty.

American Heritage dictionary says:

1. An obsequious follower or dependent; a sycophant.
2. A subordinate official, especially a servile one.
3. One who is highly esteemed or favored; a darling.

When thinking of the word minion, submissive followers with an evil over lord comes to mind. Little did I know that the word minion was one of the few words that can actually contradict itself. It is a dichotomy in the sense that its definitions have totally opposite meanings. Obviously, the average person who may read comic books or watch super hero shows, would probably think the more negative definition is the accurate one. A correct sentence might be: 'To the disciples, Jesus was their minion'. That may be correct using the more positive meaning, saying he was esteemed and favored. If a preacher said this to his congregation, the people might take offense thinking that the disciples led Jesus around like a puppet.
Language is a strange and wonderful art. Individuals are products of their upbringing. What will mean one thing to one person may have an entirely different meaning to someone else. So, kids, study semantics and language so you know whether or not, when someone calls you a minion, if it was a compliment or an insult.
Till next time, my minions of this blog, till next time.

Fairies in New York?! Who knew?

The Good Fairies Of New York
A fantasy is always a great backdrop for a tale. A good fantasy which comes from a mind that exists on a whole different level than most people is even better. Millar may not be Neil Gaiman but who is?
The Good Fairies of New York finds two Scottish thimble fairies transported to lower Manhattan. Morag and Heather, who didn't completely fit in back in the old country, are a bit bewildered by their new surroundings, but make do as best they can. They're not entirely alone-as it turns out, New York is heavily populated by fairies, including Italian, Chinese, and black ones.
They meet up with some humans; Morag joins Kerry, who suffers from Crohn's disease, while Heather hooks up with the asocial Dinnie. The humans aren't entirely enthralled by the fairies, with Dinnie telling Heather: "I've decided not to believe in you in the hope you'll disappear." His efforts are, of course, futile.
Neil Gaiman writes: "I owned this book for more than five years before reading it, then lent my copy to someone I thought should read it, and never got it back. Do not make either of my mistakes. Read it now, and then make your friends buy their own copies. You'll thank me one day."
Fairies make great subjects for stories if only to vindicate them. Sure, modern folklore puts them in the ranks of pretty little imps who playfully protect nature and only appear to those who really believe. Unfortunately, mythology has also painted a dark side to these tiny, mostly invisible pixies who bear no resemblance to Tinker Bell. Of course we all know that Tinker Bell had a murderous side to her being that she attempted to kill Wendy in a jealous rage. Does this book show their lighter side? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?

Krazy Kat

A study in the history of cartooning brings out the likes of Peanuts, Pogo, Dennis the Menace and the Laurel and Hardy like team of Krazy and Ignatz. The comic strip created by George Herriman appeared in U.S. newspapers between 1913 and 1944. The strip focuses on the curious "love" triangle between its title character, Krazy, a carefree and innocent cat of indeterminate gender (referred to as both male and female), her antagonist Ignatz Mouse, and the protective police dog, Officer Bull Pupp. Krazy nurses an unrequited love for the mouse, but Ignatz despises her and constantly schemes to throw a brick at her head; which Krazy takes as a sign of affection. Officer Pupp, as Coconino County's administrator of law and order, makes it his unwavering mission to interfere with Ignatz's brick-tossing plans and lock the mouse in the county jail.
It was the detailed characterization, combined with Herriman's visual and verbal creativity, that made Krazy Kat one of the first comics to be widely praised by intellectuals and treated as serious art. Gilbert Seldes, a noted art critic of the time, wrote in 1924, calling it "the most amusing and fantastic and satisfactory work of art produced in America today." Famed poet E. E. Cummings, as another Herriman admirer, wrote the introduction to the first collection of the strip in book form. In more recent years, many modern cartoonists have cited Krazy Kat as a major influence, including Calvin and Hobbes creator, Bill Watterson who deserves his own article.
Studying the history of graphic art and cartooning is important in order to learn the true history of story telling in its true form. So many talents throughout history deserve to be resurrected. Today's reader, for the most part, is ignorant of the treasures buried in the archives of old newspapers and books. Graphic novels are not a new art form and have their roots firmly planted in the Sunday newspapers.