MotherReader

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Grab Some Popcorn

Since I’ve got editorial privileges over here, I thought I’d stick in a little notice to let readers know that the latest short from Tohubohu Productions, “All Roads Lead Away,” is now available for viewing over at our official website. Written by Barry Lyga, directed by yours truly and produced by MotherReader herself, the film is a great little road movie about a couple struggling to move on with their lives after losing everything.

So many people worked to make this movie happen (well, about 17, but thay all worked really hard), but I think one’s worthy of special mention here. MR’s too modest to ever brag about her own contributions, but I suffer from no such compunction — in addition to keeping the ship running, she was instrumental in our final casting, working out music licensing (i.e., she did it all herself), stepping in front of the camera when we lost an actress (though — ruthless bastard that I am — I did end up cutting her part from the finished film), helping provide a fresh eye for editing decisions, and perhaps most importantly, being a positive voice when it seemed like all I could do was see all our little shortcomings. (And it’s also worth noting that if she hadn’t attended last year’s Kidlitosphere Conference, I never would have met Barry in the first place.)

And, of course, she was right — despite all my fears, the audience reception at Friday night’s premiere was phenomenal, and really gives me hope that we’ll make the “Best of the 48 Hour Film Project” screening on May 29th. (And we’ve already submitted the film for consideration to the DC Shorts film festival, one of the premiere short-film festivals in the nation. No guarantee that it’ll get in, of course — they receive hundreds of submissions each year — but I’ve got a good feeling about it.)

So sit back, grab a tub of popcorn (or maybe just a bag — it’s not all that long a film), and give it a viewing. And if you like it, don’t forget to let us know (and spread the word)!

Labels: 48 Hour Film Project, Movies, Shameless Bragging

Friday, May 09, 2008

2:00 a.m.

That’s when I caught the escaped hamster. 2:00 a.m. I am the most devoted mother ever, and one of the most tired. The hormonal soup of anxiety and adrenaline have left me physically wrecked, but I’ll take the day to recover and hit our 48 Hour Film Project screening tonight with full energy — and a caged hamster at home.

My Poetry Friday contribution is an original piece about my experience.

As a mother I expected diapers and crying.
Boo-boos and bee stings
Hurt knees and hurt feelings.
I was prepared for sick days, sleepless nights,
tantrums, homework, and sibling squabbles.
But there are times
When it comes down to moments
Of pure absurdity.
A grown woman stalking a hamster.
Staring in the dim light for hours
The taste of being a hero
Resting in the sweet smell of strawberry
in a tin can covered, finally, thankfully,
By the hand of a mom.

The Poetry Friday round-up is done by Writer2B. And in case I don’t get another chance to say it, Happy Mother’s Day!

Labels: Original Poetry, Poetry Friday

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Oh, No

Ohmigod, the hamster escaped. The hamster that my third grader has wanted for two years and was finally old enough to get. The hamster that made it through a brief bout of “the runs” that can be fatal for hamsters, but survived perhaps due to my sheer need for her to be okay. This morning we found that she had gotten out of a less-than-perfectly closed skycap viewing area. She must have worked and worked on unscrewing that thing. But, to reference Clemency Pogue and the Hobgoblin Proxy, “There was a principle at work here, an equal and opposite reaction for every action. The jar [top] was unscrewed, and Kenn [I] was quite the opposite.”

I’m physically sick about this. (Yes, Kelly, my stomach lurched and hasn’t stopped yet.) I’ve set out my hamster traps. I’ve prayed to Saint Anthony (“Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around. Something is lost that needs to be found.”) and I’m not even Catholic. I’m planning on staying up tonight when these little guys are active to see if I can catch her then. In the meantime, I’m fighting my anxiety and sicky stomach and cleaning up every place I can to search for a little sleeping Honey hamster. The problem is that the place is a mess, and therefore there are tons of places a little hamster could hide, and that fact is just making me feel sicker and more anxious.

Please send me your good hamster-finding energy. And if you have any good tricks, pass them along.

Labels: Personal Stories

The Thursday Three IX

Hug Time, by Patrick McDonnell
A kitten wants to hug the whole word, so he travels around the world to hug everybody. He does a pretty good job of it, too. But then he sails home to hug his person. Cute enough, but not as well done as some of the McDonnell’s other titles. This ending quote made me feel kinda warm and fuzzy inside: “The world’s so big, and yet so small, it’s time that we embrace it all. That’s something that we all can do, start with the one who’s closest to you.” Awwwww.

How Big Is the World? by Britta Techentrup
Little Mole asks his papa “How big is the world?” His papa suggests he go find out, so he heads out to ask other animals. Each animal names a bigger and bigger world (the spider’s world is her web, the mouse’s world is the field, etc.) But by riding on the back of the whale, the mole sees how big the world really is and how it never ends. When he misses his family, they head home and papa is waiting for him. “How big is the world?” whispers papa. “As big as you want it to be,” says Little Mole quietly. Other than the serious disconnect between exploring the entire world and getting home by bedtime, I liked the book a lot. The illustrations are engaging, and the story is a great introduction to variety in the world around us conveyed with a sense of awe and wonder.

City Lullaby, written by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Carll Cneut
A counting book set in the city, where a baby sleeps through all the noise and busyness around her/him. Bright and detailed pictures make this a fun counting book with city themes — dump trucks, taxi horns, and such. The art is on one side of the page, all lively and sometimes silly (notice the dog on the cell phone for nine annoying cell phones ringing.) On the other page, the text and a simple sketch of the baby’s sleeping face (line eyes with lashes, curved lines for nose and mouth, dots for freckles, and sometimes a curl). A fun title that would be especially perfect for city kids.

Labels: Book Reviews, Picture Books, Thursday Three

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

The Willoughbys

In college I saw a play that had a very surreal bent: Christopher Durang’s ’Dentity Crisis. It was extremely funny, but also left me feeling a bit weird with its absurd humor. The Willoughbys, by Lois Lowry, gave me the same feeling. Others have loved it for its satire of the old-fashioned book, but it just didn’t do it for me. And that surprises me, because in theory this sort of humor — the book is compared to Lemony Snicket’s titles — is right up my alley. What can I say?

The four Willoughby children realize that they should have been orphans, especially given that their parents don’t like them very much. About the same time, the parents realize that they want to get rid of the children themselves. It’s possible both things will be accomplished as the parents set off on a series of dangerous adventures, hiring a nanny to watch the children. Along the way, an abandoned baby, a grieving millionaire, a lederhosen-wearing boy, and a meticulous woman all feature in the strange story. Here’s a selection from early in the book that gives a sense of the tone.

“Oh, someone has left a beastly baby on our front steps,” Tim told her.

“My goodness, we don’t want a baby!” their mother said, coming forward to take a look. “I don’t like the feel of this at all.”

“I’d like to keep it,” Jane said in a small voice. “I think it’s cute.”

“No it’s not cute,” Barnaby A said, looking down at it.

“Not cute at all,” Barnaby B agreed.

“It has curls,” Jane pointed out.

Their mother peered at the baby and then reached toward the basket of beige knitting that she kept on a hall table. She removed a small pair of gold-plated scissors and snipped them open and closed several times, thoughtfully. Then she leaned over the basket and used the scissors.

“Now it doesn’t have curls,” she pointed out, and put the scissors away.

Jane stared at the baby. Suddenly it stopped crying and stared back at her with wide eyes. “Oh dear. It isn’t cute without curls,” Jane said. “I guess I don’t want it anymore.”

“Take it somplace else, children,” their mother said, turning back toward the kitchen. “Dispose of it. I’m busy with a meat loaf.”

In June I’ll join the conversation about this title at the DC Kid Lit Book Club. I’m curious to hear others reactions to the book, and maybe glean why I didn’t get the joke. I mean, I understood the satire, but it didn’t leave me laughing. And you know I love to laugh.

EDITED TO ADD: Kelly Fineman has a very thorough review of The Willoughbys today. She enjoyed it, so let's see what she had to say.

Labels: Book Reviews, Middle-Grade

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Brunkus and Bush

Oh, Denise. Why? Why? You’ve got the whole Junie B. thing going on, and the picture book Charlie Hits it Big was a great use of your talents. I don’t understand how you could do this.

I mean, really, the Bush book was the best thing coming down the pike? That just can’t be. And the book, Read All About It!, is kinda crap, you know. A boy doesn’t like books, until one day the librarian is reading and real things come alive from the books and a pig comes alive and then disappears when the book ends, so then it becomes another story about searching for the pig who disappeared and everyone is surprised that he’s in the library. Not good.

On the back of the book is a picture of Laura and Jenna Bush and a “touching” quote. “Discovering a good book can change our lives forever. [Well, it’s not going to be this one.] Books offer a world of adventure, new friends, and a lifetime of learning. [Gag.] We hope READ ALL ABOUT IT! will be a window into the power and magic of books! [I sincerely doubt it.]”

It’s the end of a presidency, so a First Lady book is to be expected. I can’t even work up a BACA hissy fit about that. But Denise, you should have known better. Now I still love you, but I’m very disappointed in you. Don’t let this happen again, missy.

Labels: Picture Books, Poor Denise Brunkus

Monday, May 05, 2008

“All Roads Lead Away”

I’m still tired from the 48 Hour Film Project, and I wasn’t even that involved in yesterday’s work. The experience of making a film in two days is so intense that it takes a lot out of you. Our script by Barry Lyga was ambitious, and our filming went from our Saturday 8:30 a.m. call time until almost midnight. It was a very long day for the crew and our two lead actors, who really carried the piece. Well, three lead actors if you include the beat-up car which we considered the third star of the movie.

Barry gave us an amazing script, dramatic and contemplative. Bill and I selected two strong actors (Jennifer Massey and Joe Hansard) who could pull off the emotion of the film. We got to test the new camera car mount, to the delight of the cameraman. I kept asking for reassurance that the expensive camera was not, was NOT, going to fall off the hood of the car. After a last-minute location change, I was slotted for a small part in the movie — which ended up on the cutting room floor in the interest of meeting our seven-minute running time requirement. I’m still in the background helping a customer, and my hair is in a later office scene. Oh, the glamour.

Bill spent Sunday editing the film at his workplace, while I searched for music at home. I found the piece that we ended up using within a few minutes. Unfortunately, I then spent almost two hours continuing to search for music, finding almost nothing, and deciding to stick with my first choice. After Bill was forced to make some difficult decisions about editing, he sent me the film online so I could look at it. With my fresh perspective — having not spent the last six hours putting it together — I was able to suggest different places to cut, allowing some great moments to fit back in (though not my scene, alas). For later festivals, we may look at putting in a lost scene where the couple fights outside the car. It was a crew favorite as Jennifer screamed, “GET IN THE CAR!!!” with pure fury.

Our screening is Friday at 9:30 at the AFI Silver Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland. We’re really proud of it, and I can’t wait to see it on the big screen. If you’re in the area, you can order tickets online — but do so soon, because the shows always sell out. If you can’t get to the show, the film — “All Roads Lead Away” — will be available on our website sometime after the screening.

Incidentally, now you can see the trailer for Bill’s production of “Number One With a Bullet,” a short film about getting your book published — at whatever the cost. Seems like that film may be of some interest to the MotherReader crowd, don’tcha think?

Labels: 48 Hour Film Project