Over Christmas I realised I'd accidentally been subscribed to Audible for the last few months and decided to quickly use up the credits I'd stored up in my ignorance. I stumbled upon 'The Art of Asking' by Amanda Palmer. I must confess (and I'm very sorry if she ever reads this!) I had not come across Amanda Palmer before but she had me at the description of being a living statue. Who doesn't want to learn more about the life of a living statue?!
Amanda Palmer is an artist with many strings to her bow and is most famous (although not so me as I seem to have been living under a rock for the last few years) for her million dollar funded Kickstarter campaign and her 3 million view TED talk on the subject. 'The Art of Asking' is basically about how nobody successful has reached their level of success without asking for help along the way with lots of examples from Amanda Palmer's life along the way. A lot of creative people shy away from doing this, me very much included, and her message is 'take the donuts' (take the help that is offered to you and don't be afraid to ask for it either).
I'm really pleased that I didn't google her before listening to the audiobook because Amanda Palmer is quite a controversial figure online and I didn't have any preconceived ideas about her beforehand. When I was listening to her book all I kept thinking was 'what a warm, kind person'. I truly admire her ability to make friends wherever she goes and how open she is to new experiences.
I found the book very inspiring, listening to it in just a couple of days, and recommend it to all creatives. Particularly with fresh starts and new projects in mind for the beginning of 2015!
It's been a very busy few weeks recently, with a very successful first h.Art open studio in September and preparations for Christmas products and events well underway now.
As the season is now well and truly upon us, I thought I would share an autumnal recommended read.
'Autumn Story' written and illustrated by Jill Barklem is part of the Brambly Hedge series of books. The illustrations remind me a little of Beatrix Potter and the stories are just gorgeous. I thoroughly recommend them for children of all ages.
Surprisingly, 'Autumn Story' is the only book from the collection that I actually own, although I have fond memories of reading them at school and watching the charming TV series when it was released. I have a sneaking suspicion that Father Christmas may be rectifying this situation for me this Christmas though!
My brother, Harvey, gave me 'S.' by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst for Christmas. I knew that he'd been really excited about the book he was currently reading, and had bought me the same one, but I wasn't expecting such an exciting and unusual reading experience.
'S.' is physically beautiful. It comes in a black box with a seal that you have to cut to get to the book itself. The book inside is the real treat; a perfectly aged replica library book awaits you. The pages have been yellowed and, I have no idea how they did this, it even smells like an old book. The spine is sewn (a proper book!) and there is even a library sticker and stamps showing when the book has been borrowed inside.
Not only that, but tucked between the pages (which is why the book needs its case) are various postcards, photographs and hand written letters that enhance the story. There is even a map drawn onto an actual napkin! The cost of producing this book must have been incredible! I can't believe how reasonable it is to buy though.
The book inside the 'S.' case is called 'The Ship of Theseus' and has been written by the fictional author V. M. Straka. We learn from the forward (written by his translator whom he worked with over many years) that this was the final book Straka wrote before his mysterious death. The translator admits that not all of the pages of the final chapter were recovered and that he has completed the book for the author, so we don't know how much of the book is truly Straka's work. Nobody, not even the translator, knows the true identity of Straka and this has become the subject of many conspiracy theories and academic debates.
As you can see from the trailer, the book is full of annotations. These annotations are a series of conversations between two people who are trying to solve the mystery of who Straka was, before another academic rival does. There may also be other parties involved in trying to solve, or cover up the mystery, which builds a lot of suspense throughout the annotations. To add further complication to the book, the discussion between the two people is not chronological. There are 4 of 5 different conversations which are dispersed throughout the book, so you are constantly getting a sneak peak of what is to come.
'S.' is definitely not a light read. There are so many layers to the story that it is often hard to keep track; In the novel you are wondering who the mysterious S. character is, as well as searching for clues to Straka's true identity, you do not know how much the translator has altered the original manuscript, or how reliable his frequent footnotes are. On top of that, you become very attached to the two people having the annotation conversations about the book and want to know whether they solve the mystery unharmed. The fictional websites referred to by the annotators are actually real websites, so you can become fully immersed in the story and the theories.
There are a lot of different ideas online about how you should read the book, from reading the entire novel first, without looking at the annotations, to reading it all in one go. I fall into the latter category, and found that the most enjoyable way for me to read the book was to read a double page of the novel at a time, and then read the annotations before moving on. This is partly because I am very impatient and couldn't resist peeking at them! I think whichever way you choose to read it will alter your reading experience, but it will definitely be the most unusual book you've read for a while.
This is not an easy read to dip into for a few pages before you go to bed. I'd say you have to devote at least an hour at a time to it for a satisfying read. 'S.' is a bit like 'Lost' combined with a mystery novel, with a hint of 'The Jolly Postman' (who doesn't love a book full of postcards and letters?). There are some very dark scenes in the book, so it is definitely only appropriate for adults.
'S.' is such a clever book with so many names, layers and clues, that I suspect a lot of it went over my head in the first reading. I finished reading the book over the weekend and still don't feel like I have all of the answers yet. Definitely one for a re-read soon! Even though I don't fully understand everything, this book gets five stars from me for sheer beauty and such an immersive experience. I think, with the rise of the ebook, this is the direction that physical books should be heading. 'S.' is available as an ebook but I think this would completely take away from the work of art that is the book itself, so I recommend you get the real deal!
This recommended read is the children's book 'Kensuke's Kingdom' by Michael Morpurgo. To me, this is the ultimate children's book. I have yet to come across a child who does not love this story. It appeals to boys and girls, has adventure, danger, a desert island, and is a story of survival. Think 'Castaway' with Tom Hanks in, but for children.
If you have any children or need to buy a gift for a relative, this is an absolute classic. I'd recommend it for 9-12 year olds, but it would be suitable to read to 7 to 8 year olds as well, they just may need a little help. If you're a parent and read with your child before bedtime this is perfect because Michael Morpurgo really understands how children want to be kept on their toes in a book. Virtually every paragraph ends in a cliffhanger to keep you hanging on for more.
Even if you don't have children, or a child in your life, to buy this for read it!
'The Lore of the Land' by Westwood & Simpson is a real gem of a book for anyone interested in English folklore, particularly in your local area. It's an absolutely fascinating book and is the sort of thing you can dip into for inspiration every now and then. You'll always find something that sparks an idea.
The book is organised by county, so you can learn more about where you live, or if you're like me just have a look at everything and see what takes your fancy. There are so many interesting local stories to be discovered. Unfortunately the area of Worcestershire that I live in didn't get a mention, but we have many faerie stories surrounding the area too. The book is a fantastic resource to have on your bookshelf though.
I'd love to hear any local legends you know of from your area.
This is my current favourite book for inspiration. Tree Wisdom by Jacqueline Memory Paterson is full of interesting information, myths and legends about different British trees. It's a fantastic reference book to dip into if you are in need of some ideas. This book was recommended to me by Maria Lalic, a textile artist I met at Wonderwool Wales this year. Her beautiful felt artwork is definitely worth a look too!
