Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Uh Huh.  
  

    
Were we going to have a coloring contest? The best coloring gets a
free book?
  

    

Let's talk about the upcoming Massachusetts book.  What are some of the
elements that you would like to include that people ( from, say, the west
coast) might not know about the Bay State.

Other than the fact that we don't ALL talk funny.
  

    
In the Mass. book there will be NO R!  (Hey, no one would pronounce it 
anyway!)

*Q for the Quabbin Reservoir (which buried 5 or more towns in the 1930's) 
because Boston is thirsty.

*That the telephone and the telegraph were invented in Masschusetts.

*That the Navy Bean is the official Bean of the state (adopted 1993)
and that the cranberry is the offical berry (adopted 1994)

*Cranberry juice is the official drink (adopted 1970) and that's half of 
an alcoholic drink named for the state (The Cape Codder)  The other half is a 
jigger of vodka.

That in 1784, a cod was carved from a solid piece of white pine. It 
measured four feet, eleven inches long and was carved realistically, with 
close attention to detail. This was known as the "Sacred Cod", and² was 
hung over the desk of the  House Speaker in the Massachusetts House of 
Representatives. It remained  there until 1860, when it was shifted to the 
rear of the chamber. After  the completion of the new House in 1895, the 
Sacred Cod was moved to its  present location between two central columns 
over the railing separating  the visitors¹ gallery from the floor of the 
House. It traditionally faces  north when the Democrats hold a majority, 
south when the Republicans are in the majority.
  

    
Now that is cool.
  

    
Y'all come on down and do Louisiana. It's almost too easy, but at
least you have a place to stay.

A = alligators, accordions, Atchafalaya, Audubon Zoo
B = bayou, bouree, boudin, beignets, Bourbon Street, Boudreaux & 
Thibodeaux
C = Cajun, Creole, crawfish, cracklins, cane fields
D = Dixieland, David Duke, Drive-Thru Daiqueries, doubloons
E = etoufee, Evangeline
F = fais do-do, file', fire ants, French Quarter
G = gumbo, gris-gris
H = heat & humidity, Holly Beach
I = ibis, Avery Island
J = jambalaya, Jolie Blonde
K = king cake
L = "Laissez les bons temps rouler, " "Lache pas la patate!"
M = Mardi Gras, Mamou, Marie Laveaux 
N = New Orleans, nutria
O = oysters, Oo ye yi!
P = pirogue, Paul Prudomme, pelicans, po' boys
Q = Queen Ida
R = roaches, roux
S = snakes, state troopers, swamp pop, Spanish moss, sac-au-lait
T = trailer parks, Tabasco, ti-fer, two-step, tasso
U = Uncle Joe
V = vacherie, voodoo, Vieux Carre'
W = waltzing
X = BoudreauX, ThibodeauX, QuibedeauX, ArceneauX, ComeauX, GautreauX,
etc. (ok, needs work maybe)
Y = "You Are My Sunshine," YooHoo, Yambilee Festival
Z = zydeco
  

    

S could also be Superdome, Saints or Sugar Bowl.    Well, okay, Superdome or
Sugar Bowl.

Hey, Adam, you've got another state ready to go!  And don't forget about N
for Napoleonic Code, still alive and kicking!
  

    
Wow!  Impressive!

One of the things I plan on doing is creating a school show/workshop in 
support of the book, and actually part of the workshop is just that--

Make an A-Z of your city/family/favorite activity. 

How did you think about organzing it?  What were the hard letters?  
Would it have been easier to organize it going in a different way?  
Numerically?  Chronologically? How else could we organize it?

Good list Leroy-- esp. for a pop culture version of the book.  I really 
like Y is for Yamboree!

It's hard to make a good and balanced list though.  Leroy's list is heavy 
on music and dancing and eating. We'd definitley need to include some 
square subjects too, and then make them better!


If we were doing Louisiana we'd definitely have to do P for Pelican, and 
mention that the state seal features a pelican tearing a piece of flesh 
from its breast to feed its young.

And I don't know where we'd mention it (C should be for Crawfish, 
sho'nuff) but the Catahoula Leopard Dog (the official state dog) is 
something that I'd definitely want to fit in some way.  Webbed feet!  
Spotted Coat!  Glassy Eyes!

<http://www.catahoulaleopard.com/Nikki001.jpg>
  

    
Your list is EXCELLENT <leroy>! I think you should get busy writing
it.
Here are a few of my initial picks:

A = alligators
B = bayou
C = crawfish
D = Dixieland
E = etoufee
F = French Quarter
G = gumbo
H = howyermomandem
I = ibis
J = jambalaya
K = king cake
L = Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the good times roll)
M = Mardi Gras (discuss New Orleans in this topic)
N = nutria
O = oysters
P = pelicans
Q = Queen Ida
R = roux
S = Spanish moss
T = Tabasco
U = Uncle Joe
V = voodoo
W = waltzing
X = BoudreauX
Y = Yambilee Festival
Z = zydeco
  

    
In addition to the dog, we also need to work in the Magnolia (state
flower) and the Cypress (state tree). Those can often be worked around
in another topic. Like the Cypress can be included in the Bayou.
  

    
Some jazz history might be good too.
  

    
Yes, under Dixieland.
  

    
Aha.  And put Cajun under Zydeco in that case.  Sure.
  

    
Eat yr heart out, Mary Englebrecht!
  

    

No no, Cajuns don't play zydeco. Zydeco and Cajun music share a common
ancestor, usually just called French music, but they've evolved quite
separately and are quite different. Different dances too.

Also, there's no "d" in yermamanem.

Y'all let me know and I'll get your rooms all ready.
  

    
Exactly.  "Jazz" is fortunately not all Dixieland in NO, either.
  

    
See, this is EXACTLY the process that you have to go through.

Probably Zydeco stays in, as it's hard to get a good Z.  That means that 
you have to maybe get rid of W for Waltzing, because you don't want the 
whole book to be culture and dancing.  



C for Cajun and Creole and talk about the growth of both.

"Laissez Les bonnes temps roulez!" is a great idea, but it's not a good 
illustration subject.  Mardi Gras is a little better, but what's the 
image?  (No, it's not a lady raising her shirt!)

(Unless Donna thinks she can do it, in case, I defer)
  

    
Sorry for getting to this topic so late. Donna, I love your artwork!
  

    
The A to Z format has its limits. Not all the categories can/will have
a perfect handling. A concise history of jazz, or any other single
topic, is pretty much impossible with this sort of book. Things that
don't make it into the lettered subjects can be fleshed out in the
intro copy. I try not to dwell on what isn't happening (drive meself
nuts). What IS happening is a great deal more than most people expect.

Mardis Gras has plenty of visuals. We don't need to be flashing 
boobage in a kid's book. (No matter how much you want to.)
  

    
Please!  Pretty Please?  With sugar on top?


Oh, wait a minnit.... That's not sugar!
  

    

Wait!  Back to the Massachusetts book for sec:  about that sacred cod - c 
for cod or s for sacred?
  

    
Has there been a conscious decision not to include people in the A to
Z, just objects and places?  What about books, or music?
  

    

(I just want to point out that Mardi Gras isn't just a New Orleans thing. We
have the traditional rural courirs up here in the country where we dress up
in elaborate medieval-like costumes with masks made of screens and tall
pointy hats called capuchon, ride horses standing up in the sdaddle, and
gallop around the countryside chasing chickens for the gumbo. Though I use
"we" in the loosest sense of the word when it comes to standing up in the
saddle. It's quite colorfu, family-oriented, and much more authentic and
traditional than the touristy hoopla in NO. Some great pictures at
http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/mardmain.htm.)
  

    
My Southwest series is focused on natural history and therefore
doesn't include individuals. The Rhode Island book has enough history
that it is necessary to mention some individuals (with no one as the
focus of any single subject). There are several illustrations which
include human figures: Lobsters with Adam, Textiles with an old world
spinner, and Violets with Consuelo Vanderbilt. None of the illustrated
individuals are indentified in the text. Biographical approaches are
probably best done in a different sort of book.

I think we'll do "Walden" for the "W" in Massachusetts A-Z. There's a
book for you!
  

    
Slippage Leroy.
I would love to attend the Mardi Gras, especially those festivities
which are not tourist-focused. It sounds wonderful. (Your descriptions
always do.) The scheduling will be a bit challenging as I'll be
spending the next five Februaries hammering away in the print
department at ASU.