Friends -- I finished Laila Lalami's The Moor's Account two days ago and I am still trying to wrap my head around my reactions to this remarkable novel. Lalami focuses on a person only mentioned in the official account of a disastrous voyage to Florida undertaken by Spanish explorers, soldiers, and settlers, in 1527. This … Continue reading Uncovering layers of otherness: Laila Lalami’s The Moor’s Account (coloring books project 2015)
Tag: Stephanie Barbe Hammer
coloring books project — 01/05/15 — no more whitewashing
Friends -- today on Facebook I saw some terrible news. There is going to be a live-action remake of the Japanese manga-turned film Ghost in the Shell. And there will be no Asian actors in it. The lead role is going to be played by Scarlett Johanson. Alot of readers complained when Jennifer Lawrence got … Continue reading coloring books project — 01/05/15 — no more whitewashing
January 1st, 2015 — The coloring books project for 2015
When I was little I loved coloring books. I had one for every Disney movie, and one for every fairy tale. I would color the dresses and the pants and shirts with wild abandon. I had a giant box of Crayolas – you know the kind – the ones with every color of the rainbow. … Continue reading January 1st, 2015 — The coloring books project for 2015
Story Time Sunday special edition, 12/28/14 – my favorite feminist fictions of 2014
Friends – I just finished reading Dana Johnson’s novel Elsewhere, California. You have to read it. It’s generous, funny, sad, and heroic. If you are a writer who wants to write about race and class, you need to read this book. If you are a writer who wants to write about women artists, you need … Continue reading Story Time Sunday special edition, 12/28/14 – my favorite feminist fictions of 2014
Story Time Sunday, December 21st, 2014 — The Time of Our Lives
Last night I arrived early at the annual Solstice party hosted by two of my favorite people, Marie and Joscelyne. Their younger son, Jasper, was serving as lookout at the front door and announcing when guests arrived and an adult would need to come open the door. I was standing by the bar (surprise), … Continue reading Story Time Sunday, December 21st, 2014 — The Time of Our Lives
Sunday Night Special pre-chanukah edition, December 14th, 2014
Friends -- this has been a difficult, discouraging autumn, here in the United States and elsewhere. In the middle of this moral and political melancholy comes Chanukah, the so-called festival of lights -- a celebration filled with fried food and nightly presents, behind which lurks the complex historical shadow of a rebellion against foreign occupiers. … Continue reading Sunday Night Special pre-chanukah edition, December 14th, 2014
Story Time Sunday, 11/30/14 — A true story
My friend Harvey Last weekend, I went out to Riverside to do two book events. On the way, I went to a rehab hospital and visited my colleague Harvey. I know Harvey because he was a Linguistics professor in my department at the university where I used to work. Harvey turned 91 last October. … Continue reading Story Time Sunday, 11/30/14 — A true story
Inlandia Thanksgiving Ashberrian Haiku Invitational — a special Magically Real extravaganza
Dear Friends -- If you attended the wonderful Inlandia Book Fair held this past Saturday at the Barnes and Noble, Riverside, you will remember that I invited participants and guests to try their hands at the Ashberrian (or is it Ashberryian?) haiku: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables in each line of your poem. Make as … Continue reading Inlandia Thanksgiving Ashberrian Haiku Invitational — a special Magically Real extravaganza
da Literary Arts Collective Presents STORY Time Sunday NaNoWriMo prompts and tips
Hey there NaNoWriMo buddies! How full is your novel? Do you have enough things? Make an inventory of every item in your wallet/backpack/purse/briefcase. Write 3-5 sentences for each item: what it looks/smells/feels/tastes like, where you got it and from whom/how long it’s been in said location and anything else that leaps to mind Put … Continue reading da Literary Arts Collective Presents STORY Time Sunday NaNoWriMo prompts and tips
Story Time Sunday just barely on Monday, 11/17/14 — a NaNoWriMo tale of Jellyfish, robots, and our strange interests
Once upon a time there was a girl who loved jellyfish. She loved them because they reminded her of a visit to the aquarium with her mother. Her mother said the jellyfish looked like dresses. The little girl never forgot this. This is not my story. This scene is the beginning of Princess Jellyfish, a … Continue reading Story Time Sunday just barely on Monday, 11/17/14 — a NaNoWriMo tale of Jellyfish, robots, and our strange interests
Stephanie Barbé Hammer Writing (Un) Real 