Over at the excellent crafty blog Cut Out + Keep, check out Cat Morley’s presentation of all her projects. Click on any picture for step-by-step directions. The range of projects is amazing, from Sushi Pin Cushions to a Snow Globe to Patatas Bravas.
Cool Project Alert
Over this past year I’ve been working in the book industry. That was a huge goal of mine, to get back into books, because quite simply, I love books. I love the words, the process of writing those words — not just research and craft and what not, but the process of idea to word to paper to book, and the countless hours and vision and experience and voice that is embodied in the work that is a book. I like the commitment to the finality of the printed page.
And yet, it’s now a 9-to-whatever thing, you know, and that comes with baggage, because it’s a job. I’m just being honest here. I still love books, I love books more, to tell the truth, and yet, dare I admit it, I also get a little sick of books. That’s just the nature of an evolving relationship — it’s not all love, love, love, right? Commitment takes serious work. You’ve got to work through the issues, and when it really means something, that means it won’t be easy, precisely because it means something. It will be hard work.
I mention all this because sometimes it means I can get a little jaded about books-in-general, about authors, about the "new book." But the other day I witnessed a feat of feats in the office. I happened to notice a person in the conference room on my floor signing what was clearly unbound title pages of a book. That’s not that unusual, and usually, I don’t even notice — I just walk on by and get back to work. Authors are always in conference rooms doing something. But in this particular instance, there were some serious stacks of pages sitting on that conference room table, and it seemed that the author had been there for awhile. I got curious. How many pages is she signing? What book is it? What’s the book about? I finally went in, introduced myself, and asked some questions.
Now, you see that picture above? That is just a portion of ONE of the stacks. That isn’t even a full stack! Keep in mind, the author was signing individual sheets.
How many? Not a hundred, or hundreds, but THOUSANDS!
So now you are probably asking the same questions: Who is the author? How many did she sign? What book is it? What is the book about?
The author is Lauren Redniss. She signed over 7,000 pages! The book is Century Girl, a "visual biography" of Doris Eaton Travis, the last living star of the Ziegfeld Follies. The book is making its way out to stores now, and will be officially released on Oct. 24. I should note that the signed pages will be bound into a special, limited edition of the book.
So yes, the signing of the pages — that was most certainly a feat of feats. But the book, it truly matches the magnitude of Lauren’s page upon page (upon page) signing effort. It is a work of art that tells the story of a remarkable woman. It is visually stunning — the colors and art/photos/clippings and presentation make the cleverly inked biographical words LIVE on the page. And though longevity is one of the book’s hooks — "100 years in the life…" — it is really about LIVING life, really, truly living life.
Century Girl is one of those books, you know, one of those books that seems to make the "book" seem brand new.
Visit Lauren’s website — laurenredniss.com.
Putting together a book is tough, but when that book is an encyclopedia, the job has got to be so much tougher. So many words, so many entries, so much fact-checking, so… all encompassing. But Dr. Melissa Hope Ditmore has done just that with her years-in-the-making project two-volume Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, just published by Greenwood Press. A one-of-a-kind reference work about a subject matter that is often seen through a narrow, cliche ridden vantage point, the encyclopedia delves into and explores sex work and prostitution from a full-view perspective: the historical, political, societal, cultural, activist and more. I interviewed Ditmore about her "mega-project" — how it came about, what’s in the encyclopedia, and who it’s for.
How did this project come about? How long have you been working on it?
The Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work was the brainchild of an editor at Greenwood, the publisher. She grew up in Detroit in the 1970s and witnessed pimp culture, especially souped-up cars. Pimpmobiles really stood out for her and may have been the genesis of the encyclopedia! As an acquisitions editor at Greenwood, she inquired after potential editors for a reference book about prostitution and was referred to me by Priscilla Alexander, the doyenne and ally of the American sex workers’ rights movement. Priscilla co-edited Sex Work: Writings by Women in the Sex Industry and I had hoped to co-edit this with her, but her other commitments prevented her from taking this on. An encyclopedia is a mega-project. My opportunity was a triumph of experience over hope: no one who had published a book before wanted to edit such a large volume!
Coming up with the list of topics was wonderful fun. The list is exceptionally rich because of the many entries that were suggested by the contributors. Pulling this manuscript together took more than two years of contact with some of the most fascinating writers and subjects you could hope to meet.
Has there ever been an academic reference book about prostitution and sex work?
This is the first reference work devoted to prostitution and sex work, despite the huge variety of academic and mainstream writing on sex work. Sexologists Vern and Bonnie Bullough published History of Prostitution in 1964, and Prostitution: An Illustrated Social History in 1989. These great resources are very different from the encyclopedia. The most obvious difference is that the encyclopedia has content addressing the last twenty years, including sex worker activism. The wide variety of voices in the encyclopedia is just not possible in a smaller book with two authors.
Who is the encyclopedia for?
Everyone should have an opportunity to read it. Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work is meant for a general audience. The writing is clear, there is no jargon, and the topic has universal interest. Most readers will probably be students because reference books are usually library resources. But everyone is a student of human nature and sexual activity!
I wonder how many people will find it not in a public library but in the private collections of their favorite sex professionals. Sex workers proved to be enthusiastic readers of the encyclopedia as soon as it became available. The positive response has been overwhelming, demonstrating the need for this book.
What are some of the entries — entries that would be good examples of what one will find in the encyclopedia?
No matter who you are, something in the 342 entries will interest you! There are people, history, places, health issues and more. Some of the entries that I recently re-read are Hip-Hop, Habsburg Monarchy, the film Midnight Cowboy, and World War I Regulation. The religious entries always engage me, especially the early Christian ascetics the Desert Harlots. Sacred whores indeed!
The entries on people include many familiar names: Paul Cezanne, Emma Goldman, Annie Sprinkle, Victoria Woodhull, and Emile Zola. But the encyclopedia also offers opportunities to learn about fascinating people you may not have heard of, for example, the Renaissance composer Barbara Strozzi, the medieval Chinese martial artist and courtesan Liang Hongyu, convicted madam Regine Riehl, and Network of Sex Work Projects co-founder Paulo Longo.
The 179 writers include the novelist Tracy Quan, who wrote about Opera, and popular music critic John Holmstrom, who wrote about Rock Music. Renowned scholars include Helen J. Self on Britain’s Street Offenses Act, Jo Doezema on Abolitionists, Heather Montgomery on Child Prostitution, Thomas Steinfatt on Trafficking Propaganda, and Stephanie Budin on the Ancient World. Advocates
Greenwood produced this beautifully. Illustrations abound, including Daryl Hannah as the automaton prostitute in Blade Runner, depictions from the Kama Sutra, ukiyo-e prints, and scenes from sex work venues in Amsterdam, Bangkok, New Orleans, and New York.
Are there political issues with a reference work like this? Could you see libraries NOT take the book because of its subject matter?
Yes, this has already come up. One contributor said that her local library, which was a university library, hesitated to order it. It is, after all, the only encyclopedia featured on Fleshbot. The library needed reassurance that Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work is a serious work that belongs in its collection and ordered the encyclopedia after she showed them the press release and excerpts that are on the website.
It’s priced more for the reference/library market, right? It’s more than normal book buyers are used to paying for a book… if someone can’t afford it, how might they go about getting access to the book?
The encyclopedia is an unusual book with an unusual price. Most readers will find it through their libraries. Request that your local library — whether that is a public library, a university library, a school library — get the encyclopedia. You can make it easier for your librarian by bringing a printed copy of the order form, and, if necessary, the excerpts offered to reviewers. They are available from the online press kit.
Any chance you might create an online wiki around this work?
What a great question! The encyclopedia would be an enormous resource for someone creating a wiki about the sex industry. I don’t see myself taking on such a technical project. I would like Greenwood to produce a cd-rom of the work, which would be more affordable and portable. My next book will be smaller!
More information about the Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work.
Check out Christine Miller’s 52 Figments project — a weekly creative exercise for 2006. Each week, Christine — also known as Swirly Girl — posts a question, and you create your own personal answer in any form that you want (adhering to the specs on the downloadable PDF). Details on how to send in your "answer" — a photo, a drawing, a collage, however you decide to respond — are on the site. Be sure to check out the amazing gallery of submissions.
Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica begins on Friday, Oct. 6. If you haven’t been watching this show, I really recommend that you check it out — and yes, though it’s cutting it a little close, there is still time to rent or netflix the first two seasons to catch up on what’s been happening. You may lose an entire weekend, but you will not be disappointed.
I should also say this: please don’t even bring up the original series. And if you were a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, note that the guy who wrote some of the very best episodes of that series — Ronald D. Moore — is the guy behind Battlestar Galatica.
And if you’re already a fan of Battlestar Galactica, be sure to check out the 10 webisodes that are featured at the Battlestar Galactica site. They all feature excellent, original content, and serve to fill-in some details between what happened at the end of season 2 and the season 3 plot. Here’s what Moore had to say about the webisodes at his blog.
Forgotten NY — A site that explores the “infrastructure of a lost metropolis.” Pictures and stories that capture the forgotten remants of NYC history.
Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog — A site all about the legendary Hotel Chelsea.
Not Beth and Trina. That’s illustrator Wendi Koontz on the left, and author Julie Blattberg on the right.
First, I promised not to mention any details of the backstage "experiences" author Julie Blattberg may or may not have had with Vanilla Ice, David Lee Roth, Jon Bon Jovi, and Madonna.
Now that that’s out of the way, I can let you know about Julie’s very cool new book, Backstage with Beth and Trina (illustrated by Wendi Koontz). It’s a colorful, sexy adventure story about two rocker chicks who are determined to get backstage and, well, party with the band. But this book goes beyond the visual and ventures into the realm of scents. How does it transcend the normal confines of the picture book? By reaching back to the tomes of our youth. That’s right: Backstage with Beth and Trina is a scratch-and-sniff adventure. But the scents in this book go way beyond strawberry and banana — we’re talking beer, cigarettes, leather and latex. Beth and Trina are rocker chicks, after all. I interviewed Julie about the new book. What follows are her on-the-record responses.
How did you come up with this idea? When did the scratch-and-sniff element come into play?
I’d been working for a publisher of children’s books for a few years, and it occurred to me how unfair it was that kids have all of these different books with fun formats — scratch-and-sniff, lift-the-flap, glow-in-the-dark, and so on. I thought about existing formats and wondered what could be done for grown-ups. Around the same time, I was photographing a lot of rock bands and concerts, and thought I could do something cool with music. The brainstorming led to the characters, which led to the rock club setting, and the rest, as they say, is history. Rock shows are full of…interesting smells…
How much testing was done to get the smells just right? Any misfires that didn’t make it into print (and scent)?
My favorite part of the process of having this book published was a meeting requested by my editor: "Can you come downtown this week? The swatches are in." The two of us sat in her office scratching and sniffing scent samples, suppressing giggles when staff walking by overheard phrases like, "This doesn’t really smell enough like vomit," and "I know what we can use for the condom!"
The one aroma that we couldn’t quite get was Jack Daniel’s. But everyone knows what that smells like anyway, right?
Are you Beth, or Trina?
What do you think?
How old were you when you first tried to get backstage?
My first success story: High school. INXS. Jones Beach, NY. A friend of mine was infatuated with Michael Hutchence (R.I.P.) and HAD to get backstage. Despite our best efforts to sweet-talk security, it was time to give up hope…until an angry guy stormed out of the backstage door, due to a "situation" we overheard. He saw three forlorn-looking girls on the sidelines and did the right thing: He gave us the backstage passes that he and his friends could no longer use. We got backstage, had underage drinks with the band, and talked about mundane things like popular movies and restaurants in Manhattan.
Any tips to getting backstage?
Get a job in the music business. Or (and I hate to say this), if you’re a girl: get a boob-job, wear lots of makeup and little clothing; crying works, too.
What’s the soundtrack for this book?
The soundtrack is the self-published debut album of a hard rock / heavy metal band of undetermined origin. There are so many talented singers, writers, and musicians out there, trying to make it in the highly competitive and somewhat shady music business. The headlining act in BACKSTAGE WITH BETH AND TRINA is not one of those bands. Instead, imagine a cross between Whitesnake, Cinderella, and Def Leppard; take away half of the hair product — and half of the charisma; and turn the amplifier up to 11.
Will there be further adventures for Beth and Trina? I’m pushing for a catfight…
Further adventures are in the works. And rest assured — there will be guitars and there will be long hair involved. Now what do you suppose a catfight would smell like, Jeff?
Visit BethandTrina.com | Check out their myspace page | Buy Backstage with Beth and Trina
From now until October 1 in the Lower East Side in NYC, there’s a very cool public art exhibition going on: Art in Odd Places. Visual art, installations, and performances will be taking place in unexpected spaces in the public domain. Of course there’s always this kind of thing going on in NYC, but this exhibition serves as a way to call attention to and celebrate the purposefully placed every day art that’s here, there, how did they pull that off up so high, and I can’t believe they’re doing that right there in front of everyone. There are over 25 projects in the Art in Odd Places exhibition. Especially interesting is Gretchen Vitamvas’ "Subwear" — outfits designed to blend-in with subway car-interiors. Though it might be easy to miss, look for the artist (or volunteers) wearing the Subwear on the F train.
First, there was the MAKE Blog, now there is the CRAFT Blog. (Be sure to check out the very nice write-up on the 52 Projects book and site).
Summer Pierre has got a very cool project going on at her site, an inspiring challenge to herself: A Something, An Anything for 30 Days. She’s creating an image a day (featuring wonderful stories) on an 8.5 X 11 piece of paper with a felt-tip pen. You can see the gallery of images here, but be sure to read through the blog as well, because each posted entry also features excellent commentary on both the image and the overall project by Summer.