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Over the Shop by JonArno Lawson and Qin Leng Analysis
Over The Shop is a wordless picturebook by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Qin Leng, published 2021. Here’s something we all owe to the trans community: By pushing the conventional and arbitrary rules of gender, all of us are more free to be who we are. This picturebook is a celebration of these hardwon freedoms.
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Birthday Presents For 13-Year-Olds Who Love To Draw
I love art equipment. I love researching art equipment. My kid has expressed appreciation that their parent is an artist. Although I’m mostly digital these days, our kid receives awesome traditional art equipment as gifts. LYRA WATERSOLUBLE GRAPHITE CRAYONS These are big. Sharpen with a craft knife. Good for laying lots of colour down on…
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Amatonormativity and Storytelling
The word amatonormativity was coined by Elisabeth Brake in her book Minimizing Marriage: Marriage, Morality, and the Law (2011). Amatonormativity describes the societal assumption that everyone must seek romantic, sexual, monogamous relationships before finding happiness and fulfilment. Elizabeth Brake calls this undeserved elevation and centrality of romantic love amatonormativity, from the Latin word for love,…
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Films To Watch With A Twelve Year Old
The ‘parents guide’ section of any given movie on IMDb tells you what to look out for in these films. My kid saw these but not all can. Boy (a New Zealand film) Sci-Fi Gattaca Artificial Intelligence I, Robot Horror A Quiet Place The Ritual Carrie The Others Anime to watch while you’re still a…
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Coming Soon Short Story by Steven Millhauser Analysis
“Coming Soon” is a short story by American novelist and short story writer Steven Millhauser, first published at The New Yorker in 2013. (About 3,900 words.) Chang-rae Lee discussed this story with Deborah Treisman at the New Yorker Fiction podcast. The following are my thoughts after reading the story and listening to their discussion.
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1920s Fashion In Art
1920s Hair 1920s Hairstyles History- Long Hair to Bobbed Hair A Variety Of Skirt Lengths Young flappers liked short skirts but mid-calf was another popular length, made for tall, skinny bodies. “Exoticism” Fur 1920s Children’s Fashion Clothes in children’s catalogues offer a glimpse into how the wealthy classes were dressing their children. The dresses above…
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The Overview Effect In Fiction
If you’re reading a picture book and you ever come across a page like this one, you might be seeing the overview effect as utilised by storytellers.
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Autumn Colours in Illustration
The basic meaning of ‘autumn colour’ is clear. Even within that palette, there is a huge variety of hues illustrators use to depict fall. Below are examples including realism and heightened, saturated fantasy colours.
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The Daughters of the Late Colonel by Katherine Mansfield Analysis
“The Daughters of the Late Colonel” (1922) is a modernist short story by Katherine Mansfield, included in The Garden Party And Other Stories.
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Women and Shoplifting in Fiction
Watch enough TV and you’ll likely draw the conclusion that women, especially housewives with significant personal problems commonly relieve psychological pain by shoplifting. It’s rare to find men shoplifting for the buzz. Also in fiction, teenage girls shoplift as a hazing ritual, and to own prized items (mostly body adornment items) they couldn’t otherwise afford.…
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Illustrations Of Ominous Faces In Shadow
Photographers understand that faces can change significantly depending on how they are lit. Illustrators also know this. Faces obscured are ominous. Below are examples of ominous faces making use of shadow.
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Writing Activity: Describe Main Street Of A Small Town
In this writing challenge, you’ll describe the main street of a small town, using artworks and expertly crafted paragraphs from books as inspiration.
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The Home Girls by Olga Masters Short Story Analysis
“The Home Girls” is a short story by Australian writer Olga Masters (1919 – 1986), and the first story of Masters’ 1982 collection, also called The Home Girls. I’m interested in Olga Masters partly because her fiction wasn’t published until she was in her 50s. Then, when she was published, she won a bunch of…
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Purple Blooms by Carol Shields Short Story Analysis
“Purple Blooms” is a short story by American-born Canadian writer Carol Shields (1935 – 2003), included in the collection Various Miracles (1985).
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Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg Picture Book Analysis
Jumanji is a 1981 picture book written and illustrated by American storyteller Chris Van Allsburg. You may be familiar with the 1995 film adaptation starring Robin Williams.