USA Today Features New Moon

 

 

USA Today has this great article about New Moon, along with these pictures.

Growing Charms:

In New Moon, “Edward does make a stupid mistake by leaving Bella, and that allows Jacob in,” says director Chris Weitz. “You can understand why Bella starts to develop feelings for him. He’s the right man at a frightening time for her, and his devotion is touching. Even die-hard Edward people will understand.”

Stewart, 19, certainly enjoyed the change of pace on camera. “Both of them make me feel completely different,” she says of her co-stars. “Taylor is an impulsive actor, not Method at all. It’s very easy to smile with him. With Rob, we both tend to worry and over-analyze everything.”

Choosing teams:

It’s a fantasy that many find irresistible. “We want to be fought over,” says relationship expert Gilda Carle. “It makes us feel more like a prize. And a suitor wants to fight over us, so he feels he has won a prize, something not so easily gotten. In real life, triangles are horrible. But by vicariously enjoying them in books and movies, we can deal with them more appropriately.”

And more competitively, too. Ever since New Moon was published in 2006, fans have been declaring themselves members of either Team Edward or Team Jacob.

Attachments have only deepened now that Edward and Jacob have been made flesh on the big screen by attractive actors. “It’s been amazing to watch this group of relative unknowns now on the front of magazines on a weekly basis,” says TwilightMOMs media director Kirsten Starkweather, 40, of Clovis, Calif. “A lot of people who didn’t care for Jacob in the book have changed their opinion of him because of how Taylor plays him. I do think this movie will bring Jacob and Taylor to the forefront.”

Read the entire article HERE.

Interview with Caroline Addenbrooke, author of The Gates of Hell

Caroline Addenbrooke was born in Broken Hill, (Kabwe) in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) in 1957, and was raised in the small copper mining town of Ndola.

At sixteen, she attempted, and completed her first work of fiction (unpublished).

She finished her education in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and then moved to South Africa. Here she studied part time to obtain a diploma in Corporate Governance, a national diploma in property evaluation, and her master�s degree in business administration. She has worked on mega projects in South Africa for the last twenty years.

Caroline has a passion for wilderness, and a great love of animals. Travel and adventure are primary in her life. She is based in Johannesburg with her partner, their two dogs and a cat called Virgil.

Question: Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

Answer: Well, I’ve lived in Africa all my life. I was born in Zambia, and I now live in Johannesburg, in South Africa. Africa is my Eden. I doubt I will ever leave.

Question: When did you decide you wanted to become an author?
Answer: When I was about ten, I read a book that captivated me. I so admired the writer, I wanted to become like her.

Question: Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

Answer: Yes. Once I read my first real novel, I was hooked. I absolutely remember the incident. The book was called “The Mystery of the Whispering Box”, by – yes – Enid Blyton.
My English teacher had suggested that I visit the library, and take out a book – that this was a good thing. Being an obliging child, I did as she asked, and settled down that Friday evening to comply with the reading exercise. Well, I read all of Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night, and finished the book on Sunday evening. I have read avidly ever since.
I liked mysteries, and adventure stories as a child, and those are still my favorite, although I have branched out into thrillers, human interest stories and I do so love humor now.
Question: Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

Answer: That is an interesting question. I didn’t start out writing this particular book. I intended to write a present day adventure story set in Africa, but as I began researching the early history of the West African coast, and the Congo, the Gates of Hell emerged by itself. I do contend that I didn’t write the story; that it was written by the characters. Essentially it is a story of a family torn apart by war, sectarianism and racism, and it describes the journey of the characters from this tragedy, to their individual resolution. The Gates of Hell, incidentally, is a limestone cataract through which the Congo River plunges on its way to the ocean.

Question: How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

Answer: Well, I come from the Project Industry. I planned it, structured it, outlined it, divided it into scenes, sequels and tactical disasters…. oh, and I researched it to death. Then I started trying to write within the structure – and the first thing that happened was that Catalina turned up, in a part of the world I had no intention of writing about. Portugal. What to do? Well I tried ignoring her, writing her out, moving her to another more appropriate place in my mind. This all took an awful lot of rewriting, re-planning, re-plotting etc. Finally I just gave up, and let her tell me her story. When I stopped trying to write, and started to listen, the book became something I could never have dreamed up on my own.
Question: Did your book require a lot of research?
Answer: About two years of the seven it took to complete it, were spent in research.

Question: Who is your target audience?
Answer: People who like adventure stories. Adults. Anyone who would like to go on an incredible journey, sailing the Atlantic ocean in a small wooden ship to the mysterious land of the ManiKongo, Mbemba a Nzinga.

Question: What will the reader learn after reading your book?
Answer: A lot about the fifteenth century circumstance of Portugal, Spain and Africa; modern age ships; the Mbanza Kongo.

Question: Agatha Christie got her best ideas while eating green apples in the bathtub. Steven Spielberg says he gets his best ideas while driving on the highway. When do you get your best ideas and why do you think this is?
Answer: When I am traveling, I think. New places are all so interesting and engaging.

Question: Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?
Answer: Not sure I have such a thing. When I have written myself into a corner, I get out my notepad and draw mind maps, and what if scenarios till I come to the most intriguing scenario – then I proceed with that.

Question: From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?
Answer: About 10 years.

Question: Describe your working environment.
Answer: I don’t have a specific environment. Sometimes I will work in the study I share with my partner; sometimes on a stool in his workshop (because it’s nice to be with him). Sometimes I fire up my laptop in my car – if I have to wait for something. Any place will do.

Question: Do you write non-stop until you have a first draft, or do you edit as you move along?
Answer: I edit as I am progressing with the story. If a scene / sequel is relocated somewhere else, I review the section to make sure it makes sense.

Question: They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?
Answer: Well, I think criticism is a good thing, as long as it is honest and constructive. I think if I had a really bad crit, I would consider it, and look for the truth in it. If I felt it was valid, I would address the issue, and fix the problem – if it was in my capacity to do so. If I felt it was not valid – well, there is a rub….. in the end, it is my story, and it is the best I could do.

Question: When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about?
Answer: I am passionate about Africa; the magnificence of her landscapes; the humor of her people, and the variety and uniqueness of all of her creatures.

Question: Are you a disciplined writer?
Answer: Yes. I’m disciplined in most matters.

Question: When it comes to writing, are you an early bird, or a night owl?
Answer: Whenever I can fit it in.

Question: What is your opinion about critique groups? What words of advice would you offer a novice writer who is joining one? Do you think the wrong critique group can ‘crush’ a fledgling writer?
Answer: I think an association with other writers is really useful. However, it’s a bit like the blind leading the blind. In the group I was in, none of us had a clue. We talked a lot about writing, what we were busy with, what we’d found out. And some quite irrelevant stuff… and became really good friends.
Question: Technically speaking, what do you have to struggle the most when writing? How do you tackle it?
Answer: The laziness of telling and not showing. I stop, empty my mind, get into the characters boots, and describe what is happening through their eyes.

Question: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Answer: If you are doing it for the money, or the fame – you will fail.

Question: Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?
Answer: I have a blog (http://carolineaddenbrooke.wordpress.com), am on the publisher’s website (www.rebelepublishers.com), and have a Face book account.

Question: Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?
Answer: Yes, I am busy with another adventure story called Sperrgebiet. It is about the discovery of a fifteenth century wreck off the coast of Namibia, in the Forbidden Zone (Sperrgebiet). It is set in 2010 between Switzerland and Africa, and has a honey badger (inspired by Stoffel the Honey Badger in Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Center in South Africa) as quite an important character.

Question: As an author, what is your greatest reward?
Answer: Living the story through the eyes of the characters.

Thanks for stopping by! It was a pleasure to have you here!
Thank You!

CC Interviews.....Craig Mrusek!

Craig Mrusek is a Pittsburgh-based illustrator and writer who amidst creating his wonderful illustrations, writes regular columns on vintage and contemporary cocktails under the name “Dr. Bamboo”.  Craig also does a column titled ”Last Call” for the tongue-in-cheek retro quarterly Bachelor Pad Magazine, as well as a monthly column for BarNoneDrinks.com. This is one multi-faceted and busy guy. We were lucky enough to have him answer some questions for us about his art and love of spirits.

You can check out lots more of his artwork at his site: www.cm-id.com

And for your cocktails and “spirit”ual pleasure, be sure to check out Dr. Bamboo: www.drbamboo.blogspot.com

Click the link below for the complete interview and more artwork!

I like that you work in variety of different styles, from traditional illustrations to the more modern vector artwork. What is your favorite medium to work in?

I like working in pen and ink.  There’s something about using just a pencil and pen on paper that’s very gratifying in a physical sense…it has an immediacy and a permanence that I don’t necessarily feel when I’m working digitally.  That being said, I almost never do anything these days that isn’t tinkered with to some degree in Photoshop…even if it’s just cleaning up some goofs.

You have an impressive client list. Do you prefer the client-based work or the non-paying personal work?

Obviously, personal stuff is a lot of fun because I can pretty much do whatever I like, and I think most people enjoy that latitude.  But I’ve had jobs for clients that I enjoyed the heck out of because the subject matter or the angle was interesting.  For me, the enjoyment boils down to the idea.  If I can get jazzed about an illustration conceptually, I’m there.  I’ve done pro bono work where I’ve put in a lot of time & energy because I was excited about the idea.

You’ve noted, along with many local creatives, that you “get defensive when people treat the ‘Burgh like a cultural wasteland. And “often have to point out all the stuff we have going on to out-of-towners”. What do you think we have to do to get the old industrial stigma to go away?

There’s already been some great progress in shifting the traditional perception of Pittsburgh, so I think we just need to keep that momentum going.  Whatever you choose to attribute it to, this city managed to avoid becoming a rust belt casualty, and that can’t be overstated.  I think continuing to emphasize and promote the ways in which Pittsburgh accomplished that  is the best way to put our best foot forward, collectively speaking.

The phrase I find myself saying over and over again to visitors is, “Pittsburgh has the same things that much bigger cities have…you just have to look for them.”  This town rewards effort, and if you’re willing to poke around a bit, you’ll find plenty of interesting things going on.  In my experience, the best thing you can do to really show what this city has to offer is to simply get people out in it.  Every time I drive a friend or relative around and point out various things, the reaction is always, “I had no idea Pittsburgh had anything like this” or, “I’d never have guessed you guys had this kind of stuff going on.”  Cities like Portland and Austin get a lot of press for having a quirky, distinctive cultural scene, and I don’t see any reason why Pittsburgh can’t gain a reputation for that too.  We just need to promote it effectively.

Just to stroke your ego, you are my new hero. I just so happen to love vintage/retro culture and Dr. Bamboo, shall we call it your alter-ego, writes intoxicating reviews and recipes for cocktails. How did this come about? Were you a bartender in a previous life?

Thanks!  That’s very kind of you, so consider it stroked.  I do get asked frequently if I’m a bartender, and although I make drinks for friends & family, I’ve never worked behind a bar  professionally.

As for how I got started writing about cocktails, it wasn’t something I set out to do with any particular goal in mind.  I’d been casually interested in cocktails in the mid-90’s when my wife gave me a copy of the Mr. Boston’s book (a widely published bar guide that is a handbook of sorts for bartenders). I didn’t really get caught up in the history and techniques of making them until a few years ago when my mother-in-law gave me a copy of Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, which really opened my eyes to a number of great classic cocktails and ingredients.

Right around that time I also stumbled on a great cocktail-themed blog called Kaiser Penguin. Rick Stutz, the guy behind the site, encouraged me to start my own cocktail blog, and I figured it would be a way to explore drink-making and an excuse to do some fun artwork.  That was in early ‘07, and since then, Bachelor Pad Magazine and BarNoneDrinks both invited me to write and illustrate regular columns for them.

As an example for the home audience of why you are my new hero…you actually broke your spiced rum reviews into such nit-picky categories as whether or not there is a pirate ship or map on the label, spice-itude, and Coke compatibility. I love it. Can you just enjoy a drink when you go into a bar, or are you constantly judging?

I tend to only notice if a drink is really bad or something is drastically out of place.  I think people expect us booze nerds to put every drink that comes our way under a microscope, but that’s silly and pretentious.  I hate snobbery, and going out of your way to be judgmental is poor manners in my opinion.  It’s also unrealistic.  I wouldn’t expect your average bar to make a flawless Sazerac or Mai Tai any more than I’d expect to walk into the local diner and be served a 4-star meal.  So when I go to a bar, I’m just looking for a good, solid drink.  But I do admit I’ll sometimes take a peek to see if they’re using fresh juices, what kind of ice they have, etc.  Sometimes I can’t help myself.

You write monthly drink columns for BarNoneDrinks.com as well as in Bachelor Pad Magazine, as well as your own Dr. Bamboo blog. If you could, would you give up illustration to be a full time cocktail columnist?

I don’t think I could ever just completely walk away from drawing.  As much as I enjoy writing, it doesn’t scratch all the creative itches.  There’s times when picking up a pencil and doodling is the only thing that will do.

You were also recently listed as one of “The 25 Most Influential Online Cocktail Pioneers” in the book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. That’s a pretty awesome title to have bestowed upon oneself. Does that put the pressure on when hosting parties?

I avoid that pressure largely by not hosting parties!  Seriously though, I’m generally a social guy and I love getting together with people, but I’m not a big party-thrower.  Every so often I’ll have a friend or two over, but that’s about it.  However, I’m often tagged as the drink expert and that can be a little intimidating…like I’m expected to have comprehensive knowledge of all facets of the cocktail universe.  I tell people I’m an “enthusiast”, not an expert.  I’m just a geek with a slightly larger-than-average liquor cabinet.

Is there a possible career in providing label designs for alcohol and merging your talents?

I doubt there’s anyone who makes a career solely designing labels for alcohol brands, but I bet it would be a fun gig. I got a small taste of it when the two guys who do the cocktail blog The Scofflaw’s Den asked me to design labels for their homemade bitters and Amer Picon.  It was a blast, and I’d love to someday do a label for a mass-market spirit, wine or beer brand.

Any future plans of producing your own liquor brand, vintage cocktails book, or maybe a Dr. Bamboo Tiki lounge?

Although I’ve had a few original cocktail recipes published in other people’s books, I don’t currently have any plans to put out one of my own.  But I’d certainly love the opportunity to work on one!  As for starting up my own liquor brand or theme bar, both of those require a tremendous amount of knowledge (and work!), so I’ll leave that to the professionals for now.

And don’t forget…you can also check out Craig’s regular columns/articles/illustrations in:

Bachelor Pad Magazine: http://www.bachelorpadmagazineonline.com/

BarNoneDrinks.com: http://www.barnonedrinks.com/tips/articles/dr-bamboo/

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Sheekh Cali Dheere Muxuu ka Yiri Qooraweyne

Afhayeenka Xarakada Alshabaab AlMujaahidiin Sheekh Cali Maxamud Raage (Cali Dheere) ayaa beeniyey in nin ka tirsana Alshabaab u ku biiray DFKMG

Sheekh Cali Raage oo u waramayey BBC laanta Afka Somaliga ayaa sheegay in Ninkaasi uusan marnaba ka tirsaneyn Xarakada Alshabaab, isaga oo sheegay in arrinkaasi yahay Been la soo dhoob dhoobay

”Horta Awalan waxan ku leeyahay Siciidow Ninkaas, Alshabaab inu ka tirsana iska daaye maqalkiisa waxa nogu horreysay Markay nimankani aay soo dayeen ee Idaacadaha Iyo Sawirkiisa Ay ka soo bixiyeen, Ayaa aragtidiisa iyo Maqalkiisa Iyo Magaciisaba nogu horreysay, Ka tirsanan iska dhaafe maba garaneyno” Ayuu yiri Sheekh Cali Dheere

Sidoo kale Sheekh cali Dheere ayaa sheegay in hadii aysan jirin meel u ka tirsana ninkan aay noqoneyso inu qof walba sheegto meel oo u yiraahdo halkaas ayaan ka tirsana, Sidaa darteedna Ninkan isku Magacaabay Maxamed Sheekh Cabdalla Al Pakistani uusan marnaba ka tirsaneyn Xarakada Alshabaab, Mar la weydiiyey Sheekh Cali Dheere Sidaa u ninkan ku bartay goobaha Iyo Xurumaha Alshabaab, Ayuu sheegay in ninkani yaqaano goobo dadka dhamaan aay wada ogyahiin, isla markana waxyabaha u sheegay aysan aheyn wax qarsoon sidaa u hadalka u dhigay

Sheekh Cali ayaa Sidoo kale sheegay in ninkani u yahay nin aanba la aqoon oo Bulshadu aqoon, isla markana aay khalad tahay in ninkaasi oo kale arrinkiisa la buun buuniyo, Sheekh Cali Dheere ayaa sheegay in ninkaasi marnaba uusan aheyn nin ka tirsan Alshabaab xiita waxa u sheegay in uusan aheyn nin Maalin maalmaha ka mid ah Xiita la shaqeyey Alshabaab, balse waxa u sheegay in labo arrimood mid aay ku kaliftay kooxaha soo bandhigay midkood

1. Mida kowaad waxay wax kaga raadin De nimanka Gaalada ah ee Reer Galbeedka ah Iyo kuwa la mid ah ee Aay Macaawinada Iyo Kaalmada ka suugayeen oo aay raban inay ku tuugsadan oo aay dhahan Nimanba Shabaab noga soo go’ay, waxbanu ku wodna, ee wax ha naloo soo tuuro, halkana logu soo tuuro cad yar oo balaq ah

2. Mida Labaadna waxa weeye madama aay ciidamadoodii Soo socdaan oo aay soo aadayaan Xarakatul Shabaabil Mujaahidiin oo intaa aay soo goostan iyaga, hubkooda iska wareejiyan iyaguna aay Beerahooda iska falanayan, oo aay iska tagayan, ayey ciidankii ku celinayan, oo waxay raban inay dhahan Xarakatul Shabaabil Mujaahidiin ayaa laga soo goostay Idiinku jooga ha Aadina lakiin Waxan leenahay waxasi oo dhan waxay la mid tahay nin raba cad-ceeda raba inu Gacan saaro oo u qariyo, Waxba u tari meyso, Marka waxan leenahay Warbaahintana ayaan been loo sheegin, Qolyaha Warbaahintana waxan leenahay illaah uga cabsada arrinkaasi, Indha iyo Dhegaha Waa la is weydiina Qiyaamaha Carabkooda iyo Dhegahooda iyo Indhahooda waxay ku sheegayan iinay aad isaga fiirshan ayaanu kula dar daarmi laheyn, Guuda ahana waxan leenahay, maba ka baqeyno askaari anaga naga tirsana iskaba dhaafe mid anaga gana tirsanan jiray inu qolyaha ku biiro”

Sheekh Cali Maxamud Raage

Kayla Ewell Speaks About Robert Pattinson

She plays Vicki on The Vampire Diaries and used to date Kellan Lutz, Rob’s co-star.

A bit like Robert Pattinson’s character in Twilight?

Yeah. He’s definitely über-sexy and he doesn’t try to be. I remember the first time I met him — I was like, “Oh, hello!” And then he starts talking and that makes it 1,000 times hotter. I’m a sucker for accents and any man who can actually sing and serenade you. He’d do open-mic nights in random bars in Portland, Ore., while they were filming Twilight. I was dating Kellan then and we’d all hang out sometimes.

See the rest of the interview here.

Thanks, Robert Pattinson Life!

One Month and Counting

In one month my good friend, Megan Ogulnick, and I will be attending the Baseball Winter Meetings. I cannot wait to interview for either hours a day over three days. It’s going to be incredible. I will get to reconnect with the guys I worked with during my internship with the Cincinnati Reds, and the people who I met throughout the course of the 2008 season. It will be a networking and interviewing field day!

I’ve already gotten my suits dry cleaned, and gotten a million (slight exaggeration I suppose) copies of my resume made. Next step, business cards that everyone will remember. From what I know I’ll be having a bunch of mini interviews, so I’m doing what I can to make an instant and lasting impression. I’ve got my confidence cranked all the way up, and I can’t wait to show everyone that I’m made of. I miss working in baseball, and I can’t wait to get back.

If you’re at the Winter Meetings I look forward to connecting with you!

The Paris Review Interviews, IV

The Paris Review Interviews, IV, new this week from Picador, continues a great tradition of writers discussing their motivations, inspirations, methods, and, inevitably, other writers. Volume IV collects sixteen author interviews and is perhaps a bit heavier on contemporary writers than past volumes have been, showcasing current luminaries like Haruki Murakami, Orhan Pamuk, Paul Aster, and Marilynne Robinson. Although most of the interviews take place after the 1970s (with half in the past two decades), elder statespeople like William Styron, Marianne Moore, and the venerable Ezra Pound are also present.

Pound’s interview from 1962 is paradoxically revealing in its guardedness: one senses that the aged poet is trying to edit as he speaks, to achieve some sort of perfection. It’s a bit sad too, as Pound, holed up in a sort of self-imposed exile in an Italian castle, admits, “I suffer from the cumulative isolation of not having had enough contact–fifteen years of living more with ideas than with persons.” (On a less-serious note, however, he also praises Disney’s 1957 film “Perri, that squirrel film, where you have the values of courage and tenderness asserted in a way that everybody can understand. You have got absolute genius there.”)

As one might expect, Jack Kerouac comes off as the complete opposite, talking about his troubles with editor Malcolm Cowley, problems with poetry and prose, and Neal Cassady. There’s a free-flowing verbosity to Kerouac’s speech, but also an intimacy. It’s really quite beautiful. At one point, he gets one of the two poets interviewing him, Aram Saroyan, to repeat each line of Poem 230 from Mexico City Blues as he reads it aloud (Kerouac claims he wrote the poem “purely on morphine.”) As they recite the poem over several pages, Kerouac steps outside of it every now and then to compliment Saroyan’s reading or to critique a particular line, or simply to explain what he was trying to do with his words. We’re not huge fans of Kerouac’s writing, but after this interview, we wanted to be. (Later in the book, a surprised P.G. Wodehouse on Kerouac: “Jack Kerouac died! Did he?” Interviewer: “Yes.” Wodehouse: “Oh . . . Gosh, they do die off, don’t they?” Yes, they do).

One of the stranger interviews in the books is between James Lipton, of all people, and composer Stephen Sondheim. Although we don’t doubt the literary merit of Sondheim, the interview does seem a little out of place (although we will attest that the interview with Maya Angelou convinced us to give her a little more cred. A little). Elsewhere, E.B. White asserts that “You have to write up, not down” to children, and Haruki Murakami sheds insight into his own methods and passions (he often conceives his protagonist as a twin brother, lost at birth; his favorite director is Aki Kaurismäki; he’s thrilled to be mentioned in the liner notes of Radiohead’s Kid A). Murakami also talks about the writers he loves, admires, and feels insecure around (he’s shy to meet Toni Morrison at a special luncheon).

Of course, Murakami’s not alone–there’s plenty of writers dishing on writers here. When we reviewed Volume III of The Paris Review Interviews last year, we noted that both Evelyn Waugh and Raymond Chandler take the time to dis William Faulkner in their interviews. Volume IV kicks off with William Styron, who kinda sorta disses Faulkner as well, saying that “The Sound and the Fury . . . succeeds in spite of itself. Faulkner often simply stays too damn intense for too long a time.” Or Marianne Moore, on fellow poet Hart Crane: “Hart Crane complains of me? Well, I complain of him.” Ah, writers . . . great to know they can be as petty and self-absorbed as the rest of us. And it’s that humanity that shines through in these interviews. The series’s greatest accomplishment is its ability to reveal the frailties and insecurities of its subjects, but also their true personalities and tastes. Many writers work hard to control how they are perceived; cultivating a persona, one often aloof, academic, or roguish, is perhaps key to a successful writer’s identity. The interviews here are never fawning, nor do they aspire to sensationalism in revealing their subjects. Instead, each works as a neat, detailed, and very engrossing little portrait of a fascinating personality. Highly recommended.