Labels: creativity, suzanne vega, writing

It's not exactly the "clip to the dustjacket' booklight, but I'm sure it can still be used for reading. As I always do, I wince at the idea of dismembering a book, but I soften when I see how ingenious and pretty the results can be. The creator was being very responsible by recommending only a small-wattage bulb (paper plus high heat equal bad news), but the current crop of fluorescent bulbs would probably do quite well. I suspect you don't want to go too bright or it may lose some of the ambiance; this book-lamp is akin to a wall sconce -- designed to throw light in a beautiful way rather an a functional form. Imagine a library with these on all 4 sides of the columns holding up the vaulted ceiling, or one of those 11x14 Atlases of the World. Very nice.

Labels: altered books, books, creativity, how to

826 National is a nonprofit group that sponsors wacky storefronts, behind which hide student writing seminars for gradeschool kids. Why wacky storefronts? The first store, 826 Valencia, wasn't zoned for a workshop space: be retail or go away. Solution? Add retail to a non-retail production -- and be creative about it. There's several of the stores, but the one to the right is my favorite so far (but the spy shop is close behind). The Time Travel Mart sells itself as supplier to time-travelers, when it's not teaching students how to write creatively. If you'd like to see a bit of the store's interior, this person has a bunch of photos worth seeing. It's amazing how much thought and work is put into the environment -- people over at Neatorama miss the point, but I do get it. It's like the entrance to a museum or theme park: the person enters a world quite different than what's outside, and they're to leave it behind at the stoop. Writing creatively requires the putting on of a different hat, so like most skills children need to feel comfortable and immersed in order to learn. Now, most kids aren't going to write science fiction just because they're sitting a few feet from mammoth stew. Sitting a few feet from mammoth stew gives kids permission to see their world from a different perspective, one where the rules are left behind, like zoning ordinances preventing a writer's enclave.

Labels: 826 National, 826LA, creativity, kids, retail display, time travel mart, writing

Making more room in a loft apartment always means being creative with space -- such as this staircase bookshelf:


Those wider steps appear to be designed as seats, if on your way to bed you're suddenly caught off-guard by a book's spine and have to stop for a bit of reading mid-stride. My problem: I tend to drag the tip of my shoe against the riser (hence the worn toes on my shoes) which will, on this staircase, keep me kicking the books as I walk.

Labels: architecture, bookcase, creativity

On The Media, an NPR program I, regretfully, rarely have the chance to listen to, had an excellent contest: write an entire novel in 12 words. A NaNoWriMo project looks like a library of encyclopedias compared to these brief stories. My favorite:

"My sister had written Father's obituary. He is survived by one daughter."
By Brenda J. Wolfe.

You can also see many, many other submissions in the contest's discussion area.

Labels: creativity, npr, writing a book