April 2011

flax-golden tales: a small, solar quest

a small, solar quest

We went looking for the sun today.

We started early and packed a lunch of fresh baked bread and cheese and apple cakes with honey.

We each brought a thermos full of mint tea.

We wore cloaks of proper colors to alert the wolves that we were only on a temporary errand through their woods and meant them no harm.

We sang songs as we walked and sometimes the birds added layered harmonies. We stopped several times to clear the path of fallen branches and once to give a piece of cake to a squirrel who gave us hazelnuts in exchange.

We saw no evidence that we were on the right path. No hints of warmth or tell-tale light playing over the trees.

Late in the day, the wolves brought us mittens and we shared our tea with them, but they couldn’t offer us any advice.

We were about to give up and go home when we found the sign.

 

About flax-golden tales. Photo by Carey Farrell. Text by Erin Morgenstern.

By erin, ago

circusy things

A roundup of circus-related news & such for a rather grey Monday:

 

THE NIGHT CIRCUS received a starred review from Kirkus. *star-shaped confetti*

THE NIGHT CIRCUS was chosen to be one of the six (6!) books presented on the Book Expo America Editors Buzz Panel. Which is absolutely marvelous, particularly because my editor has a lovely speaking voice.

Note how it is on the adult panel, not the YA one. THE NIGHT CIRCUS is not YA, despite the fact that I am still seeing it mentioned as YA around the internets. It has adults who are young in it. It also has adults who are old and adults whose age is difficult to discern and the story itself covers about thirty years worth of time. The book itself is not YA. It is adult or general or whatever not-YA is called these days.

Also, I saw this once and figured it was just a random, possibly autocorrect-influenced mistake and now I’ve seen it three times so it’s clarification time: THE NIGHT CIRCUS is about magicians* not musicians. I don’t know where that started, or why it’s perpetuating, but no. Not musicians. Magicians.

And I am told from reliable, inside sources that there are circusy things going on at the London Book Fair even as I type.

Oh, and I gave the circus its own website page, I will be gradually adding more info and such over there.

I think that’s it for the moment, but I am certain there will be more to come.

 

*not even the best term for them, really, but there isn’t a better one.

By erin, ago

flax-golden tales: shadow angels

 

shadow angels

Angels lurk in shadows.

Not many people know that.

They like to think that angels hang out on clouds with harps and constant sparkling sunshine bouncing off of their halos.

Sure, a few of them are sun-dwellers, but most angels are sneaky.

They’re hiders by nature. They blend the rustling of their wings with the sounds of nearby pigeons to disguise it.

They wait in shadows and darkness and the bleakness of winter to drop blessings and luck and wonders on passersby.

Preferably the people who think that there are no angels anywhere, in shadows or in sunshine. Those wandering souls who don’t believe in such things.

Because angels like it best when they’re unexpected.

 

About flax-golden tales. Photo by Carey Farrell. Text by Erin Morgenstern.

By erin, ago

iPad!

I really thought the shipping notice I got on Friday might have been an April Fool’s joke, but my iPad 2 actually arrived today! Pretty much right on schedule with the estimated 2-3 weeks from when I ordered it, though a bit ahead of the ship-by date it had listed for a good long while.

I have a thing about not buying first generation Apple products, and I was skeptical about the original iPad. But I played with them in the Apple store over the last year and liked it more than I’d expected to, and I knew I wanted to get some sort of e-reader eventually, so I figured I’d get one when the 2nd gen came out.

And now I have my iPad 2 and it’s very shiny. Still mostly figuring my way around and setting things up, but so far I’m pleased & the Smart Cover is a thing of brilliance.

By erin, ago

odds & ends in photo form

I’ve had this window up all day to compose some sort of blog post, but I’m having one of those days that doesn’t want to fit in words, so I just ran around my studio/office and found odd little things to show, instead. A picture is worth a lot of words, or so I hear.

By erin, ago