Spotlight on Alexis Pride

Just Once, Photography by Andrea Rettig

January's Spotlight is live on House Talk. Fiction writer, Alexis Pride, was a participant in Flying House 2011. Stop on by and hear what she has to say about collaboration, writing "macro", and more!

Flying House 2012

The Flying House 2012 applications are up! Apply today! 

"In Defense of Monsters" by BJ Hollars

Flying Houser BJ Hollars has just come out with a new chapbook, "In Defense of Monsters," in which he defends the possibility that monsters such as Sasquatch and Nessie just might be real.

Flying Houser Megan Paonessa has the interview, live at the Lit Pub. 

"How Great Children's Books are Born" - Salon.com

Back in 2007, my boyfriend handed me the first book in the Griffin and Sabine trilogy (see Nick Bantock's thoughts here). 


In 2008, that same boyfriend and I started our own word-and-image correspondences, sending postcard stories and illustrations back and forth between Chicago and Tuscaloosa, AL. 


Then, in 2010 that collaboration became Flying House. 


Today the beautiful Erin Morris (our bookbinder for anthology #1), introduced me to yet another glorious correspondence piece, featured over at Salon.com, "How Great Children's Books are Born: A collection reproduces the colorful correspondence between illustrator Edward Gorey and author Peter F. Neumeyer." 


It's amazing. 


Here is a taste of their collaboration: 

©The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, courtesy Pomegranate (pomegranate.com). 

©The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, courtesy Pomegranate (pomegranate.com).

©The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, courtesy Pomegranate (pomegranate.com).

And those are only the envelopes! 


Everything was handwritten. I hope my now-husband (same guy as above) was right when he said he thought there would be a backlash from technology; that people would start putting pen to paper once again. I hope the closing of Borders means Mom-and-Pop shops will gain sales (it's crazy how hard it is to find a bookshop in the city these days!). 


I hope the written word continues in ink -- accompanied by pretty pictures. 


The book, "Floating Worlds," is available through Pomegranate Press.

TODAY! What's your art?

Presented by WBEZ and Sixty Inches from Center: 


"In celebration of Chicago’s rich landscape devoted to emerging artists, art education, and the opportunity to inspire and become inspired, WBEZ invites you to the Chicago Cultural Center to join us in exploring these spaces and the role they play in shaping the artist in each of us."


12-5. Fun crafts, artsy people, good times. See you there!

Another Art Event at Maes Studio!

I know, late notice, but come to an awesome art event at the Maes Studio TONIGHT!!! Decemeber 1.  

ARLENE ISENBERG

About Converge: 


"A series of events designed to bring new thoughts to the surface, Converge gathers artists, professionals, creatives, and all other thinkers for an evening of exhibition and artistic discourse. Join us in celebrating our local community and be inspired by the work of your peers. The inaugural event showcases work from local painters, printmakers, sculptors, and video artists. Take a look around to get to know our first group of artists, a mix of professional artists whose diverse backgrounds are sure to provide intriguing exchange." 


Maes Studio. 167 N Racine, Chicago, IL 60607. 6-9pm

Congrats to Pedro Ponce for his NEA

Flying Houser, Pedro Ponce, earns himself a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.

Check out his book, and read an excerpt here.