7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #107: Featuring Jacquelynn Buck

h1 March 22nd, 2009 by Eisha and Jules

Jules: Today, 7-Imp welcomes photographer Jacquelynn Buck. Jacquelynn, who is actually formally trained in Public Health but who has a passion for photography and design, does portraits, weddings, travel and nature photography, and even design work (websites, posters, postcards, etc.) — and much more. I first heard about her from Sara Lewis Holmes, whose author photo was taken by Jacquelynn. In fact, I very first read about her here at Sara’s site in 2007. (Sara also interpreted some of Jacquelynn’s photos in this intriguing Poetry Friday post.)

Jacquelynn writes at her site, “I want to translate on paper that core that is each person, each city, that makes them who and what they are…There was a time in my life when I wanted to change the world. And maybe I still will. But today let me show you the world through my eyes. Know that not everything is as it seems. Discover again what you thought you already knew.” These are fitting words for Jacquelynn’s latest photography project, entitled Real Women. She tells us all about it below (and you can read about its origin at her site), but—to summarize—it’s to help women see themselves as beautiful, just as they are. To which I’m sure most of us would say, AMEN.

This post follows on the heels of author Sara Zarr’s post from this week about her experience during an author photo shoot, in which she specifically and repeatedly told the photographer that she didn’t want to be Photoshopped. Here’s part of what Sara wrote:

When I was setting up the appointment for the shoot, I told the photographer’s assistant that I just wanted to look like me. He asked if I required a makeup artist. No. Not my style. I sent him to my blog, I showed him recent photos of me that I liked. The day of the shoot, I spent over an hour with the photographer. And said again – I just want to look like me. As he shot me, we talked a little bit about women being photographed. How we all have our insecurities. How I’d come to accept mine and don’t want to turn down life opportunities because I think I should be thinner or prettier. At the end of the shoot, he said that he could work magic with Photoshop, and if I wanted to look like I’d been going to the gym every day for four months, he could do that. I said no. I said I wanted to look like me. I said that a large part of my audience is made up of teen girls and I didn’t want to perpetuate that whole “I’m not okay” thing.

You can see the photos at Sara’s blog, but—as you can probably guess—he Photoshopped her after all. Sara was perturbed yet still remarkably more understanding than I would have been about having part of my face lopped off. Especially after telling him repeatedly not to do that. I mean, come on, photographer dude. As Sara put it so very well, “I know this isn’t something women are typically encouraged to say or believe {but} I LIKE MY FACE. I like the cheek that got shaved away, I missed it and wanted it back. Because it’s me.”

Anyway, instead of ranting about photographer-dude’s actions (which Sara already did, much more eloquently than I would), let’s get right to the very antithesis of it, Jacquelynn’s Real Women project, and some more photos from it. I thank her for stopping by. Here’s Jacquelynn, in her own words:

“Real women:
are mothers, sisters, lovers, friends,
courageous, determined, driven, sensitive, loving, nurturing, intentional, unintentional
true to themselves

Real women:
missed their prom, missed the bus, made mistakes, lost their cool

Real women:
come as they are, in all shapes and sizes
love their bodies, are trying to love their bodies, are learning to love their bodies,
sometimes don’t love their bodies

but they celebrate their beauty, play dress up, model, smile, pout, pose,
and laugh anyway

discovering, rediscovering, affirming
that they are beautiful, just as they are.

The inspiration
Too many times I’ve heard from myself and other women something like the following:
‘I wish I could change my body. If only I could…lose weight, be more muscular, have a smaller waist, have slightly smaller breasts have slightly larger breasts not have stretch marks not have freckles have freckles have it all.’ As a woman, this resonated with me. As a public health educator, this bothered me. As a photographer, I wanted to do something about it.

At my core, I believe every woman is beautiful — just as she is. And, while I do not neglect that change is sometimes necessary for health and wellbeing, I seek to help women recognize that we must do honor to our bodies, the only ones we have, by not forcing them to live up to unhealthy and unrealistic standards. Instead, we should appreciate our bodies for what they are -– the road map of our lives, laid out in lines, planes, angles and curves. A terrain worth traversing and certainly worth celebrating.

And so the Real Women project was born.

Using light, shadows, flattering poses, sexy clothing and fabrics, and a little creativity, I photograph women of all shapes, sizes, ages. These women may need a new perspective on their bodies, or perhaps have a very sound relationship with their bodies and just want to be photographed to mark a time in their lives that will be worth looking back on. But wherever she is at, I hope that the woman who comes to me leaves with an altered, more positive perspective.

My hope is to inspire confidence, improve self-esteem, and allow women an opportunity to celebrate their beauty. If I can do that, then perhaps, one woman at a time, this message of empowerment—the message of the real woman—will become louder, clearer, until it is heard by our daughters and granddaughters who might then become stronger for it.



The Next Step
The Real Women project is actually two efforts. The first is the studio / portrait session with the women who are ready for that commitment.

The second effort is a small group photography collage workshop that I have designed for women. The workshop focuses on positive self esteem by encouraging women to use a photograph of themselves (that I take and print on-site) and, with affirming words (cut from magazines) and materials I provide, to create collages they can take home with them as reminders. These workshops are custom-tailored to every group and can be conducted with any age range.

What’s next for me is to continue to do both. And make a difference, however small.

What are words without pictures? And so I wanted to share with you the images of some of the women I have photographed in the Real Women sessions. Each and every image here, and on my website, is used with absolute permission. At the heart of this project is respect -– respect for self and my respect for the women who are brave enough to take this step. I do honor to them by allowing them to choose which images, if any, are posted for the public.

Yes, I have done some editing in Photoshop, to turn the images into art. But no, I have not made them thinner, removed anything that is supposed to be there, or turned them into something they are not. All you see here is shadows, light, cropping, color. But hopefully it’s black and white – these are the Real Women. Just as they are.”


As mentioned above, Jacquelynn took Sara Lewis Holmes’ author photos—not only this one at her web site, but also the lying-on-letters one at Sara’s blog, the chair shot at this page of Sara’s site, and the one at Sara’s A Cast of One podcast. “My pictures turned out better than any others I’ve ever taken,” Sara told me, “{because} Jackie made me feel completely comfortable in my skin.” All of that’s to say that any other children’s book authors or illustrators who need publicity photos are welcome to contact Jacquelynn. (For the record, I believe she lives in Ohio.)

P.S. Check out the first photo categorized at the “Architecture Images” portion of her site. How incredibly cool is that?

Sunday Afternoon Addendum: Jacquelynn has updated the Real Women portion of her web site. It’s here.

* * * * * * *

As a reminder, our 7-kicks are our weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. So, let’s kick it up. Absolutely anyone is welcome to list kicks — even if, or especially if, you’ve never done so before.

* * * eisha’s kicks * * *

1* Well, how awesome is that whole Real Women project? I love portrait photography, and I love that she’s capturing the beauty of real, actual human-being-type women. Kudos.

“Well, Susan, this is a fine mess you are in.” (from EoS, illustrated by Maira Kalman)2* So, remember that Elements of Style anniversary exhibit I’m doing at work? I wanted to get photos of the opera that Maira Kalman and Nico Muhly did at the New York Public Library, but NYPL hasn’t returned my email. So… on a whim, I emailed Ms. Kalman herself. She very graciously and rapidly replied, and sent me six pictures. I didn’t think I could love her any more than I already did, but there you go.

3* Speaking of work, I had a reference question from someone looking for a certain advertisement from the 1930s in one of our collections. Sadly, we didn’t have it, but in the hunt I figured out where it could be found, and told the patron. He wrote me a lovely email thanking me for “going the extra mile.” *sniff* It’s nice to be appreciated.

4* Spring cleaning! The husband and I cleaned out our closets and drawers, and came up with 5 big garbage bags of clothes for the Salvation Army.

5* He also surprised me by doing a mega project on the living room – rearranging furniture, hanging art and window blinds, and actually removing boxes that I’d long since given up on unpacking and started pretending were furniture too. It looks great now – like actual grown-up human beings live here, instead of meth-head squatters.

6* Saturday was so beautiful! 50-something degrees, and sunny. We spent it on a trip to Significant Elements (a cool architectural salvage place) where we got an awesome industrial coat-and-hat rack, plus an old door and a big sheet of glass that B. is going to turn into a desk. Don’t even ask how we got it all home in my teeny Toyota Echo – I’m sure it’s not legal. And then lunch al fresco at a yummy bagel place, and then just wandering around downtown – comic book store, music store, library…

7* I also picked up a funky skirt at a consignment shop, to begin to fill up all that spare room in my closet again. What? It’s cute! And it’s springy! And it was $12! Shut up!

* * * Jules’ kicks * * *

1). My five-year-old painted a birdhouse, given to her by a friend for her birthday last week. We are seriously excited about Spring in our house. I have a thing for suns, and I love how she painted the side of it:

2). Sara Lewis Holmes’ Poetry Friday contest this week and the poem my daughter submitted (well, recited while she was painting said birdhouse, and I quickly typed it up). Very, very fun idea for a Poetry Friday, and I love how everyone played along, as well as their kickin’ entries.

3). Jeremy Hiebert’s still taking stunning ice photos. I love the comment Jeremy’s friend, Chris, made at that link: “You are taking a picture of what meditation looks like.”

4). My husband baked that Chocolate Guiness cake of which Emily Gravett spoke this week. It’s dreamy good. We were so in love with it that he took a pic before we tore into it:

5). The Stephen Colbert interview about children’s fiction, darkness, and The Graveyard Book with Neil Gaiman from this week. The video’s no longer available, but it can be seen here. So perfect.

And, speaking of Gaiman, in the same blog post in which he talks about the Colbert interview, he mentions the 7-Imp Dave McKean interview. Woot!

6). I was late getting to it, but Liz Garton Scanlon’s poem from last Poetry Friday. Beautiful.

7). Tanita anagrammed my name to “A Nude Jolliness.” I tried anagramming “Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast” and only got as far as “Been Eating Pie Fast” before I stopped, ’cause, hey, that’s good enough. Pie. Mmm.

BONUS (and BEST!) — Today, as you’re reading this probably, I’m visiting with my best friend from 9th grade (and her wee daughter!), with whom I had lost touch — yet found again via Facebook. Facebook can be such a time-suck, and I even totally get why some people ditch it altogether, but I’ll always be kicky-grateful that it helped me find her again. She’s here from North Carolina, and you can bet I have a big ol’ pot of coffee on and we’re catching up big-time.

What are YOUR kicks this week?





25 comments to “7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #107: Featuring Jacquelynn Buck”

  1. Since March is National Women’s History month, this post doubly rocks. I haven’t done anything with/about that this year, but I’m so glad you did. Sara’s pictures are so gorgeous.

    Eisha, dearling, congratulations on graduating from living like a “meth-head squatter,” which made me laugh for a good five minutes. I’m getting out the boxes to move, so I shall think of myself as a meth-head squatter for the foreseeable future, until all is unpacked.

    And Jules, your girl is something else. I just loved her poem. I love that poetry flows out of her whilst painting. What a lovely afternoon — Yeah, me and Momma did a little painting, we busted a few rhymes, it was all good…

    My big kick is Tech Boy, as Little Willow calls the boy. D. has a brain that works, in both light and shadow, on two speeds Fast and Faster. Anything and everything that comes into his purview is analyzed and dissected and discussed — including my work in progress. Sometimes having someone like that read your work is like having a really good review before you’re even published. You see connections and themes that you hadn’t even discovered, and you’re like, “Oh, whoa. I need to make sure everyone can see that.” He’s supposed to be reading some huge amount of pages for his PhD and finishing all of that by May so he can start the writing phase, but he still has time to read my stuff and he always sees the bigger potential. It’s hard to complain about revision when someone thinks you’re a genius. 😉


  2. I met Jackie right at the start of her photography career, and I knew she was going to do beautiful things with her talent, and she has. I love reading the quotes at her site from women she’s photographed and how it changed the way they looked at themselves. I adored Sara Zarr’s rant too. I wish I could rationally rant like she does.

    Also, yay! Liz’s poem! You know it’s good when the top of your head is still off after a week or more, and you randomly think of lines from it at quiet moments. I thought it was superb.

    Eisha, that is so cool about Maira! I still can’t believe it’s your job to look at her work for hours. Jealous.

    My kicks include the poetry contest I’m running —I’m kicking up my heels at the fab entries; everyone’s so willing to leap right in there and share—I know I’m giving away a t-shirt, but still, to have so many witty poets riff off a few lines makes me want to host a poetry slam every week.

    Also kicky was my trip to the Va. Festival of the Book. I didn’t get to do much festival-ing, but I did get to visit with friends and the drive down and back was spectacular, despite my best efforts to lose myself. (At one point, I was driving down an unmarked road through farmland. I rolled down the window for a good whiff of farm-ness. I love that smell!)


  3. Tanita, good point. Yeah, I *meant* to do that — post this during National Women’s History Month. For serious, I wish I had made that connection, but at least it worked out that way. And I like how it comes on the heels of Sara Zarr’s post, which I have Sara Lewis Holmes to thank for pointing out to me.

    Tanita, I love your ode to your husband up there. Love it a whole lot.

    Sara, glad you had a fabulous trip. Thanks again for introducing us ALL to Jacquelynn.


  4. Wow, that photography, amazing! I love when you shre the work of photographers her celebration fo wmoen is amazing.
    Eisha I am laughing hysterically, “meth-head squatters”. It reminds of last night, when my daughter toldme that she had to buy her daughter new clothers becasue a. she went through a growth spurt and nothing fits and b. her daddy seems to send her to school looking like “trailer park trash” because nothing matches.
    Jules, thanks for the heads-up for the Colbert Report, need to watch it. Listening to the Graveyard Book right now. And your daughter’s birdhouse is terribly sweet.

    My kicks include
    a granddaughter fix: she did a fashion show with all the clothes,
    spending time at school yesterday with four students who really worked hard on their poems, the daffodils are out,
    preparing for my trip to Florida,
    writing several poems for my blog last week,
    my nephew got his orders to San Diego. Hoping he is stablized and on the mend.
    Have a great week.


  5. Greetings, A Nude Jolliness, Former Meth-Head Squatter and Various and Sundry Kickers!

    Thanks so much for showcasing Jackie’s work today. What beautiful photos and I loved reading her words. And yay to Sara Zarr for telling it like it is!! How many women, truly, can say, “I like my face,” and really mean it? Awesome.

    Eisha, you and Maira are practically best buds by now. You don’t know how jealous I am! The Elements of Style Exhibit sounds SO cool.

    Jules, that Guiness cake looks scrumptious. Chef Blaine is mucho talented. And that’s a purty birdhouse painted by a beautiful girl.

    *admiring Tech Boy and Tanita*

    Besides spring’s arrival and having fun reading all the PF poemz at Sara’s blog, my big kick of the week was receiving a thank you gift from James Rumford, for interviewing him a while back. He sent me a limited edition, handmade book — it’s called, “The Whalebone Articles,” and it’s a fantasy about an Egyptologist discovering some ancient papyrus. It has to be seen to be believed — Jim made everything, including the paper, covers, papyrus samples — and then he handbound the book with a leather spine (he owns Manoa Press in Honolulu). The whole thing was done in letterpress with copper etching and is gorgeous.

    Enjoy your friend’s visit, Jules.

    Have a good week, everyone!


  6. I just had to come back and leave one more kick: Adrienne’s Idea Box at her library. http://www.watat.com/archives/2009/03/picket_fence_sh.html

    AND she encloses her business card in her written response to each kid’s suggestion.


  7. Hi, everybody — as always, a bright bouquet of kickiness* is already set on the breakfast table by the time I sit down to it.

    Funny, when I was first reading this post I kept glancing over my shoulder, worried that The Missus would see the photos from a distance and wonder what the heck kind of trouble I’d gotten myself into now. That didn’t last, though; it was just too hard to look away from the screen. The photos are simply knock-out gorgeous — AS photos, and yes of course as celebrations of their subjects but (for me) AS photos, first.

    (For the record, I think it might be more difficult to interest guys — at least openly — in a counterpart “Real Men” project.)

    I couldn’t resist trying to anagrammize my blog’s name with one of the links jama provided. My favorite was “Ferryman Hating Nut.” (Yeah! I hate that stupid ferryman! Ptui! Ptui!)

    Kicks:

    * Some amazing coincidences this week on the work-in-progress, confirming for me that this is the exact time (in life, in “skill,” in sensibility) for me to resume working on it.
    * “Meeting” (online) not only a real-life superhero, but also someone merely pretending to be him. (Like, that hadn’t happened to me in weeks.)
    * Like Eisha, I helped somebody out with a research question they’d asked for help with. (Your account of that feeling so resonated with me!)
    * Blackened tuna and parsley-garlic-buttered corn on the cob, from the grill to the plate to, er, our mouths. It’s like those exploding sound effects from the old Batman show going off between tongue and palate: BANG! POW! WHOOSH!
    * A striking movie, picked up on a whim: Blindness, starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, and others. About a plague of blindness that strikes (apparently) everyone in the world… except for one woman. (A great National Women’s Month allegory! And, yeah, umm, I totally chose it for that reason, too, Jules!)
    * Staying home one day from work, to do taxes-related stuff. Sure, it’s already looking like a firetrap again, but having the desk clear for a few hours felt like working at a brand-new computer. If that makes sense.
    * THAT GUINNESS CAKE. No, I haven’t tried it yet. But just reading about Jules and her husband’s experience with it has got all the vicarious-kick receptors going off in my brain.


  8. P.S. Just saw this funny, upbeat video; think you’ll like it if you like (and who can’t?) the Real Women project.


  9. Happy Sunday, everyone! Wow, all this talk of a lovely spring is making me a little envious. It is already summer here in the Philippines. The weather is really sultry. I put a bottle of peach-flavored green tea in the freezer and took it out to press against my neck while reading this post. :o)

    Eisha, your Saturday sounds AWESOME.

    Jules, “A Nude Jolliness”? “Been Eating Pie Fast”? I love it!

    Tanita, Tech Boy is WOW WOW WOW.

    Sara, thank you for introducing us all to Jacquelynn.

    Hi, Jone! I am so glad to hear that your nephew is on the mend.

    Jama, that book from James Rumford sounds absolutely gorgeous and wonderful and beautiful and entertaining. I envy you.

    John, it IS funny imagining you looking over your shoulder watching out for the Missus while looking at Jacquelynn’s photos. Hahaha!

    Kicks:

    1. Sara Zarr saying that she doesn’t want to turn down life opportunities because she thinks she should be prettier or thinner. I need to think like that!

    2. The third photo from Jacquelynn in this post. I want a picture of myself in that pose/from that angle!

    And Jacquelynn saying that our bodies are a road map to our lives and a terrain worth traversing. :o)

    3. Finding Emily Gravett’s books available in Philippine bookstores.

    4. Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan being finally available in Philippine bookstores.

    5. My mom somehow still taking care of me from so far away.

    My dad.

    My younger brothers JP and Brian. :o)

    6. I am redesigning my blog. I am not satisfied yet with the new colors, so more tweaking will follow. But I am so happy with the header that my artist friend created for me! :o)

    7. Being added to the 7-Imp blogroll. :o) I swear, it is like the Holy Grail of kidlit blogging.


  10. Oh, my those photographs are beautiful. I’ve always admired the ones on Sara’s sites. (Sara L-H–we are discussing multiple Saras here.) I also thought a lot about Sara Z’s post this week. I also like Sara Z’s photos of her looking like herself. A friend of mine did a publicity photo for me when I wrote my book, and he did a big post on his blog about photoshopping me: http://blatherings.demandingrobot.com/2007/05/12/photography-saturday–photoshop.aspx.

    Those are very difficult decisions to make.

    Sara, Thanks for making the Idea Box a kick!

    Jules, I love that photo of your daughter concentrating so. Nice moment.

    Eisha, New skirt! Yay! And, personally, I’ve always preferred the phrase “college student” to “meth-head squatter.” My goal is to try to make the house look like a grown-up lives here by the time I turn 50, which gives me 15 years. I believe that is doable.

    This week was busy, and today I am tired, so I am coming up a little kick-less. Not that this week wasn’t good: I think I maybe need more coffee. Or a nap. Or a nap followed by coffee and then another nap. It is a kick that I have a day off in which to do this.


  11. Hey all, it’s great to be back. I was thinking about my kicks each week in Australia, but didn’t get a moment to sit down and browse the net! The photos today are gorgeous.

    Eisha, I’ve been in spring cleaning mode + accumulating mode too. The lengthening days must be good for our brains or something.

    Jules, the birdbox and cake are like bonus photos for today. They look great!

    1. Well of course the first kick has to be seeing my family and friends again in Australia. It was so easy to fall back into conversations over lazy meals in the warm outdoors! And my sister’s wedding was great – relaxed and fun despite being large.
    2. In between breakfasts, lunches and dinners with all and sundry I even went shopping and returned home with new jeans, work trousers, underwear and even a coat!
    3. And despite Brisbane still feeling like home – a home filled with some of my favourite things like swimming, seafood, tropical fruit and a climate where clothes are worn as concessions to modesty or fashion rather than necessity– I feel very lucky that I have a job I love here in the UK and pleased we made the decision to move here for a while.
    4. The abundance of daffodils, woodpeckers and (pale) sunshine also helped in making sure I didn’t flee back to Brisbane as soon as we arrived!
    5. Spring cleaning is taking place in small doses between naps. There were a scary number of books under the bed. And we can see through the windows again!
    6. A trip to Ikea was part of the spring clean/household betterment. I got a cute lamp for my bedside table!
    7. I’m about to go make risotto for tea and then go to bed with a book. A very satisfying end to the weekend.


  12. PS: I forgot to say I read about Sara Z’s photoshopping experience with dismay earlier this week – shaving bits off faces is not the same as fiddling with light levels! – and it was the first thing I thought of when I started reading the post today! Very appropriate.


  13. Jone, whatcha going to Florida for? I hope for something fun. And I also hope your nephew is on the mend.

    Jama, WOW! A hand-made book from James? That is fabulous all-around. I bet it’s beautiful. And I bet that piece of mail was a ton of fun to open.

    Sara, I love the notion of a kid coming in to look for Adrienne after getting her business card. And I’m with her with the golf-pencil disdain.

    John, ferrymen can BITE ME. Not really. I’m just playing along with your new anagrammed name. Which is a pretty funny one. I didn’t even THINK to try an anagram link for our blog’s title; I tried to anagram it myself and gave up like a big lame-o, but I just tried it at the link you gave, and it’s too long anyway. D’oh’eth!

    Parsley garlic-buttered corn? Mmm. Turns out my five-year-old is crazy about corn on the cob, so I might have to try that. ….You let me know when you or The Missus bakes that cake — and what you think. I just served some to our visitor, and she lurved it, too.

    Thanks for sharing that video. I like the “I’m flawed all over, but I’m perfect in all my flaws” dude. Perhaps we should have asked everyone today to name one flaw. Mine=I worry too much.

    Tarie, well, goodness, I’m happy you’re happy that I linked to your blog. I cleaned up our blogroll recently, and I was, like, YEARS overdue in doing so. Just mentally linking to good blogs wasn’t cuttin’ it anymore, so I actually carved out time to update/clean it up.

    Tarie, the third photo here is also my favorite. And OH OH! Your new header is beautemous!

    Adrienne, I’d love to read about your author photo, but that link isn’t working for me. Is it just me being a moron (which happens a lot)? I tried searching, too, but I got no where. Anyway, hope you get that nap.

    Emmaco, thanks for stopping by and relieving my worries. 🙂 I’m so glad you had a good trip and that your sister’s wedding was a good one.


  14. Hm, Jules. That link doesn’t work for me just now, either. Bizarre.

    Once a kid who came in looking for me via my business card did not believe I was me when I told her I was. I guess my business card makes me seem bigger than I really am or something. Or maybe she was just thrown off by my lack of business attire.


  15. I just watched Gaiman on Colbert. Colbert was pretty impressive, what with the combination of knowing what he was talking about and quoting so adeptly from Tolkien. Nice.


  16. Great kicks, y’all. (Emmaco – I figured you must be in Oz because you hadn’t posted in a while). I wanted to post my kicks on a Sunday for a change before I forget ’em.

    1 – Jon Stewart, the smartest man I have never met. It is worth staying up late just to hear what he has to say. The tears of laughter are not unwelcome either.
    2 – My mother-in-law’s prognosis continues to be excellent.
    3 – My husband’s cousin sent me a “Happy Mother’s Day” text message, just because it is Mother’s Day in the UK.
    4 – March Madness. Although my team didn’t make it past the opening round (grrrr Tennessee), I still love me a good knock-out basketball tourney.
    5 – Spring, Spring, Spring!!!
    6 – Getting to spend a weekend at home, finally. The past three weeks we have been to Atlanta, Tunica, and Knoxville. There’s no place like home.
    7 – Jules mailed a lovely picture book to Ruby. We love getting books in the mail.
    7.5 – Neil Gaiman on The Colbert Report. Witty repartee at its best.


  17. Tanita, your boy sounds like awesome incarnate. And OF COURSE he thinks you’re a genius, ’cause you ARE.

    Sara, Virginia is indeed a pretty state to drive through. Also a dangerous one – I’ve gotten two speeding tickets there. Glad you had such a lovely time.

    jone, I’ll be honest, I’m worried that your nephew is being called up so soon after treatment. But I hope it’s an indication that he’s really doing well. Have fun in Florida!

    jama, my goodness, that book description made me drool. What a lovely, thoughtful gift!

    JES, Blindness – isn’t that based on the book by Jose Saramago? I’ve heard good, if bleak, things about it. And I want some of that corn-on-the-cob right now. YUM! CRUNCH! SLURP!

    Tarie, agreed on the Sara Zarr philosophy. I could use a bit of that too. Although I’m already pretty obnoxious – if I had actual self-esteem I don’t think anyone could stand to be around me. 😉 Also, I always love to hear how much you dig your family – that’s a great life-long kick.

    adrienne, shut up. I’ve seen your house, and it’s quite decent. Lovely, even. I hope to be seeing it again soon when I come up for the Teen Book Fest in April. WOO!

    emmaco, yay for such a great visit home. And a fun wedding, and shopping to boot! Quite a satisfying list.

    jules, I finally got to watch the Colbert video (link was being slow to load last night). AWESOME. I love it when Colbert gets a guest who can give as well as he gets. And I’m so glad Piper found another food she likes!

    Zoe, glad your mother-in-law is doing well. And agreed on Jon Stewart (dang, I’ve got to get cable already) and SPRING.


  18. You guys! A year or so ago I posted about body image (http://liz-scanlon.livejournal.com/57817.html) and this book (http://www.bodyimagebook.com/), which is not by Jacquelynn Buck, but could be. I am inspired by Sara Zarr’s post but also, seriously, am appalled. She told him and told him that she didn’t want to be photoshopped and he did it anyway???? Ignore anyone lately??? Sheesh!

    OK, that aside. Kicks:

    1. This post. Raising two daughters this is definately one of my hot button issues and I am moved by this…
    2. Jules linking to my mama poem. Moved again.
    3. Spring break with my gals this week which included camping, the rodeo and breakfast in bed. All of us. Same bed.
    4. Canoeing today.
    5. Summer plans, which include hiking in the mountains.
    6. Getting through another revision.
    7. Spring.

    Happy Sunday, ya’ll…


  19. Well now, Adrienne, I just gotsta hear your own author photo story one day anyway.

    Zoë, Happy UK Mother’s Day! (Is it today, or was it this week?) Glad your mother-in-law’s prognosis is still good.

    Liz, that’s a great post, and that book looks great. I’m gonna see if I can find a copy. Thanks for the info.


  20. I like her pictures of Sara, especially that with the letters.

    eisha & Jules: Woo hoo for spring –

    eisha & emmaco: – and hurrah for spring cleaning!

    Jules: Enjoy your reunion. 🙂 Bookmarking the Colbert interview for later. Thanks for the link.

    Tanita: Go, Tech Boy, go! 🙂

    Loading Sara’s Poetry Friday contest . . .

    Jone: Your family sounds so close and connected.

    Jama: That sounds GORGEOUS. I’m an Egypt junkie.

    Jes: Have you read The Ferryman by Christopher Golden? SO GOOD. I love happy coincidences. Go for it! I haven’t read nor seen “Blindness” yet.

    Tarie & the 7-Imps: Yes, yes to the Sara Z. support, truth in photography, and true beauty being that which is real, not constructed or falsified.

    Adrienne: Enjoy your day off. I don’t drink coffee and I wish I could nap, so I apologize for not being able to help you out with those things. 😉

    emmaco: Yay for family and friends. It sounds like you have two great homes.

    Zoe: I have a list of books featuring a main character named Ruby, though most are YA.

    Liz: That sounds like an awesome week.

    My kicks for the past week:
    1) Spring!
    2) Ballerinas (current show & today’s audition)
    3) Worries relieved and compliments received
    4) New clients (three awesome people!)
    5) Taking a lunch break for the first time in two weeks
    6) Going to sleep before midnight
    7) Treating myself to little things


  21. Wow, I LOVE the photos and Jaquelynn’s work, and her website. Got lost today checking out all the links. Loved Sara Zarr’s post as well. This is a button-pusher topic for me as well. Having lived in L.A. for roughly 7 years and worked tangentially in entertainment (between waiting tables), having good girlfriends who are actors, and my nieces, the extreme pressure to attain an ideal that doesn’t even exist bugs me to no end. Ugh.
    From Sara Zarr’s site I followed a link to a video of a photoshop excercise – eye-opening, but not surprising. Here’s another link to check out by Sweden’d Ministry of Cultural Affairs: http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/

    Kicks:
    1. Today’s 7 Imp post! It coinciding with Women’s History Month is simply beautiful synchronicity. Go Jules!
    2. Finished Sandman Vol 1, Preludes & Nocturnes. I liked it, but reading it before bedtime gave me nightmares!
    3. Found 2 cd’s that have been missing for over a year this weekend. Rachel’s Music for Egon Schiele, and Ricky Martin. Nothing like Shake Your BonBon to make a run go by quicker.
    4. Spring Cleaning, sort of. Eisha, I got rid of stuff too, but bought new spring items for the house (a stone chicken was my big find.) Your skirt sounds much more fun!
    5. Finding chocolate bricks for wine lovers, complete with cutting board, for a good friend who is very very into wine.
    6. Birthday breakfast with same friend. I don’t see him as much as I used to, since he mainly works in Seattle now. So fun to catch up.
    7. The BF wore a baseball cap around all day and forgot there was a label on it over the logo that said PUNKIN. He didn’t realize he’d done this until while talking on the phone with his Mom and playing with his cap. We laughed for over 5 minutes remembering everywhere we went today while he was wearing that cap!

    Thanks again for such a wonderful Sunday post!
    Hope everyone has a great week!


  22. I read somewhere last year that the time to plant seeds was when I saw my neighbor’s forsythia in bloom. Well, the neighbor’s forsythia bloomed about a month ago, but it was a foolish forsythia, because it let the heat of the eastern light go to its roots or something, and then it snowed. However, the wee forsythia bush I planted in my yard is now in bloom, and I am happy. The rhubarb transplanted to our south garden patch is happy, too. I think the reason why it wasn’t happy there before is because there were still too many grass roots. Bit by bit, I am removing the grass from our yard and turning it into garden spots.

    Thank you for all the photos and kicks.


  23. Little Willow, worries-relieved=always good.

    RM, #7 is pretty funny. Who is calling the BF “punkin” and putting it on his hat? Did his mama do that? Glad you had a kickin’-good week.

    Farida, yay for your garden. We planted some flowers yesterday, too.


  24. Great post featuring Jacquelynn Buck! I love that photo she took of Sara Holmes lying on the letters.

    Jules, that cake looks delicious! And I do so enjoy seeing photos of your daughters.

    MY KICKS

    1. I’m serving on the 45th reunion committee of my high school class of ’64. Last week we had our second meeting. We spent most of the time talking and laughing. I’m fortunate to still live close to so many of my best friends–most of whom I met in elementary school and high school.

    2. I finally got the copies of FALLING DOWN THE PAGE: A BOOK OF LIST POEMS, which was edited by Georgia Heard. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I was to see MY name listed on the back cover along with the names of some of my favorite children’s poets–including J. Patrick Lewis, Jane Yolen, Marilyn Singer, and Kristine O’Connell George. I’m also thrilled because I love the poems in this anthology. I got some extra copies to give away as prizes from Wild Rose Reader during National Poetry Month.

    3. Now that I’m finally fully recovered from the two nasty respiratory infections that kept me indoors for over a month–I’m back to my brisk daily two-mile walk. It feels so good to be exercising again.

    4. I had a writing dry spell for several months. It was really frustrating for me. All my creative juices had seemed to dry up. Then seeing Tom DeLay and Rush Limbaugh on TV in recent weeks gave me inspiration to write some snarky political poems. Now I’m writing every day. I come up with lots of ideas for my verses when I’m out walking.

    5. Jules, that author/illustrator you put me in touch and I have been emailing each other. She loves my political verses!

    6. I saw Wendell and Florence Minor at the JFK Library last Tuesday. My husband came with me. We had an opportunity to sit and chat with Florence while Wendell signed books. Then Mike and I were invited to join a small group of people in a little birthday celebration for Wendell. I love the Minors. They are two of the loveliest people I have ever met. (I got to know them when I invited Wendell to be a featured speaker at one of our reading council dinners in 2006.)

    7. After we left the library, Mike and I went to the North End of Boston (the Italian section), walked around, and then had a wonderful dinner at a great restaurant.


  25. Elaine, what a good week you had! Yay for #5, too!

    BIG OL’ CONGRATS getting the copy of Falling Down the Page!!


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