7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #514: Featuring Matt Phelan
December 18th, 2016 by jules
Dear Imps, did you read this year Matt Phelan’s exceptionally good graphic novel, Snow White? I wrote about it here at Kirkus in September. It’s one of my top-five favorite books from this year. (I don’t ever really do lists or Caldecott predictions, but this one is very special, and yes, I’d definitely put it in the top five.) And here is where Matt stopped by 7-Imp to share early sketches and such from this beautiful book.
Today, Matt is sharing a holiday image he made (and I think he made it just for this post, for which I am grateful). If you read his beautiful book, you know the chilling importance of the ticker tape.
But here the ticker tape is singing a holiday tune for us. I love it. Big thanks to Matt.
I’ll post the cover here again at 7-Imp, because really, if you haven’t read it yet, what is stopping you?
Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a 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. New kickers are always welcome.
1) It’s Winter Break from school and work and such. (Well, for me freelance writing never really stops, but I can take it.)
2) Tonight, we’re going to see Rufus Wainwright and family (and more guests) for a big ol’ family Christmas show at the Ryman. See here? It’s going to be big Rufus fun. EMMYLOU WILL BE THERE.
3) Speaking of … Laura Marling interviewed Dolly and Emmylou!
4) New music from Tift Merritt.
5) I’ve lined up a trip to Ann Arbor in February to speak about picture books and illustration. This means I may see actual snow.
6) I’m going to ALA Midwinter in January after all—I’ll moderate a picture book panel on the Saturday of the conference—which means I’ll be able to do that thing where I sit in in the room and hear the ALA Youth Media Awards announced, which I’VE NEVER DONE! (I just always tune in all enthusiastically to the webcast.) I’m excited.
7) For fun, the 11-year-old is learning to play this on the piano. I constantly feel like I need to run from danger and toward a TARDIS, but it’s really fun to listen to her figure it out.
What are YOUR kicks this week?
Thank you Matt for the fa, la, la and Snow White, a must have for the library.
Jules, the concert sounds terrific…Emmy Lou and Alison too. Wow! Enjoy. Yay for winter break.
My kicks:
1. Winter Break was two days earlier for us.
2. Snow.
3. Walking in the snow.
4. Walking in the snow with grandgirl in the field behind our condo.
5. Mad Men
6. Haiku
7. Poetry things.
Have a great week.
Good morning, Imps! Happy holidays!
I hadn’t seen Matt’s version of Snow White yet. Thanks for the info.
Jules: Have fun at the show! I know you will. Kudos to your daughter, playing Doctor Who tunes on the piano. That is awesome. Did you hear that David Tennant is voicing Scrooge McDuck in the new animated DuckTales series? This pleases me.
Jone: Enjoy the snow!
My kicks from the past week:
1) Sharing
2) Stage
3) Page
4) Catching up with people
5) Catching up on TV shows
6) Auditions
7) Find
Love the singing ticker – the pop of red is so lovely.
Jules – OMG so jealous that you’re going to The Ryman! What a fun concert. Seeing a concert there is on my bucket list. Cannot wait to listen to the interview with Dolly & Emmylou – Trio is one of my favorite mega-girl-groups.
Jone – hurray for snow days & snowflakes that shut down the whole city.
LW – especially love sharing & catching up with people kicks.
My kicks this week are more than the standard 7 as feeling the need to point out as much light & goodness as possible right now:
1) Holiday flights booked!
2) Snow days with Daisy.
3) Almost finished my annual Christmas baking.
4) Kate McKinnon & her well of talent. Plus the SNL sendup of Love Actually, my annual Christmas Eve watch.
5) Alec Baldwin for making me laugh, first on twitter, then on SNL. Much needed laughter.
6) Reading “A Manual for Cleaning Women” selected stories by Lucia Berlin. Some really beautifully written short stories.
7) My ongoing watching of all the Christmas movies. Last 2 watches were Christmas With Kranks & Twelve Dates of Christmas.
7.5) Finally saw The Lobster. Reinforced for me what an underrated acting talent Colin Farrell is. Love the beautiful underlying message of it, but very bizarre, darkly funny movie.
9) Chef – very fun very sweet movie – don’t watch it if you’re hungry, it will make you crave cubano sandwiches!
10) A birthday get-together for a friend with lots of new fun people at a great bar/restaurant had never been to before. Lots of great people, great food & great conversation, with promises to do it again after the holidays.
Happy Sunday all! Have a wonderful cheerful week!
Jone, we got some sleet and a tiny bit of snow. Alas, it did not stick. I’m glad you had a week filled with snowy kicks.
LW: I did not know that about Tennant. Thanks for the tip. What’s your favorite TV show right now?
Rachel: I appreciate those extra kicks. … I’ve never seen Love Actually but recognized somehow that’s what SNL was spoofing last night. That was a great skit. Tender and smart and funny. … I really love when Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer do the whispery friends. That was pretty brilliant. …. Thanks for the movie recs!
I’m typing this on my tiny phone after the Ryman show, which was so fun. And my Christmas wish came true: Rufus sand ‘O Holy Night’ in French (I’d read he does this in this particular show) — and with the monitors off. The acoustics were great. And it was lovely.
Have a great week, all!
Jules! So glad you had a wonderful time at the Ryman! Have a great week!