{"id":4497,"date":"2017-11-19T00:01:35","date_gmt":"2017-11-19T06:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=4497"},"modified":"2017-11-18T17:24:53","modified_gmt":"2017-11-18T23:24:53","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-561-featuring-barbara-mcclintock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=4497","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks #561: Featuring Barbara McClintock"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\nI’ve got some art today from Barbara McClintock’s<\/a><\/strong> The Five Forms<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Farrar Straus Giroux), released in October. I had the chance to meet Barbara in person early last year, and I actually saw some original art from this book. I saw her working on it in her home studio, that is, so it’s lovely to hold the book in my hands now. <\/p>\n

This is the story of a girl who finds a mysterious book, all about poses in martial arts, on top of a library book-return box on a sidewalk. She takes it home and proceeds to disregard the book’s warning about how the movements of Chinese martial arts which sometimes mimic the postures of animals, or forms, need not be attempted “without an experienced teacher!” She forges ahead anyway, first trying the crane, who starts to grab nearly everything in her room in its beak. Since leopard overpowers crane, she tries the leopard stance, which doesn’t go well either. The leopard and crane tussle. And so it goes, until the room also holds a snake and a dragon. Chaos reigns.
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\nThat is, until the girls uses the “final form” to return her house to the way it was. Only the Grand Master is to perform it, but the girl manages to find her inner calm and pull it off. <\/p>\n

Did you see recently that Rumaan Alam wrote about Barbara’s book at the New York Times<\/em><\/a><\/strong>? Here is part of what he wrote: <\/p>\n

There is something irresistible about McClintock\u2019s painterly illustrations, which are a departure from the beautiful realist style of her previous books. … The new story has a comic strip\u2019s construction, and a young reader will naturally find joy in the utter destruction the forms of the title release, as well as in how sensibly the story\u2019s heroine deals with that mess.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Barbara’s paintings here are expressive and vibrant, and it’s fascinating to see her incorporate some of these comics elements into her art, including speech bubbles. Here are some more illustrations, since the art says way more than I can.
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(Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/center>
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(Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/center>
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THE FIVE FORMS. Copyright \u00a9 2017 by Barbara McClintock. Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, New York. Illustrations reproduced by permission of Barbara McClintock.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note for any new readers: 7-Imp\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

* * * Jules’ Kicks * * *<\/strong><\/font>
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1)<\/strong><\/font> I must have listened to Brandi Carlile’s<\/a><\/strong> brand-new song, “The Joke,” about 20 times this week. Go here<\/a><\/strong> and scroll down to the (live) recording. Turn it up, man. It is EPIC. <\/p>\n

It’s for the misfits. <\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/font> This interview<\/a><\/strong> with Father Greg Boyle was good in many directions. <\/p>\n

3)<\/strong><\/font> And this interview<\/a><\/strong> with these two women? They are truly bad-ass. <\/p>\n

4)<\/strong><\/font> Finding just the right gifts for a friend about to turn six. Well, I certainly hope<\/em> they’re just-right gifts. <\/p>\n

5)<\/strong><\/font> Getting the chimney cleaned. (This is not a metaphor. Somehow, it sounds like one.) Now let’s hope we get weather cold enough to use it. …<\/p>\n

6)<\/strong><\/font> Tonight, we are going to hear Shawn Colvin<\/a><\/strong> live. There will be wine.<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n

7)<\/strong><\/font> In honor, I’ll share here my favorite-ever Shawn Colvin cover (that is, her covering someone else). I love every note of this:
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