inkpop Fundamentals: June 8, 2010

★Paging Dr. Osbourne We’ve seen him fumble words and rock out onstage; now fans are about to be introduced to a new side of Ozzy Osbourne. Having published his book I Am Ozzy just a few short months ago; it seems as if Osbourne has been bitten with the writing bug, for he has now been offered the role of Health Advice Columnist for The Sunday Times magazine – and opportunity which he quickly scooped up. The column will place Osbourne in the role of amateur Doctor as he answers readers’ health questions on a daily basis. M & C.

★ Introducing the interactive book The name of the game will forever be to stay one step ahead of the trends. To constantly come up with new ideas that will keep teens and young adults interested in the next big thing; a sentiment which Slate has taken into serious consideration as they introduce their next showstopper…the interactive book! The brainchild of writers Laura Moser and Lauren Mechling, My Darklyng is an interactive YA novel starring 10th grader Natalie Pollock, an individual with a dream to star on the cover of the next book in a vampire series that she simply cannot get enough of. To truly engage readers, the authors have set up a Facebook page for Natalie; established Twitter accounts for many of the characters; and will introduce new chapters to the story every Friday through August 2010. Slate.

★ Sister Sister Love them or hate them; siblings are oftentimes an integral part of growing up – thus the reason they are so enjoyable in the world of literature. The bond between siblings – especially sisters – is one that nurtures a story and adds both depth and backbone to a book. In Jane Austen’s Emma there was the relationship between Harriet and Emma; in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women there was the love and loathing between the March Sisters. Now The Guardian wants to know…who is your favorite sister act in literature?

Over to you…what do you think of allowing someone with no medical knowledge to hand out health advice to readers? Do you feel that Ozzy is fit to be a health advice columnist – why or why not? Will you be reading this interactive novel? What do you think of interactive novels in general – yay or nay? What do you think of the sibling bond in books? What book do you feel portrayed siblings – either sisters or brothers – the most realistically and why?

Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Erika (aka inkpoperika)

inkpop Fundamentals: May 27, 2010

★One-Hit Wonders of the Literary World Louisa May Alcott is best known for her books Little Women and Little Men, but during her time as an author, she also penned thrillers such as Behind a Mask. Though held in high-regard for works such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, many overlooked Jane Austen’s more Gothic literary effort Northanger Abbey. Just as musicians of today are oftentimes labeled as one-hit wonders; many of the world’s favorite classic authors – including Charlotte Bronte, Mark Twain, and Herman Melville – are known only for one or two works, despite the fact that they have penned far more. Here, a list of some of the most overlooked books by some of the world’s best-known authors. Huffington Post.

★Wimbledon…in verse? Sports and poetry is perhaps as different from one another as night and day; nevertheless, the British tennis championship known as Wimbledon is going where no athletic sport has gone before, by hiring Matt Harvey, a British wordsmith, to serve as the event’s official poet. As such, Harvey is expected to write one poem per day for the entirety of the two-week event. His first Wimbledon contribution has already been released under the title The Grandest of Slams. Harvey is the first person to ever hold such a title in Wimbeldon history. Entertainment Weekly.

★‘Making Money’…Andy Warhol style! Though he passed away in 1987; Andy Warhol’s memory has lived on in film, books, art, and countless other areas of the creative world since. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is home to The Andy Warhol Museum; his canvas entitled Eight Elvises sold for a whopping 100 million back in 1963; he is the man responsible for the term 15 minutes of fame (an abbreviated version of his quote In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.); and now he’s coming to a bookstore near you via Making Money, a flipbook consisting of drawings of money that Warhol created as a 1981 Christmas gift for then preteen Berkeley Reinhold, which features a foreword by Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry. The book hits shelves in October 2010. Luxist.

Over to you…what classic work do you feel has been overlooked by critics and readers? What is your favorite classic book? Did any of your favorites make the list? What do you think of poetry about sports? Can you think of any other sports that may benefit from the inclusion of poetry? Are you a fan of Andy Warhol? Will you be buying Making Money? What do you think of Warhol’s quote…do you feel that it’s true or not?

Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Erika (aka inkpoperika)

inkpop Fundamentals: May 11, 2010

★Boys and the vamp Though vampires have been a hot commodity in multiple forms of fiction (i.e. in book, small screen, and big screen formats) courtesy of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, LJ Smith’s Vampire Diaries, and the now-defunct, but still highly-popular, Buffy the Vampire Slayer; much of these series have catered to a female audience, leaving males somewhat uninterested in sinking their teeth into tales featuring vamps. Author Jason Henderson has decided to change that. A fan of vampires for over thirty years; Henderson hopes to pique the interest of male readers via the release of his novel, (the first of a projected series), Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising, which follows the adventures of a 14-year-old vampire hunter. KansasCity.com.

★ The monster mash! Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has been a favorite for over one hundred years; and Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina has been prevalent in classrooms for decades. Now the aforementioned books, in addition to countless other timeless tales, have received a facelift from publishers with the addition of zombies, vampires, werewolves, and other paranormal entities; making the books of yesteryear more adaptable to today’s society in the form of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Android Karenina, and HarperTeen’s very own new release Little Vampire Women. The trend, implemented by independent publisher Quirk Books just one short year ago, is said only to be the tip of the iceberg. Expect more monster mash-ups to hit your favorite classics very soon! The Wall Street Journal.

★‘Avalon High’ 2.0 Meg Cabot’s Avalon High has seen much success since its 2005 publication. The book, which follows the story of Ellie, the new girl in town who attends Avalon High, a place, she soon comes to realize, that is full of students all of which are reincarnations of individuals from King Arthur’s court; has been crafted into a three-part manga series featuring art by Jinxy Coronado, and was the recipient of two awards: the Texas Lone Star Reading List, and the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age – in addition to snagging the number three spot on the New York Times Children’s Best-Sellers List. Now, Disney has teamed up with Cabot to bring Avalon High to the small screen starring Britt Robertson, Gregg Sulkin, Joey Pollari, Devon Graye, and Molly Quinn. The film is scheduled to premiere this fall on the Disney Channel. MTV.

Over to you…what is your favorite vampire series? Do you plan on reading Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising? What do you think of monster mash-ups – yay or nay? Do you want to see classics updated to involve paranormal beings, or would you rather read them in their original state, as the authors intended? Have you read Avalon High? Do you plan on watching the film adaptation?

Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Erika (aka inkpoperika)