Note: This post is really just for me to try to jot down and organize all the information/recommendations/advice I’ve received about London so far. AND MORE ADVICE IS MORE THAN WELCOMED!
***
Here, I’ve narrowed down the Blake historical sites to only the ones I want to see most:
St. James’s Church: (10) Where Blake was baptized. The font still survives.
Westminster Abbey: (10) Where Blake practiced drawing. Monument to Blake in the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.Will probably end up here on a bus tour!
Royal Academy, New Somerset House: (9) Where Blake studied and occasionally exhibited his work. Original building.
13 Hercules Buildings: (7) Where Blake produced the Songs of Experience. House demolished in 1918.
17 South Moulton Street: (10) Will be here on Tuesday!
St. Mary’s, Battersea: (10) Where Blake married Kate. Original building.
Okay, this might be really silly/crazy/touristy, but a tour in a vintage bus plus tea time? That just sounds so ridiculous (in a good way, I think)!
Won’t have time for this on Monday or Tuesday, so will have to do either Wednesday or Thursday.
Location: Starts at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge.
Time: Starts at 1 p.m, for 5 hours.
Price: £49
Includes: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall, a cruise on the River Thames, and tea/scones at Harrods.
***
Jack the Ripper Tour
Might have time for this on Monday, or otherwise on Wednesday.
Option #1: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.
Option #2: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.
Option #3: Every night at 7:30 p.m. Outside exit 3 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Tentatively, I think I might go to the Tate and V&A on Tuesday, the bus tour and possibly Jack the Ripper on Wednesday, and then the British Museum and Blake historic sites on Thursday.
Location: Millbank.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).
Taking photos not allowed.
Need to find out more about the renovated Blake rooms!
Need to figure out what else I’d like to see at the Tate!
“Fresh leaf tea in a pot and bone china, scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches and tasty cakes… could anything be more British than afternoon tea in London.”
Location: 41 Great Russell Street (opposite the British Museum).
As you may know, for the past couple months, I’ve been busy planning for my trip to Cannes and London. I’ll only have 3 full days in London, so I’m trying to figure out the best schedule that will allow me to fit everything in. For my British followers/readers, any advice would be incredibly appreciated.
Monday
Arrive: Hello London!!!
Take public transportation from Heathrow to hotel; check into hotel and get situated.
Since I’ll be exhausted from the film festival (and if I don’t get in too late), I think I might take a bus tour of London. That way, I can relax and cover all the basics in a short amount of time and hopefully won’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything. If I don’t have time to do a bus tour Monday, then I’ll do one Tuesday morning/afternoon and maybe do a Jack the Ripper tour instead.
Tuesday: Special Event Day!
I’m not exactly sure how I’ll spend a good chunk of this day yet. Like I said, I might take a bus tour of London. Or perhaps check out the London Eye, Covent Garden, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, etc. on my own. I have to look into the different types of bus tours and schedules!
Leave some time to relax and possibly nap in the late afternoon.
★Tate: I recently contacted the Tate about their William Blake collection and was absolutely delighted to hear that the renovated Blake rooms are scheduled to open May 14th and will very likely include The Ghost of a Flea — talk about perfect timing!
British Museum: I would like to visit the British Museum’s Print Room (Department of Prints and Drawings), where one can access Blake works without an appointment. According to the Chair of the Blake Society, Tim Heath: “…you are able to hold in your own hands some of Blake’s original (and now priceless) illuminated books. It is one of the secrets of the city.”
Victoria & Albert Museum: According to Naomi, the V&A has “…four of Blake’s ‘fresco’ paintings on display permanently, as well as a good collection of watercolours which you can see in their Print Room (no appointment needed).” Would also love to see upcoming exhibit called David Bowie is (March – July)!!
I need to figure out the easiest way to walk and which sites I would most like to see (on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 meaning “I absolutely must see this!”).
28 Broad Street: (7) Where Blake was born. Original building no longer survives. Tate: “Old houses that survive… give a good idea of what Blake’s house looked like.”
St. James’s Church: (10) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake was baptized. The font still survives.
Mr. Pars’ Drawing School in the Strand: (5) Where Blake was sent to study at age 10. Demolished in Regency times.
31 Queen Street, Lincoln’s Inn: (8) Where Blake at age 14 became apprentice to an engraver. Original building demolished in late 19th century. Tate: “…but the next-door houses (of brick rather than stone) give an idea of its original appearance).
Westminster Abbey: (10) Where Blake as an apprentice practiced drawing ancient tombs (such as King Edward I) and monuments. Monument to William Blake in the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.
Royal Society of Arts: (5) Where Blake admired James Barry’s murals The Progress of Human Knowledge and Culture. Original building.
Royal Academy, New Somerset House: (9) Where Blake studied and exhibited his work on several occasions. Also important location for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, if I’m not mistaken. Original building.
Green Street, Leicester Square: (5) Where Blake moved after his marriage. Original building no longer exists.
28 Poland Street: (6) Where Blake moved after dissolving his partnership with James Parker. House rebuilt in the late 19th century.
13 Hercules Buildings: (7) Where Blake lived during his most productive years and produced the Songs of Experience. House demolished in 1918.
17 South Moulton Street: (10) Where Blake “…suffer[ed] his bitterest disappointments. Fame and financial success continued to elude him, and he sank into poverty and paranoia.” Will be here on Tuesday!
Fountain Court, Strand: (7) Where Blake lived until his death and produced his illustration to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Original building no longer exists.
St. Mary’s, Battersea: (10) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake married Kate. Original building.
Bunhill Fields: (9) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake is buried (in an unmarked grave). Tate: “A small monument now stands at the approximate site where Blake was buried.”
Paolozzi Newton: (6) Where a statue based on Blake’s Newton stands.
Friday
Depart: Back to San Francisco!
Now that I’ve laid everything out, the next step is to narrow everything down into a manageable plan!
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Prepared for tomorrow — the first day of my new internship!!!
Wednesday, January 30th
Zest Books Internship, Day #1: Wonderful first day! Having an easy time getting into the flow of everything. Staff is extremely friendly and excited to get to know them better. Get awesome sneak peaks of upcoming titles. Friday, will be working on Tumblr and possibly doing some image research — can’t wait!
Thursday, January 31st
Not ready to announce anything yet, but amazing news (from January 20th) continuing to develop!
Received e-mail from follower Hannah Meiklejohn (bellusmundus.wordpress.com) asking if she could write an article for a magazine about The Poet and the Flea, yay! Excited to learn more details about the article and magazine. (^-^)
Zest Books Internship, Day #2: Worked on historical-themed image research for most of the day, which was mostly a lot of fun! Started working on Zest’s Tumblr (zestbooks.tumblr.com). Ate lunch in nearby park, which is very pleasant and relaxing and will definitely be repeated.
Saturday, February 2nd
Happy Groundhog Day!!
Filled out the rest of Cannes paperwork and made a checklist for what to bring (I’m Going To Cannes!!!).
Went to see Warm Bodies with Wes! Not the most brilliant movie, but adorable and a lot of fun. (︶ω︶)
For those of you watching the new Netflix series House of Cards, I highly recommend watching the original BBC version starring the brilliant Ian Richardson also available on Netflix.
Ran into a neighbor on the bus to work today, and she’d like to hire me to help her with her WordPress. We’ll see what happens… (^-^)
Zest Books Internship, Day #3: Worked on creating prom tips for Zest’s Tumblr as well as a mailing project. Getting to know everyone in the office better — everyone’s super easy to talk to. Took home a copy of Zoo Station to read.
Wow, I adore this new FX show The Americans! Amazing character development and really scary/exciting. Can’t wait for the next episode.
Zest Books Internship, Day #4: Continuing work on Tumblr! Sat at Ann’s desk today — she happens to have a David Bowie paper doll (with multiple outfits) taped to her computer, which brings me endless joy. Got to know fellow intern Olivia a bit better. Extremely excited to proofread/edit the back cover blurb for an upcoming book. Also got to share my opinion on some cover art!
Today’s constant companion: David Bowie!
Saturday, February 9th
Went to see Lewis Black with Wes and the folks! Stomach hurts from laughing so much!
Sunday, February 10th
Finally got to talk with my good friend from high school Tina! Talked on the phone for over 2 hours! (^-^;;)
Worked on TOP SECRET project.
Monday, February 11th
Went downtown today to pick up some more supplies from Britex for The Flea plush toy.
Did a little shopping in preparation for Cannes. A lot more shopping to do in the next few months.
Finished writing responses to Hannah’s questions. Just have to edit a bit and then send them to her.
Worked on TOP SECRET project.
Wednesday, February 13th
Zest Books Internship, Day #5: More historical-themed image research and Tumblr. Asked to do some brainstorming for book ideas. Ended up walking all the way home today since the bus skipped a lot.
A few days ago, e-mailed the Tate Gallery about information on their William Blake collection. Today, received response with good news. Will talk about this more in upcoming post.
Received e-mail from Hannah! She sent a draft of the article, and it looks really wonderful so far. Just have to answer a couple follow-up questions. \(^-^)/
Zest Books Internship, Day #6: More historical-themed image research and Tumblr. Also, talked about a potential book idea I came up with, and some of the staff seems interested! Next week, will be attending the Teen Advisory Board on Wednesday and a staff meeting on Thursday. Very excited!
Saturday, February 16th
Ordered a beautiful dress to wear at Cannes. I needed a maxi dress for pool parties, etc. and couldn’t find the right one in stores. So I browsed Etsy and found the talented Nicole Lebreux! Not only does Nicole have really fun designs, but also she was extremely helpful in answering my questions. So go ahead and check out her shop!
Went to see a simulcast of the new Met production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. The opera is usually set in the 16th century, but this production cleverly reimagines the story in 1960s Las Vegas. Wonderfully creative and engaging production with incredible singers! Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-zXLKd76fk.
Sunday, February 17th
Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
Date night with Wes!
Etcetera
The Poet and the Flea: 63 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-24, 27-30 completed, and 25-26, 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
The First Reich: about 1-10 pages of illustrated work in progress.
First Zine: about 6-8 pages of illustrated work in progress.
★Please Note: Feedback on this post would be extremely appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Dear friends, followers, readers:
I need your help!
This is me, flailing for help, as represented by a simple emoticon.
I am looking to compile a list of webcomics/online graphic novels that have yet to be professionally published and fall under the category of non-fiction, young adult, biographical/autobiographical/memoir, and/or historical.
Everyone seems really enthusiastic about The Flea plush toy, so I thought I’d tackle this project sooner than later! Below details the progress I’ve made so far…
Tuesday, January 15th: I began drawing a rough outline for what will eventually become a plush toy of The Ghost of a Flea à la my graphic novel The Poet and the Flea. I’m still playing around with various ideas — size, fabric, etc. Ideally, I’d like the finished product to be simultaneously adorable and menacing. (^-^;;)
Friday, January 25th: Worked on a second outline, this time on a larger scale and with slightly more exaggerated features. When the time comes, everything will have to be hand-stiched since I currently don’t own a sewing machine. My mom has a lot of experience with sewing, so she’s going to help me out.
Monday, January 28th: After finalizing my travel arrangements for Cannes/London with an agent, my mom and I stopped by Britex Fabrics and picked up fabric and other supplies (stuffing, needles, thread, etc.). It might take a bit of experimenting to figure out the best materials, but I’m looking forward to it! Stay tuned for more details!
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Only January, and I can already check #10 off my New Year’s resolutions list (New Year’s Resolutions, Anyone?). I have finally gotten an official internship in a field of my interest.
At the end of the month, I will start working at Zest Books, a publishing company focused on readers in their teens and early twenties!
Last week, I had an interview with Ann (Marketing and Editorial Associate) and was hired for the internship on the spot. It’s a small office in a really cool building/neighborhood and, on first impression, extremely friendly staff.
For this internship, I really feel like I’ll be able to utilize a number of my skills (writing, editing, social media, Japanese language & culture, etc.). I might also have an opportunity to do some freelance illustration work for them as well, which would be absolutely amazing! Plus, the internship is only a couple days a week, so I’ll still have ample time to continue my independent projects like The Poet and the Flea. Most of all, I’m excited to learn everything I possibly can about the business side of publishing!!
One really cool aspect of Zest Books is their Teen Advisory Board. They have a number of teen readers who work as interns and help the publishers figure out what kind of books teens would like to read/see published. According to Ann, the current Teen Advisory Board is really into anime/manga and Doctor Who — so I think I’ll get along with these kids just fine!
Zest focuses on non-fiction titles, from memoirs to how-to books. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been really looking into their titles and have found a number of books that pique my interest. I’ve complied a list of my favorites below, so check them out!
Yesterday, to my utter surprise, the counter hit 1,000 followers (and a little over) here at gegallas.wordpress.com.
All I can say is: “Wow!”
Many thanks to each and every one of you who has followed this blog. Your “likes,” comments, kind words, insights, and encouragement have really helped me continue to strive towards my goals.
By the way, for those of you who are enjoying The Poet and the Flea (thepoetandtheflea.wordpress.com), don’t forget to press “follow” over there too!
Happy Holidays and sweet New Year’s wishes,
G. E.
P.S. I’m excited for my family’s typical Jewish Xmas celebration — Chinese food and a trip to the movies!
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Just wanted to tell you that I was in a minor car accident yesterday. I’m okay, other than a little bruising and soreness.
After a wonderful date with Wes (we went to the San Francisco Zoo and had so much fun), I got a taxi home. The taxi wasn’t paying attention and crashed into the back of a stopped bus.
I was a little shaken up, but thankfully there was a wonderful lady named Tricia there to help and comfort me. A fireman checked to make sure I didn’t have any broken bones.
I’ll be taking a little time off from illustration, just until the soreness in my hand and shoulders goes away. But the premiere of The Poet and the Flea on Wednesday, November 28th is definitely still on!!
Anyway, I hope everyone stays safe (and makes sure to wear a seat belt, even in a taxi)!
Best,
G. E
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Meeting with Gabe: I surprised myself by creating a rough draft for Elias in less than a week! Went through entire draft with Gabe, and discussed options for various pages. Next step, experiment with watercolors, markers, etc. to create samples in order to give Gabe a better idea of the final illustrations.
The Poet and the Flea: 49 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-24, 27-30 completed, and 25-26, 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
Continuing to work on some upcoming blog posts and project ideas.
Friday, October 26th
Meeting with Gabe went very well as always. Gabe took the time to cut and paste his entire story, Elias & The City of Cats, into a children’s book format to give me a better idea of what I need to illustrate. From this prototype, I’ll start working on a rough sketch storyboard!
Completed submissions package for Fantagraphics. Now, I just have to put in the mail!
Scanned character preliminary design for Elias and Ignis of Elias & The City of Cats. With this design, I was just experimenting with some Commedia dell’Arte (Pierrot & Harlequin) costumes which most likely won’t appear in the final children’s book. But Gabe seems to really like this image and wants to make some t-shirts. Any interest?
Saturday, October 27th
Last night and today, working on rough sketch storyboard for Elias & The City of Cats.
Did some experimenting with animation app on iPad.
Sunday, October 28th
Worked on figuring out the crazy California ballot (so many props!) so that I can vote early tomorrow.
Had a wonderful time with Wes today! Ate dinner at The Corner Store — both had these amazing “Grasshoppers” (crème de menthe, absinthe, chocolate, and vanilla ice cream). Can’t wait to see him again on Halloween! （○゜ε＾○）
Monday, October 29th
I voted today!!
Dropped submissions package for Fantagraphics in the mail!
Applied for a part-time writing job. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, October 30th
Working on rough sketch storyboard for Elias & The City of Cats.
Discovered that my short screenplay Death Is No Bad Friend made it to the Kaos Films British Short Screenplay Competition 2nd Round Qualifiers (announced earlier this month). I have no idea how many rounds this competition is, but does that mean that judge Sir Kenneth Branagh has read my screenplay? (｡♥‿♥｡)
Responded to a film director on Craigslist looking for a short screenplay, and got an almost immediate response of interest. Hoping this will be successful!
Sent an e-mail to Scout Books enquiring about collaboration and their Good Ink’s literary line.
Wednesday, October 31st
Completed rough sketch storyboard for Elias & The City of Cats.
Happy Halloween!!! I had a great time at Wes’s house’s pretty dorky party, even though I don’t think anyone recognized my Daria costume (even though Shannon Woodward and Katy Perry dressed as Daria and Jane without my prior knowledge). Plus, Wes gave me a belated birthday present — meet Charles, the British alpaca!!
Thursday, November 1st
Recovering from last night!
Ran some errands…
Also, my mom’s (Irene Zweig) new postcards (see below) came in the mail!
Etcetera
The Poet and the Flea: 49 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-24, 27-30 completed, and 25-26, 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
Being forced to sit out in the sun for 6 hours for the next few days. Hope I don't get a sunburn. Using my umbrella as a parasol. 110 SPF!! 10 hours ago
Seeking Webcomic Suggestions!
★Please Note: Feedback on this post would be extremely appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Dear friends, followers, readers:
I need your help!
This is me, flailing for help, as represented by a simple emoticon.
I am looking to compile a list of webcomics/online graphic novels that have yet to be professionally published and fall under the category of non-fiction, young adult, biographical/autobiographical/memoir, and/or historical.
Below is my list so far (in no particular order):
Please leave a comment below with your suggestions (name of webcomic and website address) and I’ll add them to my list.
Thank you so much for you help!
Best regards,
G. E.
***
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
***
Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
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