So far, my pre-travel planning has consisted of trying to buy/prepare/organize everything on an endless checklist of miscellaneous thingamajigs as well as figure out how I’m going to utilize my short stay in London. I have next to zero idea of what I’ll be doing when I actually get to Cannes, but I just have to relax and hope that the American Pavilion has all of that covered.
Admittedly, I am not the most fashionable person in the universe. But I really do try — especially when I know my destination is the Cannes Film Festival, where the chicest of the chic congregate every May.
Here, I thought I’d share some of the fashion items I’ll be taking with me. Also, I’d like a chance to promote some of the awesome Etsy vendors I’ve encountered along the way.
I bought this amazing maxi dress by Nicole Lebreux a few months ago. I was struggling to find a maxi dress that fit not only my shape but personality, which turned out to be an impossible feat on sites like Macy’s, etc. So I turned to Etsy, and discovered this incredible store. Nicole was extremely helpful, answered all my questions, and even customized the dress to fit my needs. I just can’t wait to wear this at Cannes!!!
For Cannes, I decided I needed a pretty big purse, both stylish and more importantly sturdy in case I need to stuff some screenplays and/or an extra set of clothes into it. Also, I didn’t want to spend too much money, definitely no more than $100. So I decided to try Etsy again, and stumbled across another amazing store. Monday Morning Studios makes an assorment of purses/handbags/totes in all different shapes, colors, patterns, etc. And all for less than $100! I bought a really neat hobo purse in an awesome jewel-tone plaid. Now I just have to figure out how much weight I can carry…
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An assortment of dresses I will hopefully be wearing to parties.
Some accessories to help me along the way.
And some cute warm-weather shoes.
Now I just have to figure out how it’s all going to fit in my suitcase!
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.
Today, set up an interview for a potential internship at a local publishing company! The interview’s Wednesday afternoon, so I have some time to prepare and de-stress beforehand.
Saturday, January 12th
Was going to go see Gangster Squad this weekend with Wes. But I’m definitely coming down with something. Hope I get better before the interview on Wednesday! ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ
I’m sure you’ve all heard about and seen the amazing giant squid footage recently captured by Japanese scientists. Well, I made a giant squid discovery of my own (see photograph below)! P. S. I love the Japanese word for giant squid – 大王烏賊 daiouika, which uses the characters for “big,” “king,” “crow/raven” (perhaps because squids have beaks), and “rebel/thief/bandit.” Yes, giant squid are awesome!!
Resident Squid at Woodhouse Fish Co.
Sunday, January 13th
Under the weather!
I just had to share something amazing with all of you. Recently, I’ve started watching a very strange show called Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy. The only way to describe it is Monty Python meets a live-action version of Yellow Submarine plus an unverified amount of crack. You might want to watch the whole episode if you’ve never seen it before to understand the humor. But I wanted to point you all in the direction of a skit about William Blake and The Ghost of a Flea (like The Poet and the Flea, but not)! Watch from 7:50 for The Flea.
Discovered this amazing review of The Poet and the Flea by Sarah Goode at University College Oxford on the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies’s website!
Brief but great meeting with Gabe! He seemed to really love what I’ve done so far on the final illustrations for Elias & the City of Cats. He didn’t make any changes other than adding a handwritten title to the cover and adding a second page for the part we call “cat craziness.” Plus, I sent Gabe a list of children’s book publishers I’ve compiled and he’ll look over it in the coming days. It’s wonderful to think that, once I’ve finished the final illustrations, Gabe will start working on submitting Elias to publishers!!!
Began reading Wes’s screenplay!!
Saturday, January 19th
Continued reading Wes’s screenplay!!
Sunday, January 20th
Received some amazing news — more details to come!
Saw Gangster Squad with Wes! Both of us agree that it wasn’t as bad as the 33% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Monday, January 21st
E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
Finished reading Wes’s screenplay!! Going to meet on Wednesday to go over it with him. (^-^)
Discussed screenplay with Wes today! I think he has a really strong screenplay (especially for a first draft) and already knows which elements need to be further developed. (︶ω︶)
Had dinner with a lovely relative from out of town.
Sunday, January 27th
Had brunch with our lovely cousins.
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.
My head is spinning from all these award nominations!
Thank you so much to Eszter (felteddreams.wordpress.com) for nominating me a second time for the Liebster Award! Don’t forget to check out Eszter’s amazing felt/embroidery/quilting creations.
To view the post from my first nomination, click here.
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Rules
Post eleven facts about yourself.
Answer the questions the tagger has set for you and create eleven questions for people you’ve nominated.
Choose eleven people to give this award to and link them in your post.
Go to their page and tell them.
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Eszter’s Quetions
1. What inspired you to start blogging?
Well, I started this particular blog to keep track of my various creative projects and to organize my thoughts a bit.
2. Is there one thing you wish you could change about yourself, what would it be?
I’m never good at answering this sort of question. Even if I could magically change something about myself, I don’t think I would.
3. If you could meet someone famous who is still living who would it be?
This is a really tough question because I don’t want to jinx my chances at Cannes.
4. What was the most interesting class you ever took in school?
Another tough question since I went to New York University: Gallatin School of Individualized Study and took a number of amazing courses including “Dante’s World,” “Virtue and Villainy: Melodrama,” and “Globalization: Promises and Discontents.” The most life-changing class I ever took was “Yellow Peril: Documenting & Understanding Xenophobia” taught by the amazing Jack Tchen. For this class, I wrote a painstakingly researched 25-page paper (plus 5 pages of works cited) about Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls. Jack’s new book Yellow Peril: Understanding Fears of “the East” and What We Can Do About It is coming out at the end of February, so check it out if you’re interested!
5. What did you want to be when you were little?
I think I always wanted to be a comic book artist/graphic novelist/mangaka since I was in elementary school up through high school graduation. I drifted away from comics/graphic novels/manga in college, but as you can tell from The Poet and the Flea have regained my passion.
6. If you could decorate your work-space however you wanted, what would be your feature color?
Well, when I moved to San Francisco, I really got to decorate my workspace and I wouldn’t really change a thing (other than that it sometimes gets way too hot and there’s no air-conditioning). My room is mostly made of various shades of blue with splashes of yellow, tan, and salmon. It’s pretty funky!
7. If your life were a book, what would be the title?
Radiant Pessimist™ (this will also be the name of my future production company — I have Laurence Harvey to thank for that one).
8. What one happy memory do you have always coming to mind?
I don’t really have one memory that always comes to mind. But I recently thought of a childhood memory (when I was maybe six or seven years old) that I really hadn’t thought of for a long time — me and my dad bobbing in the ocean off of Kiawah Island. I remember that my nose was really runny, ha ha ha.
9. Do you prefer to read actual books or use an E-reader?
Actual books, hands down! It’s just not the same experience with an e-reader. The tactile feeling of a book, the smell of it, the typography and placement on the page, the action of turning from page to page… I really have a hard time reading on my iPad.
10. If you could keep only one item from your wardrobe, what would it be?
I’ve only worn it once, but the skirt of the prom outfit my grandmother made me. She died September 2011, so I’m extremely reluctant to let it go.
11. If you win some millions in lottery, what would be the first thing you buy?
I wouldn’t “buy” anything per se. I’d rather fund a full-length film of either my own script or that of a close friend.
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Nominations
Can’t I just nominate all my followers? You’re all so awesome and talented!
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My Questions
I liked the questions I wrote last time, so I’ll use them again…
What is the strangest dream you’ve ever had?
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Who is your role model?
What is your favorite holiday?
What is your least favorite vegetable?
What is your guilty pleasure?
Are you an optimist or pessimist?
What are your short-term goals/New Year’s resolutions?
What did you last eat?
Do you have any special and/or bizarre talents?
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Another award!!! I’d like to thank T. Jay Santa Ana (artbyanto.com) very very very much for nominating me for The One Lovely Blog Award + The Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Be sure to check out T. Jay’s awesome graphic design and illustration work.
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Rules
Thank the person who nominated you.
Add The One Lovely Blog Award + The Very Inspiring Blogger Award to your post.
Share 7 things about yourself.
Pass the award on to 10 nominees.
Include this set of rules.
Inform your nominees by posting a comment on their blogs.
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Facts
Check out these other posts for more than seven facts about me!
Went to see A Royal Affair, a film I’ve been dying to see for months! I just adore Danish films as well as Mads Mikkelsen, so this was quite the treat. The acting, costumes, and script were just amazing. I hope everyone who likes period pieces has a chance to see this.
Trip to the de Young Museum. Saw a wonderful Toulouse-Lautrec piece. Looking forward to upcoming exhibits: “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and “Rembrandt’s Century.”
Worked on The Flea script.
Friday, December 28th
Worked on applications for a few more fellowships/internships.
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.
Firstly, I believe that APE (Alternative Press Expo) was a productive endeavor. I learned much more about the nature of each publisher I’ve been tracking online. I hope that Shannon and I managed to get the names of our projects (The Poet and the Flea and The First Reich) out there just a little. And I learned a lot about what techniques make a successful table.
As far as the bigger publishers go (Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, Last Gasp, Top Shelf, etc.), I was glad to see them at the Expo — to see all their products laid out in front of me, rather than squinting at images on a computer screen. Some of them only had marketing representatives who didn’t know much about the submissions process, which was too bad. Others had more knowledgable people to talk to, who offered some useful advice. I guess it really just boils down to submitting material and seeing what happens!
I very much enjoyed talking to some of the smaller publishers. They were very enthusiastic, helpful, and informative. And just because they’re smaller doesn’t mean they have inferior products. They are extremely professional (but in a laid back sort of way) and their books are gorgeous!
I loved talking with the kind folks at Yam Books. Tim Hensley (creator of Ticket Stub) was shocked that someone in their twenties (me) was a Barbara Stanwyck fan!! Both Saturday and Sunday, we had conversations about the film noir starlet, exchanging movie titles and laughing away. He even drew me this awesome illustration of Barbara (see below) in Double Indemnity — bangs and sunglasses and all!
I’ve only recently become interested in learning more about the world of zines. And Tugboat Press seemed like a good place to start. I really admire what they’re doing. I’m glad I talked with them because I learned that, rather than taking submissions, they commission artists. I also received recommendations about which volumes of their anthology Papercutter to buy and realized that they are interested in a vast array of genres. I’m excited to really sit down and read my purchases.
Sunday, I finally figured out where Uncivilized Books got to (I just could not figure out that map!). Their chief Tom was excellent at patiently answering my questions and encouraging me to submit my work. I’m excited to start working on sending out some follow-up e-mails to everyone I talked with!
Also, I picked up a lot of interesting flyers, cards, stickers, etc. from around the expo and from the free table. Below are some of my favorites!!
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Here are my notes of what makes a successful table in case I end up getting one for APE next year!
(This is just a rough list for my personal use. In no particular order!)
Need a billboard/banner advertising name of artist/graphic novel.
Need a tablecloth.
Need a sign (or maybe t-shirts) to hang off the front of the table.
Wear one of your own t-shirts to further advertise your graphic novel.
Perhaps a sign or two saying: “Pleas talk to us — we’re friendly!”
Perhaps a big bowl of free candy.
Attract customers with a selection of cheaper items ($1 pins or stickers?).
Need a clipboard and form for customers to sign up for your mailing list.
Provide plenty of business cards and/or postcards.
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Among the flyers and such was a postcard for the East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest, free and taking place December 8th in Berkeley. I’m very interested in checking it out!
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Check out the new post “Note from Shannon Brady, Author” on The First Reich. Learn more about Shannon and my upcoming graphic novel collaboration about the psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich!
Don’t forget to vote for The Poet and the Flea on the UnHate Unemployee of the Year contest. If I get enough votes, I could win €5000 from the UNHATE Foundation to fund my graphic novel! The contest end October 14th, and I could really use everyone’s support. So take a second to go vote!
Please consider contributing to my Indiegogo campaign: “The Poet and the Flea: Send G.E. to the U.K.” Thanks again to all my funders so far — your donations mean so much to me! But I still need more help. There are 28 days left until the end of my campaign. Please support my dream of becoming a professional screenwriter!
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
Today, did some research about various production companies on IMDbPro.
Worked on inquiry letters. Dropped one in the mailbox and will be sending out a few more soon!
Thursday, September 27th
Continuing work on The Flea.
Went on a date with Wes to the California Academy of Science: Nightlife at the Academy. Saw some amazing sights (jellyfish, baby ostriches, etc.) and had a wonderful time with Wes.
Friday, September 28th
Today, met with Gabe and his friend, Masa — a film director. They asked me to collaborate with them on a screenplay called The Blanks. The concept is really interesting and I feel that I can use my expertise to really flesh out the characters and story. But I think I have to discuss everything further with Gabe and Masa to figure out exactly what they want.
Discussed children’s book further with Gabe. Scheduled next meeting for Friday, October 12th.
Watched the short film and read the short script that Gabe and Masa want me to collaborate on in order to expand it to feature length. Brainstorming ideas!
Reworked my résumé since it needed some updating.
Saturday, September 29th
Worked on opening scene and ideas/notes for The Blanks. Sent to Gabe for feedback.
Sunday, September 30th
Today, scanned all completed pages of The Poet and the Flea!!!
Working on cropping scanned pages of The Flea and adding to draft posts on WordPress.
★ Goals for the coming days…
Draft character designs for Gabe’s children’s book.
Sketch out cover and first 2 pages of The First Reich. Schedule next meeting with Shannon.
Close out GoFundMe.com campaign and launch IndieGoGo.com campaign.
Monday, October 1st
Disclaimer: I do not own this photograph!!
Happy Birthday, Laurence Harvey! If he hadn’t died of stomach cancer at the age of 45, he would have been 84 today. (Well, at least Larry’s on-screen mom Angela Lansbury is still kicking!)
Tonight, was supposed to attend the h. Naoto Designer Event with Wes, but had to cancel date due to stomach flu. (´Ａ｀。)
E-mail correspondence with Gabe.
Working on design for The Poet and the Flea postcards through Vistaprint in preparation for APE (Alternative Press Expo).
Tuesday, October 2nd
[Still sick... (✖╭╮✖)]
Happy Birthday, Mom! My family will be celebrating her birthday and mine (Oct. 19) together later this month. 〜(^▽^〜)
E-mail correspondence with Gabe.
Completed design for The Poet and the Flea postcards and ordered through Vistaprint.
Happy Birthday, Tetsuya, beloved leader and bassist of Japanese band L’Arc-en-Ciel!! You and the band have been going strong for 20 years now, and your fans can’t wait for more. (´∀｀)♡ [Watch "In the Air" from 20th Anniversary Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by3axL-3gjM]
Working on adding scanned pages of The Flea to draft posts on WordPress.
Thursday, October 4th
Disclaimer: I do not own this image!!
Happy Birthday, Jeremy Blake! This talented American artist would have been 41 today if he had not taken his life after the death of his long-term girlfriend Theresa Duncan. Read more about Blake and Duncan here!
Working on making plans for APE (Alternative Press Expo).
Working on character sketches for Gabe.
Etcetera
The Poet and the Flea: 47 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.
Interesting Pixel-Flick Alliance Meetup today. According to Brian, the membership fee ($35) gets you a profile page on the Pixel-Flick website, an on-camera interview (2-5 minutes), among other freebees. Something to think about…
Sunday, September 16th
E-mail correspondence with potential production company about The Man Who Never Smiled. According to the Director of Photography/Assistant Director/Production Coordinator, a contract is currently being drafted!
Scheduled to meet with Gabe and his friend next Thursday (update: changed to Friday).
Thursday, September 20th
Continuing work on The Flea.
Working with Shannon on blog content for The First Reich.
Friday, September 21st
Continuing work on The Flea.
Today, received “BlueCat Screenplay Competition Analysis” for my full-length screenplay The Golden Curator. Overall very positive feedback! “What a neat and twisted little tale you have here… Even with all the craziness on the page, it never sounded like a campy comedy; instead, it was like a drawing room farce with just enough menace to make the viewer worry about the fate of our hero.”
Saturday, September 22nd
Today, very successful meeting with Shannon. I feel like we’re definitely on the same page, and that my ideas for this project are flowing and coalescing. I can’t wait to start outlining the first pages!!
Sunday, September 23rd
A bit of fun…
Monday, September 24th
Working on becoming better acquainted with the exhibitors at APE (Alternative Press Expo). There are a couple I most definitely want to check out, but I want to make sure I don’t miss anything!
GoFundMe.com doesn’t really seem to be helping me so far. I’m considering switching over to IndieGoGo.com and offering a variety of perks.
Tuesday, September 25th
Signed up with IMDbPro. Working on inquiry letters.
Etcetera
The Poet and the Flea: 47 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.
To Do:
Meeting with Gabe & his friend Friday, September 28th.
Also, I’d like a chance to promote some of the awesome Etsy vendors I’ve encountered along the way.
