Flotsam Logs tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1 2006-10-04T14:01:05Z A floating accumulation of miscellaneous stuff Movable Type 3.31 FLOTSAM Contest Winners! tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.19 2006-09-28T14:00:00Z 2006-10-04T14:01:05Z Well, here are the results! At first I was overwhelmed by the idea of choosing one winner from among so many intriguing photos. As I went through the entries several times, a number began to stand out—those that were fine... Well, here are the results! At first I was overwhelmed by the idea of choosing one winner from among so many intriguing photos. As I went through the entries several times, a number began to stand out—those that were fine photographs as well as interesting ideas. The cameras were not of professional quality, so the photographers were either very skilled or very lucky! Eventually I compiled a group of about ten top photos. That was narrowed down to five, and then three. I awarded first place to "Waterproof Words" because it had a simplicity and a magical quality that captured the wonder of reading. Making the decision was hard—but fun. I hope the entrants had as good a time taking those pictures as I did reviewing them.
Honorable Mentions: "Sand trout in a wash" is a very interesting picture. Everything about the trees and grasses suggest flowing water, yet there’s no water. Really nice. "Juneau tourists" is very funny, and very nicely photographed to accentuate the scale.
We'll feature more bookstores' photos here in the coming days.]]> What is FLOTSAM? tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.17 2006-09-25T23:00:00Z 2006-09-25T22:07:32Z What is FLOTSAM? Those fish seem to be in on a secret. David answers. (mp3 file/2m54s) "In a bigger sense the idea that I was playing with was some kind of secret, some kind of bond that stretched between kids... What is FLOTSAM? Those fish seem to be in on a secret. David answers. (mp3 file/2m54s) "In a bigger sense the idea that I was playing with was some kind of secret, some kind of bond that stretched between kids through time and across distance. . . ." The rest of the audio interviews can be found in the archives.]]> The Strange Life of a Young Pirate tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.15 2006-09-25T17:00:00Z 2006-09-25T21:10:28Z Sometimes entire ships end up as flotsam, especially ones from the old days of wooden sailing ships. In a bad storm, the crew might go down and stay under the sea for hundreds of years. Here's a story appropriate for... Sometimes entire ships end up as flotsam, especially ones from the old days of wooden sailing ships. In a bad storm, the crew might go down and stay under the sea for hundreds of years. Here's a story appropriate for Pirate Day... or, Week: "For almost 290 years, the remains of a young pirate—a fibula, a silk stocking and a shoe—remained unidentified. Anthropologists have now determined that the remains belong to John King, a 10 or 11-year-old boy believed to have been a pirate. The remains were found on the wreck of the Whydah, a pirate ship which came to a watery end off the coast of Cape Cod in the 18th century." Listen to the whole story on National Public Radio's website]]> Arrrrr! Talk like a pirate! tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.16 2006-09-19T17:00:00Z 2006-09-25T21:07:22Z September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, the day on which all of humanity sets aside our differences and joins together in the important task of talking like a pirate for a day. No matter who begs us... September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, the day on which all of humanity sets aside our differences and joins together in the important task of talking like a pirate for a day. No matter who begs us to stop. And why just one day? Why not a whole week? Why stop when you're just getting starrrted? Learn all about pirates, get your pirate name, use a handy English-to-Pirate translator. All these links go t' another site, matey, so we be havin' nay control o'er th' content.]]> Coming attractions... tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.14 2006-09-12T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T20:07:00Z What can we look forward to after FLOTSAM? David answers. (mp3 file/43s) "I think I only have one book that the contract I signed up, that the story that I have a contract for is actually the story that came... What can we look forward to after FLOTSAM? David answers. (mp3 file/43s) "I think I only have one book that the contract I signed up, that the story that I have a contract for is actually the story that came out at the end of that time. These things have a way of changing." (listen to the rest)]]> Fan mail! tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.13 2006-09-08T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:41:00Z Do you hear from readers by regular mail and e-mail? What are some of the more interesting letters or gifts you've received? David answers. (mp3 file/49s) "Recently I got an amazing big package of stuff. . . ." (listen to the rest)]]> Being a dad tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.12 2006-09-05T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:41:22Z Does being a dad give you a different way of looking at childhood and creating stories for kids? (And kids as in-house quality control.) David answers. (mp3 file/1m11s) "The stories I come up with are stories I would want to... Does being a dad give you a different way of looking at childhood and creating stories for kids? (And kids as in-house quality control.) David answers. (mp3 file/1m11s) "The stories I come up with are stories I would want to hear. . . . They're coming out of places that I thought about or dreamed about when I was a kid." (listen to the rest)]]> A working artist's working hours tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.11 2006-08-28T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:41:44Z What times of day do you work? David answers. (mp3 file/1m11s)... What times of day do you work? David answers. (mp3 file/1m11s)]]> Who inspires you? tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.10 2006-08-25T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:42:04Z What artists inspire you? David answers. (mp3 file/1m11s)... What artists inspire you? David answers. (mp3 file/1m11s)]]> Surrealism (the short explanation) tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.9 2006-08-24T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:42:36Z Surrealism is a type of art that plays with the sense of scale and reality. Can you say a bit more about what makes an illustration "surreal"? David answers. (mp3 file/40s)... Surrealism is a type of art that plays with the sense of scale and reality. Can you say a bit more about what makes an illustration "surreal"? David answers. (mp3 file/40s)]]> David's (very) early work tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.8 2006-08-23T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:43:03Z How old were you when you first made a work of art that made you proud and happy to be an artist? David answers. (mp3 file/2m36s)... How old were you when you first made a work of art that made you proud and happy to be an artist? David answers. (mp3 file/2m36s)]]> What did you want to be when you grew up? tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.6 2006-08-22T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:43:41Z Was there anything else, other than an illustrator and storyteller, you wanted to be when you grew up? David answers. (mp3 file/2m23s)... Was there anything else, other than an illustrator and storyteller, you wanted to be when you grew up? David answers. (mp3 file/2m23s)]]> Wordless tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.7 2006-08-21T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:44:08Z What are the challenges of telling a story without words? How does working with text change the way you illustrate, if at all? David answers. (mp3 file/1m15s)... What are the challenges of telling a story without words? How does working with text change the way you illustrate, if at all? David answers. (mp3 file/1m15s)]]> How long does it take? tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.2 2006-08-20T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:44:29Z How long does it take to make a picture book? David answers. (mp3 file/2m44s) "After I finished The Three Pigs I relatively quickly brought in a dummy for a book called Greetings, about a spaceship full of little aliens. That... How long does it take to make a picture book? David answers. (mp3 file/2m44s) "After I finished The Three Pigs I relatively quickly brought in a dummy for a book called Greetings, about a spaceship full of little aliens. That kinda went 'round and around and around until I realised it wasn't going to happen. . . . So I began to play around with some other ideas. I'm sure I spent over a year working on Greetings and then I kind of jumped around between a variety, several other ideas working with fish." (listen to the rest)]]> The pictures in FLOTSAM tag:thefishknowthesecret.com,2006:/logs//1.5 2006-08-19T17:00:00Z 2006-09-22T14:44:45Z How did you choose the pictures in FLOTSAM? David answers. (mp3 file/2m08s) "I went through a lot of different ideas for what those pictures could be. Some I discarded, and some were, well, too strange. I came around to realising... How did you choose the pictures in FLOTSAM? David answers. (mp3 file/2m08s) "I went through a lot of different ideas for what those pictures could be. Some I discarded, and some were, well, too strange. I came around to realising this would probably be the kind of camera that took eight shots to a roll of film . . . and so as I went along and I had seven, I was thinking about what that eighth one would be." (listen to the rest)]]>