I personally love the idea of a book trailer.It's just like a movie trailer, except you know, with a book you don't have video clips handy to smash together in a delicious gooey heap of anticipation. Which means you need your own footage to work with, and that can turn out pretty cool. Here are two examples of book trailers that I love:
Maggie Stiefvater is an artist and a musician as well as a writer, so she put together this stunning trailer for her tale of cold woods and werewolf love, Shiver.
Using a totally different approach, Libba Bray advertised her Printz-winning Going Bovine
by dressing up as a cow and taking a walk around Times Square.
Those are my favorites, anyway, but as book trailers get more and more popular, there are bound to be more fantastic ones. What are your favorites?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Gone to Carterhaugh...
It seems to me that many people, particularly authors, find their way to Carterhaugh despite the narrator's warning ("I forbid you, maidens all" and all).
For my part, I discovered Tam Lin through Pamela Dean's novel,and after some time of subsequently feeling like only she and I were really aware of the story, realized that there were really quite a lot of versions, and that quite a lot of people are at least a little bit obsessed with the ballad. So I want to record here a few of those retellings, in the order I encountered them, to the best of my ability. Doubtless there are many more, and maybe you'd like to tell me about them in the comments? I know I would like it if you told me about them in the comments.
Anyway.
Novels
Pamela Dean - Tam Lin
Set on a college campus with an eerie Classics department and students who recite Shakespeare.
Janet M. Naughton - An Earthly Knight
In an attempt to histori-cize the ballad, she sets it in 12th century Scotland. Plus, there's another ballad thrown in for fun.
Elizabeth Marie Pope - The Perilous Gard
Actually mentions the ballad, while the heroine (called Kate here) attempts to determine the nature of Faerie. I remember reading this book, and thinking I should just stop trying to write faeries, because Pope had done it so very well first. Honestly one of the most interesting interpretations ever.
Diana Wynne Jones - Fire and Hemlock
Involves a lot of tracking down memories, and somewhere in them, Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer get to play.
Patricia A. McKillip - Winter Rose
Set in a magical medieval-ish forest, with gorgeous writing.
Picture Books
They're both pretty much straight interpretations of the ballad, but without, you know, the whole pregnant part.
Jane Yolen - Tam Lin
Susan Cooper - Tam Lin
Honorable Mention
Holly Black - Tithe
It's not Tam Lin, per say, but she does explore the tiend, and the political implications of messing with it.
For my part, I discovered Tam Lin through Pamela Dean's novel,and after some time of subsequently feeling like only she and I were really aware of the story, realized that there were really quite a lot of versions, and that quite a lot of people are at least a little bit obsessed with the ballad. So I want to record here a few of those retellings, in the order I encountered them, to the best of my ability. Doubtless there are many more, and maybe you'd like to tell me about them in the comments? I know I would like it if you told me about them in the comments.
Anyway.
Novels
Pamela Dean - Tam Lin
Set on a college campus with an eerie Classics department and students who recite Shakespeare.
Janet M. Naughton - An Earthly Knight
In an attempt to histori-cize the ballad, she sets it in 12th century Scotland. Plus, there's another ballad thrown in for fun.
Elizabeth Marie Pope - The Perilous Gard
Actually mentions the ballad, while the heroine (called Kate here) attempts to determine the nature of Faerie. I remember reading this book, and thinking I should just stop trying to write faeries, because Pope had done it so very well first. Honestly one of the most interesting interpretations ever.
Diana Wynne Jones - Fire and Hemlock
Involves a lot of tracking down memories, and somewhere in them, Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer get to play.
Patricia A. McKillip - Winter Rose
Set in a magical medieval-ish forest, with gorgeous writing.
Picture Books
They're both pretty much straight interpretations of the ballad, but without, you know, the whole pregnant part.
Jane Yolen - Tam Lin
Susan Cooper - Tam Lin
Honorable Mention
Holly Black - Tithe
It's not Tam Lin, per say, but she does explore the tiend, and the political implications of messing with it.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Twittering Tam Lin: Janet's Turn
janet:
“Don’t go to Carterhaugh, lest Tam Lin take your innocent delicacy, or even your cape.” Or something. This is what I keep hearing.
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Flowers are technically MINE. What’s Tam Lin’s problem?
Heated argument with Tam Lin over. Have resolved conflict.
Missed period. Morning sickness. Damn.
MY BABYDADDY IS NOT ONE OF YOUR KNIGHTS, DAD!!!
Tam Lin > Earthly Knights, IMHO
Why am I always waiting for Tam Lin at this well?
STOP SNEAKING UP ON ME LIKE THAT!
Am expected to believe Queen of Fairies captured TL when he fell off his horse.
Oh, downer. TL says faeries sacrifice someone to hell every seven years, and this year’s his turn.
This had better not be another attempt to hook up.
So all I have to do to save TL from mortal peril is drag him from his horse, and not let go as he turns into some nasty beasts. WTF?
TL not amused when I said he was good as long as he doesn’t turn into a mosquito. I thought it was funny.
Miles Cross is creepy at Halloween.
Off the white horse, and holding on tight!
Faerie Queen not so nice, but TL not sacrificed to icky demons. Yay!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Twittering Tam Lin
tam lin
Captured by fairies. FML.
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Faerie land sort of nice, actually. Like Club Med, but better. Could get used to being faerie pet.
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Was asked today about tiend. Suspect something is up.
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Bad news: Every 7 years, fairies pay tiend to hell.
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Worse news: Queen seems tired of me. Also, sacrifices boys she tires of. =/
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Confirmed. Tam Lin to be sacrificed to Hell. FML.
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Sacrifice will take place during Halloween ride. Sigh. Was looking forward to that.
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Helpful sort told me a secret: sacrifice can’t go through if my babymama pulls me off the horse.
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Note to self: FIND BABY MAMA.
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Have discovered Carterhaugh good for adventurous chicks with gold in hair.
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Fiesty girl called Janet accusing me of stealing her land. Kind of hot.
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Janet pregnant. Am so excited I can’t piss straight.
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Have explained certain doom, and simple method of saving me from certain doom to Janet. Fingers crossed!
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White horse, white horse, WHITE HORSE!
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Transformations uncomfortable, but Janet is nice and soft.
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Lady blathering about trees. W/E. Will do happy dance as soon as legs stop shaking.
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Oh, right. Baby.
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