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Today's Inspiration: Modern Spins On Classics

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Books and lingerie? Why not. . .both excite the mind. First up: The Nabokov Collection gets a redesign John Gall, art director for Vintage and Anchor Books, was charged with the awesome task of redesigning the covers for Nabokov's books, all twenty-one. Using Nabokov's love for butterfly collecting as a springboard, Gall ingeniously called on a crew of uber designers to each design a specimen box, the kind used to display insects, that evoked the book's content. The boxes were then photographed by Alison Gootee to appear as the actual covers. BRILLIANT. See more COVERS HERE by the likes of Chip Kidd, Carol Carson, Dave Eggers, Rodrigo Corral . . . Nabokov Specimen Box Project Pnin: Carin Goldberg Next up: Stella McCartney's vintage inspired lingerie I'm a big Stella McCartney fan so it doesn't take much to get me enthused about her stitches. But her new LINGERIE LINE is very fine. She approached it with a contemporary eye on 1920s and 1950s lingerie silhouettes---ultra feminine in fabric, embroidery, color, and group names (Billie Twirling, Ines Sneaking, and Eva Scampering). The dusty rose and pale neutrals are lovely. Landing in stores: Spring 2010.

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What They're Saying: Lee Siegel On America's Mass Murder Addiction

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:18:00 +0000

In an article in The Daily Beast, Lee Siegel responds to the shootings at Fort Hood and America's shameful epidemic of mass killings: "Indeed, it's time to start asking ourselves whether our famous American freedom—in both its liberal and conservative formulations—is not actually a subtle form of dehumanizing tyranny . . . We have to start examining whether the general free-for-all of our economic system, and the pleasure-seeking ethos of our commercialism, and the ideology of immediate gratification that is corroding any type of respect for authority---we have to determine whether these 'freedoms' are actually a tightening dog-collar turning us all into rabid animals." I think you'll want to READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.

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iPhone on Grove Street: An Artsy Tree Grows In The West Village

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:47:00 +0000

There is an unremarkable tree on Grove Street that's always decorated with remarkable tchotchkes. It's maintained by a woman I see every now and then, carefully placing her artsy gifts around the trunk and sometimes even tacked onto the bark---like our not-so-little flounder fish below. What started out as a curiosity has now developed into a transient, ever-changing piece of community art. At first it may seem like a bad case of litter, but if you look closely you'll see an order to the randomness. Some days I find record covers and doll heads, other days playing cards and miniature baby pools. I suspect people on the block have come to add their own contributions to the display, choosing certain mementos or regifting odds and ends. I haven't yet, but I know it's only a matter of time before I do.

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Ode To The Handmade Book: Pictorial Webster's

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Day in and day out, I hear grumbles of anxiety over the impending death of the physical book. As the new Barnes&Noble NOOK joins the growing circle of e-readers, more publishing hairs are shed in worry that books might one day become obsolete. Call me an optimist, call me punch-drunk, but I see a happy, united future for both. A future where e-books will appeal to their kind of audience and books will evolve into more beautifully designed objects book lovers long to have on their shelves. This is where practical musings usually end for me, budgets fly out the window, and I launch into unrealistic dreams of collectible leather-bound volumes with gilded edges. At least I can indulge the fantasy by appreciating rare special editions like John Carrera's PICTORIAL WEBSTER'S that published over the summer. What a stunning work of art! Unfortunately, I'll have to admire it from afar since the handmade book is incredibly labor intensive, requiring enormous amounts of TLC, and costs a pretty penny. The Pictorial Webster's special edition goes for a few thousand dollars, but never fear a trade edition is also available for $35. I won't get into the details of Carrera's journey through categorizing the 12,000 engravings, printing with an old letterpress, hand-stitching, and gold foiling the leather case . . .You can watch his ten-year project from start to finish in this amazingly short seven minute video. If you love books, chances are you're going to get choked up. I'll admit, I got a little verklempt. Although not over the doom&gloom forecast of death to printed books, but rather for the spirit and passion alive in creating these cherished objects. Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.[via YOU ARE WHAT YOU LOVE]

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Head Over Heels About Getting My Heels Over My Head

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:50:00 +0000

It must be raining in the Sahara because I did a headstand in yoga class yesterday. Granted I was using blocks under my shoulders as training wheels, but for the first time I actually managed to invert myself without feeling like my whole 5'11" frame might go crashing through the floor into the earth's core. I've been petrified of flipping upside down since I was a kid, a little to do with my height and a lot to do with shifting perspective and releasing so much of that grounded control. I always shake my head in disbelief when a yoga teacher encourages us to get inverted, already accepting defeat and keeping my feet firmly planted. Last night the planets must have been aligned. I had a wonderful class with FRANCES STAHNKE over at PRACTICE YOGA on the UWS that was challenging, nurturing, and enlightening. Uncorrected habits I had formed over the years were finally corrected and body-quirks (like a floppy ankle) were noticed and addressed. When it came time to experiment with inversion, I felt so supported that I knew I could finally take on the dreaded headstand. And using the blocks was genius. Ah, the liberation of having your feet over your head . . . It was definitely less scary than I thought it would be, but it will still take some getting used to---that is, the process of letting go.

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Alicia Silverstone Takes on GOOP With A Vegan Twist. . .Welcome THE KIND LIFE

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:04:00 +0000

Alicia Silverstone's new lifestyle site, THE KIND LIFE, is giving GOOP a little competition. Silverstone's twist is that this site is totally vegan-friendly from food to home to clothing. And you won't only find Silverstone here, but a whole community of vegan minds that you can tap into for information. I'm kind of loving her vibe and this on-line hub she's building. Check out this NYC-vegan eats video. I was just at HanGawi yesterday and I can attest to it being a must-visit restaurant--it's an oasis of zen and always delicious food. Ditto for Babycakes!

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Sing It Like Lyrics, Read It Like Poetry: Sleepyhead

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:55:00 +0000

And you said It was like fire around the brim Burning solid Burning thin, the burning rim Like stars burning holes right through the dark Flicking fire like saltwater into my eyes You were one inch from the edge of this bed I drag you back a sleepyhead, sleepyhead They couldn't think of something to say the day you burst With all their lions and all their might and all their thirst They crowd your bedroom like some thoughts wearing thin Against the walls against your rules against your skin My beard grew down to the floor and out through the doors Of your eyes but go in disguise like a sleepyhead, sleepyhead --Passion Pit, SLEEPYHEAD

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UP ON FRIDAY: Must-Have Photo Books!

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Getting from Monday to Friday without wearing a winter coat. Friday Five is back! That's right, we're back with this week's Friday Five--photo books that should be on your to-buy list: Hopper, MJ ads, Paris by camera and pen, tour life with friends as family, and evenings on different coasts. 1. I'll start with the fantasy purchase (may as well start it off unrealistically and work my way down to possible). Dennis Hopper's PHOTOGRAPHS 1961-67. A limited edition boxed hardcover that Taschen is publishing. There are only 1500 being printed and they're going for $700 a pop. I'll be waiting for the regular edition to be released. In the meantime, TONY SHAFRAZI GALLERY is exhibiting some of the photographs through October 24. 2. This isn't the first time I've pledged my love for Marc Jacobs and it's not the last. . .MARC JACOBS ADVERTISING 1998-2009 by MJ and photographer Juergen Teller. The collection of his idiosyncratic ads include the muse Sofia Coppola, Meg White, Rufus Wainwright, Cindy Sherman, and more. Perfect coffee browsing material to start the day. 3. I promised my beautiful friend A. that I would visit her in Paris next year so she can take me around to all the boulangeries she discovered. What better way to get in the spirit than through these portraits of Paris by AMI SOUX: PARIS 48°50N 2°23E. Soux asked 50 people to draw an area of Paris that they love and from those drawings she took these portraits. The book includes both the drawings and the photographs--how sweet! 4. LAUREN DUKOFF's collection of spirited photos capture the days and nights of musician Devendra Banhart and an extended, loose-knit family of artists. The photos in FAMILY have such freedom and spirit and character--they make me want to pack a bag and hit the road. 5. 3191: EVENINGS is the companion to A YEAR OF MORNINGS, the bi-coastal project between Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes. The book is a culmination of a year-long project to capture their fondness for evenings from different coasts. (Their site, 3191, is named after the distance in miles between their homes in Portland, Maine and Portland, Oregon.) The photographs in this collection are presented as 214 evening diptychs—always taken between 5pm and 10pm, and without discussion between the two women. . . . happy weekend!

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Aveeno Advertising Overkill

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:08:00 +0000

New York City undoubtedly has one of the best urban landscapes for inspired walks. I challenge anyone to stroll down a city block and not notice something interesting or beautiful or ugly or surprising. Even the upper east side with some of its boring cookie cutter buildings can bring about an unexpected twist--and when the architecture or storefronts fail you, there are always the people. But lately, I find myself migrating toward quieter blocks, the more subdued streets that have less crowds, less potenitial for a whiz-bang impression, less stimulation. Maybe the cold weather is bringing about feelings of turning inward in hibernation or maybe it's the fatigue of so many tourists blocking my view . . . or, well, really, the bombardment of advertising in every which direction I turn my head. People go for walks to clear their minds so inspiration will strike. But there's not much clearing that can take place these days in a fog of overstimulation. While some ads are inspiring (and I applaud those campaigns for keeping it fresh and engendering creativity through creativity), I find direct product placement to be the lowest of the low. Painfully drab. Take these umbrellas advertising Aveeno. Zero inspiration. We're just having a name brand launched directly at us. It's not going to get me to buy Aveeno sunscreen. Instead, a lovely quiet Hudson block has been transformed into an advertising minefield that has me thinking eczema and oatmeal baths when I really want to be thinking about astonishing discoveries.

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Today's Inspiration: Draw-On Tats

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:20:00 +0000

I think tattoo sleeves are incredibly hot. If I had enough brass and wasn't scared off by the lifetime commitment, I'd indulge. But I'm not even close (I hear chickens bocking). Draw-on tattoos? Now that I can do. A few of the fall fashion shows had inky skin art, including designers Jean Paul Gaultier, Rodarte (left) and Chanel (below). From full sleeve to delicate bracelets, they're badass and elegant accessories. Now I just need to find out where to get one of these stencil tats. . . Or a friend armed with an eye pencil.

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iPhone In The Park: Nature's Heart

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:09:00 +0000

I like spotting heart shapes randomly littered around the world. They give me pause to reflect, stopping me in my tracks between A and Z. Found this one while walking around a tiny lake in almost-too-cold weather with W. We were freezing. Rain was threatening. But the sun peeked out. And then there was this heart. The perfect little love note waiting on the path.

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Sing It Like Lyrics, Read It Like Poetry: Neighborhood Threat

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:26:00 +0000

Down where your paint is cracking Look down your backstairs buddy Somebody's living there and He don't really feel the weather And he don't share your pleasures No, he don't share your pleasures Did you see his eyes? Did you see his crazy eyes? And you're so surprised he doesn't run to catch your ash Everybody always wants to kiss your trash And you can't help him, no one can And now that he knows There's nothing to get Will you still place your bet Against the Neighborhood Threat? --Iggy Pop, NEIGHBORHOOD THREAT

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Today's Inspiration: Staying In Bed For Art's Sake

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:10:00 +0000

After this colossal mud-pit of a week, I'm dreaming of staying in bed for a full day without so much as sticking my toe out from under the comforter. New York City Photographer JACOB PRITCHARD has just given me even more fuel to make this a reality with his "PICTURES IN BED" series: portraits of people between the sheets. If you want to join in on the pajama party, Pritchard is looking for people to participate in the project. Basically here's how it works: he comes over to your place, sets up the camera and lights, you snap away with a remote trigger over a day or two, and that's that---you've had your escape in bed and art has been created at the same time. Here are the details to VOLUNTEERING yourself.

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The Wild Things Are Everywhere Except On-Screen

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:44:00 +0000

There is such frenzied excitement in the air over the approaching release of Where The Wild Things Are on October 16th--we've now reached a fever pitch. It started building over the summer with the unveiling of the TRAILER and it snowballed after that. I was there, I was feeling it. I even got choked up watching the preview on the big screen, hearing Arcade Fire blasted in surround sound. Then the blogs couldn't stop talking about it. Then the posters started going up. Then there were bobble heads. Then the Halloween costumes appeared in stores. Now those lovable monsters are inspiring fashion spreads? (I adore OPENING CEREMONY but I'm not loving this special collection campaign.) I'm a bit worried about all this oversaturation. As much as I believe in the awesomeness of Spike Jonze, I just want to put blinders on to block any further hype from killing the film for me. Everyone's extreme enthusiasm is ratcheting up my expectations to unattainable heights. The same thing happened with Slumdog Millionaire. After all the profuse gushing, I went in there expecting gold to drip from the screen and, well, it didn't quite . . . So over the next couple weeks, after this post is up, I'm boycotting any articles or news or video clips surrounding the movie. Otherwise, all the magic is going to be fizzled away. And this is a movie worthy of that pure childhood excitement.

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iPhone In Cherry Creek Mall: Make Friends With Breakfast

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Cherry Creek Mall. . .Maybe the only place where kids are allowed to play with their food. Slide on bacon, jump on eggs, sit on a pat of butter--what better way to make friends with breakfast? It makes me a little uncomfortable but I'm going with it, accepting it as a suburban quirk, on par with kids playing with garbage on a NYC street (which some people may find offensive rather than creative and resorceful).

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I'll Take The Calorie-Laden Chocolate, Please

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:34:00 +0000

There's a new chocolate out there that is frankly un-chocolate. . . inhalable, without any calories, no sin, and little of the same guilty pleasure enjoyment. LE WHIF is breathable chocolate--tiny flakes for taste and not ingestion--and supposedly in line with our evolving eating habits of smaller quantities at shorter intervals (I didn't get that memo. . .note to self: must cut my portions in half?). No wonder the women in Paris are so slim, they don't technically eat. My brother sent me one of these Le Whif dispensers and I kept it on my desk just waiting for the right moment when my system would crash and cry for sugar. Like clockwork, my 10:30pm sweet craving kicked in. I didn't think the INSTRUCTIONS would be so complicated (wrong!) and I just jammed the pink wonder-wand in my mouth like an addict overdue for a fix (overzealous American!). If I had actually read the instructions I would have known not to "breathe too hard or long" as doing so "may tickle the back of your throat and cause you to cough." Yeah, I learned that the hard way. One calorie's worth of chocolate nearly choked me. It was like inhaling a bag of powdered sugar, except without the satisfaction of getting your craving satiated. It was over before I knew it. I shook the damn thing to be sure there weren't some chocolate flakes hiding in there somewhere, waiting to surprise me with an encore. But I was left pitifully with chocolate powder clinging to my tonsils and not where it should have been--in my stomach. Thankfully, I had a box of FAT WITCH baby brownies in the fridge (thanks, girls). And while they may not have saved my thighs, they sure as hell saved the day. Chocolate and science don't mix in my book. . . different strokes for different folks.

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Today's Inspiration: The XX

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:13:00 +0000

My incandescent & inspiring friend over at MAURAMCGOVERN.COM whispered in my ear that I should listen to THE XX. Off I went, and here I am, now obsessed and listening to the album on a continuous loop. Love the pants of this band. New wave, synthpop, hip hop, R&B. . .so many of the musical influences that raised me come together in The XX. Listen to some of their music HERE. And don't miss their COVER of Aaliyah's "Hot Like Fire," which is just sick. The album is available on iTunes.

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iPhone At The Intersection of the Central Park Zoo and Fifth Avenue Posh

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:20:00 +0000

How can you not be joyful over hearts-on-wheels? I'm sold. . .I'd like one for every day of the year--and maybe two for Mondays.

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If I Wasn't Older, I'd be Younger

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

A Happy Birthday This evening, I sat by an open window and read till the light was gone and the book was no more than a part of the darkness. I could easily have switched on a lamp, but I wanted to ride this day down into night, to sit alone and smooth the unreadable page with the pale gray ghost of my hand. -Ted Kooser

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A Day We'd Like To Forget But Will Always Remember

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:19:00 +0000

My brother took this photograph three years ago. And every year since, around this time, I’m reminded of it when the lights at ground zero blaze up into the clouds. I sometimes walk that street where the photo was taken, but I often forget to look up and remember where the buildings once stood and I need reminders to recall them to memory: a display of photos of lost firefighters hanging in a picture box outside a firehouse, an old postcard of the towers on a laundromat bulletin board, a slip of the tongue when giving directions to Century 21, and those great, bright, beams of light. Tuesday night I first saw them when I was coming out of the subway, separating from the stuffy underground and walking into a cool fall night. I caught my breath at the sight of them—stunned by their simple beauty and sadly reminded of what once stood in their place. Today, I quietly reflect, remember, and have enormous gratitude.

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Today's Inspiration: Parisian Walks

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:29:00 +0000

(Photo by K8rina, via Flickr)Over the weekend I was rack browsing at a chic French store in SoHo with S., the kind of store where they heavily promote the layered Parisian look and speak with thick accents, and they were playing "Foux Da Fa Fa" from Flight of the Conchords. The nonsensical chanson transported me to Paris and I've been feeling a little mysterious French dame ever since, longing to slip on a beret and walk some cobblestone streets in heeled boots (in my fantasy heels and cobblestones are very practical). . .a bike would just be the perfect accessory. I'm blaming this all on the autumn air.For a giggle, here's the song that started this whole affair:

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And. . .It's Fall

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Hello again! We're back here at SWP after a brief summer hiatus to take a break from the addiction that is known as the internet (oh, how many life hours have been sucked into that vacuum). I know you've all been weeping into your Wheaties missing us, but you can dry those tears. . . well, wait, no, keep crying, because summer is OVER. We're all asking: Where did it go? There really wasn't much of a traditional summer this year--a sprinkle of heat, a dash of sun, and a dollop of rain. I have to say, I missed the sweltering heat and hazy days that usually characterize summer. It was what it was and we made the best of it. I swam in a few heavily chlorinated pools (which counts for something), but I never did make it to the beach. That's not looking like such a bad thing though since I read this morning that great white sharks were drifting around the Cape. If you're looking for a reason to feel better about your lack of beach time, read THIS from The Boston Globe and then gratefully acknowledge that your limbs are still attached. Happy autumn, readers!

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In Remembrance of Condé Nast Perks

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:38:00 +0000

The New York Observer ran a piece by John Koblin this week about the downhill slide of Condé Nast, as witnessed through the cutting back of their "perks"--such as fully stocked refrigerators of sodas, Fiji water, and Red Bull; high-bending expense accounts to order take-out from Balthazar or dinner at Nobu; and on-the-house mani/pedis for clients. This cutback even goes so far as to include receptionists as perks rather than necessities in being one of the first lines of defense between them and you. Because working at the uber elite Condé Nast leads to such lines of demarcation--you want someone else to deal with them, the outsiders, if you can help it. After college I worked at the feel-good magazine Self for almost two years. My "desk," if you can call the ledge I sat at a desk, was buried in-between racks of clothes, shoe shelves, and piles of leftover accessories that never returned to their designer origins. We were the first group of assistants to live in that fashion closet, having just moved from the previous Fifth Avenue offices. The Condé Nast building was new and hot and talked about and everyone was enjoying the perks of a fancy vending machine and new fixtures. At that time, we were able to expense our meals as long as we ate them at our desk while working. [Cough, ahem, yes of course we were working!] And when the Frank Gehry cafeteria finally opened, I started eating what my co-workers called "my ten-pound salad." I was just out of college, making little by way of salary, and it was the sure-thing meal of my day. Hell yeah, I ate it up. We felt entitled to all of our perks. Work a 15hour day and have a car take you home (seems only fair). Your editor treats you to an awesome something-or-other and then expenses it (fair, again). This was the late nineties and generosity was flowing. . . But the times they are a-changin and Condé Nast is showing the cracks in their facade after their December mandate to cut 5% from the magazine budgets. Rumor has it that Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter has been spotted in the cafeteria for the first time in . . . well, EVER. Also that the bottled water funds will expire soon and tap water will be the "eau de jour." All I have to say is that it's tough times to be a lowly assistant knocking your head against the wall for hours on end for little perks. . . Read Koblin's article HERE.Quote that says it all:"When I started, there was this little refrigerator, and it was stocked with amazing drinks! Pellegrino, Orangina, Red Bull. And like the water wasn't Poland Spring, it was like Fiji. I remember when I started working here, I emailed everyone I know and I was like, ‘I have to tell you about the drinks!'"

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UP ON FRIDAY: Do It Yourself

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Getting from Monday to Friday without washing the dishes. This week's Friday Five is up on people that are taking matters into their own hands: homemade granola, polite umbrellas, garden jewelry, botanical art, and angtsy dolls. 1. This is one of the more amazing homemade granola recipes I've found. BEETS AND BISCUITS has tested many store-bought granola brands and couldn't find the right blend of taste. After sampling ones that were too sweet, too bland, she decided to create her own that is juuuust right---you control the ingredients. It takes about an hour to make and will last you through many breakfasts and snacks. Check out the recipe HERE. 2. Finally someone has invented an umbrella for city-dwellers. With all the rain we've been having in NYC, I've noticed the umbrellas are just getting bigger and bigger for full coverage protection. Problem is golf club umbrellas are not pedestrian friendly (they're meant for wide open fields, people). Hello, POLITE UMBRELLA! This shrinkable umbrella changes shape to accommodate people walking by. . . this may do wonders for the niceness factor here. [via A CUP OF JO] 3. I'm a terrible plant nurturer (I've killed off too many to count), so I wonder if I could even manage this little growing garden-ring. But some of you might rock it, so I'm putting it out there. Reykjavik designer Hafsteinn Juliusson has created a set of rings that are basically lawns in silver--they're alive! Be warned: GROWING JEWELRY needs watering to stay green, otherwise your wilted yellow lawn will be on display for ridicule. 4. I'm recently inspired to make my own pressed botanical specimens as art. If you have a garden this will be a cinch, city folks need to be a little more creative. DESIGN*SPONGE has a DIY series you should be following if you like to get crafty. And all projects are done out of her Brooklyn apartment so you don't need a studio or some great space. . . For full, easy instructions on how to press your plants, go HERE and have fun! 5. Get your niece or daughter ready for the teenage years by prepping her with one of these angtsy dolls. Olivia at STAY HOME hand-stitches these fantastic felt dolls that are available on Etsy. Winona (pictured) expresses herself with a tattoo, jet black mod hair, and a sharp, retro green dress. . .and she has wire limbs for posing in a cross-armed sulk. . . . happy weekend!

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We thank you, John Hughes

Shinywhiteblog@gmail.com (Shiny White Page) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:12:00 +0000

"Life moves pretty fast. . . ." We all have our own stories of growing up on John Hughes films--each of our stories vary in the details but unite in the same universal hope, comfort, and laughter we found in the authentic portrayal of our conflicted and overly-dramatic teenage years. The early quartet of movies he directed were and still are some of my favorites films: Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. What many people don't know though is that outside of the films he directed he also wrote so many others: Mr. Mom, National Lampoon's Vacation, Some Kind of Wonderful, Home Alone, and even more under the alias Edmond Dantes. . . It seems like an understatement to say that we've lost a great talent. Perhaps one of the best remembrances of John Hughes is from his pen pal Alison Byrne Fields. Their correspondence began with a fan letter about The Breakfast Club and grew into a friendship that continued even after Hughes turned his back on Hollywood. You can read Alison's heartfelt post on her blog WE'LL KNOW WHEN WE GET THERE. The NYT ran a piece on the "The Quotable John Hughes" with clips and quotes from his filmography--oh, so good! If you're in NYC and you'd like to pay tribute variety style, RADIO HAPPY HOUR at (LE) POISSON ROUGE is dedicating tomorrow's show with Andrew W.K to Hughes (that's August 8th at 1:00pm). Buy tickets HERE or listen online when it's posted. I'll leave you with a little Bueller. . . Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

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