Obama – Peaceful Reader

Gary Kelley's illustrations

I went to a book signing for our local artist, Gary Kelley tonight! He was discussing the illustrations he created for Doreen Rappaport’s new biography, Eleanor, Quiet no more; the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. I took my budding artist, J. and both of us loved listening to him talk about creating the art work for this beautiful project. The illustrations are amazing and unique and match so well with Ms. Rappaport’s text. I loved hearing him talk about how he researched from a variety of books, looking at old photographs to capture her face from different angles. He showed photographs he took of a house Eleanor lived in at the beginning of her marriage and how he turned those into his chalk drawings. He enjoyed researching this project because her life encompassed such great history and she grew in her ability to speak out. Kelley admitted to being a Democrat (which I knew as he was at several local Obama events last summer) and the only reason he brought this up is comparing some of his images (like Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial)-to Obama speaking there this year. Kelley is a very talented artist and yet very down-to-earth-he was wearing blue suede sneakers!

J. asked him a question during the Q/A part of the evening. I was impressed she stuck her little hand up right away and asked what he painted with and if he had a place to paint at home? A: While he does paint, the drawings were done in chalk (a special chalk-I can’t remember the exact name) and he has a studio downtown on Main St. Now we know!

I want to know who at the publishing company decided to present Rappaport’s biographies without a title on the front…this is pure genius I think! Not only does it make his drawing of Eleanor stand out so dramatically but it also makes you want to pick it up right away and start exploring-for the title, of course, but in the meantime you’ll probably fall in love with the story and the illustrations inside and march right up and buy it. I bought a copy at the signing and J. stood in line to have it autographed…she was first in line and I hope she will always remember these exciting book adventures.

Story Time

On the eve of this historic inauguration (which in our household we are so, so excited about) J randomly chose from the library on Saturday and from our library bag for tonight’s read-aloud The Librarian of Basra; A true story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter. I had read it before when it first came out but reading it tonight it had so much more significance as J reacted to the illustrations of war and made comments like “she must love books more than anything!!” With the inauguration on my mind it clicked with this book in a new way. I am so happy we will have a new President, one who looks at things from a much wider perspective than we have had before.

For me, we have crossed into the promised land with the Obama family moving into the White House. Iraq is no longer on the front page much but as a peaceful family we talk about it frequently and it is important children see life in Iraq included libraries, books, restaurants, and family life just like we have here. No, life there is not like it is here but the Iraqi people had their own lives, important to them. Hopefully, we have a new era of respecting other’s lives here, there and everywhere with President Barack Obama!!! I really wish I had the money to fly there in person as he gets sworn in-it would be Amazing to be there-but I will be happy here celebrating with my family.

It is a new day!

At 10:05 this evening Barack Obama has just been declared the next president of the United States of America…I am so proud of my country right now as well as all the people who have worked so hard to make this happen. Only the second time I have had the pleasure of voting for the winning candidate.

Anne Lamott

This is a great article. Please read and she is right-we need to talk everyday about Barack Obama and the good things he stands for in his run for the biggest job America has to offer.
http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/16/anne_lamott/

Obama, Obama, Obama

Now that school is in full swing I have less and less time to read even though my job requires me to read and be current. Plus I am spending all my other “extra” time working for DMC/the Obama campaign making phone calls, drumming up support for this once-in-a-lifetime intelligent candidate!!! It confuses me when I get such angry people on the phone. If someone called me to talk about John McCain I would simple tell them how much I like my candidate. The people I call seem angry about their candidate. They don’t want to discuss him or their own views they just are mad, which is too bad because a good debate could follow but instead they close themselves off to any new light coming in. I want to say to them (these angry people on the other end of my phone) “don’t be so angry-I didn’t call and yell at you” Common decent human feelings seem to escape the opposite party at this time I guess. Still the work continues and we will all rest after November 4, we hope with all of our hearts.

Peace like a river

This is a book I’ve been meaning to read for several years and I loved the characters. Leif’s tale just trots along taking his reader on an unexpected journey through one moment in their lives. Life is like that where one incident can overshadow all other expectations for a person. We see it today in the crazy debates about Obama’s patriotism, wearing a lapel pin or not.