A Calendar of Tales, #KeepMoving (2)

#CalendarOfTales
You’ve inspired Neil. The twelve tales are written. But words are only half the story – now Neil wants your help bringing them to life. The next step is to illustrate them.
Watch the video to get some tips on what Neil is looking for. Read and download the stories, then let your imagination run riot.
Whether it’s a sketch, photo or doodle, using paint, ink or collage, upload your artwork for a chance to feature in the digital showcase and the printed, limited edition of A Calendar of Tales.

A Calendar of Tales, #KeepMoving

A Calendar of Tales [1]
Neil Gaiman is one of today’s best-loved authors. He famously collaborates with artists across the globe to create graphic novels, books, films, music and poetry.
Now he wants to collaborate with you.
Neil wants you to inspire him with themes for A Calendar of Tales. He’ll develop a collection of twelve tales from your ideas and then invite you to submit illustrations, choosing his favourite for each tale. This collection will transform into an amazing calendar showcasing your illustrations beside Neil’s stories.

My Twitter and Tumblr feeds yesterday were brimming with content for the #KeepMoving project; there’s a lot of great stuff coming through on this tag with each Month’s Tale opening new doorways. The whole concept of the Tale for each Month is great … if you haven’s read any of the tweets go and do so now #KeepMoving or look through the Tweets listed on each of the tale pages [1];

#JanTale : Why is January so dangerous?
#FebTale : What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in February?
#MarTale : What historical figure does March remind you of?
#AprTale : What’s your happiest memory of April?
#MayTale : What is the weirdest gift you’ve ever been given in May?
#JunTale : Where would you spend a perfect June?
#JulTale : What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July?
#AugTale : If August could speak, what would it say?
#SepTale : Tell me something you lost in September that meant a lot to you.
#OctTale : What mythical creature would you like to meet in October?
#NovTale : What would you burn in November, if you could?
#DecTale : Who would you like to see again in December?

I’m enjoying this no end: it’s wonderful just to throw questions out, and feel recharged and joyous. (Actually, December did not leave me joyous. It left me wanting to hug people, and to remember how much we lose when we lose people, and animals, and ourselves from the past as we always do.)
I think I understand a lot more of how Amanda relates to Twitter, when suddenly she’ll start retweeting people and use that to create a community, to link people, to make people feel less alone.
I didn’t expect this bit of the project to feel like art, but watching the amount of connection it has made between people, I think perhaps it was. I felt like my heart was being broken and healed, all at the same time.
– Neil Gaiman [2]

LINKS:
[1] BlackBerry 10 Keep Moving – Share Your Idea with Neil Gaiman on Twitter (2012-Feb-) [BlackBerry]
[2] A VERY late Blog, about trying to make art with a lot of people, including you.. (2012-Feb-04) [Neil Gaiman's Journal]

All Hallow’s Read 2012

All Hallow’s Read is a (new) Hallowe’en tradition. It’s simply that in the week of Hallowe’en, or on the night itself, you give someone a scary book. This can be traced back to Neil Gaiman’s modest proposal;

I propose that, on Hallowe’en or during the week of Hallowe’en, we give each other scary books. Give children scary books they’ll like and can handle. Give adults scary books they’ll enjoy.

I propose that stories by authors like John Bellairs and Stephen King and Arthur Machen and Ramsey Campbell and M R James and Lisa Tuttle and Peter Straub and Daphne Du Maurier and Clive Barker and a hundred hundred others change hands — new books or old or second-hand, beloved books or unknown. Give someone a scary book for Hallowe’en. Make their flesh creep…

Give a scary book.

If you don’t know what kinds of books there are, or what would be appropriate for the person you’re giving a book to, talk to a bookseller. They love to help, most of them. (The ones that don’t tend not to be booksellers for long.) Talk to librarians. (Do not plan to give away their books though, unless they are having a library sale.)

That’s it. That’s my idea.

Scary book. Hallowe’en.

Who’s with me?
Neil

Give a scary book on Hallowe’en! For more details have a look at http://www.allhallowsread.com #AllHallowsRead

Make Good Art

Neil Gaiman, addressing the 2012 graduating class of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Make good art.

I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn’t matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art.

Make it on the good days too.

LINKS:
[1] Neil Gaiman: Keynote Address (2012-05-17) [www.uarts.edu]

All Hallow’s Read

All Hallow’s Read is a (new) Hallowe’en tradition. It’s simply that in the week of Hallowe’en, or on the night itself, you give someone a scary book. This can be traced back to Neil Gaiman’s modest proposal [1];

I propose that, on Hallowe’en or during the week of Hallowe’en, we give each other scary books. Give children scary books they’ll like and can handle. Give adults scary books they’ll enjoy.

I propose that stories by authors like John Bellairs and Stephen King and Arthur Machen and Ramsey Campbell and M R James and Lisa Tuttle and Peter Straub and Daphne Du Maurier and Clive Barker and a hundred hundred others change hands — new books or old or second-hand, beloved books or unknown. Give someone a scary book for Hallowe’en. Make their flesh creep…

Give a scary book.

If you don’t know what kinds of books there are, or what would be appropriate for the person you’re giving a book to, talk to a bookseller. They love to help, most of them. (The ones that don’t tend not to be booksellers for long.) Talk to librarians. (Do not plan to give away their books though, unless they are having a library sale.)

That’s it. That’s my idea.

Scary book. Hallowe’en.

Who’s with me?
Neil

… and spread the joy, well the terror.

LINKS:
[1] A Modest Proposal (that doesn’t actually involve eating anyone) (2010-Oct-23) [Neil Gaiman's Journal]
[2] All Hallows Read News, and stuff (2011-Oct-21) [Neil Gaiman's Journal]
[3] All Hallow’s Read [All Hallow’s Read]
[4] Book Drop Sticker [All Hallow’s Read]
[5] All Hallow’s Read Tor.com Staff Picks (2011-Oct-19) [Tor]

Neil Gaiman, American Gods

Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming — a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.
One of the most talked-about books of the new millennium, American Gods is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an American landscape at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece. — http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Books/American+Gods/

Neil Gaiman is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, audio theatre, and films. His notable works include The Sandman comic book series, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book. Gaiman’s writing has won numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker, as well as the 2009 Newbery Medal.

Reading because:
American Gods is currently the selection for the @1B1T2010 Twitter community for One Book, One Twitter project. Hashtag: #1b1t. Reading underway!