Author Interview: Lauren Mechling

I'm ringing in the new year with an interview with the fabulous and funny Lauren Mechling, coauthor of the 10th Grade Social Climber books and author of Dream Girl and Dream Life, which will be released on January 12, 2010. (You can see my review of Dream Girl here and my review of Dream Life here. The author photo to the left comes from laurenmechling.com)
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Claire, the main character of the Dream books, is half-French, and both Dream Girl and Dream Life are peppered with French phrases. (I particularly enjoyed Claire’s “JE DORS, DONC JE SUIS” [I sleep, therefore I am] sleep mask in Dream Life.) Do you speak French, or was a little research necessary to include French in the books?

I sort of speak French, but I hadn't studied French since high school and I had to bone up for this series. I took classes at the French Institute in New York, where I was lucky enough to become friends with a half-French couple (Kansas-born man, Paris-born woman). It turned out they were going to be living in Paris the following summer. They let me stay in their spare bedroom in exchange for a couple of macaroons and my promising to stay out of their hair. Which was the easiest promise to keep: I spent every day wandering around the city, notebook in hand (bottle of Orangina in other hand).

What kind of research did the Dream books require?

In addition to my hard August in Paris? Hmm. . . .I did a little research on the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, where Claire's grandmother Kiki lives. In addition to spending a few afternoons in the lobby, observing the hotel denizens from a very comfortable couch, I was given a special tour by the hotel's publicity team and regaled with stories about the debauchery that used to go on there. I also read a few books about Brooke Astor and New York society in the heyday of the 1960s and learned about all the playboys and playgirls who ruked the roost. I also had a lunch with a girl who grew up in the NYU faculty housing to find out what it was like to be a kid surrounded by professors, and I used the Internet to research a lot of random tidbits about pockets of the city that Claire gets to play around in.

Describe your writing in three words.

Juicy merry prankstery.

I noticed that you coauthored your first three novels, the 10th Grade Social Climber books. How is coauthoring different from writing a book on your own?

It's easier to write with somebody (but most writers feel the opposite--depends if you mind having your sentences rewritten). The way Laura and I write together is we edit each other as we go along, so you don't find yourself worrying if the page you wrote isn't in the queens English. You have a permanent sounding board/personal trainer/editor.

There are many references to ducks in both Dream books, such as a moment in Dream Life when Claire narrates, “I could feel myself making my oh-so-attractive confused duck expression--a house specialty.” How do you feel about ducks? (Given that this blog is called Bookduck, I have to ask.)

I love ducks. I call my friends "duck" and in the spring I love to watch actual ducks waddle about at the Brooklyn botanic garden (yes, we have ducks in Brooklyn!). We should all aspire to be more duck-like. They're very self-assured, yet family-focused creatures. They also have nice lips.

What was your favorite book when you were a teen?

I loved whatever I was currently reading--I wasn't the most critical reader. That's the best thing about being a teenage reader: you can bounce around among all sorts of books, and it's easy to get pulled into whatever world you're visiting. I remember loving the (hilarious!) Adrian Mole books, (the not at all hilarious) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and "literary" writers like Junot Diaz and Grace Paley and Mona Simpson.

What’s next for you in writing? (I.e., will we see more of Claire?)

I would love to write another Claire book but am not under contract to do so. For now I'm actually working on a very exciting secret project that will be unveiled this spring. Hint that isn't very helpful: it's on the cusp of YA and not YA. And it involves a bestselling vampire writer.

What’s one of your favorite books you’ve read this year that you think teen readers would enjoy? (It can be any genre, any marketing age group.)

I really loved Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall and The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller, both due out later this year. I also adored Lorrie Moore's A Gate At The Stairs, which is sort of YA (the narrator is in college), and I finally got around to reading Gone With the Wind, which is totally juicy and, come to think of it, would make an awesome YA revival.

And my final question is for you: Why do YOU love ducks?

I love ducks because they're the cutest darn things AND they quack. When they're on the water they look calm on the surface, but their feet are busy at work underwater. Also, my first initial looks like one. If my name were Beth or Brittany, it's quite likely that I would like bunnies more than ducks, because it only takes a few extra lines to make a capital "B" look like a bunny. And that's not shallow at all.
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Thanks for stopping by, Lauren!

You can find out more about Lauren and her writing on her website.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year full of Happy Reading,

Book Review: Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

Release Date: January 12, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher

Other books in the series: Dream Girl (July 2008)

Summary:
Claire Voyante's first semester at Henry Hudson High School was eventful, to say the least. As she heads into her second semester, things are calming down a bit. But Claire has a few secrets that are getting harder to keep. Her biggest secret of all? The onyx and ivory cameo necklace her grandmother gave her for her 15th birthday. Ever since she started wearing it, her dreams have been coming to her in black and white and turning out to be oddly prophetic.
Becca's been hanging out with her old prep school friends and never seems to have time for Claire anymore. And soon, Claire discovers why - there's a secret group of society girls with a mysterious identity. And, turns out, a mysterious enemy who's out to get them. The second she sniffs out trouble, Claire jumps on the case. But is it someone close to Claire who's in danger again - or could it be Claire herself whose life is at stake? (From laurenmechling.com)
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At the close of Dream Girl, the first installment in Claire Voyante's story, Claire solved a mystery, saved her best friend Becca's family from almost certain death, and fell for Andy, Becca's handsome older brother. Now Becca is too busy hanging out with her old private school friends to spend time with Claire, and Andy--who is busy too--is pulling away.

The prophetic black and white dreams, however, won't leave Claire alone, and they're as strange and unclear as ever. Here's a particularly entertaining (and non-spoilery) example:

Everyone at the party had on the coolest costumes. Which might explain why my dance partner wasn't Andy--or even a guy for that matter. It was a gray kangaroo, with a margarita in one paw and my oven-mitted hand in the other (I was dressed up as Julia Child). Mr. Kangaroo dipped me with the finesse nobody dressed like a minor league baseball mascot has any right to possess.

What's a girl to make of that?

As for Claire's shrinking social life, the reader doesn't have to worry long. Becca lets Claire in on the reason she's been so busy within the first seventy pages: Becca's involved in a secret society that goes back to eighteenth century New York. The society's mission? Helping the city out through activities like "'planting community gardens or repainting the youth wing at hospitals.'" In addition to that, there is a rival club trying to out their existence and thwart their philanthropic plans. Detective Claire is on the case again!

The atmosphere of Dream Life is as light and fun as that of Dream Girl, but the secret society business adds an extra air of excitement and mystery. The plot dashes and strolls and ends speedily but satisfyingly. The helpful aims of the secret society may sound boring, but the missions contain plenty of danger and cloak and dagger action.

Just as in Dream Girl, however, the best part of Dream Life is the cast of characters. Claire and her family are as adorably quirky as ever, and the new characters are just as strong.

Moreover, magic cameos and over the top teenage secret societies may be unrealistic, but much of Dream Life is written realistically. Claire and Andy's romance doesn't go perfectly: there are misunderstandings, secrets, insecurities, and busy schedules. (Although this doesn't mean there can't be a happy ending.) The people around Claire have secrets, too, and Claire is forced to some hard realizations by the end of the novel.

Dream Life is sophisticated and fun. Anyone who's read Dream Girl owes it themselves to see Claire's story continue to unfold, and while enough of Dream Girl is recapped for Dream Life to be read as a standalone novel, I enjoyed reading the books in order. I suspect I wouldn't have enjoyed Dream Life as much if I weren't already acquainted with the characters. Also, so much happens and the clues fit together so interestingly that Dream Life is definitely going in my rereading pile. If you like mystery, fashion, and laughter, I recommend adding this one to your To Be Read list.

The Book Trailer:

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling -- Trailer from Richie Williams on Vimeo.

New Moon in a Minute

(via bookshelvesofdoom)


Haha! Excuse me while I finish laughing.

Okay.

I finally got to see New Moon a couple weeks ago, and I thought it was actually a pretty good movie, but this is still funny. I was concerned when I noticed that one of my friends put their facebook status as "Sitting through New Moon is like driving a tractor in low gear though a sullen sea of lard. Hard, miserable, and pushing to the point of where you want to chew off your own head to to be done with it." But again, it's really not that bad.

Sometimes I use tape on my Post-It notes just to make sure they really do stick to things.

The following is a spoof of the TV show The Office called The Church Office--and I think it's hilarious. It was put together by a few members and staff members of my home church and was shown last Sunday before the service started. (What can I say? We have a sense of humor.)

Enjoy!

And just for clarification, Liz is Clyde's daughter--in case you saw the last name and came to different (and more awkward) conclusions :)

Sisters Red contest hosted by Jackson Pearce

Jackson Pearce is the author of a super awesome book called As You Wish, and her next book--Sisters Red--comes out June 3, 2010. The June release date is the bad news. The good news, however, is that she is having a simple Youtube subscriber contest and one lucky winner will receive ARCs of both Sisters Red and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (a new one by John Green and David Levithan), as well as a mystery prize! I'll let her explain:



Did you hear that part about how the prizes won't be given away unless she reaches 1600 Youtube subscribers by the end of the month? As of this post, she's just seven subscribers short. But you can change that and get an entry into a great contest. Now go enter! (But only if you want to.)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas--Library Style

I know it's after Christmas, but this popped up in my work e-mail last week at the library, and it's too cute not to share:

'Twas the Night Before Christmas - Library Style by Lisë Chlebanowski (with help from Clement Clarke Moore)

'Twas the night before Christmas, not a book to be found
Not a textbook, a paperback or tome, spiral bound.
The stockings were hung from the chimney with care
In hopes that the Librarian soon would be there.

The children were gathered, bored silly in their beds
For no books could be found out loud to be read!
There were toys and games and puzzles and maps
But nothing to read - might as well take a nap!

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter!
We sprang from our beds to see what was the matter
Then, what we saw - what was that? Rats?
No! A miniature bookcart led by eight tiny cats.

With a gorgeous driver, by the name of Marian,
I knew in a moment it must be the Librarian!
Faster than speed reading, the cats flew with perfect aim
And Marian whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

Now Gatsby! Now Holden! Now Lorax & Grinch!
On Rhett! On Scarlett! On Atticus & Finch!
The cats echoed their names to one and to all.
They flew to the roof and they flew to the wall!

And then, from the roof I heard tiny paws
The prancing and preening of kitty cat claws
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney Marian came with a bound.

She was dressed in her work clothes, from her head to her foot
The bundle of books she carried was covered in soot,
She had come straight from the library where books are free.

To patrons with cards it's a book potpourri!

A wink of her eye and a twist of her head,
She distributed books and left nothing unread!

She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,
And filled all the stockings; She was more than a clerk!

Then she sprang to her bookcart, to her team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard her exclaim, as she drove out of sight,
"Season's Readings to all, and to all a good-night."

Book Review: Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling

Release Date: July 22, 2008
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320

Book Source: My local library.

Summary:
Claire Voyante has been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French, and unlike the psychics on TV, she can't solve crimes or talk to the dead. Whenever Claire follows her hunches, she comes up empty - or ends up in pretty awkward situations. But that all changes on Claire's 15th birthday, when her grandmother, Kiki-former socialite, fashion icon, and permanent fixture at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel - gives her something a little more extraordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange black-and-white onyx cameo on a gold chain. It's not long before Claire's world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous. (From laurenmechling.com)
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Lauren Mechling's Dream Girl is quirky, intriguing, and adorable. Claire Voyante, the main character and charming first-person narrator, does well on a standardized test and accidentally gains admission into Hudson, an institution she describes as, "a nerd school on the Lower East Side known for its competitive math and science departments, nationally ranked chess club, and recurring asbestos problem."

She doesn't want to leave her old school--which is more laid back and certainly more interesting than Hudson--but Hudson is free, Farmhouse is not, and Claire's parents are "cash strapped." Claire's feelings for Hudson don't improve when the school sends a letter prior to the first day of school:

"Attention, incoming students," it read. "Our new metal detector system is highly sensitive. All students are advised to keep jewelry, hair accessories, and orthodontic contraptions to a minimum."

Lovely.

Claire goes to Hudson for the first day of her sophomore year, but not before receiving a black and white cameo necklace as a birthday gift from her grandmother and having the first of many strange black and white dreams. Hudson turns out to be as awful as it sounds, but becomes more bearable when Claire makes a new friend, Becca Shuttleworth, who happens to have a handsome older brother, Andy, and a wealthy family. It isn't long before Claire's dreams begin pointing her toward clues that spell danger for Becca and her family, and Claire--an avid reader and watcher of murder mysteries and detective stories--is on the case.

Full of mystery, danger, romance, and normal high school moments, the plot rotates between fast-paced and mildly interesting and really speeds up at the end. The fantastic elements of the novel are minor and scattered, and it's easy to forget that Dream Girl is a contemporary fantasy as well as a mystery. Dream Girl is the first in a series and feels like an introductory novel, but not in a bad way: the cameo slowly becomes a part of Claire's life as the characters are introduced and the world of the novel (which is fascinating, by the way) is set up.

Along the way the reader gets to spend time with Mechling's delightful cast of characters, who are stronger and more sparkling than the plot. I enjoyed getting to know Claire's lovably odd family, and--small parts or starring roles--all the characters are entertaining and well-developed.

Dream Girl also possesses a definite sense of setting and place, with the story's principal setting in New York City. I don't know how someone who actually knows NYC would feel, but I found the descriptions of NYC interesting and lovingly executed; the city is enmeshed in the story.

Moreover, magic cameo or not, Mechling is adept at making the novel feel like real life: Claire has parents who actually get to be involved in their daughter's life as well as the story, a wacky brother, and *le gasp* homework! Claire isn't with her friends 24/7 because they all have lives, and as a result people have secrets and Claire doesn't know everything about her new friend within two days of meeting her.

As far as PG-13 elements go, Dream Girl is refreshingly clean. The swear words that make their way into the book serve a purpose, and there aren't any words that can't be heard in most high school hallways or on prime time television.

Dream Girl is a feel-good book and I can honestly say I've never read anything like it. Claire Voyante is a character worth rooting for, and while I wasn't always glued to the pages I was always interested in the story. I recommend Dream Girl to anyone who enjoys fashion (with characters like the Shuttleworths a few forays into NYC's high society hangouts are a given), mysteries, and laughing. I'm excited to see what adventures await Claire in Dream Life (January 2010), the sequel to Dream Girl.

Musical Monday (23)

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

A massive snow storm hit the Midwest over Christmas weekend, cancelling family celebrations and church services for days--I still have two grandparents to visit and many aunts, uncles, and cousins to see. Christmas may be over on the calendar, but it's not over for me, and that means I'm posting one more Christmas song. And I'm making it a cheesy one.

This week's song features House of Heroes covering Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You". I've been wanting to post it all month but only just found a Youtube version with clear audio a few days ago. It's bouncy and fun and I hope you enjoy it!

Wishing you an even Merrier Monday than last week,

An Award!

Myrna Foster of Night Writer gave out some awards this weekend, and she passed on The Silver Lining Award to me. (Thank you, Myrna! You're nice.)

The Silver Lining Award is for blogs that help people find the Silver Lining on icky days. I am now supposed to pass the award to five blogs that help me find the silver lining, so here I go:

1. Laini Taylor at Grow Wings
I may not comment much, but every time I stop by this blog I see fantastic pictures and writing, and I usually smile.

2. Steph at Natural/Artificial
I can't be in a bad mood when I'm reading about her houseful of [fictional] boyfriends and authorial escapades.

3. Anna Maria Horner
Beautiful pictures, projects, and stories about family--I just can't be sad.

4. Eli at The Tainted Poet
Good book reviews. Enough said.

5. Maggie Stiefvater at The World According to Maggie
A hilarious and sometimes dark and twisty silver lining, but a silver lining nonetheless.

Hoping you're well,

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Release Date: December 1, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 576

Book Source: Bought

Summary:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
(From beautifulcreaturesthebook.com)
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Opening Beautiful Creatures is like setting out on an adventure, and like most adventures it begins someplace boring--in this case the first day of school in fictional Gatlin, South Carolina, a small town that Ethan Wate, the main character and first person narrator of Beautiful Creatures describes as "the epicenter of the middle of nowhere." Luckily, Gatlin is anything but boring for readers: bursting with atmosphere and good humor, this book is a vacation. The descriptions of this old Southern town are beautiful and utterly satisfying. Take the description of Gatlin's library:

It was a two-story venerable Victorian, old and weathered with peeling white paint and decades worth of vines sleeping along the doors and windows. It smelled like aging wood and creosote, plastic book covers, and old paper. Old paper, which my mom used to say was the smell of time itself.

If it's not like being there, it makes one want to be there.

Gatlin possesses more small town charms than its architecture, however, and one of them is a small town attitude:

In Gatlin, the first day of school never really changes. The teachers, who all knew you from church, decided if you were stupid or smart by the time you were in kindergarten. I was smart because my parents were professors. Link [Ethan's friend] was stupid, because he crunched up the pages of the Good Book during Scripture Chase, and threw up once during the Christmas pageant.

Ethan Wate's narration is nothing if not humorous, and Ethan's got great voice. I enjoyed listening to him tell his story.

When I first picked up Beautiful Creatures I wasn't so sure about the male narrator although now I wouldn't have it any other way. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl flip the gender roles of YA paranormal romance successfully, and they change more than the standard female narrator. The mysterious, powerful new person in town is not a handsome boy, but a beautiful girl--Lena Duchannes. The result is a believable, enjoyable romance that unfolds in a realistic teenage timeline.

Beyond the romance lies magic, a sprawling plot, and a large cast of characters. One of my favorites is Amma, Ethan's housekeeper/cook/surrogate mother and tarot card reader extraordinaire. Ethan describes Amma's superstitious ways:

Sometimes I'd find one of her homemade charms in my sock drawer or hanging above the door of my father's study. I had only asked what they were for once. My dad teased Amma whenever he found one, but I noticed that he never took any of them down. "Better safe than sorry." I guess he meant safe from Amma, who could make you plenty sorry.

Amma is one fierce lady.

As far as the plot goes, Garcia and Stohl are fearless and Beautiful Creatures is unashamedly fantastical. Many unexplained events occur in the novel: disbelief must be suspended, and it's not hard. At 576 pages, Beautiful Creatures is a gorgeous but long read, and I alternated between page flipping suspense and boredom, after which I'd come back to the book and zoom through the pages until I became bored again, rinse and repeat. There's so much in the novel that it's definitely going in my rereading pile.

On the negative side, the school scenes in Beautiful Creatures verge on stereotypical, and there are a few trite and painful high school moments and typical high school characters, among them the caricatured popular clique. Also, the storytelling is confusing at times--the authors let readers put things together for themselves, and not just sweeping things--little story events where the sentence doesn't lay out all that happened. Being trusted was nice but left me feeling like I missed something more than once.

Beautiful Creatures is a fun, involved read with a quick ending and a cliffhanger that left me wishing for a time machine so I could read the sequel NOW. It's a skillfully told tale about a boy, a girl, their families, a curse, and discovering one's capacity for both love and destruction. I recommend reading it, and trying an excerpt before making the decision to borrow or buy.

The book trailer:

Find out more at somelovesarecursed.com

Musical Monday (22)

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

I am now on Christmas Break, and it is lovely! I hope you're all enjoying any time you have off, too.

This week's song is "Love Came Down at Christmas" by Jars of Clay, a band you may remember from last week's "Hibernation Day". I chose it because it beautifully articulates what Christmas is all about, and Christmas is on Friday! (You may have heard this song before, but I can guarantee you haven't heard it like this...unless, you know, you've heard this exact arrangement before.)

The words come from a poem written by Christina Rossetti (a name I really hope you associate with the poem "Goblin Market", which she wrote. If you haven't read it yet, get on it. Also, there's a luscious story based on it in Laini Taylor's Lips Touch which was a National Book Award finalist...I haven't gotten around to editing that review yet. But I recommend reading both it and the poem).

Enjoy!



Wishing you a Merry Monday and a joyful holiday season whatever you celebrate,

PS: Barring catastrophic events and freak baking accidents, there will be a review posted today. Yay!

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox invites book bloggers to share which books they found in their mailbox (bought, borrowed, received) each week. It is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. This is my first week participating :)
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For Review:

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

Claire Voyante's first semester at Henry Hudson High School was eventful, to say the least. As she heads into her second semester, things are calming down a bit. But Claire has a few secrets that are getting harder to keep. Her biggest secret of all? The onyx and ivory cameo necklace her grandmother gave her for her 15th birthday. Ever since she started wearing it, her dreams have been coming to her in black and white and turning out to be oddly prophetic.

Becca’s been hanging out with her old prep school friends and never seems to have time for Claire anymore. And soon, Claire discovers why—there’s a secret group of society girls with a mysterious identity. And, turns out, a mysterious enemy who’s out to get them. The second she sniffs out trouble, Claire jumps on the case. But is it someone close to Claire who’s in danger again—or could it be Claire herself whose life is at stake? (From Amazon.com)

Borrowed:

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish? (From Amazon.com)
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What's in your mailbox?

Musical Monday (21)

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

Finals Week has arrived! *deep breath* There is much studying to do, and I still have a few paintings to wrap up--and I believe I can make it all happen. I promise there will be actual book reviews instead of weekly songs posted on Bookduck soon, after the end-of-semester flurry of studying and activities is over. And how 'bout you? Are you all busy too?

This week's songs are "Silent Night" by Sixpence None the Richer with guest Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay and--because I can't listen to just one Leigh Nash and Dan Haseltine duet--"Hibernation Day" by Jars of Clay featuring Leigh Nash from Sixpence None the Richer.

Enjoy!





Wishing you a Mnemonic Monday (Get it? It's finals week and mnemonic devices help people remember what they study. Ha ha. It's a groaner, I know.),

Musical Monday (20)

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

Finals Week is next week, and there's a lot to be done before the semester is over. (SIX paintings are included in the a lot. I think I may take up residence in the Fine Arts Center--there's plenty of space for a sleeping bag in the painting classroom. Also, at times like this the Art Department starts to feel like Project Runway. But that's a mildly funny post for another time.)

This week's songs are "The Grey Man" by Copeland because their music is excellent for things like excessive painting and paper writing (hard rock and screaming is too distracting) and "Sleigh Ride" by Relient K. I once mentioned that I really really like Relient K, and I also really really like most versions of "Sleigh Ride". I'm crazy about this song. The RK version is a bit different from what the Boston Pops plays but still keeps the basic characteristics of the song that most people know and love.

Enjoy!



"The Grey Man" by Copeland from One Small Instrument Pictures on Vimeo.

Relient K "Sleigh Ride" from Gotee Records on Vimeo.

Wishing you a Marvelous Monday (I'm tired, and is anyone really sad about having more than one Marvelous Monday?),