Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Monday, October 22, 2012

Creative Writing Contest for Students

I just received this notice from our Library Director inviting us to pass it on to any budding writers. Do you dream of being a writer? Go ahead. You can do it!

Creative Writing Scholarship Competition

The creative writing program is seeking young writers to participate in the 2012 Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition. The winner of the competition will receive up to $30,000 to attend Interlochen Arts Academy as a creative writing major and their work will be included in the 2014 Interlochen Review.

“This contest is a wonderful way to put the creative writing program in the spotlight, and it always attracts students who show tremendous passion and potential,” said Mika Perrine, director of the creative writing program at Interlochen Center for the Arts. “We hope that the friends and alumni of Interlochen can help us identify and reach out to talented young writers across the country and around the world with this opportunity.”

The previous six winners of this creative writing contest have compiled an impressive record of accomplishments and honors. As a group, the past recipients of this scholarship have earned awards including Presidential Scholar in the Arts, the Norman Mailer Award for High School Fiction, and inclusion in a Scholastic anthology of the “Best Teen Writing.” Phoebe Rusch, the 2006 scholarship winner, even saw one of her plays come to life in a full-scale production at the Kennedy Center - when she was just 17.

The contest will accept submissions and entries for two months, starting on October 15 and ending with the final deadline on December 15, 2012. The contest is open to students who are enrolled in grades 8-11 during the 2012-13 academic year. There is no entry fee and all entries can be submitted online. For complete details or to submit an entry, visit the contest page on the Interlochen website.

The Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition bears the name of a remarkable philanthropist and longtime Interlochen supporter. Ball attended Interlochen Arts Camp in 1941 and later served on the Alumni Board and the Board of Trustees. She passed away in 2003. A 2007 commitment from the Edmund E. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation endowed this biennial creative writing competition that provides substantial scholarship support for a creative writing major who demonstrates great potential.




--
*Sandra Besselsen*
Bonisteel Library Director
Interlochen Center for the Arts
www.interlochen.org
besselsens@interlochen.org

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Tribute in Smoke to Amelia Earhart, Aviation Pioneer


This amazing image of famous pilot, Amelia Earhart, was created by artist Daniel Diehl for the Artprize 2012 display in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, this past September and October. The image of the aviation pioneer was one of the three renderings he developed by "painting" with candle soot. All three images, entitled In a Puff of Smoke, were made by capturing and manipulating the soot collected by passing paper through the flame of a candle. I was struck by his expertise with this medium which he researched to learn how to work with this, a very unusual method of artwork.

I couldn't stop studying the picture. It pulled me in, not only because of the fantastic execution using unusual materials, but also because of the subject.

Ms. Earhart is a fascinating woman, a pioneer in aviation. In 1928 she jumped at the chance to be  the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. After that flight she secretly planned and executed a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932. All alone in an airplane for hours and hours. Let me remind you there were no high tech navigational instruments like we have today and absolutely no GPS to help her find the route. She had to believe in herself to make these plans and execute them.

It was on her trip to fly around the globe in 1937 that Ms. Earhart was lost to the world and the people who loved her. To this day, her disappearance is clouded in mystery.

She was a hero to us for setting aviation records, standing up for women's rights, and a wonderful inspiration to girls and young women even today to pursue their dreams even if they seem impossible to attain.

To learn more about Ms. Earhart click on the Official Website of Amelia Earhart.



Saturday, October 6, 2012

Children's Author and Illustrator: Jane Stroschin

Jane Stroschin
Today I want you to meet Jane Stroschin, a talented artist and storyteller. She had a big week this week because the mural she painted for the wall of a two story building was installed and a reception celebrated this magnificent work, entitled Celebrate Our Symbols. The mural, located in Fremont, Michigan, depicts wildlife and nature in Michigan.


This is a mock-up of the mural, not an actual photo of the final art work.
Jane shared with me some of the photos as she worked on the project in her studio. I am in awe of her vision and talent. The next photo is the image of the birds she painted when starting the panel located at the top of the mural. From this:


Jane created this gorgeous painting. 






The panel of this background lying on its side in her studio developed into the next breathtaking beauty,



To learn more about Jane Stroschin and how she became a celebrated artist and children's author, read her story in the interactive e-book, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women. The e-book is available for download at Smashwords, Amazon, and major online booksellers.




Monday, October 1, 2012

Book Cover for Girls Succeed...


Ta-Dah! Introducing the book cover for Girls Succeed:Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women interactive e-book releasing this month! The book cover was designed by talented cover artist, Kaytalin Platt. Pretty eye-catching, don't you think?



The book is packed with stories of 15 remarkable women and how they achieved their dream careers. I can hardly wait to share it with readers. Watch for the book launch party on this blog later this month! Prizes to be won AND a FREE copy of the book. And don't forget the delicious party treats. What's your favorite?