Halloween Comic Fest!

Got my comics all ready to give away!

Today I'll be working at the comic shop! And you know what I'll be wearing right?! HOWLLLLL!

Pig in a Pumpkin – Trick and Treat

Okay, so we’re not using a whole pig, but we are using a whole pumpkin, which not only produced some very succulent, flavorful pork, but also made for an absolutely stunning presentation. This looked so good, that many people might think it was faked, which really is the ultimate compliment.

While this would work in any pumpkin, try to find ones sold as “sugar,” or “pie” pumpkins,” since they have a thicker, sweeter flesh, compared to the ornamental ones sold for jack-o'-lantering. I believe the variety I used was called “cannonball,” but simply look for round, heavy-feeling varieties about the size of a volleyball, displayed in the produce department, and not outside, or in front of the store.

As I said in the video, you can season this anyway you want, but regardless of what exactly goes in your gourd, make sure you roast it until the meat is tender. How long will depend on the size of course, so be sure to test the meat as it cooks. The only thing I’d do differently next time, would be to pour in a little more cider after a few hours in the oven, since a lot of it evaporated as it roasted, and I wanted more “sauce” when I was done.

After you remove the meat for service, ladle out all the braising liquid, and let it sit for a few minutes, so you can skim off most of the fat. Thanks to the little bit of flour on the pork, it should have a nice thickness, but you can always adjust that with some more roux. Or, simply make a sauce separately, and then just spike it with your drippings.

Also, if you wanted to add another step, you could use a blender to make a smoother sauce, but I’ll leave that up to you. Either way, if you’re looking for a fun, and very seasonably appropriate way to cook some pork shoulder, I couldn’t think of a better, or more beautiful way, which is why I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one Pig in a Pumpkin:

1 volleyball-sized cooking pumpkin

3 1/2 to 4 pounds of boneless pork shoulder

1 rounded tablespoon kosher salt (the pumpkin will absorb some of this)

2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary

1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots

- garlic and sage would have also been great here

2 tablespoons flour to coat pork

1 tablespoon olive oil for browning meat

at least 2 cups hard cider, or more if you can fit it in before or during cooking

- I roasted mine at 350 F. for about 4 hours

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Cynsational News

By Cynthia Leitich Smith,
Robin Galbraith, Gayleen Rabukukk, and Stephani Eaton
for Cynsations

Author/Illustrator Insights

Nicole Griffin Releases Just Wreck It All from Wild Things. Peek:

"...my process...Procrastination and cookies. Whining and foot-dragging. Then, finally, typing a lot of stuff and stripping away at it until I have the spine of a story pinned down. Then I get to do the fun part."

Q&A with Alan Gratz by Sara Grochowski from Publishers Weekly. Peek:

“I heard a really great podcast interview with Jordan Peele, who referred to 'Get Out' as a ‘social thriller.’ ... I’d been trying to write books that are great reads and also mean something, but I didn’t have a great way of referring to it. I love the term 'social thriller.'”

In Conversation: Jory John and Lane Smith from Publishers Weekly. Peek:

“Smith: I’ve always found it nuts not letting the illustrator and author speak to one another. I am not interested in taking what you’ve written and completely reinterpreting it. I want to honor your intentions with both of us on the same page.”

‘Into the Mind of an Eight-Year-Old’: A Chat With Children’s Novelist Kate DiCamillo by Kate Masters from The Frederick News-Post. Peek:

“You give up a lot of control with first person. The suspension of disbelief, I think, is a lot harder to maintain when it’s a 12-year-old telling you a story in first person. It’s so easy to make a mistake.”

‘The Hate U Give’ Author Angie Thomas Writes For Teens Because She Wants Them To Change The World by Cristina Arreola from Bustle. Peek:

“Thomas says. ‘I've had children of white supremacists who said that it opened their eyes and it helped change them and that was amazing to me, you know?’”

Hiding in Plain Sight by Patty Blount from YA Outside the Lines. Peek:

“Every time we express fear of the black man in the hooded sweatshirt but not at the son of the rich family or the boy on the swim team, we're exhibiting stereotyping at its most basic form.”

An Analysis of the Athletic Protagonist by Debbie Gonzales. Peek:

“Deb deep dives into literary analysis in both of Shannon Gibney’s incredible YA novels. Using Deb’s MFA thesis as a guide, the two explore the sports novel as a medium granting athletic protagonists a feeling of authenticity, emotional resonance, and genuine challenges - both on and off of the field.”

Wonders of Weird with Kelly Milner Halls by Ana Maria Rodriguez at From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors. Peek:

“Don’t be embarrassed by your unique point of view. Each of us has a purpose in this life, and it’s not to be like everyone else. We are meant to discover our unique passions and use them for making the world a better place.”

Breaking with Tradition, Forging a New Path by Traci Sorell and Frané Lessac from Children’s Book Council. Peek:

Traci Sorrell: “I knew that authors and illustrators typically have little to no contact during the book’s creation. I have a very sparse, lyrical writing style. Yet because this book centers on my own culture, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about the artwork.”

Publishing and Marketing

HarperCollins to Host Second New to Publishing Networking Event by John Maher from Publishers Weekly. Peek:

“Applicants to the program must submit an essay answering a few questions around their passion for books and publishing in lieu of a resume, and applicants are asked not to include names on the essays. Applications must be received at HC by October 31.”

Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Writers? By Nick Cross from Notes From The Slushpile. Peek:

“I think a much more likely scenario for machine writing is the creation of new works by dead authors. You can imagine a situation where all of Jane Austen's novels, letters and half-finished manuscripts are fed into an ML algorithm to create an entirely new book in her authentic voice.”

Guest Post: Networking with Purpose and Sincerity by Cat Rambo from Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. Peek:

“Want other people to feel inclined to spread word of your stuff? Then make sure you’re doing it for them... You don’t need to be insincere about any of this. Praise the stuff you like, and if you’re having trouble finding it, you should be looking harder.”

Diversity

7 Authors Discuss Complicated Families, Epic Love Stories, and More in October’s YA Open Mic by Michael Waters from BN Teen Blog. Peek:

“This month, six authors discuss everything from family complications to epic love stories. All have YA books that either release this month or released in recent months.”

#MGLitChat Transcript-Oct. 18, 2018: Indigenous Voices in MG Pro Chat by Mike Hays from Wakelet. Peek:

“Dr. Debbie Reese: ‘A must-know resource is the American Indian Library Association, and its Youth Literature Awards.’...Cynthia Leitich Smith: 'See also the American Indian Library Association's recent MG Lit & YA Lit Book List.’”

Building Community for Children’s WOC/Indigenous Writers by Karen Latchana Kenney at From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors. Peek:

“The more writers of color and Indigenous writers we have the more their truths will be heard, the less alone these writers and their communities will feel, and the more galvanized they’ll be to demand justice.”

Invisibility Is The Modern Form Of Racism Against Native Americans by Rebecca Nagle from Teen Vogue. Peek:

“To illustrate this reality, can you name a famous Native American actor? A famous Native politician who is alive today? Can you name five Native Americans, famous for anything, who were born after 1950? Do you know what the Carlisle Indian Industrial School was...?

Can Diverse Books Save Us? In A Divided World, Librarians Are On A Mission by Kathy Ishizuka from School Library Journal. Peek:

“If not all kids are inclined to explore an inclusive collection on their own, the librarian becomes even more critical. To get these books into distribution, librarians create displays; it’s the number one method of promoting books with diverse themes and characters.”

Using Picture Books to Change Attitudes to Aging by Lindsey McDivitt from A is for Aging, B is for Books. Peek:

“Children’s literature with likeable, realistic older adult characters offers an effective doorway into conversations about how we are all aging from the moment we are born. 

Episode 30! It’s The Grown-ups With The Hang-ups —Not The Readers by Jennifer Ziegler and Alvina Ling from Kidlit Women*. Peek:

Ziegler: “If we want boys to be able to empathize with women, to be good friends, siblings, spouses, bosses, coworkers, etc., why are we going along with the idea that a story told from a girl’s/woman’s POV is not for them to read?”

HarperCollins Children's Books Presents Diverse Voices Open Inbox from Harper Collins Publishers. Peek:

“...we’ve launched the Diverse Voices Open Inbox contest, an opportunity for writers from diverse backgrounds, with an emphasis on #ownvoices, to submit their work!...We are looking for literature for middle grade audiences (ages 8-12) in any genre or format...Dates: Oct. 16, 2018 – Nov. 16, 2018.”

Writing Craft

How to Incorporate Procrastination into Your Writing Schedule by Kathy Edens from Writer’s Digest. Peek:

“I can find dozens of ways to avoid writing fiction. My favorites are taking writing courses, reading books about the craft of writing...So, I scheduled in fiction-writing procrastination in the top spot on my agenda each morning. Weird concept, but stick with me.”

What You Need to Know About Internalization by Janice Hardy from Fiction University. Peek:

“A character’s internal monologue captures how that character thinks, what matters to them, what they feel but can’t (or won’t) say, and how they interact with the world. Personality comes out in those internal thoughts and musings, because it’s the true nature of the character that only the reader sees.”

Creativity Wounds: Can NaNoWriMo Help Overcome Them? from Anne R. Allen. Peek:

“NaNo forces you to keep putting the words down. It makes you ignore all those negative voices in your head saying ‘write what you know…-show don’t tell’ and all the other half-truths that can keep you feeling paralyzed. Silencing them can make for real breakthroughs for a lot of writers.”

Fast-Track Your Writing Production with Meditation by Heather Smith Meloche from The Mitten. Peek:

“Meditation just seemed like a waste of my time...But, crazily, I found that just twenty minutes of meditation got me straight to ‘that place of focus,’ that magical spot where I could sink right into my story world without being distracted.” 

Revising Your Relationship To Your Ego by Heather Demetrios from Wild Things

“...being present means not checking your email when you write. It means not having your cell phone in your work space. It means not having ten thousand beta readers because you’re too afraid to trust yourself. It means writing more than talking about writing.”

This Week at Cynsations

Authors Chris Barton and Jennifer Ziegler

• New Voices: Michelle Cusolito & Casey W. Robinson Share Writing Resources That Paved the Way to Their Debut

• Survivors: Jennifer Ziegler on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children's-YA Author

• Querying Alternative: Author Lindsay Leslie & Editor Charlotte Wenger on Twitter Pitching

• Native Author-Illustrator Interview: Jonathan Nelson

More Personally - Cynthia

Exciting news! One of my all-time fave picture books, Fall In Line, Holden! by Daniel W. Vandever (Salina Bookshelf, 2017), and my YA novel Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick, 2018) were chosen as fall reads for the NIEA Book Club by the National Indian Education Association, the leading education advocate for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students.

Visit my SCBWI BookStop pages for Hearts Unbroken and Feral Pride (both Candlewick, 2018)! You're invited to click "like" and sign the guest books.

What else? Will you be in Central Texas this weekend? If so, come see me at Texas Book Festival in Austin.

My panel is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Oct. 28 in the YA HQ Tent on Congress Avenue, followed by a signing of Hearts Unbroken in the adult author tent.

"Love When You Want It Least" with Cynthia Leitich Smith, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick); Ibi Zoboi, Pride (Balzer + Bray); Nisha Sharma, My So-Called Bollywood Life (Crown BFYR); moderated by Anna Lyon.  

 High school: classes, tests, school newspaper, dance lessons, film club, drama club, family drama—nobody has time for love, right? Especially not when it isn’t the sort of love you ever wanted or planned for. Bestselling authors Cynthia Leitich Smith, Nisha Sharma, and Ibi Zoboi present their newest novels, full of true-to-life struggles and follow-your-heart feelings.

Texas Book Festival Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith by ChinLin Pan from Geek Gals. Peek:

"Austin pops up a lot in my writing! My Tantalize and Feral series are largely centered on Austin, especially the South Congress district, and on surrounding areas (near Bastrop and San Antonio in particular). In Hearts Unbroken, the protagonist has recently moved to suburban northeast Kansas from Cedar Park, Texas, which is in the greater Austin area."

"Hearts Unbroken is a necessary reflection on race and prejudice — and the teens who are affected by it and fighting it." —Cristina Arreola from Bustle

More Personally - Robin

My weekend highlight was attending the Mid-Atlantic SCBWI Conference. The keynote speaker, Pat Cummings, was both entertaining and inspiring, I got to catch up with many writing friends, and especially enjoyed the novel panel with Jonathan Roth, Mary Rand Hess, L.M. Elliot and Kwame Alexander.

More Personally - Stephani

This week I took my daughter and her friend to a book talk by author, Kati Gardner at Bookmarks.

Gardner spoke about her cancer diagnosis at eight and her desire to read books where kids with cancer don’t die. After all, she said, the cure rate for kids with cancer is high. But there are other challenges for kids who are cancer survivors, and that’s what Kati’s explored in her debut YA novel, Brave Enough.

Can’t wait to read!

Personal Links - Robin

• Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Will Finally Get a Movie Adaptation

• Talking to Cyberbullied Kids-- and to Bullies

• The Whiteness of PBS's Great American Read

Personal Links - Stephani

• Growing Up Surrounded by Books Could Have a Powerful, Lasting Effect on the Mind

Personal Links - Gayleen

• New Collection Showcases Leonard Cohen Was 'Preoccupied With Brokenness'

The Shadow - Part 2

This is a foldout from my copy of #3 (of 4), The Shadow: In the Coils of Leviathan, Dark Horse,  February, 1994.

Read more about The Shadow here. Where I learnt there are more than 30 Welles-starring episodes of The Shadow free at the Internet Archive.

A trip back in Halloween time!

You guys might remember photos from last year's Halloween trip to Farm Girl Antiques. There were plenty more cool displays on this year's trip! A couple of the items might look familiar from before but they're being shown in new ways.

How adorable is this sassy jack-o-lantern? Even the potato chip label on that container looks cool alongside these pumpkins. It has that same vintage/graphic flavor.

Same with that cracker box in this pic. I see "Fancy Crackers & Cakes" on this label, but I had it in my head that this was a box that held firecrackers. Maybe that's because of the sun that looks sort of like a sparkler.

That little triangle with a cat face on it is a hat. It might be hard to see, but there are little silver jingle bells on its corners.

I really like how this picture ended up, just really simple with the black, white, and orange. And I can imagine the kid in this costume carrying that lantern.

It may be hard to tell what's going on here, but this circle is a magnifier and it's in front of a page in a book. I don't think I've ever seen a magnifier that sits upright like that. It looks like something that should be in a science lab.

Spiders in a bottle:

These cut-outs were placed on an old school desk, which seemed appropriate. They look like something that could be hanging as a decoration on a schoolroom wall.

These orange frames are so beautiful. I like the way Venetian glass frames glow. And how perfect is Carole Lombard and a black cat in there? Note the jar of skulls behind her.

The sister frame to that one had another cool pic of a girl with her cat in it. The reflection on that picture was a total accident, but I like the way her face is hidden. I think that makes her look ghostly.

"Essence of common vampire BAT SPLEEN ~ Use with caution" The essence of tiny spleens. If you think about that, it sounds like a pretty tedious process. Especially if you read further: "Steeped in brine for three hundred days and nights"

Some displays like this one go with the "Farm Girl" name. I thought those orange lights were so cute on that old woodwork. Those are vintage napkins in the frame at the bottom.

You can step out into the old window display area in the front of the store. You know, the area mannequins might have been displayed back when this was a clothing store. That's where I took the next several photos.

I like this one because there are all kinds of reflections going on. Reflections of the buildings across the street, of that architectural element, and of a building in the mirror. I'm not even sure which direction that building in the mirror was facing. There could be a reflection of a reflection thing going on.

You might have noticed the old tin ceiling in previous pics.

You can imagine this as a large clothing store back in the day, right?

In the middle of the store was this fashionable skeleton, riding in her carriage.

She even has a cat in her lap.

A tiny, velvety pumpkin was the trip souvenir. Check out the cute label on top of it. Like in a few of these other photos, I'm just now noticing some of the type close-up. "Serving witches since 1674"

There it is in all its adorable fuzziness.

So there's another year's fun trip to the antique store! Did you see anything that you would have wanted to take home?

P.S. ~ If you'd like to revisit last year's shopping adventure: 

An Antique Halloween Atmosphere

Spoiler / Спойлер

Hey, Angels!

Do you love teddy bears?

***

Здравейте, Ангелчета!

Обичате ли меченца

xoxo

Prikazna

Native Author-Illustrator Interview: Jonathan Nelson

By Traci Sorell

for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Today we welcome Diné (Navajo) artist Jonathan Nelson to discuss his journey as an illustrator and his recently published debut picture book.

Johnny, your Wool of Jonesy (Native Realities, 2016), a wordless graphic novel won the American Indian Library’s Association Middle Grade Honor Book Award earlier this year. 

Now your first picture book, First Laugh – Welcome Baby, written by the late Rose Ann Tahe, a fellow Diné creator, and Nancy Bo Flood (Charlesbridge, 2018), is out in the world. 

From the promotional copy:

The First Laugh Ceremony is a celebration held to welcome a new member of the community. 

As everyone—from Baby's nima (mom) to nadi (big sister) to cheii (grandfather)—tries to elicit the joyous sound from Baby, readers are introduced to details about Navajo life and the Navajo names for family members. 

Back matter includes information about other cultural ceremonies that welcome new babies and children, including man yue celebration (China), sanskaras (Hindu) and aquiqa (Muslim). 

What brought you to illustrate this book featuring Diné culture? 

Yes, thank you. It’s been crazy seeing this unfold with my art. I’ve been drawing since I was five years old, so I’ve been working at this a while now. It was Nancy Bo Flood who introduced me, and my work, to Charlesbridge. I shared my portfolio and they loved what they saw.

Although my recent work has been based around Jonesy and sheep, I was excited to change direction by illustrating Diné people.

Diné Man and His Hat, Ballpoint pen and whiteout on paper by Jonathan Nelson, used with permission.

Tell us about your illustration apprenticeship. How did you take your art from a beginner level to publishable? How has your style evolved over time? 

Well, I suppose my apprenticeship began in elementary school. It began with tracing. I traced Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and X-Men.

In middle school, I started copying, because I wanted the character I was drawing to be larger on my ruled school paper. Without realizing it, I was learning about size, proportion, scale, space, and perspective.

In high school, I began drawing with a ballpoint pen, because I didn’t like how my sketchbooks were smudged with pencil drawings. I would still draw superheroes, but they became more expressive. Their features became more exaggerated; the arms and legs were longer and the hands and feet were bigger.

Frybread Warriors, Ballpoint pen on paper, 10”x 7,” 2016,
by Jonathan Nelson, used with permission.

After high school, I worked a lot of different jobs, but none were art-related. So, as an untraditional college student, I went back to school years later. I learned how to turn my drawings into shirt graphics or digital paintings.

It wasn’t until graduate school at University of Arizona when I developed the narrative around Diné culture using sheep.

Navajo Sheep by Jonathan Nelson, used with permission.

I always tell students that your time in school is the time to build the work you want to do for the rest of your life. So, I spent the last couple of years of school writing and drawing what would become Jonesy.

We’re lucky that we can search our favorite artists now and see results in seconds. We print these out and have a reference in hand! Over the years I kept collecting comics, graphic novels, and art books about logos, illustrations, artists and painters. I could see how other artists were creating their art and borrowed techniques to make my own art.

Fitting In, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20, 2013 by Jonathan Nelson, used with permission.

What craft and career advice do you have for Native artists who might be interested in illustrating books for children? 

Draw, paint, or illustrate what you love. There are so many avenues for every type of art. There are many stories out there that are looking for art, so as long as you have your portfolio to share someone will come along and want to work with you.

For a long time, I tried to cater to a specific style on someone’s project. It didn’t seem to work out, so I stopped trying to copy someone else’s work. I began to draw what I wanted to draw. I like big, flat Chuck Taylors and large hands or hooves on my characters.

I love how the lines from my ballpoint pen aren’t clean, but together you can see a glass filled with water or thick wool or sagebrush.

Sheep in the Landscape No. 3, oil on canvas, by Jonathan Nelson, used with permission.

What books do you have coming up next?

I’m illustrating another children’s book called Hey, Dog (written by Tony Johnston (Charlesbridge, 2019)) at the moment. It’s a boy who tries to befriend a homeless dog. I just finished the sketches and got the okay to “paint” the final art.

I'm creating the art in the same fashion as First Laugh by drawing with a ballpoint pen. I scan the drawings and digitally paint the art in Photoshop.

I’m slowly chipping away at Jonesy II. I have the story written and have drafts and outlines to part 6. Jonesy is overdue, but my work as a creative consultant keeps me busy on graphic & web design and illustration projects. I’m looking forward to these upcoming projects!

Wado, Jonathan, for visiting with me about First Laugh – Welcome Baby!

Cynsational Notes

Jonathan Nelson is a visual artist. He is Diné (Navajo) and born into his mother’s clan, the Towering House Clan (Kiiyaa'áanii), and born for his father’s clan, Mexican Clan (Naakai Dine’é).

Jonathan holds a master’s degree in visual communication from the University of Arizona and specializes as an illustrator, fine artist, and creative consultant.

Born and raised in the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Jonathan began his art experience drawing on wide-ruled paper on the kitchen table at age five. He collected comic books and started tracing Spiderman, X-Men, Hulk, and many others. Elementary tracing evolved into freehand drawings with No. 2 school pencils. His drawing has evolved into a career as a creative professional.

Nowadays, he works in ballpoint pen and paint to showcase modern vast high desert landscapes filled with sheep. The landscapes, and his other works, bring to light the sustaining life of indigenous culture and its on-going struggle in a Eurocentric driven society.

Visit his website to view upcoming events and other works on politics, racism, tribal identity, stereotypes, and environment. Ahéhee'

Traci Sorell covers picture books as well as children's-YA writing, illustration, publishing and other book news from Indigenous authors and illustrators for Cynsations. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga illustrated by Frané Lessac (Charlesbridge Sept. 4, 2018) is her first nonfiction picture book and a 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection. The story, which has received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, features a panorama of modern-day Cherokee cultural practices and experiences, presented through the four seasons. It conveys a universal spirit of gratitude common in many cultures.

In fall 2019, her first fiction picture book, At the Mountain’s Base, illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre will be published by Penguin Random House’s new imprint, Kokila.

Traci is represented by Emily Mitchell of Wernick & Pratt Literary Agency.

Watch a video of author Rose Ann Tahe reading First Laugh, Navajo Baby.