Clippings
From the June 16th Contra Costa Times:
…GIVING KIDS THE CREEPS: The hype is hot and heavy from HarperCollins and elsewhere for what is being hailed as horrormeister Neil Gaiman’s (“American Gods,” the “Sandman” series, etc.) first full-scale novel for young children. “Coraline,” which has a publication date of July 2, will be launched nationwide from the Bay Area on that date at a full-length reading by the author sponsored by Cody’s Books of Berkeley. To cope with the expected surge of attendees, the event is being held at 6:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Gaiman, who began writing the book for his then-5-year-old daughter Holly 10 years ago, says children generally experience it as an adventure, but it gives adults nightmares. “It’s the strangest book I’ve written, it took the longest time to write, and it is the book I’m proudest of,” he says. Gaiman will read the work in two 90-minute segments broken up by an intermission at which time refreshments will be served. Tickets, available starting Monday at both Cody’s locations, are $10 for 17 and up and $5 for ages 8-16. You can order at 510-845-7852 or at info@codysbooks.com…
– Sue Gilmore
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Scott, who always finds such neat stuff, forwarded the following WisCon Report by Hank Luttrell. In it, Charles Vess talks a little about the differences between the illustrated and Avon versions of Stardust.
Vess allowed as how he had never read the Avon text, and he really wondered about it. Much of the story, he reminded me, was told in the illustrations, so he was uncertain how Gaiman had dealt with that when telling the story with text only. I said “I’ve talked to Gaiman about that, and I’ve compared the texts, and really he didn’t change much. He said he ‘tweaked’ it a little.” Some of the changes he did make are curious. I would have never noticed, but my wife pointed out that at a wedding, what were red and white roses in the graphic album become red, white and yellow in the novel. Yellow? This, from a fellow who dresses all in black and sees the world through smoke-colored glasses.
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From the 13 June Scotsman, with reference to the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August:
The children’s section of the book festival has doubled its events (to 300) and tripled its audience in the last three years, and this year’s programme is one of the finest yet. Expect two things: first, that no author will have a longer book-signing queue than the ever-popular Jacqueline Wilson; and second, that even if your children do not get the chance to see her, Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, and the mysterious Lemony Snicket will more than make up for it.
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Jeff Kapalka reviews the P. Craig Russell illustrated Murder Mysteries in the June 16th Syracuse Post Standard
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Neil is an honorary trustee of the New York City Comic Book Museum
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And the Morpheus and Daniel soft toys are really neat.