Earlier this week, we discovered a set of lovely golden Lord of the Rings-inspired nails over at io9, and we have to admit that we’ve been daydreaming about our perfect literary dream manicures ever since. After all, we’ve already gushed over (and failed at trying to replicate) these awesome Twin Peaks nails, so it’s only fair we give a little love to the literary side of fingernail-based super-fandom. Because if you’re serious about being a literary nerd, why not extend your love of books to the very tools that let you turn the pages and proclaim your great taste in reading material to the world all at once? Click through to get inspired by a few of our favorite works of literary nail art, and let us know which books you’re dying to have at your fingertips in the comments!
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Today at Flavorpill, we enjoyed this atmospheric video tribute to the films of David Lynch. We giggled through Todd Barry’s audition to be Advil’s spokesman. We read some of our favorite writers’ musings on the least important events of 2011. We danced along to Chapter 9 of Girl Walk // All Day. We adored these glamorous vintage photos of a modeling agency, ca. 1948. We appreciated this colorful video of Maurice Sendak explaining his work. We seconded each and every pick on this roundup of the year’s best grimy, scuzzy, noisy indie-rock albums. (Roomrunner! K-Holes! Times New Viking!) We thought it was very funny that NBC is recycling the costume Adrianne Palicki wore in its failed Wonder Woman pilot for use on Harry’s Law. We added these contemporary party-rock anthems — with the notable exception of the Skrillex track — to our New Year’s Eve playlist. We found these sketches of fallen childhood icons very depressing. And finally, we wished a very happy 65th birthday to Flavorpill patron saint Patti Smith — and an extraordinary New Year to our readers. We’ll be counting down our top 10 most popular posts of 2011 over the holiday weekend and will be back in action Monday.
After spotting a post on Brainpickings on these magical illustrations that Maurice Sendak created for a 1960s edition of The Velveteen Rabbit, we couldn’t resist hunting down other vintage children’s book illustrations — with wonderful results. Alongside the words of such adored authors as Beatrix Potter and Munro Leaf lay simple black-and-white sketches, vibrantly hued drawings, and eccentric portraits that serve as delightful embellishment to timeless stories. Not only do these illustrations lift the tales off of the page, but they have been a source of inspiration for artists and crafters over the past decades. Join us as we round up amazing vintage illustrations from children’s literature, and feel free to add your favorites in the comments.
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With All Hallows’ Eve around the bend, a select series of crafters and artisans have decided to pay homage to our favorite novels, authors, poems, and fairy tales through the art of pumpkin carving. But the specimens below aren’t your regular, run-of-the-mill, home-carved jack-o’-lanterns. Replacing canvas with pumpkin and paint brushes with lino cutters, each piece presents a glowing portrait of an influential writer or a scene ripped from the pages of their works.Check out our gallery of mesmerizing jack-o’-lanterns that honor literary greats like Edgar Alan Poe, William Shakespeare, and the Brothers Grimm after the jump.
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If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: Maurice Sendak’s ultimate wild child, Max.
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Everyone had a favorite book as a kid – you know, that tattered old thing you carried from room to room and made you parents read out loud to you over and over again, the one that you quoted until you were, um, a little too old to be doing so. We know our lives were shaped in part by the literature we loved as children, so inspired by this recent list of books every child should read, we got to thinking about what your favorite kids book back then might say about you now that you’re all grown up. Click through for our predictions, and do your best to take it with the grain of salt we intend – don’t worry, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory lovers, we’re not really accusing you of advocating slavery. Be sure to add to the fun and make up your own in the comments!
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1. Bill Murray will play FDR in an adaptation of the BBC radio play Hyde Park On the Hudson, which recounts the story of the president’s love affair with his distant cousin, Margaret Stuckley; the film will be directed by Morning Glory’s Roger Michell. [via Vulture]
2. Charlie Sheen and Snoop Dogg have reportedly laid down a track together. Maybe this means that Snoop will be coming along on Sheen’s live tour? [via Perez Hilton]
3. Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones will play Heather Locklear’s “younger hunky husband” in a new CBS comedy about life in Hollywood called The Assistants. [via Deadline]
4. Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak has reached an agreement with HarperCollins to publish Bumble-Ardy, the first book that he has both illustrated and written since 1981. If the title sounds familiar, it might be because it’s based on an animated segment for Sesame Street that aired in the early 1970s. [via UnBeige]
5. MTV has released the first official trailer for their Teen Wolf, and it’s just as angst and drama filled as you might have feared. [via io9]
Bonus link: Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof attempts to sum up his show in one tweet
Earlier this week Slate released their list of most influential octogenarians in America for 2010, highlighting men and women who are still culturally relevant in their 80s, 90s, and beyond (rock on, Wesley E. Brown). As with every year, there are plenty of “fresh old faces” (i.e. newly-qualified icons) as well as some veterans of the list. Assuming that most of you weren’t around for World War II, we’ve pulled together a cheat-sheet to Slate’s cultural relics in the arts — because while you might know who Maurice Sendak is, you probably didn’t realize that he was 4 months old when the stock market crashed in 1929.
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According to a recent New York Times article, picture books are losing popularity as over-eager yuppie parents push their toddlers toward “big-kid” alternatives. Although illustrated stories by Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and Maurice Sendak have continued to receive their widespread dues, children’s publishers have been forced to decrease their overall multi-media output and, in turn, the platform for new titles. In protest of this culturally impoverishing trend, here are five stunningly illustrated children’s books that are as engrossing and educational for kids of any age as their text-only counterparts.
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The American Library Association has just released its list of most frequently challenged books of 2009. Lauren Myracle’s ttyl, which is written instant message format, topped the list for its supposed “unsuitability to age group” claim. Suddenly we found ourselves wondering about the books that made the list before emoticons lost their novelty — or even existed, for that matter. Check out a roundup of some of the most surprisingly “controversial” books from the original list, which debuted 20 years ago, after the jump.
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