Dog Art Today

Banned Books Authors And Their Dogs

John Steinbeck and Charley, November 1962, Bettman/CORBIS

 

Kurt Vonnegut with Pumpkin, a Lhasa Apso, NYC, January 17, 1982 by Jill Krementz

 

William Styron and Aquinnah, Roxbury, Connecticut, April 29, 1979 by Jill Krementz

Ernest Hemingway and his dog; date, photographer and dog's name unknown

Jack London and his dogs in the Yukon via Bohemian.com

Stephen King with his Corgi Marlowe, Bangor, Maine, July 20, 1995 by Jill Krementz

Gertrude Stein on the terrace of her villa at Biliguin with Pepe and Basket I, photographed by Carl Van Vechten via Room 26 Cabinet of Curiosities

Robert Penn Warren with Frodo, his Cocker Spaniel, Wardsboro, Vermont, July 31, 1971 by Jill Krementz

Frodo is named after the J.R.R. Tolkein character and was immortalized in Warren's poem, “Rumor Verified.”

English cocker: old and blind
But if your hand
Merely touches his head,
Old faithe comes flooding back—and ...
The paw descends, His trust is infinite
In you ...

Little Red Riding Hood Was a Banned Book

 

 

Little Red Riding Hood by Gérard Rancinan, 2003

 

In 1989, an illustrated edition of Little Red Riding Hood was banned in two California school districts.  The book shows the heroine taking food and wine to her grandmother.  The school districts cited concerns about the use of alcohol in the story.  Seriously.  

I don't know what exact version caused the uproar, but there are so many artistic interpretations of the story, I thought I would round up some of my favorites in honor of our freedom to read fairy tales.  Especially the Grimm kind.

 

Little Red Cap by Rilla

 

Little Red Riding Hood Papercuts by Cindy Ferguson via even*cleveland

 

Little Red Riding Hood by Eugenio Recueno

 

Little Red Riding Hood by Walter Crane

 

Born by Kiki Smith via even*cleveland

And perhaps the coolest version ever.  Click on the arrow to view...

Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

 

Banned Books Are Not Awful Books

 

If ever there was a case for the insitution of professional librarians, as opposed to outsourced hires working for minimum wage, it's Awful Library Books.  The blog, started by Michigan librarians Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly, features outdated and ridiculous titles that have been mercifully culled from the stacks.  Go there now if you need a good laugh.  Seriously, it's one of the funniest blogs on the Web. 

Thank you, Madame Librarians, for your good taste and sense of humor.  Just brilliant!

Via The Pittsburgh-Post Gazette.

Dog Art Today Celebrates Banned Books Week

 
The Call of the Wild  first edition book cover, published in 1903

 

Since 1982, the last week in September has been dedicated Banned Books Week, described as the celebration of the freedom to read, and sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the National Association of College Stores and endorsed by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress.  The week is also a celebration of libraries, bookstores, and favorite books.  Our California county recently defeated a proposal to outsource the libary to a private company based in Maryland.  Depressingly, The New York Times reports that many counties are not so lucky.  Also, Grass Valley recently almost lost one of the most exquisite book stores in town called Words on Paper.  Somehow, even during the Worst Financial Crisis Since the Great Depression (TWFCSTGD), it has stayed open.   So this week, consider stopping by the library to give your librarian an extra "thank you," and if you buy books (I am more of a library girl), pop into your local bookstore and spend your dollars there.

In honor of Banned Books Week, I am going to post about dogs and books all week. 

GOOD has an interesting graphic of the most targeted books in 2009.

If you need a good book to read, visit my cousin Clair Lamb's 2009 incarnation of her Answer Girl blog (this year she is doing songs not books so make sure to click on 2009 in the archives).  She is a passionate reader and every recommendation she has ever given me has been terrific.  Be warned, Clair is partial to murder mysteries.  I'm not, but still consider her the best book-picker I know.

If you have any recommendations for great dog books, dog loving authors, or librarians, leave a commet below.

P.S. According to the University of Pennsylvania's Online Books Page, in 1929 The Call of the Wild was banned by Italy and Yugoslavia for being too radical. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily L. Eibel's Rural Dogs

 

Her bio reads, "Emily L. Eibel wants a cabin in the woods, but for now, she lives in Brooklyn."  If sewing is a form of casting spells, a rustic life is not far off.

 

 

Visit Emily L. Eibel's website for more information.  Via The Jealous Curator.