Running through the sprinkler with Charlotte

During Iowa’s massive drought (one of those climatic markers of seasons and times in agricultural areas), in the roasty toasty summer of 1988, my whole family sat outside in the backyard at our house on 21st Street in Cedar Rapids, Iowa by a small fire reading The Long Winter from the Little House on the Prairie books well into the evening, enjoying the vicarious cooling that their 19th century winter transmitted to our 20th century selves.

My mom read to the three of us all the time and it remains one of my favorite things; someone reading a story out loud to me is up among the most relaxing things I can imagine. When I was little, we read the Narnia books, Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, James Herriot’s animal stories, The Hobbit, The Phantom Tollbooth, Lafcadio, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, Corduroy, The Nutcracker, The Phantom of the Opera…and so much more. My mom’s nightly routine ensured our young lives were downright packed with fantasy (which is probably a good thing when both parents’ income depends on the success of theatre and visual arts in Iowa!).

Now, Charlotte and I read everything we can get our hands on; she heard a large chunk of John Irving’s most recent novel at two months old and we’ve graduated to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, and George & Martha books. Part of me can’t wait until she’s about 6 or 7 and we get to read the really fun ones!

On Father’s Day this year (Matt’s first Father’s Day!), we were out and about and stopped in to Unnameable Books, a classic bookstore with a smart mix of used and new volumes. Matt picked up a copy of E.B. White’s One Man’s Meat, a collection of the monthly essays the author wrote for Harper’s Bazaar from 1938 to 1943. Each essay is quick, smart, and easily digestible; perfect bedtime stories since they clock in between 13 and 17 minutes apiece.

I know Mr. White’s writing mostly from his smart animals in Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, and these essays are, in some ways, like reading a version of those stories for adults. He chronicles his years in Maine away from New York City, itemizes the expenses of his small farm (including the actual cost of raising a Thanksgiving turkey…$463), his love for his sheep and chickens, and his poetic despair for the world around him turned on end by the war across the ocean from his small plot.

As we’ve read these stories to each other each night after we put away our work but before we tuck in for the night, I’m reminded of how important it is to do the things we loved as children. There are so many expressions of just plain fun that melt away from our lives as we age, figuring out which path is the right path (the one you’re on!), and focusing on the things that are most meaningful in our lives. Part of that meaning we treasure so much now was derived from the joy and pleasure we felt as children and there’s honestly nothing better than the feeling of looking at someone or something with fresh eyes and curiosity, and drinking up every last drop.

My thanks to Mr. White for the oceans of drops he shared with the world.

February, July, and September calendar images from the book of Belles Heures / All images from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

There’s an unbelievably fine level of detail and an unabashedly ornate and sumptuous approach to materials and design in these pages. The border decorations are intricate, careful, and lavish and the text is stunningly calligraphed. The inset miniature paintings (often in the neighborhood of 2″ x 3″ or smaller) are perfection and, while occasionally quotidian scenes, also depict stunningly violent and grotesque images of saints’ trials and martyrdom.

It’s only April, but I’m already on to calendar ideas for 2011. I’m drawing up a storm and I think I’ve got something fun in the works – and it’s definitely inspired by the illumination exhibit.

Image from Brooklyn Museum site / Walton Ford (American, b. 1960). The Far Shores of Scholarship, 2003. Watercolor, gouache, pencil, and ink on paper. Courtesy of Paul Kasmin Gallery

And, last but not least, I’m getting excited to see this Walton Ford show at Paul Kasmin Gallery in the next couple of weeks! There are also some beautiful intaglio etchings on view on the gallery’s site. We saw a fantastic exhibit of his work 3 1/2 years ago at the Brooklyn Museum and ever since then I can’t get enough!

We’re doing our best to fight off the February malaise with bright colors, a little work, a little play, a little reading, a little drawing, and inspiring talks and thoughts wherever we can get them. These are three of the best that came across my radar this week. It doesn’t get much better than listening to people who love what they do talk about their work:

Richard Feynman on asking, “Why?”

Maira Kalman’s TED talk on her own work:

Michael Bierut on working with clients (part of the series of Creative Mornings talks here in Brooklyn):

2010/01 Michael Bierut from CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

Enjoy the weekend – I think we’ve all earned it!

These are a few of my favorites – there are plenty more, but I figured some degree of editing was key to keeping this from turning in to a multi-page post!

Rosie’s Best / Iowa City, IA
This first recommendation is near and dear. Alicia (Alicia Rose, hence Rosie’s Best) is a close friend, a generous person, and a fantastic cook. She’s just launched her own line of fabulous handmade goods, including hot chocolate sets with fluffy homemade marshmallows, granola, and much more. Having used many of Alicia’s recipes (from her fantastic blog), I can attest to her culinary instincts and intelligence. She not only makes food with care, but with an eye toward local products, amazing taste, and sustainability. Alicia’s passion for food is obvious and I am so excited to see her venture take off! (image from Rosie’s Best)

moop / Pittsburgh, PA
I’m late to the game, as their holiday order deadlines have passed, but Moop’s amazing handmade bags are sewn to order and are both stylish and sturdy. Matt got me the Market Bag for my birthday this year and it’s the perfect large size without being unwieldy, plus has plenty of pockets to keep things organized. And, it’s now doing extra duty as a diaper/blanket/extra outfit bag, as well, and couldn’t be better! (image from moop)

Campbell Steele Gallery / Marion, Iowa
I could (and have) made long lists of favorites at the gallery and, believe me, I have done my fair share of gift shopping there for the last several years! Whether you gift one of Brent Cox’s ubiquitous glass balls that have enjoyed a regular rotation in the front windows over the last 18 years or so, handmade (and oh-so-stylish) jewelry, functional pottery by Nate & Hallie Evans, a cast bronze key fob or Bathtub Toes by Max Cast Foundry, I’m confident the gallery will provide you with a huge choice of beautiful (and fun!) gift options. Personal favorites also include any of my mom’s pieces, delicate blown glass by Angelo Fico, and Toby McGee’s breathtaking landscape bowls. (image from Campbell Steele Gallery)

Little Sapling Toys / Boise, Idaho
I’m a big fan of simple things made from natural materials for little ones. Give me something carefully made that will last for several different ages and I’m set. As we’ve jumped into the pool of parenthood, I’ve been thinking about all the toys and things that I had and loved as a kid and have come to learn that many of them were very, very Montessori; brown stairs, shape sorters (I still remember learning what a quatrefoil was and it’s still one of my favorites!), stacking rings, and colored cups. Little Sapling makes beautifully simple toys and teething rings and I found myself drooling over their work this week, and figured I had to share! (image from Little Sapling Toys)

There are so many more folks I could rave about, but this is a start, anyway! Enjoy poking around their sites and feel free to add more suggestions in the comments!

More about the mountain of work going on around here soon!

There are so many books that I loved when I was little, and others that I’ve learned about recently. I want to share a few Campbell/Steele family favorites, plus some new titles. And, let’s be honest, these may technically be for kids, but I don’t think you need someone under 18 with you to enjoy them. And, again, support your local booksellers!

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• If you only base your moral principles in life on one book, I can’t think of a better one than Charlotte’s Web. In addition to being our own baby girl’s namesake, my mom quoted the arachnid Charlotte at our wedding and left not a dry eye in the house. This is a portion of the passage with which she wowed the assembled company: “You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
• This was and is a favorite of mine. The illustrations are amazing – who doesn’t love Mickey’s little plane made of bread dough?!? – and the story is nothing but sweet and wonderful. I think I chanted, “I’m in the milk and the milk’s in me! God bless milk and god bless me!” for many years to my parents. Honestly, anything by Maurice Sendak has my vote, and we were equally big fans of Where the Wild Things Are and Outside Over There.

Pa’s Balloon by Art Geisert
• When we were growing up, my mom did a very busy circuit of art fairs all over the Midwest. Quite often, all 5 of the Campbell Steeles would make the trip to Galena, Peoria, Madison, Rockford, Cedar Falls, Des Moines, Grinnell, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, or Kansas City. We met a huge number of artists doing the same circuits, among them Galena printmaker, author and illustrator Art Geisert. The favorite of Art’s in our house was Pa’s Balloon, but he has a number of fantastic books with delicate, intricate, and whimsical illustrations and stories.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly designed and illustrated by Jeremy Holmes
• This book is stunningly illustrated, and makes use of such fun backgrounds and textures. The construction is amazing, especially for something that was published and (relatively) mass produced. It’s a traditional story, but given new life by the incredible quality of these new images and details. There are a number of tiny additions, and I can’t wait to see a copy in person. I highly recommend checking out Jeremy Holmes’s site and flipping through his portfolio. He does wonderful work!

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd
• Nick’s debut novel is a little different from the other titles listed, since it’s definitely a young adult/high school read. This chronicle of life as a gay teenager in Iowa is a mix of humor, malaise, and self discovery. Nick and I have known each other since we were about six years old and I have known Nick as a great writer since our freshman year of high school. It is unbelievably exciting to see his work come to fruition and be recognized for the strength of his writing. (The book was just named one of the Most Notable Kids Books of 2009 by the Times, so I’m not just biased!)

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
• This isn’t really a kids book, but an all ages book. It’s a beautiful, fun, heartbreaking, heartfelt, and soulful story. I will always hear my dad as the little boy, Buddy, and our dear family friend Elisabeth Young as his friend, the old woman. My dad and Elisabeth did a live reading of this story for many Liars Theatre holiday shows when I was growing up and it left the audience with shining, teary eyes every time (you’ll notice my parents have a knack for poignancy of that sort). It’s an incredible story and one of my favorites for this time of year.

And a few more quick ones…
• Pretty much any Caldecott Medal winners and honorees… Personal favorites include When I Was Young in the Mountains and Many Moons.
• Plus any Newbery Medal winners and honorees… those favorites would have to be Maniac Magee, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, Doctor DeSoto, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Rascal Sterling North (as we called it in our house!), and last, but certainly not least, A Wrinkle in Time.

There are so many more books I could include here…but let’s be honest, no one wants to read a 14 page blog post. So, I’ll leave you with these – and feel free to recommend your favorites in the comments!

I have another set of recommendations, this time for handmade gifts, that I’ll share on Sunday or Monday. There will be an especially exciting inclusion of a dear friend’s brand new venture…so stay tuned!

I want to do something totally different from my usual posts this time around. I want to share some book recommendations (of the reading sort, not the handbound sort), whether for you to gift, or just for your own to-read list!

I read a lot (nursing a 2 month old gives you lots of time for that!), and chat with friends about what they’re reading, so I think this is a decent assortment – enjoy! And, if you decide to purchase any of these, see if you can support your local bookstore (Unnameable Books in Brooklyn and Prairie Lights in Iowa City are both fantastic!) – believe me, they’ll appreciate it!

• Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
This is John Irving’s newest novel and, as a devout fan, I loved it. I will say, though, that Irving is an author you either love or hate – a fan of his will love this one. It’s full of all the usual idiosyncracies…dogs with one ear, car accidents, a little wrestling, a bear…but with a plot that is completely different and thoroughly engaging. For the record, my personal Irving favorite will probably always be Hotel New Hampshire; full of those idiosyncracies, and entirely captivating.

• The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
This is not a new novel, and also not for the faint of heart. There are a number of surprisingly vivid and sudden scenes that I found unexpected, but totally captivating. This is beautfully written, but probably most appealing to someone with an interest in North Africa and a stomach for the slightly absurd and gruesome. In a past life, when I used to sell private tours of Morocco, this was on our recommended reading list…I’m not sure I’d suggest reading it before going to North Africa, but it’s unquestionably a great look at cultural differences in a very particular time period of travel.

• Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
My all-time favorite. Stegner’s writing is crafted with such care that you find yourself appreciating not only the story but its cadence and the beauty of its construction. If there’s a metaphor lover you know, this is almost a surefire hit. There are gorgeous short passages, but Stegner’s brilliance is in his construction of a large, complicated story. His Crossing to Safety is a close second for all the same reasons.

• Christopher Alexander’s The Timeless Way of Building
Matt introduced me to this book and it quickly became a favorite. Set up in unbelievably digestible small sections, it’s essentially a how-to for designing and using our living, working, and playing spaces in the best ways possible. It’s a great combination of simple, practical, and philosophical, plus logical, calm, and beautiful. One of my favorite passages is the one my dad uses as his email signature: “The power to make buildings beautiful lies in each of us already. It is a core so simple, and so deep, that we are born with it. This is no metaphor. I mean it literally. Imagine the greatest possible beauty and harmony in the world-the most beautiful place that you have ever seen or dreamt of. You have the power to create it, at this very moment, just as you are.”

There are a zillion more I could throw out here, but that’s a start! I’m also going to put together a few more recommendations in the next week – one of children’s books, and another of totally handmade work – both full of things that make me happy, and that might be helpful to have in your back pocket this time of year!

By the way, has anyone figured out how to squeeze about 17 extra hours out of the day? I’d love to know…