Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Madame Tutli-Putli

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This little gem, created using stop-motion animation, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short. (It also won a handful of other awards.) The animation is phenomenal in parts. One of the creators mentioned in the extras that they didn't intend it to be a novel, so to speak, but more of a little poem, and that they were really trying to create a certain mood. Nonetheless, there are some interesting theories about the meaning of the film on the message boards at IMDb.

Madame Tutli-Putli (17:21), without words, written and directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, with special visual effects by Jason Walker; puppets, sets, and animation by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski; choreography by Laurie Maher; and music direction by David Bryant and Jean-Frédéric Messier.

Friday, March 26, 2010

"Compassion and Mercy" (and other stories)

"Clare scrabbled in the bottom of her bag for the house key, furiously tossing tissues and pens and Chap Sticks and quarters onto the walk, and thinking with every toss, What's your hurry? This is your last moment of not knowing, stupid, slow down."

This is a section of "Compassion and Mercy," a short story by Amy Bloom, from her new collection, Where the God of Love Hangs Out (Random House, 2010). The book includes four stories about William and Clare, four (three of them reprints from earlier collections) about Lionel and Julia, and four unlinked stories. "Between Here and Here" is a real standout, as was "By-and-By," originally published in Ms. in 2004.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Spring 2010 issue of the Apple Valley Review

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The Spring 2010 issue of the journal features fiction by Wendy Fox and Courtney McLean; poetry by Vince Corvaia, Simon Perchik, Avra Wing, G. L. Grey, Darlene Pagán, Cal Freeman, Elizabeth Levinson, April Lindner, Jim Murdoch, Pat Daneman, Floyd Cheung, Linda King, Dan O’Brien, T. J. Jarrett, Anthony Liccione, Hal Sirowitz, and Joanne Lowery; essays by Jennifer A. Howard and J. W. Young; and artwork by Yevgenia Nayberg.

The Apple Valley Review is a semiannual online literary journal. The current issue, previous issues, subscription information, and complete submission guidelines are available at www.applevalleyreview.com.