"oh mirror in the sky what is love? / can the child within my heart rise above?"

[larryhammer]

Okay Internets, you have FAILED me. Five years ago -- 5! -- David Macaulay published Mosque, and not ONE of you told me about it. Failed, I tell you.

Hmph.

[Poll #1903410]
---L.

Comments

[larryhammer]

One of the historical romances I've occasionally considered writing would essentially be Castle fanfic. (The other would be Paston Letters fanfic.)

---L.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

You left out Mill. ;p I've actually got signed copies of City and Building Big from when he was giving a talk at the National Post Office building in DC.

[larryhammer]

I almost included Mill, but dropped as being apparently little noticed; ditto Ship.

I still haven't read Building Big ...

I got my copy of Motel of the Mysteries signed during his Unbuilding tour, my first book signing ever.

---L.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Building Big is a bit of a slog, but it does give some fascinating trivia for the construction projects.

[larryhammer]

And, well, for the right sort of kid, the trivia about construction is EXACTLY the point of Macaulay.

---L.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

. . . okay, I'm officially jealous. Motel of the Mysteries is almost holy gospel for archaeologists. #trufact

[larryhammer]

With reason.

---L.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

I remember a story from a listserve I'm on about a woman who makes her own yarn with a drop spindle. Cue her finding an ancient drop spindle at a Native American museum marked "Ceremonial object". When she pointed it out to the curators they made get her own spindle from her car an demonstrate it so they cold video tape it.

[larryhammer]

:-)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

. . . okay, that's kind of pathetic. Spindle whorls are not exactly an uncommon find; they should have known what it was.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

*score*!!

Mill ftw!

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

oh dear...who?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Mill (1982, I believe). I used it as reference for a story I never wrote. I love the covers of all of them, though.

[larryhammer]

Right -- I really should have included that one.

---L.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

( was wrong about the date--it's 1983)

[larryhammer]

Picky, picky.

---L.

[snakypoet]

The internet has not failed me - though perhaps it took its time - in that you have now informed me of the existence of David M and his books.

Damn! More stuff to read, when I can hardly get through what there is already - but clearly this is essential. Which volume should I start with?

[larryhammer]

Either Cathedral, Castle, or City, I think -- they're him working in his classic mode of documenting the construction of a fictional structure, such as a Gothic cathedral, an English castle, a Roman colony city, or what have you. These are among his first books, and he learned how to draw humans as he went, but they already show in the details his quirky sense of humor. Thus humor comes out in a big way in books like Unbuilding, about the deconstruction of the Empire State Building, or Motel of the Mysteries, about the archeological excavation of a motel from the lost empire of Usa. I assume at least some of these would have been published down there, and reasonably available.

Have fun!

---L.

[snakypoet]

With the internet, and ereaders, pretty much anything's available. Many thanks.

[larryhammer]

*nod* Be aware, though, that these are large-format illustrated books, and the illustrations are much of the point.

---L.

[snakypoet]

Oh, OK. I see.

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

Huh. I knew only in passing about Cathedral, City, and Castle--that's what the local library had. *makes note on Reason's list*

[larryhammer]

His works for children had a variety of ages, but the Reason might be old enough for his actual picture books (one of which, Black and White, won a Caldecott for good reason). His construction books are probably better for once she gets a little older.

---L.

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

*nods* I remember the construction ones as visually very rich, which for her would be crowded and hard to see at this point, I think. Thanks for the suggestion.

[janni.livejournal.com]

I never thought tickeybox deserved a Caldecott (not even an honor) and all the buzz just left me confused, honestly.

[larryhammer]

It does seem to have lost some of its luster over time.

---L.