Chronicle Books Blog

From October 2007 through May of 2008, we hosted an exciting creativity contest inspired by our Scribbles, Doodles, Squiggles, and Doodle All Year books by Taro Gomi. Bookstores, specialty retailers, schools, and libraries were mailed postcards with Taro Gomi’s art, which entrants were asked to doodle, paint, and draw on to their heart’s content, in the process creating original works of art of their own. Amazon.com and Costco even got in on the action, directing their customers to enter through our online contest page with downloadable Taro Gomi prints. Hundreds of entries were received, and selecting the best five was difficult to say the least!

Here’s an idea of what everyone had to start with:

With the help of our children’s design department, we were able to narrow the entries down and decided on 12 finalists. Next, Taro Gomi was contacted in Japan, and after much thought, he got back to us last week with his selection of the five grand-prize winners!

Kaitryn Hinchey

Gillian Ramirez

Kelsey Bryan Zwick

Alexander Zakel

Julie Hahs

As you can see, they really took this challenge to the next level! We’d like to extend a hearty congratulations to these budding artists, who will each receive a deluxe art set, a limited edition autographed Taro Gomi print, and a full collection of Chronicle’s Taro Gomi books.

Check out the other seven finalists:

Page Redford

Jordan Kovacs

Mackenzie McCarty

Emily Stackhouse

Danielle Nekimken

Caroline Lambert

Elizabeth Irvine

Thanks to the hundreds of fans who entered! This was a really fun project to work on and we were all amazed at how creative each and every one of you were–no matter what age. Stay tuned for more Chronicle Kids’ contests and more great Taro Gomi products!

Thanks again for your support!

Pete Bohan
Children’s Marketing Manager

Red Army Beef Kebabs

Armed with sirloin chunks and near-lethal amounts of onions and parsley, this fallen-away recipe for shashlik returns a Ruskie classic to its euphoric glory. Follow your marching orders: marinate for 6 hours, thread, grill to medium-rare, and baste frequently to keep up the juicy morale. Eaters of the world unite-for the Kebab Party.

Marinade
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup red wine
1/3 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds top sirloin, cut into 2-inch cubes
12 small fresh mushrooms
2 red onions, cut into wedges
Vegetable oil for the grill

1. In a large glass bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Soak eight 10- to 12-inch bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas or electric grill to medium-high.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the marinade; reserve the marinade for basting. Thread the meat, mushrooms, and onions alternately onto each of the skewers.

4. Brush the grill grate with vegetable oil. For medium-rare kebabs, grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side, basting occasionally.

Serves 4

Purchase Patio Daddy-O at the Grill.

Click here for more great recipes.

Peter Perez
Senior Marketing Manager

The Loop Architectural Walk

Home to countless design marvels, Chicago has broken new ground architecturally for more than a century. This overview points out some of the Loop’s highlights.

Bus: 156. El: Quincy (Brown, Orange lines).

Begin at W. Randolph Street and N. La Salle Street at the James R. Thompson Center (1; 100 W. Randolph Street). The design of this controversial building, with its unusual sloping glass façade, was unprecedented when it was erected in the 1980s. Enter to view the soaring rotunda. Out front is Jean Dubuffet’s renowned sculpture Monument with Standing Beast. Head east to N. Dearborn Street to view the relatively diminutive, ornate Delaware Building (2; 36 W. Randolph Street), the oldest building in the Loop. Continue one block, turning right on N. State Street at the massive Marshall Field’s building (3; #111). Although now a Macy’s, Marshall Field’s was a beloved Chicago institution dating back to1853. The jewel in its crown is the ceiling’s Tiffany Dome, the largest glass mosaic of its kind. On the next block you’ll spy the terra-cotta Reliance Building (4; W. Washington Street), an icon of the Chicago school of architecture. Continue south to the Carson Pirie Scott Building (5; 1 S. State Street), a Louis Sullivan building famous for its elaborate entrance. Turn right on W. Madison Street and left on S. Dearborn Street to cross through the plaza (6) south of the First National Bank of Chicago, a relatively new building with a curved façade. Turn left on N. Clark Street, right onto W. Monroe Drive, and south on N. Franklin Street to get to Sears Tower (7; 233 S. Wacker Drive).

Purchase City Walks Chicago

Cheers,

Hannah Cox
Marketing Manager

© 200 Christina Henry de Tessan
Maps © 2007 by Bart Wright

The other day a designer friend of mine asked me, “Are you a member of the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists)?” She wondered how I kept in touch with the design community—as an in-house designer at a large corporation, she can bounce ideas off of a few colleagues, but was looking for further creative support. So I thought about it, and here are some of the ways I find design inspiration:

There are always changes in technology, trends, typefaces, and professional struggles. Connecting with other designers helps you stay stimulated and engaged. (It’s not enough that graphic design is everywhere you look.) At Chronicle Books, the designers congregate in an airy corner of the building, which is flooded with natural light and an array of inspirational materials, from handmade stationery to mini bocce ball sets. We have show-and-tell meetings to share our design questions and mull over neat finds. Everyone here, not just the design department, seems to have some sort of outside artistic endeavor, from choir singing to improv theater. An appreciation for design happens naturally. It is not uncommon for us to find “must-have” design books by our editors’ desks or to end up chatting about an artist or design project we love.

As nice as it is to be able to turn around and instantly survey five other designers on line length, leading, or cover color options, we are not an insular group of book-loving grid-mongers. Yes, we are members of the AIGA. I highly recommend their CompostModern conference in San Francisco and their biennial national convention, as well as their many lectures by prominent designers. We also work with a lot of outside designers who never fail to bring something new into the fold.

Another constant source of inspiration: design magazines and annuals. When the first issue of Task by Emmet Byrne, Alex DeArmond, and Jon Sueda came out, we jumped to get it and it’s been slowly making the rounds from designer to designer (it’s not a quick read). When Jake Gardner returned from a Geoff McFetridge show at Mollusk, we all drooled over the art in the monograph and the book design. I’m dying to get my hands on the first issue of Design Mind, published by Frog Design.

We stay connected to the design community through one another, conferences, lectures, art shows, magazines, and, of course, blogs. When waiting for our galleys to print, or when simply seeking inspiration, DesignSponge, Book By It’s Cover, Grain Edit, and DesignObserver are some of the sites that often come to the rescue. I can’t possibly mention all the blogs, magazines, and design-friends that keep us connected and inspired, and more is always welcome. (Leave a comment with your favorites too!)

As I’m writing this post, illustrators Mike Perry (Hand Job, Hit Me With Your Best Shot and the upcoming craft pad Iron Me On), Jim Stoten, and textile designer Brie Harrison, along with photographer Anna Wolf stopped by our offices for a visit. Now this is the dreamiest way to connect with our creative community. The only thing better than an office visit from the artists you dig, is the plan we made to get drinks together after work.

Suzanne LaGasa
Designer

Rule Your Relationships

So here we are. I’ve arrived at my final blog entry along this journey toward organizational enlightenment, and if I’m lucky, maybe a few of you Chronicle Books blog-readers are still out there with me. If I’m really lucky, a handful of you have been organizing your lives simultaneously. You might be wondering, “So, what’s left to do?’ According to Meryl, the list of organizing tasks is infinite, but once you have the impetus to change, you can focus your sights on anything that troubles you. One of the “heavy hitters” is the social calendar. “Remember, you’ve cleaned up your financial act, you’ve caught up on the to-dos, you’ve learned how to manage your calendar, and even structure your time, but what about your friends and family? Are they benefiting from your organization? It’s time to manage your relationships in a more systematic way.” I’m intrigued by this one…

Within minutes of my conversation with Meryl, I got it. I’m famous for broken plans, late RSVPs, and empty promises to plan lunch dates. These are telltale signs of social disaster. No wonder I’m always complaining that I never see my friends and I don’t have time to visit with my family. I’ve been using my “social time” irresponsibly – not valuing the time I have to devote to those I love. So Meryl suggests that I think about the important people in my life and consider the following – “Who,” “What,” “When,” and “How Long.”

“Who” do I want to see? Will they appreciate our time together? “What” will we do together? Do I enjoy it? “When” prompts me to consider which days really work. “How Long” reminds me to budget the time I can devote to the commitment. Meryl promises that by proactively managing my interactions I can limit frustration and maximize my precious time. So I gave it a shot. I can take control.
To protect the innocent, names have been changed. I got a call from Lisa who was in town for just a few days. Unfortunately her schedule conflicted with everything in my schedule – from work, to yoga, to my weekly drink date with friends. So rather than promising to juggle my calendar and “make things work,” sacrificing my plans, and struggling to enjoy the time, Lisa and I made a plan together. Lisa came to yoga class, and then we grabbed a light dinner afterward. I enjoyed my workout, I got to catch up, and I was home in time for bed! The satisfaction I felt giving Lisa a hug and tucking her into a cab was wonderful.

With this new approach to my social life it’s easy to make plans and commit to them, knowing that I have priorities and boundaries. And what’s more interesting is that my friends and family have responded well, too. Everyone appreciates it when you’re honest about your schedule – my friends value our time together when I meet them and lament that “My week is chock full so I’ll have to leave after a drink, but I can’t bear to miss our weekly chat session.” My Dad loves when I’m honest, “I can’t make it home this weekend, there’s too much to do, but next Saturday is all yours!” I never thought that limiting myself could be so liberating.

So there you have it. The last entry in my series of blogs on toiling to achieve organizational nirvana. You might wonder whether I’m there yet. No, probably not. “But you’ve got an amazing start!” Meryl reminds me. “And you want to change.” What about you?

This is the last post, so don’t forget that one lucky commenter will win an autographed copy of Meryl’s Personal Organizing Workbook and her Home Organizing Workbook. Isn’t that enough incentive to get organized!?

Allie Frey
Assistant to the President