Chronicle Books Blog

Leave a comment on guest blogger John Carrera’s post below—one person selected at random will win copies of these two new Pictorial Webster’s items (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Though it may be the little sister to the bigger Pictorial Webster’s, the recently released Pictorial Webster’s Pocket Dictionary is its own book (I spent over a year laying it out). In addition, I’d like to draw your attention to the Pictorial Webster’s Artist and Writer’s Notebook, published earlier this year, which I’m really thrilled with as well.

I also want to let you in on a contest in which, if you guess correctly, you can win one of the hand-bound copies of Pictorial Webster’s valued at $3,500 plus an invitation to the opening of the show Life’s Work: The Artwork of Tom Phillips and Johnny Carrera. I’m planning the opening to be kind of a fashion show, too, with people wearing my one of a kind silkscreen images that also will be hung on the gallery walls.



The original trade edition of Pictorial Webster’s that came out in 2009 was more of a straightforward translation of a book that took me eight years to print and I’m still binding the 100 or so hand-printed copies. If you aren’t aware of the story behind the original book and want to see what you might win, please check out my little 8-minute video about it.


After the book came out I got a call from Chronicle suggesting that they might want to make a simpler, more affordable version of the book. Chronicle was thinking “gift book.” I didn’t like the idea of just merchandizing my book, but instead of just saying “no,” I took a look at the sample book they had in mind and I realized it would be a fun design challenge to pick the best images from the big book and see what happens in the smaller format.

I started to have a lot of fun with those little numbers accompanying each of the images. I figured I’d already printed numbers that don’t really have any bearing on our reality, so, “What would happen if I found meanings for the numbers?” I came up with 26 different ways of using numbers and each letter of the alphabet has a different numbering system.

One of my favorites is the L’s. L stands for Lilly as in Eli Lilly and the numbers are those found on various prescription drugs. You have probably seen the ad for Lunestra (S193) with the Luna Moth? How about Viagra (VR100)?



You get the idea—25 more letters to figure out and you can win my book and an invite to the MASS MoCA show opening March 23, 2013.

Click here for more on the contest.
The design staff liked these early samples I made for the Pocket version so much they suggested we make not one follow up project, but two!



The idea behind the Pictorial Webster’s Artist and Writer’s Notebook is that you can use the images on each page as a prompt for your writing or build a picture around it somehow. I had the idea of making ghost images in the background of each page as it always bums me out when I give someone a sketchbook or notebook and they say, “Oh, it was so beautiful I just couldn’t stand to make a mark in it.” (I now digress: You know that song “Heaven” by the Talking Heads? It took me YEARS to discover that “Heaven” is the name of a bar… and then I think of the Laurie Anderson song where she talks about walking into the Zig Zag bar… Have you been there? It’s a real place.) Did you follow me? This is what you are supposed to be doing with the journal—free associating and getting excited.




One last thing, if you want to see the hidden image on the back cover of Pictorial Webster’s Pocket Dictionary, peel off the label very carefully to find out what color is your parachute. (Unless you perhaps prefer my “Little Prince with Lever” image by the barcode.)

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We’re delighted to have Jeff Koehler back as guest blogger this week, giving us more wonderful stories plus a recipe from his recently released Morocco cookbook (for which he also happened to be the photographer). Let us know what you think of this recipe by leaving a comment below. One randomly selected individual will win a copy of Morocco (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

In Marrakech’s Mellah spice souk, a cool, fragrant place at the edge of the old Jewish quarter with dozens of spices shops, some no bigger than closets, I had a blend called ras el hanout ground for my taste—more aromatic than picante, to be used in lamb tagines that contain a sweet element such as prunes or dried apricots. Morocco’s spice box is ample and important, and is key to the country’s sophisticated kitchen (and traditional medicine chest). Ras el hanout (literally “top of shop”) is a spice merchant’s majestic, opulent signature, his pièce de résistance, crafted from seasoned skill and tailored to a client’s preferences.

I came to Café de France—the city’s grand café on Djemaa el Fna square—to sit over a café noir and check the entries for a couple of the 35 or so ingredients that went into my personalized spice mixture in Jamal Bellakhdar’s authoritative Plantes médicinales au Maghreb et soins de base. One spice that intrigues me is kammûn al-sôfi, a “wooly” local cumin so named in Arabic for its texture. In French it is called cumin velu (“hairy cumin”) or sometimes cumin du Sahara (“cumin from the Sahara”), as it’s native to the desert regions in the deep south of Morocco.

For the moment, though, Bellakhdar’s book stays shut. Dusk has fallen on Djemaa el Fna and the extravagant spectacle on the square is getting underway. Numerous food carts have been set up, storytellers are drawing circles of curious listeners into their tales, and hissing lamps illuminate the mysterious remedies spread around folk apothecary men in blue robes. It’s my last night in Marrakech—I am here to fine-tune the private walking tours and tastings that I will begin leading shortly—and, as with other trips, will have my final meal on the square itself. In a moment I will step into the whirl of activity and billowing smoke and join the festive crowds to eat. I have a couple of favorite stalls where I know the food is fresh, flavorful, and, of course, well seasoned from Morocco’s abundant spice box.

Djemaa El Fna Snails in Broth
babbouche

Snails are a street-stall staple, especially in Marrakech on Djemaa el Fna square, where a line of sturdy carts sells them by the broth-filled bowl. The flavorful broth sipped at the end is said to be a restorative and digestive. But what’s in it? One respected attar (spice seller) in Marrakech gave me a list of more than fifteen spices from thyme and licorice to lavender and tealeaves. “Which are the most important?” I asked. “They all are,” he said. “The balance has to be right.”

Here I have adapted the spice blend of Choumicha, the queen of contemporary Moroccan cooking. It’s a relatively simple one, but flavorful and balanced.

Moroccan snails are white with distinctive chocolate brown whirls, smaller than the classic French escargot. Live snails added to boiling water will retract inside the shell and be hard to remove later to eat. When the snails are first cooked, it’s important to bring the water to a very slow boil. While live snails can be hard to find, many gourmet shops carry preserved ones in cans.

Serves 4 to 6

2 lb/910 g fresh snails or snails in brine
Salt
Wine vinegar or other vinegar for cleaning snails
2 sprigs dried thyme
1⁄2 Tbsp aniseed
1⁄2 Tbsp caraway seeds
1⁄2 tsp gunpowder green tea leaves
Peel from 1⁄2 orange, white pith scraped away
Two 3-in/7.5-cm pieces licorice root or 1 tsp ground aniseed
2 bay leaves
1⁄2 tsp dried mint
10 sprigs fresh mint
2 small dried hot red chiles

If using live snails, wash with plenty of water. Use salt and vinegar to scrub clean if the shells are dirty. Repeat as needed. Rinse well. Put the snails in a large pot with about 3 qt/2.8 L water. Bring to a slow boil over low heat—figure about 45 minutes for this—watching to keep the snails inside the pot. When the water reaches a boil and foam comes to the surface, drain the snails in a colander. Rinse the snails well with running water and rinse out the pot.

If using snails preserved in brine, drain the brine and rinse the snails well. In a large pot, add the snails and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Drain the snails in a colander. Rinse the snails well with running water and rinse out the pot.

Return the snails to the pot. Cover with 8 cups/2 L water, and add the thyme, aniseed, caraway seeds, tealeaves, orange peel, licorice root, bay leaves, dried mint, and fresh mint. Season with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, loosely cover, and simmer for 1½ hours. The snails should be tender and the broth rich and flavorful. Add the chiles and cook for 10 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Serve the snails hot in bowls with some broth. Use a toothpick to extract the snails from their shells.

Purchase: Morocco: A Culinary Journey with Recipes from the Spice-Scented Markets of Marrakech to the Date-Filled Oasis of Zagora.

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If you’re like me, and have a truck-loving toddler living under your roof, chances are you’ve heard of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. Actually, who am I kidding? This is a #1 New York Times bestseller. You already own this book. You’ve given away copies at birthday parties. Heck, you’ve memorized every page. (“Hey, pipe down!”)

My son Arlo, launching his acting career as “Ethan,” the MyChronicleBooks spokesbaby.

Maybe you haven’t gone to the extreme of having your son pose with the book for promotional photos, like I have, but perhaps that’s only because you don’t work for the book’s publisher.

Needless to say, I’m really excited about the launch of personalized gifts from MyChronicleBooks featuring the adorable Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site artwork by Tom Lichtenheld. In the new personalized edition of the book, you can upload your own photo and write a special message to your child on the dedication page.

Clockwise from top left: dedication page, gift card, placemat, lunch box.

You can send your little one off to preschool with a personalized Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site lunch box, serve up dinner on a personalized placemat, and instantly make any gift better with a dump truck gift card spelling out his name right on the front. Still can’t get enough? Why not decorate his room with custom wall art and a growth chart featuring his very own Crane Truck “reaching, stretching, lifting high!” Toddler heaven.

This is my favorite outtake from the photoshoot… He’s okay, folks!

After watching how excited Arlo was to see the characters of his favorite book jump off the page, I was sold. I’m really looking forward to giving these as gifts, especially the fully-personalized picture books that make your child the star of the whole story. Check out Speedster and Princess, they’re super cute.

Right now, you can subscribe to the new MyChronicleBooks newsletter and enjoy 25% off + free ground shipping on your first personalized order! Use the code MYCBLIVE at checkout (one-time use only). But hurry, the offer ends at midnight September 30, 2012.

And, remember that bit about having your child pose with the book? If you do purchase a personalized product with your child’s name on it, send us a photo! We’d love to share it with our readers here on the blog and on our Facebook page. You can email it to community@chroniclebooks.com.

Guinevere de la Mare
Senior Community Manager

I’m guessing you like reading—just a hunch, since you are reading a post on a book publisher’s blog. If you also like Star Wars, this post is about to get really fun.

We’ve been working with some of our pals in the publishing industry, those who love Star Wars as much as we do, to put together Star Wars Reads Day. The big day, October 6th, is a chance for fans to come together and celebrate reading and Star Wars.

You can find an event near you with this interactive map. All 1,200+ events planned—from Fairbanks, Alaska to New York City—will have giveaways and a raffle.

Select events will also have authors and/or costumed characters on hand from the 501st Legion, the Rebel Legion, the Mandalorian Mercs and the R2 Builders Club. We’re excited to have two Chronicle Books authors celebrating Star Wars Reads!

In the Chicago Area, meet costumed characters, try your luck at Star Wars origami, and have a book signed by Jeffrey Brown—author of the New York Times Bestseller Darth Vader and Son—at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville.

If you’re near San Francisco, Lara Starr, co-author of Wookiee Pies, Clone Scones, and Other Galactic Goodies, which was recently featured on MTV Geek, will be making Skywalker Sugar Cookies with kids at the Chronicle Books store on Union Street.

Read more about Star Wars Reads Day at starwars.com/reads, and become a fan on Facebook for fun surprises and updates!

Albee Dalbotten
Associate Marketing Director, Entertainment/Digital

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One of my favorite grade school activities was writing stories. Had I been required to begin with only a sheet of paper and a pencil, the story would never have been imagined. But my genius teacher knew that every story needs a spark to get it started and so provided the ignition: a box filled with index cards, and on each card, a photo and a phrase. The two were always unrelated—that is, until the student made his or her own connection (the spark). And suddenly, just like that, the story was on fire.

This is how I perceive collage when at its best: seemingly disparate elements layered and arranged to tell a story. The very nature of the materials used (found photos, flea market ephemera) offers a portal into other worlds and the additional elements and colors bring narratives of their own to complete the composition. The viewer’s own perception of the collage is the final layer of the story.

Below, a sampling of contemporary collage artists and designers whose work I admire.

Clockwise from top left: Float; April Showers; Space; Equestrian; and Cream.

Beth Hoeckel is a Baltimore native whose work has graced such publications as Rookie Mag, Bust, and GOOD. Many of Beth’s images evoke a sense of expectation, of being present at the precise moment when something big is about to unfold. Her compositions, palette, and thoughtful integration of elements provide glimpses of the familiar arranged in powerfully unfamiliar—and often unsettling—ways.

Clockwise from top left: two wall illustrations for the Urban Golf Club in London; poster for the Museu de Arte Moderna; illustration for The New York Times; and illustration created for Pocko.

Eduardo Recife is a Brazilian designer, artist, type designer, and illustrator whose work has been featured around the world. His playful yet complex (and sometimes irreverent) layering of images and type create candy-colored arenas in which even the most serious of subjects is upended and the everyday is given new life. Eduardo’s personal work can be found at Misprinted Type.

Clockwise from top: for Inc. Magazine; two from the Everything is Beautiful series; and Eye of the Storm.

Hayley Warnham is a U.K. illustrator and artist who juxtaposes found material against graphic and bold uses of color. Though the compositions gravitate toward minimal, the impact is far from simplistic.

Left to right: The Journey Is the Destination; Safari As a Way of Life.

Lastly, Dan Eldon was a photojournalist who was killed at the age of twenty-two while on assignment in Somalia. He lived an amazing amount in a short number of years and chronicled his life in volumes of personal journals filled with detailed collages. I picked up the original edition of The Journey Is the Destination long before I began working at Chronicle and the story of Dan’s life amazes me to this day.

Jennifer Tolo Pierce
Design Director