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The Blog of the LCSNA

New Japanese Translation of Wonderland with Yayoi Kusama Illustrations

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Another mimsy minion reports:

Yayoi Kusama’s Illustrations for Alice In Wonderland have now appeared in Japan, in a new translation by LCSNA member Kimie Kusumoto.  Kimie has already translated Alice once before, for an edition illustrated by British artist Brian Partridge.  Kimie explains, ” I translated this time using a different style of Japanese than for Brian’s Alice book. Brian’s Alice was so cute and characters were drawn rather comically, so I tried to translate it in a tone that will fit for young girls. For Kusama’s, I tried to choose a rather ‘dry’ tone and tried not to be explanatory, though I am not sure how much I fulfilled what I planned. There are also intentions of the editors, you know?  For instance, I wanted to keep mile or foot or inch as they were, but the publisher asked me to change them to metric system as Japanese people use them normally.”

The English edition bearing Kusama’s illustrations was published in 2012, and is still available on Amazon.com and other resellers.

Our congratulations to Kimie on this new publication!

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1971 Curious Alice Anti-Drug Film from US National Archives

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LCSNA member Jenny Woolf  posted this intriguing video on her blog (which is well worth visiting, if you don’t already know about it).  It’s from the US National Archives, and was made in 1971 for the National Institute of Mental Health, to discourage children from experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.

The animation and voice work are really quite good.  As Jenny points out, they’re almost too good! Looking back now at this clip, the girl’s bouffant hair, and (ahem) eye shadow, is pretty trippy, too.

Here is a blog post from the National Archives, where they discuss the 1972 critical reception of the film.  As one might expect, reviewers considering the film’s applicability as a teaching tool found the animation a little too entertaining, obscuring the intended message that taking drugs is a bad thing.  Still, with proper guidance, the film might stimulate a helpful discussion.  And for adults, it’s an interesting piece of film in its own right.

 

 

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We’re All Mad Here

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This just in courtesy of our mad mimsy minions:

“A recent book, Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty, and the Mad-Doctors in England by Sarah Wise (Counterpoint, 2013) discusses twelve cases of contested insanity in Victorian England and the associated alienists, Lunacy Acts, and criminally louche asylums.

In reviewing the book on August 23rd, a reviewer for the Wall Street Journal says that the Lunacy Commission’s first secretary, Robert Skeffington Lutwidge, was accompanied by his nephew, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll), on visits to asylums, which “adds a dimension to the psychotic overtones” of Wonderland and Looking-Glass, and that coded references to “Uncle Skeffington’s” murder by an inmate can be found in the Snark.

There are a few problems with the WSJ review, starting with the fact that, as Edward Wakeling reminds us, CLD never went to visit an asylum in his uncle’s company. As to the interpretations of the Snark, they are legion, though Carroll had the last word: “I’m very much afraid I didn’t mean anything but nonsense!” (letter to the Lowrie children, 18 August, 1884). This particular Skeffingtonian interpretation, posited by E. Fuller Torrey, MD, and Judy Miller, authors of The Invisible Plague: The Rise of Mental Illness from 1750 to the Present (Rutgers University Press, 2002), was duly cited by Ms. Wise in her book, and was printed as “The Capture of the Snark” in Knight Letter 73 p. 21.

“Psychotic overtones”? Humph.”

Our thanks to Ms. Wise for alerting us that the inaccuracies stem from the WSJ review, and not from her book!  Ms. Wise notes that in fact she researched the question of Mr. Dodgson’s accompanying his uncle extensively, but like Wakeling, found no evidence that he ever joined on one of those trips.

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Through the Looking-Glass and What Amanda Plummer Found There

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One of our mimsy minions has alerted us to this NY Times review of the new film Abigail Harm, starring Amanda Plummer and directed by filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung.  The tie-ins with Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There are both literal and metaphorical, playing with the Alice and Fawn sequence.  The film also explores a myth that appears in more than one culture: a wild creature that can be captured by hiding its “robe” or skin (the film The Secret of Roan Inish offers an Irish version.)  To read the review of Abigail Harm, click me.

And here’s a trailer:

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Alice Sight Gag in Twilight Parody Film

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If you haven’t already seen this clip (or the film from which it comes), one of our UK mimsy minions pointed out that this parody of the Twilight series included a brief (and semi-violent) sight gag cameo from Alice.  Perhaps the makers of Vampires Suck will next turn their attention to spoofing Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.  Unless that’s redundant.  😉

 

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New Musical Version of Through the Looking-Glass

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Feedly recently offered me links to information about a new musical version of Through the Looking-Glass with music by Piers Chater Robinson, and book & lyrics by Chris Blackwood, available for licensing to theatres.  Even if you’re not a producer, you might enjoy checking out the twelve songs in the score, and seeing how the writers have apportioned the roles. To read and listen, click me.

TIP: If you don’t already know about Feedly, it’s a great (and free!) way to collect all the feeds you subscribe to from various web sites. It’s a distinct improvement over the now-defunct Google Reader.  I use it to collect data feeds from various Carroll-related sites all in one handy place, and the interface is great whether you’re on a pc or a tablet.

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New Narrative Poetry Book About Alice and Her Adventures in Wonderland

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We have just received this nice note from poet/author Jessica Young:

“Hi,

My name is Jessica Young, and I am a poet and teacher (at the University of Michigan).  I have a poetry book coming out that seeks to re-envision “Alice in Wonderland” to try to figure out why Alice was having all of those strange dreams.  The book is narrative poetry, so it tells a story–it has a plot, characters, etc.  It’s extensively researched to be historically accurate (e.g., the plants mentioned are all plants indigenous to the area!), though of course the plot is a little wild.  And of course there are lots of Carrollian influences, like patterns and Jabberwocky poems.
I thought maybe society members might be interested to read the book, or read about the book.  My publisher’s website is here–http://www.turningpointbooks.com/jessica-young.html.  My own website is here–https://sites.google.com/site/jessicayoungpoetry/home.
I would so love if you passed on information about the book, and would absolutely welcome any comments or questions.  I’m out in Michigan in the US, but anyone is most welcome to email (jessjess@umich.edu) or call (209-POE-TICS).
And if any members happen to be in NY at the moment, they are most welcome to attend my release party.  It’ll be August 31st at Poets House (in NYC), from 5:30-7:30.  There’s a reading followed by a reception, and both are free.
Many thanks,
Jessica Young”
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New Carroll-inspired Group Art Show in Chicago

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We have just received this notice of a new multimedia art exhibit that will run in Chicago through November 5th (the Opening Reception is free):

“”The Mad Hatter’s Tea party” is a Multi-media wacky, whimsical group art show including mixed media sculpture, soft sculpture, 3-D photography, paintings inspired by Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and other classical story-books. Much of the artwork displayed consists of allegories and reinterpretation of traditional rich text, yet trying to be faithful to the narrative and its surreal context.

A few party related events during the show period:

Opening Reception: September 14. Costumes recommended.  6 -9 pm
Collectors night: September 16 by appointment, 847-224-9344   or: ayalaleyser@gmail.com
Mime/movement with Masks performance with Marianna Buchwald: TBA
“Alice” or “Dancing with Alice”: an interactive film, and Q & A with producer Ruth Sergel: October 19 -20. Time TBA.

Artists & Performers: If you would like to participate in this show, you can submit by visiting: http://www.outoflineartstudio.com/ under ‘contact’, or by clicking this link: http://www.outoflineartstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Call-for-Art.doc

Also: During the show period (until November 5) I plan to hold a few events. If any book fan would be interested in participating in a salon- discussion or in any of the events listed in the attachment, they are welcome to contact me via email: ayalaleyser@gmail.com
or by phone: 847-224-9344.

Cheers!

Ayala Leyser
Out of Line Art Gallery
2812 W. Chicago ave, Chicago IL
www.outoflineartstudio.com
847-224-9344″

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New Julia Margaret Cameron Exhibit at Met Museum Features Alice Liddell

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Alice Liddell has made the front page of the New York Times again!  This time, it’s an image of Alice as the mythical figure “Pomona,” as photographed by Lewis Carroll’s contemporary, Julia Margaret Cameron.  The Metropolitan Museum in NYC has opened a new exhibit of 38 Cameron images.  The exhibit runs through January 5th, 2014.  To read more, click me.

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