Category Archives: DIVERSIONS

music, movies, books, art, and culture

6 Adorable Pups and their Famous Author Owners

Dogs are amazingly loyal and their ability to silently listen without judgment makes them a writer’s best friend.

Emily Dickenson’s words sum it up nicely, “Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell.”

We’re grateful for these charming canines, who provide love, companionship and inspiration to some of our favorite authors of all time.

First on our list belongs to bestselling author (and inspiration of our Beyond Words digital lifestyle magazine), Sylvia Day. We cannot get enough of her pups, Beck and Koji.

 

 

Stephen King, who has been terrifying readers for decades, doesn’t seem all too scary now that we’ve gotten a glimpse of, “Molly, aka the Thing of Evil.”

 


We can’t help, but fall in with love Avi, the “windblown dog,” belonging to Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent trilogy.    

This sophisticated-looking pooch is companion to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. It looks like he takes his treats seriously. Do you think he’s begging for bacon?          

Gratuitous photo of Chunky the Frenchie. A photo posted by Elizabeth Gilbert (@elizabeth_gilbert_writer) on

 

 

Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild and Brave Enough, posts pictures of her dog, Janie. She is incredibly cute, exuberant and happy. Wish we could cuddle her!

 

My dog Janie. Photo by Meg Vogt.

A photo posted by Cheryl Strayed (@cherylstrayed) on

 


We’re rounding off our adorable pups list with Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook, and his contented rescues, Lucky Bo and Boomer.    

 

Do you have a pup that inspires you? Share them with us in the comments.

Which Celebrated Female Movie Director Are You?

From Meg Ryan’s brilliantly faked orgasm in When Harry Met Sally  to the heart-pounding explosions in The Hurt Locker, women directors are responsible for some of the most iconic moments in film history. Yet the vast majority of movies are still directed by men. According to a recent report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women directed only 7% of the highest grossing films in recent years. The entrenched discrimination against women in Hollywood is so dire that the ACLU just filed a grievance with state and federal agencies to help boost representation of them behind the camera.

In celebration of the incredible women directors who’ve created cinematic masterpieces despite the odds, we bring you this quiz. Find out whose style, subject and voice most match your own sensibilities, and maybe you’ll discover your next favorite movie, too.

(Please select one answer for each of the following six questions…)

 

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One-take Wonders: 6 Incredible Music Videos Shot in a Single Take

Action movies and reality TV depend on quick cuts to heighten what’s happening on screen. But sometimes, one continuous take can pack an even bigger punch. Here are six music videos that push the limits physically, emotionally and technically of what’s achievable in a single take. No editing required.

 

Call Your Girlfriend, Robyn (2011)

 


With the stamina of a world-class athlete and the fashion sense of a dystopian teddy bear, Robyn dances her heart out for three-and-half minutes straight in an empty soundstage. Perfectly timed lighting changes and 360-degree camera moves bring out the triumph and heartbreak in Robyn’s vocals and elbow thrusts.

 


 

 

No Surprises, Radiohead (1997)

 

This one will leave you breathless. Thom Yorke stares straight at you from inside a diver’s helmet as it slowly fills with water. His literal suffocation excruciatingly echoes the metaphorical suffocation in the song’s lyrics. You can get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video in the classic Radiohead documentary, “Meeting People Is Easy.”

 


 

 

Two Weeks, FKA twigs (2014)

 

What’s better than FKA twigs? A giant FKA twigs surrounded by a handful of miniature FKA twigs dancing. Here, the multi-talented Brit presides as a golden goddess over a bevy of mini-twigs in one glorious panning shot. Though she typically directs her own videos, this one was directed by Nabil.

 


 

 

Hunter, Bjork (1997)

 

https://youtu.be/CyM5wow-hUk

It took one day of shooting in a studio and months and months of post-production to put together this uncanny and futuristic video. In a pure white environment, a purely bald Bjork shifts shapes between her human body and that of a translucent blue polar bear. She’s alternately the hunter and the hunted, beautifully underscoring the song’s lyrics and her own struggle to find creative expression. Her longtime creative collaborator, Paul White, directed the video.

 


 

 

Blood Brothers, Ingrid Michaelson (2012)

 

https://youtu.be/JHVLpTyGgt0

Although technically only the first couple minutes of this video were shot in one take, we’re including it because time-lapse makeovers are such fun to watch. This one came out a couple years before Cut Videos’ wildly popular “100 Years” series. Through hair, makeup, costume and set changes, Ingrid Michaelson transforms herself into seven music superstars before your very eyes. She proves her lyrics right: “we’re all the same under a different name.”

 


 

 

This Too Shall Pass, OK Go (2010)

 

Leave it to OK Go to dress a marching band in ghillie suits and get them to dance in a swamp. This exuberant and flawlessly executed video is actually the second one for “This Too Shall Pass.” The other one features an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine and was also shot in one take, the band’s now signature visual hook.

10 Stunning Woodblock Prints from Japan

You can almost smell the sweet cherry blossoms and taste the salty sea air when you look at the work of legendary 19th-century artist, Hiroshige. At a time when traveling long distances was arduous, if not impossible, Hiroshige’s woodblock prints of Japanese landscapes, festivals and monuments let people experience the wonders of their country without leaving their hometowns. You can do the same today with these 10 gorgeous selections from the Library of Congress’ Prints and Photographs Division. Explore more of the LOC’s phenomenal collection containing more than 2,500 pieces of art by Japanese artists from the seventeenth through early twentieth centuries here.

 

Mount Fuji, Japanese Woodblock - Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
A view of Mount Fuji behind maple trees in Tokyo, 1858

Massaki of Suijin Shrine, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
View from Massaki of Suijin Shrine, Uchigawa Inlet and Sekiya, 1857

Mishima Station, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
Travelers and residents at the shrine and inns at Mishima station, 1855

Otsuki Fields, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
Otsuki fields in Kai Province, 1858

Horikiri iris garden, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
Horikiri iris garden, 1857

Tokyou Tanabata festival, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
Tokyo during the Tanabata festival, 1857

Satta in Suruga Province, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
The sea at Satta in Suruga Province with Mount Fuji in the background, 1858

Hasedera in Yamato Province, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
Hasedera in Yamato Province, 1859

Suido Bridge, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
Fish in front of Suido Bridge and Surugadai, 1857

Meguro drum bridge, Japanese Woodblock, Photo by: flickr/The Library of Congress
Meguro drum bridge and sunset hill, 1857


Images Courtesy of  The Library of Congress flickr

10 Literary Twitter Hashtags Worth Your Attention

Haven’t got the resources to spend a summer at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop? Why not fashion your own cyber community using Twitter? Follow any or all of these hashtag writing exercises and other prompts and you might just finish your novel after all.

 


 

1. #FridayFlash

Exercise brevity with these hashtag challenges asking that you get to the point in around 5 words. Or at the most 1000. Flash fiction is a worthy exercise to get perspective on the weight of your words. And it’s also great fun.

 

 


 

2. #BookFaceFriday

Ever feel like you really got into a story? Take it to the next level by posing with your favorite classic books or modern fiction books and use this hashtag to share book-face meld shots easily worth a 1000 words.

 

 


 

3. #AskAgent

Literary agents worldwide are on the Twitter sphere to answer your pressing questions about the writing business. Follow to hear fellow writers’ concerns about publishing as well as what’s happening with new media like digital books.

 


 

4. #WritingPrompt

Most workshops recommend free writing to explore lurking ideas, and quick visual or verbal cues can sometimes spawn an entire short story. See where it takes you.    


 

5. #BookStoreBingo

Booksellers hear the darndest things. And they share them on this hashtag which acts as a compendium of all the strange things people ask bookstore staff. Get to know your future audience.

 


 

6. #NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month is probably the internet’s most demanding writers’ challenge. One month, one novel. The community of support though, might be just the thing to make it happen.  

 


 

7. #PubTip

Another utility hashtag to get to the details of the publishing business, writers can use it to learn about things like what genres are currently oversaturating publishers, and other market facts.    

   


 

8. #WriteGoal

Everyone knows the anecdotes about stating a goal to achieve it. It really does work. So tag your aspirational word counts or chapter completions, and get one step closer to your dream.

 

 


 

9. #ReadWomen2015 (and 2014)

Created by writer Joanna Walsh (@badaude), this hashtag points readers to books, essays and articles about women in the writing and publishing fields.  

   


 

10. #WeNeedMoreDiverseBooks

Hopefully we’ll just call it #books one day, but for the moment, follow this hashtag for stories inclusive of more diverse perspectives and cultures.

 

5 Inspiring Mark Twain Quotes to Read with Your Morning Coffee

#SorryNotSorry that the only mug we really want to see in the morning is for coffee, and then follow it with some light reading – something like this list of Mark Twain quotes, compiled to get your day started with some wisdom by one of the best authors of all time.

 

1. Stop complicating things.

Mark Twain Quote_1

2. You can do this one today.

 

Mark Twain Quote_2

3. Express yourself whatever it takes.

 

Mark Twain Quote_3

4. It’s ok to be terrified!

 

Mark Twain Quote_4

5. Sometimes, it’s the smartest answer.

 

Mark Twain Quote_5

 

Photos via BrainyQuote.com

7 Books about Life-Changing Love

The weather is cooling and fall leaves float in the breeze. The coming of fall signals a time for togetherness and compassion. To help you celebrate love, we’ve compiled a list of books focusing not on romance, but on life-changing love.

 

Kisses from Katie by Katie J. Davis

kisses from katieKatie’s relentless love for her God and others leads her to a life of service in Uganda. At just eighteen years old, Katie foregoes her parents’ college plans and pursues a mission trip to Africa. Katie’s mission trip turns into a lifetime commitment as Katie decides to permanently move to Uganda and adopt fourteen children. In her premier novel, Katie details her life as she takes care of her children and launches Amazima Ministries in order to provide orphans with school, meals and care. Katie’s love story with Uganda is truly inspirational.

 

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

secret life of beesLily Owens and her stand in mother, Rosaleen, seek refuge in the home of the beekeeping “calendar sisters” after an altercation with a trio of violent racist. Lily joins Rosaleen in order to escape from her abusive father and haunting memories of her mother’s death.  The two are quickly immersed in the world of beekeeping. Slowly, they discover the truth surrounding the death of Lily’s mother and learn how to love themselves.

 

My Name is Mahtob by Mahtob Mahmoody

my name is mahtobMahtob is the daughter from the novel and movie, Not Without My Daughter. She tells the story of her captivity in Iran from her perspective and continues her story to the present day.  My Name is Mahtob is the story of a mother who loves her daughter too much to leave her behind and too much to teach her to hate.  Because her mother takes special care to keep Mahtob immersed in Iranian culture, Mahtob is able to come to love her father as the man who will forever be a part of her. Through this love, she is able to find forgiveness and peace.

 

Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

bread and wine“With love, with love, with love” is the refrain of Niequist’s follow up to Bittersweet and Cold Tangerines. Niequist writes of that deep abiding love we often share around a hearty meal. Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about the love-filled moments in Niequist’s life, including travels around Europe, Sunday afternoons with her family, moving into her own home and her pregnancy. Each essay is followed by a recipe, like blueberry crisp or mango chicken curry, that she felt captured that moment for her. Niequist reminds us to focus not on counting down minutes, but on cherishing moments that take our breath away.

 

Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble

things i want my daughters to knowNoble heartbreakingly captures the beauty of mother-daughter love in Things I Want my Daughters to Know. The novel opens at the funeral of Barbara, the mother of four daughters. After being fatally diagnosed with cancer, Barbara wrote a series of letters for each of her daughters to be read after her death. In a beautiful way, Barbara is able to help her daughters heal and move on with their lives, even though she can no longer be physically present.

 

Walk to Beautiful by Jimmy Wayne

walk to beautifulWalk to Beautiful is the true story of Jimmy Wayne’s life. Jimmy spent time in and out of the foster care system, and eventually came to meet Bea and Russell, an older couple who took him under their wings. Their love, coupled with the love and energy of his guidance counselor, is what motivates Jimmy to finish school and pour himself into his music. After reaching the pinnacle of his country music career, Jimmy passes on their love by walking halfway across America in order to raise awareness and support for foster children.

 

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

divine secrets of the yaya sisterhoodDivine Secrets is a classic example of the power of a sisterhood. Siddalee‘s mother sends her old scrapbook to Siddalee after she attacks her mother’s parenting ability in a national newspaper. Through her mother’s scrapbook, Siddalee discovers the stories of the women who have been her mother’s lifelong friends, the members of the “Ya-Yas”. Each Ya-Ya comes to life, and Siddalee is able to piece together their personalities, flaws and life events. The scrapbook allows Siddalee to learn life lessons as well as reach the point of forgiving her mother for past transgressions.

 

6 Things That Need to Happen in the Gilmore Girls Revival

For many of us, the charmingly odd town of Stars Hollow is our fictitious second home. The Gilmores’ fast-paced, coffee-fueled dialogues got us through the good times and bad. What with the departure of writer and creator Amy Sherman-Palladino after season six, the finale left us all feeling a little unsatisfied and in need of some answers. Luckily, on November 25th, we may just get them because Gilmore Girls will be coming back to our screens for the first time in almost a decade (thanks, Netflix). Here are just six things that we need to happen in the revival.

1. We Get to Say a Final Goodbye to Richard Gilmore

Rory’s grandparents were often vilified, and yet in the case of Richard, this seemed unfounded. Despite occasionally stepping out of line, like when he first met Dean and launched into a character assassination across the dinner table, he was generally a decent, caring character. Tragically, the world lost the brilliant actor who played Richard, Edward Herrmann, on New Year’s Eve, 2014. Tackling this subject won’t be easy; but much like the fictional characters, lifelong fans of the show will need closure.

2. Rory Choosing to be…Alone


Since the revival announcement was made, the internet has been alive with commenters taking bets on which guy Rory will choose. She’s had many suitors including the ever-boring Dean, bookworm bad boy Jess, and rich kid Logan. But wait — what if Rory doesn’t need a man to complete her story arc at all? As a strong, smart, career-orientated girl, it would be a disservice to the character to simply have her tale end in cheesy rom-com fashion.

3. Christopher Taking Some Responsibility for His Actions

While the characters cooed over the guy and forgave even his most heinous of crimes (e.g. leaving Lorelai to raise Rory alone), Christopher Hayden got to waltz around like a sheer man-child. At the end of season seven, his ex-fiancee Sherry has run off to Paris to pursue her career, and he’s left in New York looking after his second child, Gigi. If we want redemption, he will have changed dramatically in the revival and become a true father figure to at least one of his daughters.

4. Kirk Moving Out of His Mom’s Home

via GIPHY

With 62 jobs under his belt, Kirk was doubtless as the classic oddball type. When you put that into the context of Gilmore Girls, it means that he was the kind of guy who’d run around naked while having night terrors and then film, produce, and star in his own short movie. The many quirks of Kirk were all part of his charm, and there’s just one thing we’d all love to see: He needs to move out of his mom’s basement. While he briefly attempted to buy the Twickham House for he and Lulu, the 30-something-year-old never actually moved out.

5. Hep Alien Finally Getting Some Recognition

It would have been too cliche to have season seven end with Hep Alien getting a record contract or being “discovered” by execs in a downtown New York bar. Gilmore Girls was never about giving the audience a predictably tied-up ending. Still, if we return to find that Hep Alien still exists, despite the fact that Lane and Zack now have at least two other very important priorities, you’d hope that the band would be something of a success. Maybe the band will have taken on a new genre of music; maybe Zack will finally get to explore his love of bluegrass. In any case, it’s intriguing to see what happened to these guys, musically speaking.

6. Luke and Lorelai’s Dream Wedding


The Luke and Lorelai storyline was at the center of the series — and simultaneously at the center of all our hearts. His slow and stable demeanor was the perfect accompaniment to her eccentric, frantic personality. From the very first season, the chemistry between the two of them was abundant and the audience watched in wait of their very first kiss, which came in the season four finale. Like any on-screen romance, theirs was a rocky one. Over the course of the next few seasons, the two of them split twice and, of course, got back together twice too. As predictable and sickeningly sweet as it may be, we’re all holding out for their wedding.

Bonus: The Long-Awaited Final Four Words

Shrouded in myth, Amy Sherman-Palladino supposedly always knew what the last four words of the show would be. Fans were distraught when the writer never had the chance to finish the series her way after she left the show. Since she’s back on board, after more than a nine-year wait, we may finally know what those words were.

5 Quotes About Marriage That Teach Us How to Live Happily in Love

The secrets to a blissful life lie deep in the world of literature.

Since the very idea of marriage came to be, supposedly sometime before recorded history, people have been searching for the secrets of how to make it work. How can two independent people, who have lived well enough alone, come together to co-exist? No, not just co-exist — come together to be one entity, having every aspect of their previous lives align as one. I’m certain you’ll agree that it sounds a rather demanding task, and yet it’s what many of us attempt every day of our lives. So, when wondering how to have a happy marriage, where do we begin? Since art is incessantly obsessed with love, it’s as good a place as any. After all, you may just find what you’re looking for between the pages of a book, like with these popular quotes about marriage.

best quotes about marriage

1. “Oh, Lizzy! Do anything rather than marry without affection.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Can you honestly imagine a marriage free from any form of affection? The idea is almost laughably implausible yet, of course, it happens. But that’s wrong because love is not a cold emotion. It’s not something made up of logic, reason, or facts. Nor is it a tangible entity. Love is something quite inexplicable that we can’t see, hear, or write down on paper. It’s something that’s accompanied by its partner in crime, affection. Without it, you just have two people sitting in a room, trying desperately to think of something to say.

2. “A good marriage, like any partnership, meant subordinating one’s own needs to that of the other’s, in the expectation that the other will do the same.” ― Nicholas Sparks, True Believer

You’ve heard that tired, old notion that you ought to put others’ needs before your own. Well, it’s true, and it’s especially true for your life partner. Nicholas Sparks put it best in this straightforward and elegant quote. When you choose to earnestly dedicate your life to someone else, that means putting them first in everything you do. A selfish person will find it hard to have a happy marriage. They will always put their own niggling needs before that of any other person.

quotes about marriage

3. “They may part in one year or ten; they may live together until death. But if she thinks he is a fool, she will not love him again.” ― Philippa Gregory, The Other Queen

Respect is one of the hardest things to earn, and yet one of the easiest to lose. Once your spouse has lost it, they may never regain it from you. If you’re honest with yourself, you know that to have a truly happy marriage, you have to hold your partner in high regard. There are many reasons that a person might lose your respect; maybe they don’t prove to be the partner you thought, perhaps they cheat on you, or maybe they let you down in some way and you just can’t look at them as you once did. Whatever the reason, when you’ve lost all respect, you’ve also lost the marriage.

4. “If I have to ‘catch’ a man to get a husband, I don’t want one.” ― Tamora Pierce, Shatterglass

Read all the dating columns you wish, but that simply will not change the facts. Although many like to believe that it’s so, love is not a game. You do not need to “catch” a spouse or somehow trick them into falling quite madly in love with you. In fact, you can enlist the help of all the self-help-esque romance tips in the world, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will meet a partner who’s just the right match for you. Deciding to take someone as a husband or, indeed, wife, is much grander than you imagine. Only when the games are over can you truly see that.

love

5. “Marriage is like a well-built porch. If one of the two posts leans too much, the porch collapses. So each must be strong enough to stand on its own.” ― Deb Caletti, The Secret Life of Prince Charming

Finally, to make things really work, you have to be equally strong alone. Sure, in your darkest hours, there’s no doubt that your partner ought to be there to support you. That should be a rarity, though, rather than the status quo. If either of you becomes fully reliant on the other, it won’t be long before the cracks start to show. It’s just far too much pressure for one party to shoulder. Put simply, a marriage is a partnership. That means that neither one of you should do all the work. Instead, you should both be somewhat independent and yet, stand together with nothing but sheer strength.

6 Beautiful Quotes About Female Friendship

Female friendship is a beautifully delicate thing that can all too often be undervalued by those who possess it. As a woman, navigating life’s many obstacles alone is a tough feat. Sure, your life partner may be there to hold your hand when times get tough, but a true friend will be holding the compass and telling you which way to turn. She will be there, by your side, at all the most important points throughout your existence. Having a woman this close to you is only akin to having a sister. Of course, none put this feeling better than authors. So, with that in mind, here are six quotes about female friendship that aptly sum up what it means to have this unforgettable bond.

female friends

1. “We could fight and wrangle and name-call, but it didn’t change anything underneath. She was still my oldest friend. Is.” (The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood)

If a friendship is so weak that it will break after the first insignificant fight, it was never one that would stand the test of time. True relationships can sustain any amount of hardship. They are like diamonds: Rather than cracking under the great many pressures of life, they become stronger at every opportunity. Having a disagreement with a friend is never a pleasant experience; it’s not one you’d wish upon yourself or anyone else. Still, it doesn’t change the way you feel about them and, in that moment, you know that it never will.

2. “True friendship resists time, distance and silence.” (Portrait in Sepia, Isabel Allende)

Whether you tell yourself that you don’t have the time, that they’re too far away, or that it’s been too long since you last spoke, you’re lying. When someone is a real friend, when they are an intrinsic part of your life, none of those things matter a single iota. You can call them up from the other side of the planet having not once contacted them for the last six months, and yet you’ll still feel as close to them as ever — if not closer. It’s these friendships that are so intricately woven into our lives that we can never untangle them, no matter how we try. The likelihood is that you’ll get but a few of these in your life, but they are the bonds that keep you grounded and, much of the time, sane too.

3. “There’s nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends.” (The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath)

As comically vulgar as this one sounds, there’s great truth in it. Bonding with another human being is not merely about spending wine-fueled nights together, though that helps too. Instead, it’s about facing every battle together. Once someone’s held back your hair while you vomited up your regrets, it’s hard not to find them a little endearing. What women look for in any friendship is something lasting. We don’t just want friends who will take pouty selfies with us in clubs; we want those who will be there when we’re no longer posing.

4. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J. K. Rowling)

It’s not about simply being a Yes Woman when called upon for help. Sure, that may be a fast-track way to trick people into liking you, but it’s a disingenuous way to gain people’s trust. Our closest friends will come to us for advice and guidance. How we respond to that depends on our strength of character. Telling someone exactly what you think they want to hear is not only spineless, but it can actually turn out to be a hindrance.

5. “I have your back. I didn’t mean only when it’s easy. All the time.” (Divergent, Veronica Roth)

At the core of any relationship, there’s just one thing: loyalty. This trait is so hard to come by, nigh impossible, which is why it should be valued in a person once you’re lucky enough to find it. You can have everything in common — the same sense of humor, the same interests, a similar outlook on life — and yet if this one key thing is misplaced, it will never work. When someone is only out for themselves, for their own personal gain, the friendship will wear thin quicker than you could ever imagine.

6. “No friendship is an accident.” (Heart of the West, O. Henry)

The final thing to remember about any legitimate friendship is that it’s not something you simply fall into. Friends of convenience rarely last, and just because something’s easy doesn’t mean it will work. Friendship is by no means an accident; it’s something you have to work at every single day of your life. When you decide to align your life with that of another person, it changes you; it means that you suddenly have to consider them in your plans. The moment you stop doing so, you could lose them — that in itself should worry you enough to never make the mistake. That’s not to say that friendship should be hard work, but you definitely should work hard at it regardless.