January 18th, 2010
Jan 18, 2010
"[I]f the Victorians can ... deeply unsettle kids, I should be able to do that, too"
Neil Gaiman Does ‘The New Yorker’

Neil Gaiman, who recently announced to the world that he and girlfriend/artist/musician Amanda Palmer have are engaged to be wed (I understand he proposed to her on New Year’s Eve by drawing a ring on her finger with a Sharpie marker!!!), is featured in this week’s issue of The New Yorker. For some strange reason, The New Yorker finally decided to feature Gaiman and his “beloved text” Coraline 8 years after it was published and about a year after it was made into a movie. Trust me, tho, as an active reader and subscriber of The New Yorker, I am not complaining … it is amazing to see one of my favorite authors featured in their pages. Here is an excerpt:

Gaiman, who is forty-nine and English, with a pale face and a wild, corkscrewed mop of black-and-gray hair, is unusually prolific. In addition to horror, he writes fantasy, fairy tales, science fiction, and apocalyptic romps, in the form of novels, comics, picture books, short stories, poems, and screenplays. Now and then, he writes a song. Gaiman’s books are genre pieces that refuse to remain true to their genres, and his audience is broader than any purist’s: he defines his readership as “bipeds.” His mode is syncretic, with sources ranging from English folktales to glam rock and the Midrash, and enchantment is his major theme: life as we know it, only prone to visitations by Norse gods, trolls, Arthurian knights, and kindergarten-age zombies. “Neil’s writing is kind of fey in the best sense of the word,” the comic-book writer Alan Moore told me. “His best effects come out of people or characters or situations in the real world being starkly juxtaposed with this misty fantasy world.” The model for Gaiman’s eclecticism is G. K. Chesterton; his work, Gaiman says, “left me with an idea of London as this wonderful, mythical, magical place, which became the way I saw the world.” Chesterton’s career also serves as a warning. “He would have been a better writer if he’d written less,” Gaiman says. “There’s always that fear of writing too much if you’re a reasonably facile writer, and I’m a reasonably facile writer.” Gaiman’s two most recent novels, “Anansi Boys” (2005) and “The Graveyard Book” (2008)—a retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book,” set in a graveyard—débuted at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list in their respective categories, adult and children’s literature. Yet Gaiman remains somewhat marginal. The Times of London recently referred to him as “the most famous writer you’ve never heard of.” The New York Times waited to review “The Graveyard Book” for several months after its publication, by which time it had won the 2009 Newbery Medal, one of the highest honors in children’s fiction, and been on the best-seller list for eighteen weeks. “I have at this point a critic-proof career,” Gaiman said. “The fans already knew about the book.”

If anything, I’m hoping THIS New Yorker piece will enlighten others as to the talent and genius of Neil Gaiman and will inspire new fans to seek out his work and fall in love. As I mentioned above, the piece begins its focus on the theme of children’s Gothic literature, and in particular, Gaiman‘s novella Coraline but it then goes on to discuss Gaiman‘s long history as a writer. The full article/interview can be read online HERE or in the pages of this week’s issue of The New Yorker. It’s a fabulous read, almost as fabulous as Gaiman‘s own work. If you are not familiar, I urge y’all to seek him out and see for yourselves why I am such a big fan :)

[Source]

The 3rd annual
The 2010 BET Honors Are Handed Out

On Saturday night, Black Entertainment Television hosted their 3rd annual BET Honors ceremony at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC. The BET Honors, which was established in 2008, seeks to “celebrate the lives and achievements of African American luminaries” in an annual event that will be broadcast on BET during Black History Month. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals Saturday night:

It should come as no surprise to learn that Whitney Houston, who is enjoying a pretty spectacular comeback these days, was honored at The BET Honors this weekend … after all, we saw photos of a crazy-lookin’ Whitney making her grand arrival in Washington DC late last week. After the jump, check out a few photos from the show itself and find out who was honored at The BET Honors this year and when the show will air on BET next month …

The young prince presses the flesh with the Kiwis
Prince William Makes His Way To New Zealand

On Saturday we learned that Prince William successfully graduated from Defence Helicopter Flying School at Royal Air Force Shawbury and was awarded his flying wings by his father, Prince Charles. Today we get to see a few photos of Wills who has made his way to New Zealand to tour the country on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Royal business … behold:

Prince William says representing the Queen in New Zealand on his first official overseas trip means “an awful lot” to him. He was speaking in Auckland at the start of the three-day visit. The prince toured the Eden Park rugby stadium, sailed around the harbour on an America’s Cup yacht and helped cook a traditional Maori dinner. The 27-year-old’s main engagement takes place on Monday when he will open the Supreme Court building in Wellington. The prince will also lay a wreath at Wellington’s national war memorial. William arrived on a scheduled Air New Zealand flight and was greeted by both Prime Minister John Key and the Queen’s representative Governor General Anand Satyanand. As he shook hands with Mr Key, the prince commented on the overcast weather, saying: “It’s a bit like English weather – confused.” An early indication of the public interest in the visit was demonstrated by about 100 people who waited in the airport’s arrivals lounge for a brief glimpse of William before he was driven away. His visit has also generated huge interest among the British media with large numbers following him to the South Pacific nation. The prince has visited New Zealand twice previously, the most recent time while following the British Lions rugby tour in 2005. The second-in-line to the throne said this trip was a “bit more official” but he was enjoying “the fact it’s reasonably relaxed”. When asked about standing in for the Queen at the opening of the Supreme Court building, he said: “It means an awful lot because obviously she’s extremely busy and I want to be able to do something good and keep the standards up that she’s led the way with.” But he would not be drawn on other tours, saying he had to think about his RAF search and rescue training. “We’ll wait and see. I wouldn’t get carried away,” he said. “I’ve still got a lot of training to do and I need the training, believe me” … At the traditional Maori dinner – a hangi – hosted by Governor General Anand Satyanand, the prince lifted parcels of meat from an oven dug into the ground and heated by coals. And he was welcomed by Maori elders with a hongi – the traditional rubbing of noses symbolising the exchange of breath. Earlier the prince met New Zealand rugby stars on a visit to the redeveloped Eden Park stadium – one of the venues for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. William also took to the waters around Auckland when he joined the crew of a yacht used as an early trial boat for the 1999-2000 America’s Cup series, won by the Pacific Ocean islands.

Wills is a good man and he is a very good prince. He seems so hard-working and responsible. His commitment to his Royal duties seems very true and he always seems to me to be very happy to appear in any official capacity asked of him. It wasn’t that long ago that he chose to spend the night on the streets of London just to see what it must feel like for homeless youth to suffer thru a night on the street. Hey may be the second in line for the throne but I’m sure he is the first in line for people’s hearts. I’m a damn yank and I’m a huge fan. Well done, Wills. Keep doing the Royal Family proud!

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

The only TV show to win 2 awards at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards
‘Dexter’ Walks Away With 2 Golden Globe Awards

Congratulations are in order today for Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow for each winning a Golden Globe Award (Hall for Best Male Performance for Drama Television Series and Lithgow for Best Supporting Performance by an Actor in a TV Series) last night. Each man gave an utterly AMAZING performance all season long last year on Dexter and not only did themselves proud but also did the show very, very proud:

When last we saw co-stars Hall and Lithgow together, they were discussing the events that took place during the shocking season finale ep of the 4th season of Dexter … so it’s nice to see them side-by-side again in this way. The only award that Dexter was nominated for that they didn’t win was Best Drama Series (which is a damn shame, I think) but, again, these men truly did the series proud and their wins are much deserved. MCH has been nominated 4 times and this was his first, overdue, win. After the jump, watch video of each man giving their acceptance speech at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards last night …