Year Archive for 2008
BOOK WEEK & CLOTHING GIVEAWAY! CHANCES TO WIN TWO PRIZES FROM EVIL KITTY.
Like most Lolita-minded individuals, I’m a voracious reader. There’s always a pile of books on my night table (although for the time being, I’m busy brushing up on my Japanese). I’m eager to hear about your favorites and introduce you to my new publishers, Mark Batty and Penguin USA… so I sent out the White Rabbit to trumpet that this shall be Book Week!
For the first time, I’ve teamed up with a feisty clothing company, Evil Kitty, to give away two prizes. After all, there’s nothing like snuggling up with your kitty and a good book… while wearing a red-hot hoody (above)! At the end of this post, I’ll tell you how you can get your paws on one of these bad cats.
I’m still digesting the news that I’ll be publishing Cooking Cute under Perigee, an imprint of Penguin USA. It’s an honor to be under the same umbrella as my literary heroes: Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, TS Eliot, Herman Hesse, Rudyard Kipling, Kurt Vonnegut, and Roald Dahl. Above are three Penguin must-reads: Sherlock Holmes’ debut in A Study In Scarlet, a collection of Edward Gorey’s works, and Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange.
(Have you seen the film? It’s a dystopic delight! I think of my future self as a Yoko Ono type who spends her days in complicated yoga poses while surrounded by Basils… not too much of a stretch from my current life, actually.)
Penguin has a whole shelf dedicated to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Here are two recent interpretations; you’ll recognize the Mad Hatter and March Hare’s tea party, and Alice hitting the ceiling of the White Rabbit’s house.
Penguin is known for creatively re-releasing iconic novels. Rashomon, a collection of short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) that inspired Kurosawa’s film, is repackaged with a manga-style cover and an intro by Haruki Murakami. Count Dracula rises from the dead through the illustrations of Marvel Comics’ Jae Lee. And Daniel Clowes, the mastermind behind Ghost World, contributes the cover art for Mary Shelley’s timeless Gothic novel.
I’m always asking my friends for book recommendations, and I want to hear from you. How’s this for motivation – you can win a feisty feline hoody or T-shirt from Lidia Wachowska’s Goth clothing company, Evil Kitty! To enter, just leave a blog comment: tell me a book title you love and why. I’ll count one entry per person, per Book Week post (meaning you’ll have chances to enter all week). Next Monday, my kitty Basil Farrow will pick the winner… and we’ll show you the results via video. So comment away! The fine print is below. ^__^
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La Carmina and Evil Kitty’s Book Week Contest ends midnight on Sunday, August 17, 2008. One entry per person, per Book Week blog post. To enter, leave a comment with a recommended book and a few words telling me why. You must include a valid email address (it will not be visible). Winners will be chosen at random by Basil Farrow, La Carmina’s Scottish Fold cat. First prize: a red hoody from Evil Kitty. Second prize: a 100% cotton t-shirt from Evil Kitty. Winners will be contacted via email and may specify the size of the garment. The prize will be shipped to the winner’s address. Contact La Carmina if you have questions about the contest.
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MEGAMASSO: CROSS DRESSING VISUAL KEI BUNNIES MAKE MUSIC IN JAPAN.
I received an email from HearJapan titled “Cross dressing bunnies make music in Japan.” I scratched my head and tried to figure this out. Bunnies aren’t known for their vocals… aha, they must be playing instruments! The word “Energizer” came to mind; I imagined a herd of rabbits pounding on taiko drums. But what about the cross-dressing? Bunnies are rather effete; perhaps they wear waistcoats and gloves like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland?
I clicked the subject line and read on. Ah… it was an annoucement about HearJapan’s new partnership with Visual Kei band Megamasso. The trio is known for performing in disco Rococo outfits, and former Ayabie guitarist Ryouhei is never seen without giant pink bunny ears. (Just a typical day in the life of a VK artist.) The band just put out a new single, Beautiful Girl – which you can watch below and buy here – and has more releases planned. The new campaign emphasizes fan interaction, so if have questions for Megamasso, want them to appear at a convention or play in your city, send them a note: megamasso@hearjapan.com
Looking forward to hearing Megamasso’s catchy, upbeat riffs live in Tokyo!
LA CARMINA
