Friday, October 31, 2014

Superheroes!

Q (here as the Hulk) is an amazing instructor at the YMCA. He wanted us to dress up like our favorite superheroes for the day, so--this.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Texas Book Festival Highlights

Besides a giant shopping cart beneath a beautiful Texas sky? There were a ton of highlights--starting out with seeing so many friends with such inspiring successes among this tight, supportive community of Texas writers. Like the added benefit of welcoming fellow word-lovers from all over the US and world, for one. And the fact that we can still throw down summer days in late October. BOOM!

I began the day with the most gorgeous sitar concert at the Grandfather Gandhi panel with Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus. I closed my eyes to listen to the music and so unexpectedly found myself crying. It was beautiful.

From there, I hit the #WeNeedDiverseBookPanel because WE DO and had the honor of hearing from an entire panel of writers, including Jacqueline Woodson. I'm late to the party, but I just started reading her picture books, and I love her voice. It was great to hear it in person. (Watch out for her Brown Girl Dreaming--a National Book Award finalist.)

I caught a magic panel with dear friend Nikki Loftin--author of The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy and Nightingale's Nest, got acquainted with Annie Brown and was exposed to the charming, fresh voice of Natalie Lloyd.

After getting a few books signed by Andrea Beaty, (if you haven't read Happy Birthday to Madame Chapeau or Rosie Revere, Engineer--start reading...), I visited with Nikki and the self-deprecating Brian Floca--Caldecott Winner for Locomotive--before forcing my sweaty self through the tents one more time before heading home.

I ended up buying three books, acquiring five more (Thank you Penguin!) and having just the best time. It's definitely one of those "I am so lucky to live in Austin" kind of days. And they're doing it all again tomorrow!

Monday, October 20, 2014

Author Aimee

I'm a woman with several identities, several names, several careers. In the beginning, it was a nice way to divide 'professional' work from 'personal passion projects'. In other words, the neighbors, the office, the clients--they know one Aimee. The actors, the directors, the producers and now, the publishing houses, the potential agents, the writers--they know another one.

My first writing coup was for Goldie Blox--it's an amazing toy/book/app movement born to get girls interested in engineering. Goldie Blox and the Dunk Tank is my contribution to the canon (that is not a request for purchase--no royalties are received).

Now there's more writing underway, and an entirely new creative community getting to know Actor Aimee as Author Aimee. Artist Aimee sounds too pretentious, but I'm not sure what to do about the name of this blog...

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Geico, The Martin Agency Ripped Off an Austin Filmmaker. Hire a New Agency.

 

It started with a call from my dad. "Have you seen the new Geico spot?" "No." "They totally ripped off your friend's idea." "Really?" "Yeah, that 'Poor Decision Horror Movie Spoof'?" "Yeah? You mean "Hell, No"? "That one."

So I watched it, and my dad is right. The thought that people in horror movies make poor decisions is not a new one--the entire Scream franchise was built on it. But when filmmaker Joe Nicolosi skewered it--he took the concept from conversation to completion.

And Geico's Martin Agency just flat out stole it in this installment of their new "It's What You Do" campaign.