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Two New Short Stories

Like all writers, I get a LOT of rejection letters. It’s par for the course. This week was really nice though, with two publications! My short piece, The Offs, won first place in The Pete Wood Challenge writing competition for November 2024 and was published by Stupefying Stories.

https://stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-offs-by-ted-macaluso.html

And another short story, Greeter Pastures, was published by Little Old Lady Comedy.

https://www.littleoldladycomedy.com/all-works/greeter-pastures

Stupefying Stories … The Pete Wood Challenge … and Little Old Lady Comedy are all worth checking out.

The Book Exchange

Why this writer loves used bookstores.

As a writer, I love used bookstores. Perhaps not for the reason you think (books, books, and more books), but because it is when I am inside a used bookstore, that I find out what people really read. Nielsen BookScan compiles sales figures and is a great publishing industry resource, but the numbers are dry. In a good used bookstore, I see it live. 

That is especially true for a writer like me, who leans less toward literary reads and more towards genres like sci-fi, mysteries, thrillers and humorous short stories.

I’m in Missoula, Montana this week and found a really great used bookstore: The Book Exchange. They have a wide range of books, from classics like Isaac Asimov’s robot novels through current books like Percival Everett’s James (high on my TBR list) and Rebecca Yarros’s romantasies (among my ‘guilty pleasures’).

Writers, of course, also go to libraries, frequent bookstores that sell new books, and read book reviewers. But that is like going to a museum: what you see is curated by experts. Unbelievably valuable but filtered by gatekeepers. Suggestions on what people should read, but not the skinny on what people do read. 

If you are ever in Missoula, check out The Book Exchange.


#thebookexchange #amwriting #amreading #bookstores

Text copyright 2024 by Ted Macaluso

3 Bad ideas for Good Creative Writing

One of my favorite sources for writing inspiration and education is Jane Friedman.com. In her weekly newsletter, she reprints articles about the craft of writing.

Jane displays great taste in the articles she includes (like a museum curator when selecting paintings for a new exhibition). She recently included a piece that really struck a chord with me: Jason Keath’s “3 Bad Ideas for More Creative Writing.”

Here it is— https://janefriedman.com/3-bad-ideas-for-more-creative-writing/ — and visit Jane’s website for a steady stream of ideas for writers. Her newsletter is just one of the many good things she does!

New Van Gogh Exhibit

Some of the paintings I used in writing my children’s book, Vincent, Theo and the Fox, are from the artist’s final period. They are among my favorites.

This upcoming exhibit at London’s National Gallery includes 60 paintings and drawings, including The Yellow House, where the fox starts its journey of self-discovery. The exhibit also features Wheatfield With Crows, where the wily fox learns what it wants to be when it grows up.

If you’re fortunate enough to make it to London, the exhibit runs through January 29, 2025.

Vincent, Theo and the Fox is a children’s book about Vincent van Gogh and growing up. Step into the art of Vincent van Gogh. Follow young Vincent and his brother Theo as they chase a fox on an imaginary adventure through the artists greatest paintings, including The Starry Night, Vincent’s Bedroom, and Wheatfield with Crows. On their magical journey, the boys – and the fox – experience failure. From it, they discover how to become the best you can be when you grow up.

“A charming, unique way to introduce youngsters to great art while providing an important message.”—Kirkus Reviews.

The book combines storytelling with full-color reproductions of 30 van Gogh paintings. Young readers will appreciate his art in a deeper way, discover details of van Gogh’s life, and learn how siblings achieve a shared goal.

Three Views of Van Gogh for Children

Three new picture books give complementary views of the artist’s life.

Authors use the same facts differently. That is as true for picture books as it is for books geared to older ages. When you show children a set of books with different perspectives on the same subject, it helps them develop the capacity to think analytically. Doing this with picture books is a great way for younger kids to have fun while learning how to understand and master their world.

Here are three picture books that, together, help children think about the life of painter Vincent van Gogh.

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Vincent Can’t Sleep by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Mary GrandPré is a biography of the painter told from the hook of children fighting sleep. It looks at van Gogh as a struggling artist driven to express himself and paint the night sky. Ages 4 to 8.

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The Artist and Me by Shane Peacock and illustrated by Sophie Casson uses van Gogh’s time in Arles, France to teach about bullying. It looks at van Gogh as a visionary, bullied for being both poor and different. The story is told by one of the bullies as an adult looking back at what he did and what he learned. Ages 5 to 9.

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Vincent, Theo and the Fox by Ted Macaluso (yes, that’s me) uses van Gogh’s life to teach about growing up and brotherhood. It looks at van Gogh, and his brother Theo, as two young boys who wonder what they should be when they grow up. Chasing a mischievous fox through van Gogh’s paintings they discover the answer to how to be the best you can be when you grow up. Ages 4 to 10.

One artist and three viewpoints. All three perspectives are true, which is the beauty of reading these three books together.

All three books have great reviews.

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Kirkus Reviews called Vincent Can’t Sleep “a soft, sad, lovely introduction to a masterpiece.” Booklist said it is “a beautiful exploration of van Gogh’s influences and achievement.”

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The School Library Journal’s assessment of The Artist and Me is that the book presents “…a troubling issue observed through the lens of art history [and] delivers a meaningful message about individuality and tolerance.”

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Kirkus Reviews called Vincent, Theo and the Fox “a charming, unique way to introduce youngsters to great art while providing an important message.” ThePictureBookReview.com said: “[Vincent, Theo and the Fox] is the first book I’ve read where the illustrations are storied instead of the story being illustrated….It adds a depth of imagination that I’m not used to in picture books. I can’t think of any other picture book doing this–it’s wonderful!” 

Reading all three books can be a powerful experience. Together, they reinforce the reality that Vincent van Gogh was, like each and every one of us is, a complex, many-sided person.

Ted Macaluso lives in Reston, Virginia and blogs about children’s books and art at www.tedmacaluso.com.

Text © 2019-2023 by Ted Macaluso.

Note: Some of the links above are “affiliate links” to Amazon.com, which means that Amazon pays me a few pennies if you end up buying the book through the link here. Your price is the same whether you use the affiliate link or find the book another way. The pennies don’t influence my judgment. These are all books I’ve read and recommend. You’re free to click, look on Amazon, and not buy.

Robots Writing Book Reviews

This is a fascinating article from the New York Times about artificial intelligence. The author, Eliott Ulm, not only shows what AI can accomplish in the literary field, it includes the background failures that led to the AI’s success and the hidden limits on that success. Ulm also addresses how humans can interact with AI.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/21/books/review/the-age-of-ai-henry-kissinger-eric-schmidt-daniel-huttenlocher.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Vincent, Doctor Who, and Perseverance

I sometimes wonder if the novel I’m working on will ever get published. What will people think of it? Every creator goes through this. Whether you are writing fiction or cooking a special dinner, there may come a time when you lose hope. So, for my inspiration and yours, here is my favorite Dr. Who clip—the time when Vincent van Gogh visits the museum.

Pointing To “A Beautiful Artistic Journey”

Drea is a mom who blogs about homeschooling, food and other things important to life (like books and riddles). When she finds cool products she points her followers toward them and I’m delighted that she pointed toward Seeking Cézanne. Thanks, Drea!