LaurasMuse

I recently received my second DD for "Zel"... thanks so much, all the comments and views are greatly appreciated!

If you want to see me, I am exhibiting at my first convention... the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, this weekend Oct. 13-14. I'll have some originals with me and I'll be selling prints and even some temporary tattoos. I'm sharing table #924 with fellow illustrator, Colin Nitta. Our work goes nicely together, as we both veer towards sci-fi/fantasy. Visit his website: www.colinnitta.com

For information about APE: www.comic-con.org/ape/index.ph…

I've been into doing a little web design lately, and I made a website for my sister, who is also an artist. Take a look:

www.sheilaramie.com

I'm going to give my own site a different look sometime, so stay tuned for updates.

Got this idea from IntoTheFrisson and pennydox

rules
1. Go to Urbandictionary.com and type in your name.
2. Post the definition (NO MATTER WHAT IT SAYS) in your journal

There are 32 entires for "Laura" and so I'll only put the first and last and a few inbetween. Didn't know my name was associated with all this goodness.

1.

meaning 'from the laurel flower'
a beautiful name, in fact one of the best names ever.
hey laura, you're soo fly

4.

The person with this name is the most amazing person you will ever meet. After you say hi to her, magic fairy dust will sprinkle on your head and then you'll be able to FLY! OMG! Who WOULDN'T want to fly? That girl is so cool. Her name must be Laura! *begins to fly*

5.

a young woman, typically associated with romantic themes. Though the name originally came from the Roman tradition of placing a wreath of laurels on victors' heads, it has developed more emotional ties in recent years.
The most famous Laura is from Dr. Zhivago in which she is a star-crossed lover who leaves her true love to marry another man.

7.

a laura is a being, typically female, with an overall good personality
-lauras generally listen to good music and lack their own form of transportation
-one major flaw some lauras possess is their failure to watch donnie darko as often as they should
-although lauras have some faults, they are typically above average intelligence and liked by most

"dude, did you just see that laura over there?"

"i so did man, i so didddddddd"

8.  

A girl who is awesome in every way, can be shy at times and crazy (especially when she is sugar high) the next, but is always a fun person to be around. She likes to make lists and keep everything in order. She loves to be creative with her stories she writes, and takes too many photos on her camera. She loves to hang out with a group of friends at all times. Reading is her favorite pastime, and she barely ever misses a tv show. You will never regret ever meeting a Laura. She likes to keep everything in order, and makes sure everythings in its place, except not really . She loves to make up one syllable words and languages out of these words. Her favorite number is 4 and she is really good at remembering numbers. Best Traits: can keep secrets when she wants to, can always cheer people and friends up, knows the right moment when a friends in need.
You cant live life without a Laura there to cheer you up.

10.

A beautiful sexy woman that should be treated like a princess at all times.
Dammmnn what a laura, I'd do anything for her

11.

She makes one happy.
If I could choose a place to die, it would be in Laura's arms.

13.

Laura is the pimpshit in every way. When someone meets a Laura they will never be able to forget her. She is truly unique in every way. She has an amazing personality and the looks to match it. Laura's are extremely intelligent. Straight up wiz kids. She is one of the hottest chicks ever to be seen. When she walks in the room, the wall clocks stop, everyone's jaw drops, and time literally stands still.
Dude, I can't get that Laura out of my mind she's friggin amazing!

32.

only the most amazing person you will ever meet. she's awesome and funny and nice and smart and soooo freaking attractive. she can always make you smile and looks hot in whatever she's wearing, or not wearing. if you ever meet a laura, marry her. or you will regret it.
hey dude did you see laura's new shorts?
yeah dude where'd she get them?
the harvard bookstore.
her butt looks so good in them. she's pure awesome.

Hey guys, I now have an official portfolio website... www.lauraramie.com

Like my artist's page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lauraramieart

You can also follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@LauraRamie

Thanks to everyone who took notice of my Robo Robin painting! I've gotten a ton of good feedback. I see that it's been featured on a lot of blogs. Also, what's especially excited, it's going to be published as an album cover for a German band called Orange: www.orangevibes.de

Exciting things are afoot!

This summer, I read some seventeen books, all adapting fairy tales. I found out that I'm a big fan of the genre. I want to share my thoughts and critiques and favorite quotes.

Rapunzel

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
"I hold that child in a tower. The only one I love, the one I love more than life itself; for two years I have held that one in a stone room"(142).

This book got me off to a good start, because I adored it. Napoli captured the true essence of the tale, while expanding it into a novel that thrilled me and made me weep. Rapunzel happens also to be my favorite fairy tale (or one of them, at least) because the love story has always seemed so desperate, up until the very end. It was nice to have the three different perspectives—Rapunzel, the "witch," and the prince (who is a count in this one).

Rumpelstiltskin

Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli and Richard Tchen (1999)
"Saskia has the power to make beauty. Spinning gives her that power" (74).

I didn't like this one very much. From the very start, something was amiss about it. Maybe because I was supposed to sympathize with Rumpelstiltskin, but his character just drove me nuts. He could have cleared all the problems up if he just SPOKE a little more! I did like Saskia—sometimes—but most of all I liked Elke, the castle headmistress. It's too bad that the romance hinted at between her and Rumple didn't really come to much. Maybe I would have liked the book better if it did. The ending was creepy. But that's because the fairy tale is just plain creepy and weird. The moral: be sure that you ask the name of any of your acquaintances who grant you big favors. I would not recommend it, not unless you are a big fan of Rumplestiltskin.

Sleeping Beauty

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley (2000)
"You weren't supposed to have to ask questions; language was a weak and unreliable means of taking in information, and many wild animals dispensed with it; your ears and nose and eyes were much preferable" (60).

I enjoyed Spindle's End, and I wasn't expecting to, because the summaries of it didn't seem very interesting to me. But I loved the magical world that McKinley wrote about. All the characters were fun and I liked the ways that McKinley expanded and deviated from the original tale. There were parts, like towards the end of the book, when the fight against Pernicia began to annoy me. Everything just started to turn loopy and the lack of description about things confused me. But that might have been because I was reading in a hurry to finish. Overall, it was a fun book. Not life-changing, but fun. I would recommend if you like tomboy princesses, male fairies and talking animals.

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
"The old tale of Sleeping Beauty might end happily in French or English, but he was in Russia, and only a fool would want to live through the Russian version of any fairy tale" (77).

I loved Enchantment. It was hilarious! It was perhaps the most "adult" of the books I read, but I appreciated the cruder humor. Some of the lines exchanged between Baba Yaga and Bear…! The plot twists were excellent, as was the time traveling, and overall I thought it was a great read. It got me really into Russian fairy tales for a bit.

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
" 'Don't count on Happy Ever After. This is the real world.'" (109)

Like all Holocaust literature, this book made me severely depressed. I had been dreading reading it, knowing the general premise, so I had to force myself to pick it up and start. I knew it was essential if I wanted a well-rounded study of fairy tale adaptations. Overall I thought it was good and Yolen definitely accomplished her objective. Her book haunts me.

Donkeyskin

Deerskin by Robin McKinley (1993)
" 'Be glad, and go boldly into human lands, and find a new self to be.'" (130).

I was also dreading to read this book, because I knew I was in for something heavy. And heavy it was, but overall it must be my favorite book that I read this summer. I can not say that I entirely enjoyed reading it. Really, it stressed me out. But good books will do that to you, and that's what made it so profound. I really felt like I went through something by the end of it. I was so caught up with Lissar's ordeal. Her prince was also my favorite among princes. I highly recommend, especially if you are a dog lover!

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty by Robin McKinley (1978)
" 'This ogreish aunt may not be a complete fiction after all. I probably shall be able to get on with my studies: He must have a library in that great castle of his. He must do something with the days besides guard his roses and frighten travelers'" (86).

I liked Beauty. Sometimes it's nice to read something that is very close to the original story. It was kind of a comfort to read, since it reminded me of the Disney movie so much. I think I wanted something more, though, although I can't say what. Maybe the Beast seemed too civilized, and Beauty did not seem to love him enough. I might be a little unfair when I say that; this may be a book I wish to read again.

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli (2000)
"I am east and Belle is west" (243).

I liked Napoli's Beast better than McKinley's Beauty, I must admit. Beast had a bit more of a twist, and more of the wildness I was pining for. Sometimes, even, Prince Orasmyn disgusted me while he was in his lion state. In fact, most of the time I didn't really like him. I adored Belle, though, and Chou Chou the fox kit. The ending horribly disappointed me. It seemed to be cut off too short. A denouement would have been nice.

The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
" 'Forgive me for asking, but—how much of you is wolf?'" (270).

This was my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling—by far! Perhaps I am biased because it takes place in my locale—the San Francisco bay area, and in pre-Earthquake 1906! And it was fun to read about some of the lurid goings-on along the Barbary Coast. Anyway, I found it hilarious and exciting and all-around clever. Rosalind Hawkins is one of my favorite heroines. And I was so ecstatic with the denouement. Finally, a Beauty and the Beast tale that ends that way!

The Frog Prince

Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
"With one kiss she had turned him into a prince among men." (183).

Bleh. I didn't like this book. I was intrigued by the idea of having a Frog prince retelling taking place in World War I, but it just didn't seem to work. Jack, the frog prince, was just weird to me. And I never really warmed to Emma, the princess character. There were some dire things that happened—gas poisoning, torture and war espionage, but the plot didn't seem to have enough substance to support it. So it all came out a bit silly and forced and forgettable.

Snow White

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
"Here I was essential to the Queen's misrule. I was an instrument of every step she took" (153).

So, I couldn't stand the first fifty pages. I think my opinion was tainted by some really harsh reviews that I read. But once I got past the first part, I must say, I really loved it!  It was refreshing to have an ugly heroine (genuinely ugly, unlike McKinley's Beauty). I came to like Aza a lot, and I thought that Levine did a fine job by thoroughly instilling her message about beauty. I thought it was also fun to have a controversial prince. A lot of people didn't like Ijori because of him abandoning Aza when she needed him most. True, he did that, but it made sense considering his back story with ogresses. And sometimes princes make mistakes, too! Or perhaps I'm just soft for canine-inclined princes. By the way, the audio book from Full Cast Audio is outstanding for this book!

Cinderella

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
"But I had to obey—wanted to obey—hated to harm him—wanted to marry him." (225)

This was the third time I read Ella Enchanted. Of course I love it, it's a fantastic book. Ella and Char are classic together. What was strange was that afterwards, I watched the movie. I had always disliked it before, but this time I found it hilarious. Flawed, but funny enough to laugh at.

Silver Woven in My Hair by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
"You can love a goatherd and feel there is some hope. But to love a prince…" (110).

This book is what Cinderella is all about. I thought it was alright while I was reading it. But once I got to the big surprise at the end (which I had been anticipating on and off for a while), I realized how ingenious this book is. I can't describe much else because I don't want to give it away, just that I found it very inspiring.

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
"I didn't love Prince Charming." (108)

The Anti-Fairy Tale. But I must say, I greatly enjoyed it. This book is hilarious and controversial and it seems to get under people's skin. Some of the characterizations (Madame Bisset!) were quite weak, and that's often what the book is criticized for. The characters I enjoyed reading about most, ironically, were the vacuous Prince Charming and the distasteful Step-Evils (I absolutely loved the resolution that happened with them). I was never really sold on Ella, although her head-strongness did cause some memorable scenes… like her little squabble with Charming. But I feel so sorry for her new love interest, because I feel that he really got jilted in the end. In general I think this book needs a new title, because it is too often confused with Ella Enchanted. My sister read the back and was horrified, thinking that this was a sequel and that Ella of Frell broke up with Prince Char. Heaven forbid!

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
"He was supposed to be the Polar Bear King, and now when she looked at him, he looked like an overgrown stuffed animal or the Coca-Cola Polar Bear." (67)

Love! I love this book! I didn't like it at first, but my opinion quickly changed as I got more engrossed in the story. Cassie became a brilliant heroine of heroines and her journey to save not only her husband and her unborn child—but the whole Polar Bear species—was marvelously epic. It made it all the more fun that she was a modern, no-nonsense girl dropped into such circumstances. And the ending was fantastic… although it still left me wondering about a few small things. Overall, I totally recommend this one.  

Hansel and Gretel

The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
"It isn't up to me to recognize the demons of this world. That is not a human task. God will tell me. All I have to do is listen." (42)

A wonderfully tragic book. Napoli does a great thing, by redeeming the traditionally wicked characters in fairy tales like this one. And as always, I appreciate the untidy details that she slips in. The characters of Hansel and Gretel were well done, as well. And I loved the description of the candy house. It's a good quick read.

Little Red Riding Hood

Wolf by Gillian Cross (1990)
"There was no sensible, safe way out. No woodcutter was going to leap in, to rescue them from the wolf." (130)

I enjoyed every moment of this book. The suspense, the mystery—Cross brought real terror into the notion of the Big Bad Wolf, while also ridding the real animal of its stigma from folktales. The confrontation scene was excellent, when the villain is degraded for being worse than a wolf. While the main message was one about fear, I also found parts of it to be very humorous. Life among the British artist squatters made me chuckle a lot. Cassy was cute, with her insistence on wearing her school mac... aka, her riding hood.

I plan to read more of these books, too. I've got The Goose Girl, The Black Swan and Daughter of the Forest waiting on my book shelf.