Kari Ann Ebert

Poet, Author, and Artist: blogging Delaware's literary arts scene.

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5 bizarre things you didn’t know about Everett De Morier, author of Thirty-Three Cecils

Oh, what fun I had Wednesday afternoon in the kitchen of the Dover Art League interviewing author Everett De Morier about how weird he is. I’m not sure he even knows the depths of his weirdness, but I thought I would do him a solid and excavate some bizarre tidbits for you.

               But first, just in case you need a little background, Everett has written 2 non-fiction books, appeared on CNN, NPR, and ABC. His novel Thirty-Three Cecils won the top fiction award at the London Book Festival in 2015. It was also named book of the year by Heroic Magazine. If that wasn’t cool enough, Hornpin Media bought the rights to make it a film. And if that’s not even cool enough, Hornpin Media is hijacking our WAM Café event on January 14th to make a teaser reel for the movie project, and we will be celebrating Everett’s awesomeness.

               Ok, now you’re up to speed. So on with the list of oddities.

1.       Everett loves to write as badly as possible- and he’s REALLY good at it!

A little out of the box? Yep, but he believes it’s the only way to become a good writer. You have to give yourself permission to write badly and get a bunch of stuff down on the page. Otherwise, you’ll just sit there trying to be perfect. When you get a bunch of stuff down, then you can go back and shape it into something good (and he’s really good at that, too). 

2.       He believes awkward nuggets must be framed.

You’re probably imagining some weirdly misshapen chicken McNugget in a fancy baroque frame hanging above his writing desk. Sadly, you would be wrong. Everett believes that sometimes there’s an idea that just doesn’t fit into a story. No matter how hard you try to make it fit, it will always feel awkward. Don’t “kill your darlings,” in this case, wait for the perfect time to frame it in the perfect story. Just file that little nugget away for safe keeping (hopefully it doesn’t get moldy or start to smell).  

3.      Mr. De Morier dabbles in ritualistic behavior.

Gasp! I imagine all kinds of dark scenes here…human sacrifice? bloodletting? Nope, just some obsessive saving of files. Everett lost an important manuscript back when computers had names like 286, 386, and 486. Ever since that devastating event he saves his work, “like every ten seconds- fanatically”. It’s his only writing ritual.

4.       Everett has two daughters no one knows about.

I mean, they’re actually only the personalities of his two sons transplanted into Walker’s two daughters in Thirty-Three Cecils. Liz is based on his son Nick, and Abby is based on his son Alex. Many of the villains Walker makes up when he tells them stories are actual villains Everett created during story time with his sons. So, everyone can relax, there’s no scandal here…just a super-cool fact that you probably didn’t know.

5.      He was blind when Hornpin Media offered to buy the film rights to Thirty-Three Cecils.

Not literally, it was more a metaphorical blindness. When it happened, Everett said, “You guys are crazy. I don’t see it as a film.” Luckily, even though he was momentarily blind, the people at Hornpin helped him see the amazing possibilities. Now, as he’s working on the screenplay, he’s regained his sight and is very excited (also, I got a peek, and it’s a pretty cool adaptation).

There’s so much more about Everett De Morier than I could ever blog about. He is more concerned with writing good stories than being part of the mainstream “Matrix” that churns out so many cookie-cutter books these days. As an aspiring novelist, I covet his advice and appreciate what he feels is his duty: “to make it worthy of the reader”.  And if you haven’t read Thirty-Three Cecils, put it at the top of your TBR list immediately.

 So, thanks for sharing my dream of pretending Everett is as weird as I am (He’s not, but he’s a really good sport). If you’re in the area, come to The Dover Art League on Saturday (1/14) from 5:00-8:00. We have great poets (Jim Bourey and Sherry Chappelle), musicians (The Inbetweeners), and live artist (Sidney Moore) as well as an open mic and open jam. A film crew will be there for Hornpin Media, and you might just get to be in the teaser reel for the Thirty-Three Cecils movie!  Either way, you can get your art fusion on.

[julwssx]

Slow - Halsey

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Maleficent and Jo March share an adventure: Hockessin Art & Book Fair

My friend, Laura Mancuso, and I decided to take a trip up north and check out the Hockessin Art & Book Fair on Saturday. This is an annual event, and well worth the trip! As if books and art aren’t enough, this year the organizers suggested that everyone dress up as their favorite author or literary character! What? Dress up? You don’t have to tell me twice, and luckily Laura was just as excited. I pulled out my Steampunk Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault) costume and she went as the always feisty and smart Jo March from Little Women. 

There were so many local authors and artists there with great offerings. One thing that I always like is when vendors have lower priced items as well as pricier ones. I scooped up this cute Jane Eyre literary tattoo for only $5 from the Hockessin Book Shelf. 

The Honorary Author Chair of the event was David Teague who read his super-cute book The Red Hat to a bunch of little book lovers. Laura scooped up a signed copy of it. 

Kristen Margiotta was the Honorary Artist Chair. Her series Gustav Gloom is creepy-adorable, and I love her quirky art. 

There were tons of other authors and artists there. Some of my favorite art included work by fabric artists, illustrators, and my all-time favorite Ellen Durkan of Iron Maiden Forge. She forges unique jewelry and wearable art that crosses genres of Industrial, Steampunk, Avant-garde, and Fetishwear (I’m sure there’s more). She’s having a fashion show on Nov. 4th in Wilmington that is sure to be amazing. This bustle/skirt creation took my breath away! 

Many of the authors dressed up as their favorite literary characters as well. Mark Lowther writes a series whose main character is Dorothy Gale: Zombie Slayer. He also authored Mastication Nation: Stories from the Zombie Apocalypse (That title, though! It totally cracks me up. Brilliant). Here he is as the Mad Hatter and his partner as The Red Queen. They killed it!

Liz DeJesus, author of the popular Frost series was there. I was super jealous of her Hello Kitty dress, so I had to document it.  

Black Dog Bindery was there with a wide array of exquisite handmade journals. Heather James (Owner and Artist) takes special orders too! 

Overall, the event was a book & art lover’s delight. I took so many cards to help me plan my Christmas list and so many bookmarks to cure me of the dog-ear disease that I had to document that as well. Please note the lovely bag we received for free because we were one of the first 150 people through the door. 

So much loot!!!

Oh, I almost forgot! Lee Zimmerman (from TV and Film) was also there with his rock and roll marionettes. Laura tried out the pegebra (yep, a cross between Pegasus and a zebra). He also had Darth Vader, Jimi Hendrix, and even a pole dancer he kept sequestered for the family friendly event!

There were too many great authors and artists to tell you about here, but visit the official Hockessin Art & Book Fair Facebook page to scroll through the bios and offerings from all the vendors. Maybe you can get a jump start on your Christmas shopping!

So, make sure you check it out next year if you missed it! Whether you’re a book-lover, an art-lover, or you’re just looking for something fun to do, the Hockessin Art & Book Fair will not disappoint! 

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Even my doodles don’t make sense sometimes! 

[indieteen]

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Gallery 37: much words....very art...such yes!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending Gallery 37′s super-cool Invitational Photo Exhibit: Rusted launched with a poetry reading and reception. Oh boy, was it a treat! 

To kick off the exhibit which runs through Nov. 30th (and you should def get yourself there!), Marcia Reed (Gallery 37′s owner) partnered with Linda Blaskey (poet editor of the Broadkill Review) to bring a lovely poetry reading to downtown Milford. Parenthesis aside- if you missed it, you missed out BIG TIME! 

 Poets Ethan Joella, Jane Miller, and Franetta McMillian brought the crowd with them on a journey of laughter, tears, angst, and inner speculation through their amazingly crafted poems. I mean, maybe you think I’m just blowing smoke or being super-dramatic, but when you can write an Ode to your broken pinky (Joella), a poem about MLK’s anti-climactic life were he to still be alive or the Brady Bunch showing up to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts (McMillian) or even reading a painful truth about being unable to remember the word for ketchup (Miller)....oh, man- I am not exaggerating! 

After the poetry reading next door at the Music School of Delaware, we were treated to the invitational photo exhibit: Rusted. Marcia Reed curated it with such a cool theme. The Steampunk in me was rejoicing. I wish I had gotten better pictures, but the five photographers (Dennis Coleman, Janice Jester, John Mallura, Janine Norton, and Beamie Young) each had a uniquely delicious take on the theme. I was struck by the photos of cool mandalas made with rusted arrangements of everyday objects, and the beauty of a rusted steam pipe thingy that unobservant people might call ugly. Oh, to have the eye of a photographer, but at least I got to enjoy the rusted fruits of their labors!  

You may ask: Was there wine and cheese? Why, yes, and more. Marcia Reed thought of everything. It was a beautiful event with so much to experience. I have never been to Gallery 37, and now I want to go back to check out everything they have. I saw some cool up-cycled bags made of inner-tubes and airplane cables that caught my eye. I think I’ll put the black one on my Christmas list!

If you get a chance (and you should make it a priority!), visit Gallery 37 and check out the exhibit as well as all the quirky pieces there. It’s located at 8 S. Walnut st. Milford, DE. Do it! Do it! You will not be sorry, and you might come away with a super-cool new piece of art. 

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We are not Cheesetoberfest Noobs!

On a rainy Saturday in Dover, DE, my friend and I went to Cheesetoberfest at Fordham and Dominion Brewery. This is at least our 3rd time, if not fourth. We love the restaurants competing to make the best grilled cheese sandwiches, and last year they added mac n’ cheese too! Oh my goodness, such cheese. 

It’s always very festive there under the big white tent. This year it was super-soggy, but I don’t think anyone minded. Hey, that big ‘ol pumpkin was hiding the beer tap! Did I mention that with our entry fee, we got a lovely glass stein and beer tickets? Being non-beer enthusiasts, we usually just get designated driver tickets and enjoy the awesome soda they bottle there (orange, root beer, ginger ale, and cherry to name a few). This year, I thought I’d be super-adventurous and try the beer. I thought, hey...I haven’t tried it since 1989...maybe it’s changed. 

Here’s a really bad picture of my plate of cheesy-ness and stein full of Dark Oak Stout. The guy took one look at my face and said, “Do you want some root beer on top?” I said, “Yes please. Can I just have the whole bottle?” I have to say, after I drank a little, poured a little more root beer in, drank a lot, poured a lot more root beer in...it didn’t taste too bad! I mean, what was I thinking? Beer couldn’t possibly have change that much, but everyone else loved it!

People stood in line for a long, long time to get the selection of beer. There were Octoberfest, Spiced Harvest Ale, Oak Barrel Stout (that I tried), Rams Head IPA, Copper Head Ale, and Helles Lager. I didn’t go any further than the stout. I stuck to my kind of beer...heavy on the root! 

Another not so great picture of my second trip (or was it my third?) My friend was super-smart and brought a couple of take out trays to help us carry the mountains of cheese. People were jealous when they asked where we got them. “We brought them!” was always our smug reply. Ah, noobs. Anyway, there were 20 local restaurants who added things like pulled pork, pickles, peppers, crab dip, and anything you can imagine to the sandwiches. I voted for the grilled apple cider donuts with cheese and apples. We got one ticket to vote for the best grilled cheese and one for the mac n’ cheese. I voted for an amazing crab/cheese soup that was posing as mac n. cheese. It was oh so yummy!

The Philadelphia German Brass Band was there in their lederhosen. Always a treat! They always sing some German beer drinking song that makes me think I’m on “Who’s Line is it, Anyway.” I just pretend to know the words and raise my stein in unity.

There was a cornhole competition and a stein throw (please note the “Caution: Flying Kegs” sign). Last year there was a giant Jenga game. I didn’t see it this year, but it was rainy and mushy. My attention was on my cute boots not getting muddy. 

There’s never room at the tables under the tent, so we brought beach chairs. I’m telling you, we’re getting to be experts at this!

It was fun to see a Facebook friend, Ashley. She was all dolled up in a milkmaid outfit. I wore my fake corset and milkmaid braid. 

All in all, my friend Jo-An and I had a fabulous time as you can tell by our smiles. Everyone seemed to be having a blast, including the girl photobombing us in the background. We can’t wait until next year. We’re thinking we need to make holsters for our drinks. Then when people ask where we got them we can say “We made them!” and walk away smugly as if we were never ever Cheesetoberfest noobs.