It is Summer 2018 and while continuing heavily with photography, I am about to join fellow authors and illustrators, many old friends and hopefully many new, at the annual Society of Children's Book Writers And Illustrators (SCBWI) conference here in Los Angeles. It's time to recommence working on my craft.
And this with news:
LIFE DOESN'T FRIGHTEN ME: Still in print after its release to acclaim in 1993, my pairing of the expressive artwork of the late artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat with a 1978 poem by one of our American idols, Maya Angelou is about to be re-marketed by Abrams Books for Young Readers in a 25th Anniversary Edition, to be released next January 2018.
In this edition, I have the privilege of writing and adding an afterword, updating the biographies and resource materials and helping create a new look for this classic. Here is the proposed cover!
COME FLY A KITE: SATURDAYS AT THE BEACH WITH TYRUS WONG:
At his death, his life was celebrated worldwide, including the front page of the New York Times with my photographic portrait of him, and in the documentary by filmmaker Pamela Tom, set to broadcast on PBS American Masters on 8 September this year.
The major retrospective of Tyrus' artwork, including his early drawings for Walt Disney's Bambi was held at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco in 2013 and again at the Museum of Chinese in America in NYC. In both exhibitions, I was asked to create the photographic "story" of Tyrus and his kites. A small version of that exhibition - many of the kites and my photographs - is now on view in Malibu, CA at their City Hall through the end of July.
I am so pleased to announce that I am working on a book for youth on Tyrus' 40+ years after he retired and learning how to make and fly his artistic kites! I had created a promo book about them as part of my photographic project process (can be seen online at https://issuu.com/sarajaneboyersphoto/docs/sjboyers_goflyakite_1) and now, it seems time to share the work and Tyrus' amazing life with young readers. Look soon for further news!!!!!
OTHER BOOK PROJECTS:
Much of the work I hope to do now revolves around my favorite format: illustrated picture books. Presently my goal is to write and photo-illustrate. With major interest and investment in the arts throughout my life, it feels that this is where I fit.
I hope some of you, former readers and new ones, will join me in this exploration. Whether for youth or, as in the case of my two long-term photo projects - FINDING CHINATOWN: AN AMERICAN STORY and DETROIT:DEFINITION - that I am merging as well into books (and of course, exhibition), there are always stories to present for a variety of ages.
It is good to be back.
OTHER NEWS, PART BOOK AND PART PHOTOGRAPHY:
A written essay by me, " .... No, It's Not the East," will be published this summer by Belt Publishing in their DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDEBOOK.
An article on a house designed by the respected mid-century California-based architect, Pierre Koenig, and featuring my photography was just published in the Summer2017 issue of MODERN MAGAZINE, to be online soon but now on the racks!
I hope some of you, former readers and new ones, will join me in this exploration. Whether for youth or, as in the case of my two long-term photo projects - FINDING CHINATOWN: AN AMERICAN STORY and DETROIT:DEFINITION - that I am merging as well into books (and of course, exhibition), there are always stories to present for a variety of ages.
It is good to be back.
OTHER NEWS, PART BOOK AND PART PHOTOGRAPHY:
A written essay by me, " .... No, It's Not the East," will be published this summer by Belt Publishing in their DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDEBOOK.
An article on a house designed by the respected mid-century California-based architect, Pierre Koenig, and featuring my photography was just published in the Summer2017 issue of MODERN MAGAZINE, to be online soon but now on the racks!
