Our Blog

 

August 30th, 2014 marks Mary Shelley’s 217th birthday and what has become known as Frankenstein Day.

 

Frankenstein was always one of my favorite books to teach, and it was fun to go crazy with it around Halloween. One year my students were treated to watching a “Grow Your Own Monster” that I picked up for a dollar get pretty scary as it took over a grimy jar of water.

 

Here at Quirk, we’ve got a few ideas that will make your celebration come ALIVE.

 

Ghost Story Challenge: One of the most exciting parts about Frankenstein is the actual novel’s creation story. Legend has it that Mary and Percy Shelley were visiting Lord Byron when they decided to challenge themselves to a horror story competition. At just 18 years old, Mary Shelley experienced a kind of waking dream that gave birth to her horrific tale of creating life from death. She won the competition and Frankenstein became one of the first works of Science Fiction, as well as a chilling tale of science without boundaries. To honor her creation, what kind of beast can you conjure up?

 

Exquisite Corpse: Expanding on the idea of literary party games, invite your friends to piece together your own exquisite corpse. Write an opening sentence and then pass it to your friend. Your friend will add a sentence and then fold the paper to conceal yours before passing it along. While each individual piece of the story might be lovely and expertly crafted, it could be ghastly when it comes together.

 

Scream at People: Throughout the years, many people have confused Frankenstein as being the name of the monster. Taking inspiration from Pee-wee’s Playhouse, make that confusion the new secret word as you try to trick people into the mistake. When they call the monster himself Frankenstein, you can take the opportunity to scream gleefully, “FRANKENSTEIN IS THE NAME OF THE SCIENTIST.”

 

Literary Mashup: Following in the tradition of Quirk Books classic, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, try to create your own literary mashup with Frankenstein as your inspiration. It already has a monster, so try adding in some romance instead. 

 

Eat Cake:  A birthday celebration is not complete without cake. In honor of Mary Shelley’s creation, try cobbling together a monster cake from a variety of flavors. This example from Cakejoy would be perfect for a 217th birthday party!

[Edt. Note: Last week, we spotted Patrick Fedo tweeting about his tattoo. A tattoo that features a line from Ben H. Winters' The Last Policeman. We invited him to blog about it. Thanks for sharing with us, Patrick!]

 

When I discovered The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters, I was instantly hooked. A noir-style murder mystery set in the pre-apocalypse? Sign me up. A refreshing take on both story and setting. But as I continued to read the series, the question "What's the point in solving a murder when the world is ending?" slowly started to reveal the true allegory at the core of this trilogy.

 

By the end of the third book, bleak and gray as it is, we finally get to the root message of Detective Henry Palace and his nobleman's journey. Throughout the series, Palace was often chided for his persistence in his goals. But then I realized, we're all Hank Palace. We're doomed the same fate. The world is going to end and we only get one go 'round on this blue marble. And in the short time we have, we're here to give each other strength and love, as Winters writes, "like strangers on a crashing plane."

 

Those six words are so important. Not only do they sum up the point of the books, those words sum up the point of life. So I had to get them tattooed, as a constant reminder to love and give strength, because we're all on our own crashing plane.

 

Man, nobody throws a party like Jay Gatsby! Oh wait… Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra does! And he’s actually a real person whose Jazz Age Lawn party is open to all! For two weekends every year you can take a ferry back in time to Governor's Island where the 1920’s are alive and roaring. Fans of Downton Abbey, Boardwalk Empire, and Really Good Music can expect a feast for all the senses as they don vintage attire and indulge their love of all things old fashioned.

 

Even before stepping onto the ferry it’s hard not to notice the ladies and gents converging at the South Ferry subway stop. Even for NY, a city known for its colorful characters and cutting edge fashions, these dapper dans and dames definitely stand out; some with parasols, some with picnic baskets, and all with the same exuberance. A quick (and very cheap) ferry ride later you step onto the green lawns of Governor's Island and are immediately greeted by the sounds of Jazz in the distance. Each decade of the 20th century has had one thing that has defined it above all others and for the 1920’s it is no doubt the music; They didn’t call it the Jazz Age for nothing. 

 

Dogs! Beloved across the nation, they have always been an important part of many presidencies, from the founding of our country to today. Because of this and their important place in American history, I propose that August 26, already declared National Dog Day, become recognized as a national holiday. And not just any national holiday, but a federally recognized one with a day off from work! We can hold puppy parades and dog parties to celebrate our canine friends. Think I’m joking? Maybe this official petition to the White House asking for a federally recognized day celebrating dogs will show you how serious I am! Dogs have played an important role in our history and it’s time they get their well-deserved recognition. Here are some of the Presidential Pups we should be celebrating on National Dog Day! 

 

 

When AMC’s The Walking Dead first premiered in October 2010, it became an instant hit. Critics were in a frenzy: it was unique, unexplored, and a delicious throwback to the George Romero films of old. Based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman and artists Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard, the series has since spawned dozens of large-scale themed events, charity runs, tee shirts and board games.

 

As with every popular television series, The Walking Dead takes a hiatus every summer and we’re left wondering how to fill that flesh-eating, virus-ridden void. No Daryl for six months? Ugh.

 

But there’s hope. For the sake of your sanity, here are nine book titles that will help satisfy your dystopian cravings until the next season of The Walking Dead premieres in October: