Goose Lane Julie Scriver

Cloud atlas

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Not the book, not the movie (ugh!), but the amazing atlas of sounds, clips, mixes, and samples on SoundCloud. It's one of my favourite places to make discoveries. Check it out! soundcloud.com If you're at all interested in music and sound, this site is akin to Pandora's Box: you can get into all kind o' trouble with it. Lose entire hours just by stumbling around and discovering. I don't quite like the set up in the newest iteration - search engines aren't quite as logical as before, but then that's likely just a sign of the old dog!

Fill your ears!

Soooo busy...

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

As you can see by the dearth of entries here over the last few (many) weeks, we've all been a little busy concocting a fantastic fall season. As a true mother hen, I can now take a minute to sit back and smile while I watch the kids go off to school. The books - well all but one title - are either launched or shipping from the printer's in the next few days. Big sigh of relief. It's such a treat to see the posts and tweets of happy authors an book celebrants across the country.

We are truly blessed to have such a devoted and talented team here at GL. It's never dull: ask anyone at the Goose!

Summer has suddenly gone. The crisp and pungent breezes of fall are here, and now the Spring season is nipping at my heels. So, back to it.

Cute fluff and true beauty

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I may have mentioned that in some very joyful hours every week, I teach dance. Last weekend was the year-end performance. So many cute, sparkly, grinning dust bunnies hopping about the stage, not to be outdone by (if, perhaps, more loudly applauded) the senior students who did a glorious job. Luck me to have that passion to feed and be fed!

We have been delinquent...

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Okay, maybe even "a lot" delinquent if such things can be quantified. I'm referring to our statement that "we blog" because if you've been trying to follow us, we've made it rather difficult. We've been a little busy, you see. A fantastic spring season has resulted in much running, juggling, chasing, catching, and celebrating. Yup, lots of nominations, awards, interviews, reviews, kudos, and then more celebrating! We're happy and very engaged!

I attended the Canadian Museums Conference at the end of April (a month already, sheesh!). It was one of the best conferences I've ever attended: chock full of inspiration and collegiality. It's so good to get out of the office!

In recent weeks - amidst the flurry of preparations for fall sales conference, catalogue "fabrication", cover design, and general pulling rabbits from hats - we've been collaborating with Gallery Connexion to develop a street art event. X Marks the Spot (the summer edition) will invite participants to create on the asphalt of the very generous parking lot that spans the distance between Goose Lane's office and Gallery Connexion. We're pretty pumped about the creative potential of this event and have Roadsworth to thank for the inspiration. You can look for more on that after July 1. Appetite for all things creative and challenging prevails! More to come...

Design Cities...on the west coast

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I did it! I took a whole week away from the office. No agenda, no meetings, no laptop or other devices. Just me and my lovely sister strolling the streets of Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, looking at interesting wares, exploring nooks and crannies that intrigued us.

The revels began with family birthday celebrations and the first of a tide of delcious meals. Next up was a stunning performance by Lines Ballet. Many breathy under-breath utterances of OMG over the course of the show: incredible technique and fluidity. Ah for the days of lithe strength!

And then we took the Fit. Not a fit, but the Fit: a siren-red cracker jack little car that sped us past the border (not at all as bad as reported) and the mountains down to Portland. I so enjoyed the relaxed hipster tone of the west coast. These west coast places know how to make you comfortable. No ostentation, just a whole lot of enthusiasm for "the creative". I've never cared much for that term, but both Portland and Seattle have it in spades!

Portland is all about design. As a general observation, the populace delights in creativity, colour, and texture, and is open to all manner of art, music, and craft. Powell's bookstore is four floors and an entire city block: both an inspiration and a bit of a slapdown seeing all the wonderful book design work.

A day at Canon Beach in the cold wind and bright sun, squinting at those crazy massive hillocks of rock and seaweed that erupted of the shore there millenia ago, and searching the horizon for Japan.

Seattle was a treat for my architectural bent. We stayed on Capitol Hill and revelled in the craftsman style and art deco influences. Gorgeous buildings, lovingly maintained or restored, and bathed in the golden afternoon light of early spring. Makes the heart sore to see such beauty.

That's two weeks ago now, and the accumulation of things from my week away is slowly being shovelled through. The restorative benefit of the time away is still with me. On to the real spring, now that we've had the tease. And for those of us in the trade, directly on to fall!

So much to do, so many distractions

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

This is the Jackson Pollock site. You can splatter and splorch to your heart's content. And no mess!

Or...you can check out this, an also not-so-new-but-oh-so-cool site. While this is a bit of a navigational challenge, if you're in a meandering, discovering mood, the site lends itself to pretty fancy flash work and some dazzling quotes.

Musings from the Love Hotel

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

There is a provocative exhibition on at Gallery Connexion: Tokyo Hotel Story by Nathalia Daoust is a collection of photographic portraits of women whose chosen profession is that of dominatrix. Now there's a bit of a shocker for our town... But wait... In Japanese culture, couples enjoy their love making away from home, in a more private and less confined setting. The phenomenon of the "love hotel" has expanded over time to sprout themed hotels — Hello Kitty hotels, animée hotels.

Daoust's career as a photographer has taken her to some intriguing places: South America, New York, Switzerland, Tokyo. In each of these venues she has insinuated herself into a sexually charged environment and gained the trust and friendship of the women who work there. She is no voyeur. She has pushed beyond her own preconceptions and prejudices and invites us to do the same. The common theme of her work is the subversion of the sexual stereotype. The imagery itself manifests different explorations of texture and tone. All of her work is shot on film and developed in the darkroom, a challenge in itself in these days of digital imagery.

Daoust is unassuming, charming, and pretty low-key. I was fascinated that a young women from suburban Montreal would be inclined to spend moths at a time in a sado-masochism-themed hotel . . . but then, there are my own preconceptions on display. Her artist's talk was so interesting and the photographs are beautiful. Go. Challenge yourself.

Counting down...

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Well, the pace has finally slowed a little, the hours are trickling past, the stockings are all knit, and ready to hang by the fire. I jest! No such craftiness from me this Christmas. It's been one H-E-double-hockey-sticks of a year. The last of the season's books have now shipped from the printer, and the titles in hand just keep flying out the door. Sweet!

I'd like to say a big "Thank-you" to all those unnamed elves who toil at the plant on our behalf. We have so many good friends in the trade and their skill and professionalism make us look our best.

This year has been challenging with changes in staff and blockbuster season to boot. Those of us who've been in the choral these past 9 months — we'll, we've quite a few bouncing books to show for our labout. Thanks team for working so hard and for keeping your spirits up. Don't know that a break has ever been more deserved.

I look forward to the new year and brand new crop of stellar talent.

Best wishes for the season.

A new day, a new week

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I can't quite believe that it's almost December! We've got all but one title put to bed and the rest are either on the shelves or about to be put there. Ahhhhh!

Today is the first day for our designer Jaye Haworth to wake up in the country, and not come in to the office! Yes, it's a sad truth that love has won out over the satisfying work at Goose Lane, but we couldn't be happier for Jaye and Dave. Here's to a second cup of coffee before you have to stoke the stove again!

I'll have more news later on the new hire. It'll be a busy few weeks flying solo until then. Tally-ho!

Fresh from the Salon

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Not the hair salon, but SALON CONNEX, a new collaboration between Fredericton's artist-run centre Gallery Connexion and the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. The salon is a public discussion forum aimed at exploring the very big topic of what art might mean.

I had the good fortune of acting as moderator for a small but mightily engaged and thoughtful group. We shared all manner of perspective on the theme of conceptual art, inspired by the installation work of Lenka Novakova whose work River is on display at Gallery Connexion for another 10 days. Go! See it.

I'm looking forward to round 2 of Salon Connex.

I should be in Toronto...

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

but instead, I'm here at my desk with the first snow storm of the season falling at my back. I'm disappointed to miss out on an evening at the AGO celebrating the publication of Jack Chambers. I've had the good fortune of being immersed in Chambers' artwork and life story since we initiated this co-publishing project with the AGO late in 2010. I had my introduction to the stunning work which graces the cover of the book when I first moved to Fredericton in the arly 1980s. It took my breath away then, and my appreciation of Chambers' has only deepened.

Dennis, Jim, Sandy and the entire team, cheers!

Launch!

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It's a little like sending your child off to their first day of school. There's a lot of emotional preamble and preparation — research into the options, testing the waters, visits to the playground, rounding up the supply list — and then day arrives and off they go!

After months of squeezing this web project in around equally important but more deadline-oriented projects, and after much musing about the type of experience we wanted to offer our friends and followers, we are thrilled to finally share "out loud".

The SWAG section of the site will be revealed in the near future. We're excited about sharing book related items and little whimsies from people we know that we think you will enjoy.

Here's a monster shout-out to Ryan Valdron whose commitment to the functionality of this behemoth has been extraordinary, and to Jaye Haworth whose engaging sense of design graces these pages. Thanks, too, to all the reviewers of the secret site.

Cheers!

Strength and fluidity

jscriver@gooselane.com (Julie Scriver) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I spent last evening enthralled in the choreogrpahy of James Kudelka and the prowess of the Coleman Lemieux troupe. It was an evening I'd waited for for almost 30 years... Kudelka began his choreographic enterprise as I was exiting my own brief career as a dancer, and I had always wanted to see his acclaimed work In Paradisum. It was well worth the wait.

The work Soudain l'hiver set to the raw and transporting strains of Gavin Bryar's "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" is one of the most poignant and moving duets I've ever seen. Beautiful stuff.

So a word of thanks to Tim Yerxa at The Playhouse for bringing such big talent to our little talent.