The Life Force

On This Day In History
1981: John Lennon's killer sentenced

Quote Of The Day
"I feel that I see John Lennon now as not a celebrity. I did then. I saw him as a cardboard cutout on an album cover."
(Mark David Chapman)

I went to the Otani Memorial Art Museum in Nishinomiya for the Bologna Children's Book Fair Bologna Illustrators Exhibition. They hold this exhibition. It's always delightful to see so much original artwork from children's books. I have been several times now and, as I did once a few years ago, I am considering bringing my class to see this exhibition as the Entry Point activity for their I.P.C. unit, Pictures, Paintings and Photographs.

It's interesting to see that the respectful treatment of celebrities with a right to privacy is becoming an increasingly revelant issue with the rise of social media. For many years, celebrities have complained of being treated like commodities by many fans, as if purchasing their records, buying tickets to their movies or writing them letters entitles them to "own" a piece of the artist. Often, in the past, many celebritites have been written off as privileged whiners (until they get kidnapped or murdered, that is.) Now, thankfully, more people are taking the matter seriously.

"Boys like me
We are short stories
Shapes for you.

Boys like me
We live in dreams
But they're yours, not ours."
Boys Like Me