• About Me
  • Writer’s Corner

Elizabeth Fais

~ Where awesome begins…

Elizabeth Fais

Monthly Archives: June 2017

Classical Disruption ~ Flash mob symphony

22 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Classical, Music, Shakespeare

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Berkeley College of Music, Berkeley Contemporary Symphony Orchestra, Boston, Central Park, classical disruption, Classical Music, flash mob, Gustav Holst, Julius Caesar, Jupiter, MA, New York City, Prudential Center, Shakespeare, Shakespeare in the Park, The Planets

Classic — Something of lasting worth, judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.

But is being of the highest quality enough for an art form to endure centuries, being woven through the fabric of ever-changing modern cultures? I think not. There also must be a transmutable quality that allows for adaptation again and again, so it can be made new without sacrificing quality or substance.

Disruptive transformation

The only constant is change. Without change, there’s stagnation. Presenting an art form in an incongruous manner infuses it with new life, fueling the appreciation of a broader audience.

Berkeley Contemporary Symphony Orchestra

Such is the effect of flash mob symphony. It turns a staid perception of traditional classical music on end—same great music with a fresh new image. An impromptu concert in an unexpected public setting makes the music accessible to the general masses in a provocatively inviting way.

Shakespeare’s plays have been known to disrupt classic expectations too. Such as the recent Trump-like Caesar in New York City’s Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar.

Flash mob symphony

The Berkeley Contemporary Symphony Orchestra took jollity to the streets—the Prudential Center, Boston, MA, to be exact—with a spontaneous performance of Jupiter, from Gustav Holst’s The Planets. As you watch the video, look for the smiles on the faces of the musicians as well as the crowd, delighting in the beauty of the moment.



Nonfiction fun ~ When the truth is more fantastic than fiction!

07 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Nonfiction, Writing, Young Adult

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Abraham Lincoln, atomic bomb, Bomb, crime thriller, Elizabeth Fais, Lincoln's Grave Robbers, Nonfiction, Reading, SCBWI, Secret Service, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Steve Sheinkin, WWII

Do you have a young reader who isn’t into fiction, yet wants books that are fun? Or perhaps there’s a summer reading requirement looming, and it’d be easier to hog tie the Hulk than to get your kids to read over vacation?

Well…put away the lasso and forget about the Hulk. Your kids will be begging for more, and you’ll want to read these books too. Yes. They’re that good! Thank me later.

kids reading

I discovered Steve Sheinkin’s work at a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) summer conference a few years ago. Sheinkin is a master of finding the fun in history, and narrating the facts in an engaging voice and at a thrilling pace. If there were history books like these when I was in middle school or high school, it’s all I would’ve read.

Lincoln’s Grave Robbers, by Steve Sheinkin

This may sound like a crime thriller, because it is. But trust me, it’s not fiction. Someone actually stole President Lincoln’s body, and this fast-paced recounting of the events will have you on the edge of your seat, turning the pages until you’re done.

On October 20, 1875 Secret Service raid the Illinois workshop of master counterfeiter Benjamin Boyd and arrest him. Soon after Boyd is hauled off to prison, members of his counterfeiting ring gather and devise a plan to get Boyd back: steal Abraham Lincoln’s body from its tomb, stash it in a secret location, and demand as ransom, the release of Boyd—and $200,000.00 in cash. 

The action of this true crime thriller alternates among the conspirators, the Secret Service agents on their trail, and the undercover double agent moving back and forth between the two groups. Along the way, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of counterfeiting, grave robbing, detective work, and the early days of the Secret Service. The story races toward a wild climax as robbers and lawmen converge at Lincoln’s tomb on election night, 1876. [Jacket flap]

Bomb, by Steve Sheinkin

This story is close to my heart, because I graduated from a university that played an important—top-secret—part in the race to develop America’s atomic bomb. I didn’t find this out until long after I graduated, and I can’t say I’m proud of the fact. However, this book helped me to reconcile some of my feelings about the United States’ development and use of this deadly weapon. If not us, someone else would have done the same and with potentially more horrific results.

BombNo matter your viewpoint, this telling of the events leading to the creation of the first atomic bomb will keep you spellbound until the last page is turned.

In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a uranium atom split in two.

That simple discovery, dealing with the tiniest of particles, launched a cut-throat race that would span three continents. The players were the greatest scientists, the most expert spies, hardened military commandos, and some of the most ruthless dictators who ever lived. The prize: military dominance over the entire world. 

This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world’s most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb. [Jacket flap]


Calendar

June 2017
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« May   Jul »

Enter your email address to have new posts sent directly to your inbox.

Join 235 other followers

It's really me!

  • Elizabeth Fais

Life is Tweet

Follow @elizabethfais

Recent Posts

  • Wisdom of Richard Peck ~ Writing for young readers
  • The Writer and Rabbit Who Saved the Countryside
  • 3 TREE-rific Informational Picture Books
  • Musings from the Writing Cave
  • MG Review ~ HOW I BECAME A SPY
  • The “Creative High” is real!
  • MG Review: Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo

Past Posts

Officially SCBWI


Member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

Reading Fun

Advice for Writers

I Write for Apples

Author Photos


Categories

Adventure Amazing but true! Animals Animation Blake Snyder Book Reviews Books Cats Character Dancing Disneyland Elizabeth Fais Fiction Fun Facts Funny Videos Giveaway Giving Back Holiday Humor Inspiration Middle Grade Movies Music Mystery Nonfiction Paranormal Reading Romance SCBWI Shakespeare Story Supernatural Thriller Winner! Writing YA YAppiest Young Adult Zombies

Keeping It Real

wordpress analytics

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Elizabeth Fais
    • Join 235 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Elizabeth Fais
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...