12 Jul 2013

FROM A SUING TO A STREET RENAMING/FROM POOH TO PADDINGTON.

Scarlett Johansson has sued a French publisher after writer Gregorie Delacourt used her name in his novel without her permission. Seemingly claiming damages for the "breach and fraudulent use of personal rights", the actress also wants a ban on "future transfer of rights and adaptations of the book." 

Disgusted that someone might take such liberties with the beloved Winnie-the-Pooh books, I was dismayed to learn that to celebrate his 90th birthday Pooh is 'getting an app', an abridged version of the original stories because of modern kids' shorter attention spans.

And talking of bears .....

For decades, literary tourists have been arriving at number 32 Windsor Gardens in London looking to pay homage to Paddington Bear only to find a block of council run flats instead of the Victorian building the marmalade loving bear was believed to live in.



Student Rudi Bremer's unique shoes are covered in book jackets from romantic novels.


'Tweet', 'flash mob', 'geekery', 'e-reader' and, my favourite, 'Dad dancing' which seen at many a British social event is defined as ...... an awkward, unfashionable, or unrestrained style of dancing to pop music, as characteristically performed by middle-aged or older men. Yes, it's the latest words to be added to the (OED) Oxford English Dictionary .

And whilst on the subject of dictionaries .....

Duden, Germany's standard dictionary and the equivalent to the OED, has included a vulgar English term, used by Chancellor Angela Merkel among others, as an acceptable German word. Voted 'Anglicism of the year' in 2012 'Shitstorm' which seems to have caught on during the eurozone crisis is used in German to convey a public outcry. 

Jane Austen could join the likes of Shakespeare and Charles Dickens in having her face grace English bank notes. An ideal choice given that, from Mr Darcy's amazing wealth, to the austere lifestyle of the Dashwood sisters, the theme of money runs through her novels.

Imagine what those who aim to ban books would have made of this? Written 45 years ago and deemed to be 'a pile of iniquity' The Art Of Joy' by Goliarda Sapienza, a story featuring the sexual adventures of a bi-sexual woman who commits incest and murders a nun, is finally to be published in Britain.




My idea of the perfect vending machine, they really should have one of these on every street corner.
- As posted on Deb Nance's READERBUZZ

Portsmouth City Council is to honour author Neil Gaiman by renaming a street after his newly published book, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. Perhaps a bit of a strange choice given that the book begins with a lodger stealing the family car in order to commit suicide in it thus stirring up ancient powers and dark creatures from beyond this world.





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11 comments:

Kimberly @ Midnight Book Girl said...

Ugh they should not be shortening Winnie the Pooh just because of "modern kids" attention spans. Not cool.

Kelly said...

I love that vending machine! Hope it doesn't mess up like snack machines often do and get hung up making the drop.

The Pooh Bear item is a sad commentary on today's society.

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

These are fun stories. Love the vending machine. They have one for art as well. Oh and abridged Pooh? No! Full book please. :P

Cherie Reich said...

What an awesome vending machine!

And I heard about the case with Scarlett Johansson. It reminds me of the one with the singer Adele wanting to stop an erotic romance writer whose name was also Adele to stop using her own name. It makes me roll my eyes to think of it.

Katie Edwards said...

I don't think abridgements of Winnie-the-Pooh are anything new. The audio book I had on cassette in the late '80s was abridged, and it wasn't until years later that I suffered the trauma of the final chapter of "The House At Pooh Corner."

Going to the Neil Gaiman talk and signing in Portsmouth on the same day as the road-renaming. Can't wait!

Blond Duck said...

The Winnie the Pooh app makes me sad.

Kalyan Panja said...

nice reading your thoughts!

Brian Joseph said...

I really agree on the Winnie the Pooh thing. Why on earth would they need to abridge those works!

Arti said...

Oh dear Winnie-the-pooh! No app thingy, please. And those shoes look rather cute, only that the heels are a tad too steep.

So many books, so little time said...

:( Pooh Bear :(

I love that vending machine, I have only ever seen one at an airport somewhere.

Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

Gina said...

Love the vending machine...great for those areas not close to a bookstore (the horror!). Thanks for the update on the newly minted words and yes , we should all own a pair of those shoes in our preferred genre...and style. ^-^