Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

The American writer Anais Nin said, “Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” In one of the final chapters of The Baker’s Man, Anna has reached a point in her life when she must riffle through the mess and find her dreams. It’s time she tossed them into space.

Cooking Through Fiction: Stubborn Chicken Pie

If you had a train ticket to any place, where would you choose to go? Unfortunately, seventeen-year-old Avery Ross doesn’t have much of a choice concerning her destination. Due to a scribbling of obscenities on her forehead, she’s sent across the country to North Dakota. She’s probably wondering what I’m wondering: Does anyone actually live in North Dakota? I’m kidding. I know at least five people who call ND home.

Avery’s punishment involves working at her aunt’s boarding house, but is it really punishment if you’re forced to be around not only one gorgeous green-eyed boy, but also two more? The Haldens are a group of stubborn, handsome brothers, and Avery’s thrown right into the thick of them and their family drama.

Cooking Through Fiction: Van Ripper Olykoeks

In The Wishing Thread, the Van Rippers live in Tarrytown, and they don’t live there unnoticed. In fact, there are some who say they are angels and some who say they’re swindlers. Why? Because the Van Rippers are thought to be able to weave magic into their yarn designs.

Need a new job? Maybe you could ask them for a new sweater to wear to an interview. But beware—in order to receive this gift, you’ll have to relinquish something very precious to you. What, might you ask? Only you can answer that. What would you give up in order to have what you desire?

Cooking Through Fiction – Eleanor & Park's Stromboli

Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park is about first loves. Do you remember your first crush or your first love? Do you remember when making a mix tape for someone meant you were serious? It took a lot of time to gather all your cassettes together and stop and start the record button at just the right moment. I don’t know what people do now … make iTunes playlists? Will that make someone as giddy as a mix tape?

Do you remember when you could stay on the phone for hours? When you would be half asleep but still refuse to hang up because there was someone special on the other end of the line and just hearing that person breathe was enough? When your ear was red and hot from smashing the phone against your face just to hear that person breathing? The things we do for love…

Artist Interview — Michael Inman

Today I’m excited to interview an artist I have known and respected for a very long time—Michael Inman. Since the first time I saw Michael’s artwork, I was drawn to his creative imaginings and to his colorful  sketches. I’m honored that he agreed to stop by today and tell us more about himself and about his art.

What got you interested in Art? Can you remember the first things you drew/sculpted/painted and what made them memorable?

The earliest I can remember being interested in art was being exposed in some way to Picasso’s paintings. I loved the weird, cubist, almost cartoony style of some of his paintings and charcoals. My two all-time favorites of his are “The Three Musicians” and “Night Fishing at Antibes.” I tried to duplicate both of these pieces myself many times as a kid and the whimsical, cartoony, strange art seemed to be something I found myself appreciating more than say, Picasso’s more realistic portraits. After some time, I really came to appreciate album art in CD lyric books and came to love Beck Hansen, not only for his music but for his studio art. My father took me to a Beck art exhibit at Cheekwood [in Nashville, Tennessee], and I was just in awe at everything.

Have you taken any art classes?

I have taken many. Illustration courses, perspective drawing, painting, figure drawing, black and white analog photography, graphic design (I consider that art), etc.

What is your preferred medium and why?

My preferred “traditional” medium is acrylic paint, but my absolute preference is digital– a Wacom Tablet and a program such as Photoshop to paint digitally in at a high resolution. I can get the same effect with painting digitally as I can traditionally with a paint brush, and it is much more time efficient, hence I can produce more. Quantity is never better than quality to me, but with this medium, you get the best of both worlds. Same look, less time, more art.

Because I am an author, I have to ask: Have you ever designed any artwork for an author?

The closest I have come to producing any form of art for an author is just for a school project in which I laid out an outline of a story concept. My mother wrote the book, and I did all the illustrations. This was a children’s book called My Beloved Monster.

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Evelyn's Sugar Cookies

Mother, Mama, Mom, Mum, Ma—a few of the names we use for our mothers. Every mother is unique. Some are great, and we say they were “born to be mothers.” They nurture us, discipline us, hold our hands when we cry. Other mothers break our hearts, abandon us, disappoint us, and we never understand why they make the choices they do.

In chapter sixteen of The Baker’s Man, titled Sugar Cookies, Anna needs the one person who can make her feel as though even if her entire world is ending, she’s not alone—she needs her mama.

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Firecracker Bundt Cake

Fireworks were documented as being used in China in the seventh century. They were created to accompany festivities, and eventually, the use of these spectacular, aerial displays spread to other countries.

To me, fireworks are beautiful, resembling colorful, exploding stars–magic in the skies. Animated cartoons use fireworks to represent the excitement and passion of kisses. People describe feelings akin to “fireworks going off” when someone grabs another’s hand.