Handler/Kalman's "Girls Standing On Lawns" is (really!) out!

[Dante]

The official release date for Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman's next book, a collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art, is May 6th, but I know that it's available to purchase in some places, so let's introduce ourselves to Girls Standing On Lawns.

Here's the information from the Upcoming Books thread, and I've also linked some previews below it.

Title: Girls Standing on Lawns
Illustrator: Maira Kalman
Cover:

Release Date: 6th May 2014 (Museum of Modern Art, New York) (Source)
Details: "Girls Standing on Lawns is a unique collaboration between renowned artist and bestselling children’s book author Maira Kalman and New York Times bestselling writer Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket. This clever book contains 40 vintage photographs from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, more than a dozen original paintings by Kalman inspired by the photographs, and brief, lyrical texts by Handler. Poetic and thought-provoking, Girls Standing on Lawns is a meditation on memories, childhood, nostalgia, home, family, and the act of seeing. The gorgeous visual material sets the stage for what Handler succinctly describes as “a photograph, a painting, a sentence, a pose.” Girls, women, families, and even pets from days gone by grace the pages, looking out at us, enticing readers to imagine these people, their lives—and where they have gone." (Source)

Skelly Craig has kindly pointed to a preview PDF here:
www.moma.org/momaorg/shared//pdfs/docs/publication_pdf/3197/MoMA_GirlsStanding_PREVIEW.pdf

NewYorker.com has posted the following review, which should give you more of an idea of what to expect:
---
“Girls Standing on Lawns” (MoMA), by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman, out May 6th. This collaboration between the Museum of Modern Art, the artist and illustrator Kalman, and the author Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) is the result of a chain-reaction of creative whimsy: Kalman, a collector of vintage photographs, sent a selection of images of “girls standing on lawns” from MOMA’s vernacular photo collection to her friend Handler, who sent them back accompanied by his own poetic and humorous musings. Then Kalman created a series of watercolor paintings based on the photographs. The result is a charming typology and time capsule of girls in swimsuits or overcoats, black girls and white girls, girls posing resentfully, others mugging playfully, a few even standing on their heads. Handler’s first poem in the book, opposite a photo of a young woman in a casual white dress and a flipped hairdo, explains the project: “One morning / we found some photographs. / One morning / these girls stood on lawns. / We looked at the pictures, / and we got to work.”—R.A.
---

Here's an article about the book's genesis:
www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2014/03/20/standing-on-a-lawn-with-maira-kalman

And Amazon.com has a few preview images:
www.amazon.com/dp/0870709089

Here is the official page to purchase the book, although it can also be found on the usual sites:
www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Girls%20Standing%20on%20Lawns_10451_10001_176629_-1_26683_11486_176630

I'll write a full review once my copy arrives.

[Skelly Craig]

There's also a sample PDF from the book on MoMA's website, here.

But I don't understand, it seems the book is already out for sale? Not only on MoMA's website but on Amazon as well. So maybe May 6th only means its out in actual book stores.

[Dante]

Books often do slip out a little earlier than their official release dates. In my case, I ordered from Amazon.co.uk, and I'm pretty sure the U.K. isn't even an official release territory for the book, but Amazon.co.uk had some in and was selling them already anyway (this is the same way I got File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents on time). I think formal release dates tend only to be enforced for really major releases.

Anyway, thanks for the sample PDF! I'll link that in the first post.

[A comet crashing into Earth]

I'm probably going to pass on this one. It seems a bit expensive for £10. There seems to be only very few words and not all too many pictures. I was puzzled by it initially, but mostly because of the sensation that 'this has to be better than it sounds like at the moment'. Handler has written other things I'd rather read first, even if it Means missing out on a couple of enigmatic Kalman illustrations.

[Dante]

And now, today is the official release date, and as such the book should be more widely available.

[Hermes]

I rather agree with fragilethings that this is not something to go out of one's way to get, though it does look impressive. Of course, 29 Myths cost a similar amount and probably contains even fewer words, but there there is the connection with the series to induce us to buy it.

[Dante]

I obtained the book, and you can read my review here:
asoue.proboards.com/thread/33187/667-reviews-girls-standing-lawns

[Hermes]

Thanks, Dante!. I'm very interested to hear that it's the first of a series.

[Dante]

That's what the book itself claims, certainly. Handler, Kalman, and MoMA's photo archive are all on board, but the only information given about content is that they'll continue to use vernacular photography, as well as possibly some photographs actually intended as art. It doesn't give a hint as to when, though.