Times They Are A'Changin'

File this posting under "Cool Chicks". Love the arrival on the NYTimes website of Maira Kalman. Bought her illustrated version of Shrunk and White's Elements of Style as Mr. Porteno's Christmas present.

You might have to have Times Select to view it - but if you can check her out - eclectic wit and beautiful, poignant illustrations. She'll post the first Wednesday of each month.

http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=8#comments

http://www.mairakalman.com/

http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781594200694,00.html

Bravo, NYT - soooooo visual and unique. Could that BE a labradoodle sitting quirkily by her side????

Other chicks on my radar today.. not a country music fan, but you have to give the Dixie Chicks some sort of major award for standing by the anti-war/critical bush comments Natalie Maines made in London in 2003. They've not backed down a bit these years later - in fact standing solidly by their convictions, especially in the song Not Ready to Make Nice just released on their new album Taking the Long Way

In an atmosphere of fear and timidity - these women are heros for providing us great examples of how to conduct elegant, thoughtful protest. Much of the rest of their CD is autobiographical - about their growth as women and new mothers. Cool.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5424238