New Online Store!

For the first time ever, this website has its own online store! Currently featuring two brand new 2018 caledars of The Rodent Reader Quarterly's little friends, including both groundhogs and pet rats.

 Check it out here today!

Check Out These New Leggings on Zazzle!

In experimenting a bit on zazzle, I was thrilled with how these leggings featuring (pet rat) Bevin and (pet groundhog) Maude came out. Had to share! (If anyone's interested in purchasing, they're 25% off through tomorrow [1/9] by using the code ZKICKOFF2017 at checkout).



Bevin and Maude Leggings

Mil's Review of Sharon Winters Latest Book

Educational and Inspiring

It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that the author who penned the highly informative and entertaining memoir, Cutted Chicken in Shanghai, should bring these qualities to her first foray into children's books.  Within the 32 page format standard for young readers, Sharon Winters manages to deftly fit not only a wealth of facts about the lives, characteristics and challenges of desert rodents, but also introduces a character filled with insecurities, longings and fears individuals of every species (and age) can relate to.   

As the youngest of seven desert rat children, Leilani is ridiculed for her small size and inability to measure up to her siblings' achievements.  But, in seeking refuge against a close call that turns her frustrations into all-out fear, Leilani happens upon a new friend, who helps her understand that being short on physical attributes doesn't make her short on value -- and that a little patience and belief can spark truly amazing growth. 

Though an acknowledgement tells us the book was written for Sharon's youngest granddaughter (who shares her name with the title character), it presents a warm and touching story of universal appeal. Beautifully augmented by simply styled drawings that clearly portray Leilani's emotions and environment, the author's words inspire readers to wish along with "Runtie" that her dreams of growing as big, strong -- and fast -- as her older brothers and sisters might be fulfilled, and to revel in the whimsical resolution that changes her life by leaps and bounds.      

Get your copy of Runtie the Desert Rat here.

New Zazzle Products

New to our zazzle store -- sneakers featuring rats of The Rodent Reader Quarterly.  Here's one of the styles available...

Mailbox Molly Pet Rat Lace-up Sneakers Printed Shoes by artistinsane

Check them all out at zazzle.com/artistinsane*

New Issues -- New Printing Company!!!

In case you haven't yet, heard, a new issue of The Rodent Reader Quarterly mailed out a few weeks ago -- and it has a new look and feel thanks to the services of a brand new printing company.  The issue honored the 10th anniversary of discovering the lovely Molly under a drive up mailbox, an event that sparked all the rat love that followed -- and is yet to come.

Another issue is nearing completion and will be released before the holidays.  So, if you want to receive it, or give the magazine as a gift, what are you waiting for? 

This article from the 4th qtr. 2014 edition of The Rodent Reader Quarterly was recently shared on Facebook, and in case you missed it there, I'm posting it here as well.  If you've never checked out the magazine before, I hope you enjoy this introduction -- and that you'll consider joining us by subscribing today! 

A new issue is currently under construction -- filled with rodent fact and fiction you won't want to miss.   

In the meantime...
More Marty Mouse -- Expressions from the heART

The holiday edition of The Rodent Reader Quarterly is now available! Click Here for more info or to purchase yours today. Print or PDF format.  Gift subscriptions available, too!

Featuring articles on Martin "Marty" Mouse, Broadway rat actor, Toby, holiday pics, poems and much more!

2015 Calendar of Rats from The Rodent Reader Quarterly

Check out our new 2015 Calendar - NOW AVAILABLE!

AND -- take advantage of 60% off calendars through Tuesday 11/11, plus 50% off holiday cards! Use the code VETERANDAY14 at checkout...

NEW!!! 2015 Rodent Reader Quarterly RATS Calendar by artistinsane

Many other gifts and holiday cards also available... http://www.zazzle.com/artistinsane*

When you learn a friend has written a book, and it at last becomes available for reading, it makes one's heart skip a beat -- first out of joy for her accomplishment... and then the potential moral dilemma of "What if I don't like it?  What do I say?  How do I maintain my integrity and my friendship?" 

 

Well, a friend of mine has written a book -- which became available only a few weeks ago.  I naturally bought a copy immediately, and with eagerness, and yes, a bit of fear, the evening it arrived I (took a deep breath and) dug right in.  Thankfully, within moments my fears melted away -- even though, I'll admit here that I most definitely didn't like it. 

 

I loved it.  Truly.  Completely.  Regardless if it had been written by a longtime friend, or one I was just getting to know upon its pages.  With that in mind, it wasn't long after finishing it before my typing fingers made their way to amazon.com to give it a hugely enthusiastic five star review -- one that was completely honest, and which I hoped might encourage other readers to give it a try.  With that in mind, I'm sharing the review here as well, because this book is just something far too good to keep to myself. 

 

----------------------------------------------- 

 

It's hard to believe how much one can learn while having so much fun—an observation that could be applied to both readers and the author of this warm and engaging memoir. Inviting us to tag along as trusted friends, Sharon Winters guides her audience through the adjustments of living in a foreign land, one with both a complex language and distinct set of customs. Far from letting these challenges weigh her down, Sharon faces them with wit and charm, relying equally on her own resourceful nature and the kindness of strangers who quickly become family.

Detailing a two year stay in Shanghai, Sharon intersperses daily experiences with fascinating insights into the history and culture of the region, its people, and her own Buddhist faith. In the process, she makes plain the reasons Mandarin is considered one of the most difficult languages for Americans to learn, while proving that humor and humanity are universal bridge builders. Whether standing by her side as she bargains for paintings and pearls or seated with her at restaurants serving dishes sure to shock any Western diner, we delight in Sharon's victories and sigh with her in relief as she steers away from pitfalls. Most of all, we echo her wonder and joy as she unfolds to us a foreign city that indeed comes to feel very much like home.

I have to say I enjoyed this book so much that I approached the last few pages with trepidation, bracing myself for the inevitable sweet sorrow of being parted with a place and people I'd so enjoyed getting to know. But this, too, Sharon handled with her now accustomed spirit of friendship and comfort, allowing me to turn the final page and quietly utter the word zaijian, "I will see you again." Whether in a second volume I very much hope Sharon is considering, or through re-reading this one, that's a promise I'm sure to keep, and an acquaintance I already look forward to renewing.

 

Purchase your own copy of Cutted Chicken in Shanghai here. 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December is the time we seek out the perfect gifts,

Ones we’re sure will bring a smile to each person on our list.

And we tuck them all away in some dark secret locale,

Giving ne’er the slightest hint as we friends gaily regale

With the parties, shopping trips and tree trimming celebrations

That all whisk us through these days of harmonious relations...

Waiting for one special morn when at last all is revealed,

And the joy of bright surprises we can no longer conceal.

When the happiness we’ve longed to share at last reaches fruition

As recipients’ warm “Thanks!” reward each correct intuition.

And we know we have succeeded in our goal this time around

Of assuring in the hearts of those we love that joy abounds.

 

Still such tangible displays, so familiar and such fun

Are but rituals designed to point up a greater one –

A gift, that is, of course, one most meaningful and true,

That is given all of us to enjoy the whole year through.

It’s a gift crafted from sharing all we have and all we are

With the ones who’ve touched our lives, whether they’re found near or far.

 It’s the gift of reaching out in the spirit of the season

Now commemorated here, and which brings us to the reason

That this card is being sent as a reminder and wish

That the “present” given us  -- each day -- might prove your favorite gift.

 

                                                       Happy Holidays

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mortimer, Maude and a Much Belated Magazine

Yes, it's been ages since my last blog entry, but this certainly isn't for lack of subject matter.  In fact, the explanation instead lies in so much having happened, and as a result, so little time to report all of the news.  In any case, I thought it about time I show you a couple of these (utterly joyful) time consumers, so you get a clearer idea why I've been so absorbed by them.

First, I'd like to introduce Maude, the baby groundhog we brought home on Mother's Day to become Clara's little sister (a situation which Clara has yet to decide is a blessing or a curse!).  She was just over 8 weeks old when this photo was taken (she was born on April 9th), and weighed about 1 lb.  She's also indescribably cute -- as you can see...

You'll be able to read more about her in the upcoming issue of The Rodent Reader Quarterly, which subscribers will attest, is hopelessly behind schedule (though it's finally expected to mail out within the next couple weeks).  And, yes, Maude (or, rather, my fixation with her, marveling at the cuteness of her every expression, and a preoccupation with capturing every aspect of her growth) is in part to blame.  

There's also another new baby, however, who's completely captured my heart (and attention) -- a baby European Starling now known as Mortimer -- a creature who literally fell into our care the very day after we first met Maude.  He was approximately five days old at the time, and had apparently been lying on the unfinished floor on which he'd landed (after falling from a nest in eaves at least a dozen feet above) for so long he was very cold and seemed barely alive.  As we worked to get him warm and began feeding him (every 20-30 minutes), we felt hopeful, but by no means certain he would survive. 

  

But, survive he did.  And, with each passing day hope of his reaching healthy, happy Starling adulthood rose.  Now, at nearly 8 weeks old, he's well on his way -- not to mention making friends with Maude and the rest of the household...

 

And, though he's an absolute joy just the way he is, I have to admit I can't wait until sometime around October or so when he begins to talk (yes, in human speech)!  There's nothing like having a Starling land on your shoulder and greet you with, "Hi, Love" or tell you that you're "wondersilly."  

But, these, indeed, "wondersilly" little ones aren't the only preoccupatios that have led me so far astray from my TRRQ deadline.  I've also completed a couple projects for my musician friends, Brian Fitzpatrick and Michael McDermott over the past couple months -- among these writing a new bio for the latter (which you can read here) .  And, I've offered various expressions of my "insane rat love" in the form of photos, poetry, etc. to other publications.   In other words, there's already plenty of material for the next blog entry -- which, like the rest of the projects still waiting for completion, will never appear unless I finally post this one!

So, until next time, thanks for checking in -- and for your patience!

The Rodent Reader Quarterly Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that after a hard drive crash in January, which wreaked havoc on the TRRQ completion schedule, at last the new issue is at the printing company and will mail out later this week!

Thanks to all subscribers for your patience.

And, if you're not among this group, but love pet rats, groundhogs and other misunderstood species - plus have an affinity for literature and art, it's hoped you'll check out the TRRQ page of artistinsane.com (http://artistinsane.com/rodent-reader), and subscribe today.

All best,
Mil

New Discussion Board

Check out the new discussion forum of artistinsane.com at http://artistinsane.proboards.com!

And, to break it in you'll see I've added an October-appropriate post to the "Mil's Writing Feedback" section. Feel free to comment on this -- or share your thoughts on anything else pertaining to the site.

Thanks!

Mil

Welcome to the Brand New, Completely Re-created Artist Insane .com!!!

I have to admit my stomach flipped a little when a notice from my web host hit my inbox last month, announcing the program I'd used to create and update the version of this site that launched in 2001 would no longer be supported. And, the unease this prompted turned to full-fledged panic when I learned this notice was being sent a mere 30 days from the date my site would become (at least in part) non-functional. EEEEEEKK!!!

The thing is, I'd long wanted to bring my (ancient) site into the 21st Century, but kept putting it off until I eventually had time to get around to it. Of course, these thoughts persisted for a good two or three years without "around to it" ever, well, coming around.

But, with the threat of my stage going dark, so to speak, looming in the far too near future, I began scrambling to locate a program I could learn in a very short time -- and which would produce an attractive and user-friendly result.

So, here it is -- the new and improved home of my writing and various other artistic endeavors -- and, of course, the new home of The Rodent Reader Quarterly. There are some new features -- such as "Mad Music Miscellany" (which you'll find in the "Music Mayhem" section). And, of course, there are several upgrades in functionality as well as style -- including, at last, a simple shopping cart system for purchasing subscriptions and back issues of The Rodent Reader Quarterly --and, this blog. So, feel free to share your thoughts on the new site, any problems you may run into with links or navigation, etc. I'm sure there will be at least a few bugs and glitches to work out.

While my old site had grown to more than 300 pages over a decade, this one is starting out as a greatly abbreviated version. Of course, that brings us back to that concept of "around to it," as this site, too, will gradually expand to include more and more content from the old one as time permits.

In the meantime, I hope you'll take a winding walk through it. And, of course, I hope you enjoy the journey.

Thanks for visiting!

Mil

The Rodent Reader Quarterly in the New York Daily News

"Love, by a Whisker" -- an article on pet rats in the New York Daily, including The Rodent Reader Quarterly, and my photo of Ruby in her kilt!

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2011/05/28/2011-05-28_love_by_a_whisker_muchhated_rodent_has_growing_fan_club_in_city.html

Check it out!