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A Gift of Days: The Greatest Words to Live By

Gift of DaysBy Stephen Alcorn, Atheneum, 2009

52 relief-block portraits are interspersed within this book of days that not only marks birthdays of famous writers, scientists, artists, actors, inventors, leaders of all kinds, and much more, but includes an inspirational quote from each.

The portraits won’t be labeled  by one style or another; while they are all clearly block prints, some are colorful and some are black and white, some are strong representations of a person’s face and others are more abstract, some are painterly and some more like drawing; some look ancient and some modern;  many are literal portraits but some include other elements that honor the person. For example, Jesse Owens is pictured in a starting block position, with large wings coming off his back–beautiful.

The artist/author offers us a window into the inspiration for the book which he traces to his art studies in Italy, the importance of the humanities stressed there, and his first viewing of a 15th century  illustrated manuscript. As inspired by the people and places he is in his life, he hopes to pass on the inspiration of each “noble spirit” offered here.

Perhaps my favorite portrait and quote is that of Frida Kahlo; her strong features and finely decorated portrait are accompanied by her words, “Feet, what do I need for you when I have wings to fly?”

Other examples of inspiring words:

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Sir Edmund Hillary

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude. ” Colin Powell

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” Jimi Hendrix

“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” Winston Churchill

The people and the quotes range across centuries, continents, races, professions, and more.  The whole is handsomely put together with colorful borders and patterned backgrounds.  

It is not quite accurate to call this a “children’s book.” It is marketed as such, but is really a book for all ages, schools from pre-k through high school, and  even adults with no children.

An excellent collection of wisdom and beauty.

Posted on September 23, 2009 at 11:51 am in Children's Non-Fiction   |  RSS feed |   Respond   |   Trackback URL

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5 Comments to “A Gift of Days: The Greatest Words to Live By”

    
  1. JimmyBean
    October 1, 2009 at 10:48 am

    I don’t know If I said it already but …Hey good stuff…keep up the good work! :) I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks,)

    A definite great read..Jim Bean

    Reply
  2. Emily Sullivan Sanford
    October 7, 2009 at 2:15 am

    I am glad to see you enjoyed it as much as I do, as I find the grand tradition of play between poetry and painting, words and images, is unfortunately becoming a rare treasure these days. As you noted, the speakers have been chosen not for their ethnicity, gender, or profession, but interestingly enough for their ability to inspire an artist such as Alcorn to set his carving knife in motion, proving a word is worth a thousand colors.

    I also agree that “children’s books” is not an accurate category. Like the speakers and their words, Alcorn’s art is ideal for introducing to children to abstract ideas and concrete representations, but there is no reason an adult reader would not appreciate let alone need these edifying thoughts and interpretations as well. While the book is difficult to categorize, I think what it does best of all, simply by example, is question so many of our modern assumptions about art and the arts. Who says Shakespeare fans don’t listen to Johnny Cash? What IS our cultural heritage? And when did illustration get restricted to children’s literature, no matter how masterful? As the subjects smiling from the pages know, “hard to categorize” is a quality necessary for brilliance.

    Reply
  3. Daniel Polak
    October 23, 2009 at 11:14 am

    A Gift of Days by Stephen Alcorn …truly a “gift” from the archives of Stephen Alcorn’s soul to his readers…

    As a Professor of Sociology teaching Cultural Diversity in American Society I often find myself distressed by the power of social constructs to divide humanity. As I consider the power of our socially and culturally constructed realities to imprison humans into a singular world view I often feel little hope for the future of our species. That is, we humans are shaped by social forces beyond our control and we seem increasingly unable to perceive the world from perspectives other than our own. We are not only shaped by our historical location (Karl Mannheim) we are also divided by it. Students today are often unaware that different periods in history produced humans who were motivated by different attitudes, beliefs, values, expectations and world views. They often lack the context to consider the views of humans at different points in history in a historically relativistic manner and therefore use their own socially constructed reality as a barometer by which to evaluate others.

    Humans are also shaped by their social locations (Mannheim.) Often our occupational roles provide a singular lens through which we evaluate the world. The same is true for our roles as mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Karl Mannheim’s The Sociology of Knowledge also points out that our particular age cohort experiences provides us with yet another component of our world view. Those who share a cohort experience with others tend to understand events such as the assassination of Martin Luthor King or the Great Depression in a way that those who are not members of the particular age cohort can only understand on an intellectual level because they lack the emotional depth that comes from the real life experience of living through these events.

    Consider that we are further shaped by our culture, ethnicity, religion, national citizenship, race, gender, sexual orientation and familial and community influence. Those of us who seek a culturally pluralistic society where there is mutual respect between individuals and groups and where difference is celebrated as a source of strength are often discouraged by the way these differences are used to divide our species. In the past these divisions resulted in wars between countries or groups. Today these divisions have the potential to destroy the planet. More discouraging is the notion that there are individuals who use difference to divide us. In an age of talk radio, religious and political zealotry it is so easy for us to become a species at war with itself and forget that we are bound together by a common humanity that has the potential to achieve utopian heights if we work together.

    It is for these reasons that I consider Stephen Alcorn’s A Gift of Days as truly a gift from Mr. Alcorn to his readers. This book creates for the reader a beautiful tapestry of human experience that transcends time and space. The book offers children and adults the chance to celebrate each day of the year through contemplation of both words and images. Educators have come to see in the last few decades that individuals approach learning differently. Some of us are more oriented to the visual while others benefit more from contemplating the written word. Further, it has been shown that we process information differently when contemplating words as opposed to pictures. As the late Neil Postman pointed out: “words and pictures are different universes of discourse…… a picture may indeed be worth a thousand words, but it is in no sense the equivalent of one thousand words, or one hundred, or two hundred….” (Postman.) The educational value of Alcorn’s A Gift of Days is that the author offers the reader both approaches. That is, together and separately the beautifully crafted images and the carefully selected quotations find their way into the reader’s consciousness through different paths in the brain making for a wholesome and comprehensive learning experience.

    The educational value of A Gift of Days is further enhanced by Mr. Alcorn’s pedagogical skills. Stephen Alcorn, a recognized educator in his own right, knows the value of humility and respect as integral to the process of teaching and learning. Rather than pushing a personal agenda on his readers, Mr. Alcorn is more concerned with teaching us how to think as opposed to what to think. Each carefully crafted image contains symbolic nuances that encourage readers to see beyond the simple portrait to a more far reaching representation of the subject’s individual humanity. Both historical and contemporary figures are presented as much more than one dimensional beings as they are often depicted in other forms of mass media. They are presented as complex individuals with human emotion structured into their expressions. The sweat created flood pouring from Ray Charles, the twinkle in Karl Marx’s eye, or the representation of Walt Disney’s inner Mickey Mouse (or, is it Mickey’s inner Walt?) all provide the reader with new ways to think about these individuals, their inner realities and the social world they inhabited in new ways.

    This wonderful book defies easy classification. Icons from the entire political spectrum are featured making the Book apolitical in nature. To those that would find any agenda here I would urge them to read the Book again. A Gift of Days is not educational or written for leisure reading. It is both. It is more as it combines the joy of a light read with the pleasure of deep contemplative reflection. And, while A Gift of Days is neither spiritual nor secular, one can achieve that moment of oneness with the universe by absorbing the sense of the “moment” represented by this work. For the brief moment of time that we contemplate each day’s gift, we are offered a chance to transcend place, time, space, the limitations of our own egos or world view and experience what Philosopher’s have referred to as the “oceanic” feeling where we are at one with the universe…… there is no me or you or Ray Charles or Shakespeare. There is just being.

    This book is a celebration of all that is human, all that is life and all that is. It is truly a “gift” from the archives of Stephen Alcorn’s soul to his readers. Taking the time to read this book will result in a subtle transformation of the spirit that has moved this reader from a sense of despair for the human species to a more hopeful and celebratory view of human history, human accomplishment and hope for the species and the planet. Thank you Stephen Alcorn.

    PREPARED BY: DANIEL POLAK, PROFESSOR
    HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TROY, NEW YORK

    Reply
  4. Sorokinrules
    November 15, 2009 at 10:12 am

    A GIFT OF DAYS
    The Greatest Words To Live By
    Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, Hardcover

    A GIFT OF DAYS, by Stephen Alcorn, a noted illustrator, is a compilation of inspirational words from over 366 visionaries from various: walks of life, time periods, races, genders, and cultures accompanied by 52 beautiful full-page relief-block portraits of those visionaries receiving special emphasis. The variety of styles employed in each image is carefully chosen to reflect the emotional and social context into which each of these people were immersed. The book measures an oversized 8.5 x 11 inches and is divided into 52 subsections or spreads of two pages each. On one page is the portrait and quote of the emphasized visionary born on that day. On the opposite page are quotes from six other notables born during that week. There are brief biographical notes for each individual quoted, organized by month and date at the back of the book. At the beginning of the book, is a concise, “Illustrator’s Note” providing us with Mr. Alcorn’s inspiration for the project. The publisher is marketing the book as being for young readers, “Ages 8 and Up”.

    This is an excellent book! With the careful choices of: visionaries, quotes, artistic styles employed , and design of the book the reader can be drawn into it on a number of different levels. Moreover, this is accomplished with an economy of discourse and illustrative flourish. It has the elegance of a mathematical proof accomplished in the least number of steps. Perhaps this is why the content is so accessible to children, while remaining challenging to adults. While this is not a children’s book, it can easily be appreciated and enjoyed by children. Far from being an illiterate hermit, I was nevertheless surprised by how many noteworthy quotes were from individuals I knew very little about. Conversely, of the visionaries I knew of, there were many valuable quotes cited I had never seen before. This book can be enjoyed in either a casual or more serious way. The intriguing challenges foisted upon the reader ensure that one will continually return to it. Why is that?

    In the “Illustrator’s Note”, the author reveals that while growing up in Florence, Italy his mentors stressed the importance of the humanities, an appreciation of genius, an adherence to standards of excellence, and a development of genuine skill. The embodiment of all these noble qualities could be found in the local superstars of the past: Michaelangelo, da Vinci, and Galileo. Their influence was everywhere in Florence. These were the heroes he drew inspiration from as a young man. Yet, even then he couldn’t help but notice a comittment to these same qualities in the work of contemporary local artisans that contributed to the charm and character of the neighborhood. This astute observation by the young classically trained artist eventually led him to derive inspiration from an ever wider and more varied source as he matured. This included not only the fine arts, but elements of popular culture as well. This sense of expanding inclusiveness brought with it the belief that there was a moral element to aesthetics, “… behind every every beautiful song, article, poem, book, painting, speech… there was a noble spirit at work, abiding by his or her conscience…” that adds to the source of inspiration and provides the essential thrust of this edifying book. All of this, together with the creative beautiful manner in which it is brought together, ensures that the reader is guided into their own inspirational epiphany regarding the wisdom at hand.

    Reply
  5. Gretchen
    December 20, 2009 at 5:14 pm

    What a treasure trove of work- a life’s work.

    I personally witnessed the unveiling of all 52 engravings on the floor in Stephen’s studio last year when they were completed and about to be compiled into book form. What a treasure trove of work- a life’s work. Stephen keeps the Art form of hand-cut engraving alive. The images found in this book bring me through the ages of my life recalling many of my personal Heros as they came to be my Heros. Picasso, Martin Luther King, Van Gogh, Virginia Wolf, Bob Dylan are a few of my faves. Stephen continues in the style inherited from his father John Alcorn, a visual magical mystical journey on the page with personal Artful symbols. The quotes from each notable person enhance the this encyclopedia of icons each month on their date of birth. I enjoyed reading the words from the Artist, Stephen, in the forward about his personal journey with imagery and how it came to fruition in Italy. This is a book to own and to give as a gift to any aged person for any occasion but especially for the start of the New Year. I thank you Stephen for this monumental compilation and special Artistic gift that you give to us.”

    – Gretchen Kelly, Artist (Hudson, NY)

    Reply
    

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