The Amulet Book Anthology is a collection of novels written by Kazu Kibuishi. It is a series of graphic novels that combines elements of fantasy, adventure, and mystery. The series follows the story of two siblings, Emily and Navin, who uncover an underground world filled with strange creatures and ancient technology. The series begins with the book "The Stonekeeper", where Emily and Navin move to a new house with their mother after their father's death. While exploring the house, Emily discovers a magical amulet that gives her great power, but also puts her in danger. When their mother is kidnapped by a powerful enemy, the siblings embark on a quest to save her and uncover the secrets of the amulet.
In this talk we dive deep into the places where history meets myth, and how history and folklore can be used together to create new fantasy worlds. Including examples from popular and less-well-known novels, like the beloved Circe, and the less-known The King Must Die, plus my own Winternight Trilogy, we dig into how authors can use history and myth in their fiction.
An ardent and largely self-educated student of life, material culture, and art, Onofrio has forged a dynamic career, with dozens of solo and group exhibitions and one of the highest honors for an artist based in Minnesota the McKnight Distinguished Artist, awarded in 2005. Her story telling skills are evident not only in her writing but also as she explains how her ideas come to her and the process of producing a novel.
When their mother is kidnapped by a powerful enemy, the siblings embark on a quest to save her and uncover the secrets of the amulet. Throughout the series, Emily and Navin encounter various allies and enemies, including a talking robot, a giant bunny, and a shadowy creature known as the Elf King. They travel through mystical landscapes and face numerous challenges as they try to unravel the mysteries of the amulet and rescue their mother.
The Mothers of Invention Exhibition Series
(The following is excerpted from the exhibition catalog for See Acts of Audacious Daring: The Circus World of Judy Onofrio, opening September 25. Copies of the catalog are available at the Plains Art Museum store. – ed.)
With See Acts of Audacious Daring! The Circus World of Judy Onofrio, Plains Art Museum initiates the ongoing exhibition series Mothers of Invention.
Judy Onofrio, 'Flip Flop'
This series will periodically present solo exhibitions of important artists from our region who belong to a generation of women who contributed to opening up the art world since the 1970s. These women came of age artistically in the 1960s and 1970s and now are in their sixties, seventies, and even eighties. They are part of a national and international movement of women who insisted on being taken seriously as artists and courageously endeavored to break into what had been predominantly male terrain. They made art, formed collectives, started galleries, taught at art schools, and gave each other critical and moral support to dismantle the barriers that had existed against women in the visual arts. They changed the art world profoundly, altering ideas about the canon of art history and the meaning of terms such as “masterpiece,” “artist,” “gaze,” and “body,” as well as expanding what could be considered acceptable art materials, subjects, imagery, and boundaries between art forms. Their impact has spread throughout art and culture and is not confined to their own or other women’s work. Indeed, this generation deserves the accolade Mothers of Invention.
Many are, in fact, mothers, a position formerly perceived as an impediment to a woman’s potential as a creative artist. Motherhood was conventional and pulled back toward traditional expectations for females; art was considered a male domain, where creative minds and spirits were unbound by domestic responsibilities or the constraints of child rearing. While most artists featured in Mothers of Invention are mothers (as is our first artist in the series, Judy Onofrio), maternity is not necessarily the subject of their art, even though it is a significant element of their lives.
Onofrio and others were interested in inventing their lives in ways that contradicted societal expectations. Amid the constrictions of the early twentieth century, Sigmund Freud had declared that “biology is destiny”: women created babies while men created art and culture. Much about Freud’s ideas and research has since been discredited or called into question.
Mothers of Invention proves that women can be mothers and artists, nurturing and creative; these terms are not mutually exclusive. Our series points primarily to the fact that these artists have been influential on all of us–as viewers, as art lovers, as artists of all genres and genders. They have given birth, in other words, to the expanded art world that we live in today and sometimes take for granted.
Judy Onofrio, 'Sideshow Artist'
Plains Art Museum is proud to recognize this generation of women artists at an advanced stage of their careers. Our goal is to acquaint new audiences with their work and to remind those who may have seen their earlier art that they are still active, still vital, still experimenting. Not conceived as retrospectives of an artist’s work, the exhibitions in Mothers of Invention will be singularly shaped by the approach of the curator of each project, who will collaborate closely with the artist. These women and their art deserve continuing critical and popular attention and ongoing visibility, which solo exhibitions and catalogue publications can ensure. The Mothers of Invention series thus strives to prevent the erasure of these women from the art historical record, something that has happened repeatedly over the centuries and requires diligent art historians to recover, as we have appreciated recently with rediscovered artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi from seventeenth-century Italy, expanded research on the nineteenth-century American Mary Cassatt, and, closer to home, new documentation on twentieth-century Minnesota artists Wanda Gág and Clara Mairs.
It is fitting to launch Mothers of Invention with the big, bold work of Judy Onofrio, specifically her sculptures that explore the enthusiasm and metaphorical potential of circus acrobats, magicians, and animal trainers.
Onofrio is an iconoclast, breaking rules of the art world right and left, championing outsiders and claiming territory for self-education, women’s expressions, and the value of folk art and common objects. Based in Rochester, Minnesota, and now in her early seventies, Onofrio performs her own “acts of audacious daring” in her work and career. An ardent and largely self-educated student of life, material culture, and art, Onofrio has forged a dynamic career, with dozens of solo and group exhibitions and one of the highest honors for an artist based in Minnesota–the McKnight Distinguished Artist, awarded in 2005.
Judy Onofrio’s art expresses a generous spirit that reaches out to viewers. She embraces a populism of image and material that offers a good deal of pleasure and makes her work particularly enjoyable to broad audiences.
Today, her over-the-top inventive use of materials and labor-intensive methods resonate with younger artists who have discovered the rich associations of folk arts and crafts.9 At the same time that she revels in materials, Onofrio offers philosophical wisdom in physical form. Shouldn’t we all attempt acts of audacious daring, like the acrobat in the sculpture of that title? Isn’t that what life is for–living to the utmost? Who among us doesn’t feel like we have jumped through a ring of fire, or would like to pull off a magic trick, real or metaphorical? Sometimes life calls for such boldness. In Onofrio’s oeuvre, extraordinary figures stand in for all of us facing the many challenges of life. May we be brave enough to approach our own challenges with the confidence and aplomb of Onofrio’s characters.
Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy
The Amulet Book Anthology is praised for its captivating storytelling, richly imagined world, and stunning artwork. Kibuishi's illustrations bring the story to life, immersing readers in a visually stunning and vibrant world. The series addresses themes of family, loss, courage, and friendship. It explores the bonds between siblings and the power of love and determination. Each book in the anthology builds upon the previous installments, weaving a complex and engrossing narrative that keeps readers hooked until the end. The Amulet Book Anthology has garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base. It has won several awards, including the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Graphic Novels & Comics. The series has also been praised for its diverse and relatable characters, its exploration of ethical dilemmas, and its ability to engage readers of all ages. Overall, the Amulet Book Anthology is a thrilling and visually stunning graphic novel series that captivates readers with its epic storytelling and mesmerizing artwork. It is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure, and a testament to the power of imagination and resilience..
Reviews for "Exploring Different Realms in Amulet: A Journey through the Book Anthology"
1. Sarah - 1 star - I was really disappointed with the "Amulet book anthology". The stories were predictable and lacked depth. The characters were one-dimensional and I couldn't connect with any of them. The writing style felt forced and the pacing was off. Overall, I found the anthology to be boring and unoriginal.
2. Mark - 2 stars - While I enjoyed some of the stories in the "Amulet book anthology", there were too many inconsistencies and plot holes for me to fully enjoy it. The world-building felt incomplete and the transitions between stories were choppy. Additionally, the endings of several stories left me unsatisfied and wanting more closure. Overall, I felt that the anthology had potential, but it fell short in execution.
3. Emily - 2.5 stars - I was really looking forward to reading the "Amulet book anthology" as I'm a fan of the series, but I was left underwhelmed. The stories felt disconnected and lacked a cohesive theme. Some of the stories were interesting, but many felt rushed and unfinished. I wish there had been more depth and exploration of the Amulet universe. Unfortunately, this anthology didn't live up to my expectations.