SMITH online magazine is accepting six word memoirs for their next collection. Some details from the site:

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Last year, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking our readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).

You can read a ton of them here.

Also wanted to post some eye candy, a banner designed by Marian Bantjes' for New York Times Square love fest ‘08.



Check out more of her work here.

So here is my rough draft for my class assignment. I found that I am relatively happy with my ideas for how to visually compare and contrast the fruit, but I found it much more difficult to compare and contrast them with words in a way that doesn't feel forced...

Fuyu Persimmon
Don’t be fooled by this tomato look-alike. Beneath its saffron-hued skin, the fuyu persimmon is ripe with sweet, succulent pulp more akin to the apricot or mango than the tomato.

And unlike the tomato, the fuyu’s origins are far from the Americas. It first appeared in ancient China and continues to be enjoyed as one of Asia’s most popular fruits. From the genus Diospyros (dios meaning God and pyros meaning food), the fuyu is considered an acceptable gift to Buddha. It was only introduced to America in the late 19th century, but it continues to gain popularity in the states as it is an excellent source of vitamins A and C as well as fiber and potassium.

Find the fuyu persimmon in season between September and December. When the fuyu is just soft to the touch, it's ripe and ready to eat, and its brown spots are the sweetest part. Try pairing this fruit with your favorite soft or hard cheeses or as a topper for cereal, salads, and yogurt.

$2.99 per pound

Tomato
Although the Supreme Court ruled in 1893 that the tomato is a vegetable, the tomato is technically a fruit, a berry in fact, that originated with the Aztecs of South America. It was introduced to European cuisine by 17th century explorers and quickly became an essential ingredient.

Like the persimmon, the tomato is very juicy, being comprised of more than 90% water, and it shares a similar a soft, meaty texture. Varieties can vary in flavor from sweet to savory and are available all year round.

If you are going to use it in tonight’s dinner, pick the most ripe, red tomato available with a texture somewhere between soft and firm. If you’re not going to be using the tomato until later in the week, pick one that still has some ripening up to do.

Add chopped red onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and diced jalapeño pepper to tomatoes for classic pico de gallo. Or if you are looking to try something unexpected, replace the tomatoes with peeled chopped fuyu persimmons for a salsa that is tangy and sweet.

$2.59 per pound

Posting some photos from my trip to the Asian market. I went to research some uncommon produce as part of an assignment for my class this semester. I am taking Words & Images, in which we'll be exploring the interrelationship of writing and graphics (as you may have guessed from the title). Our first assignment involves writing copy and designing a sign to advertise an exotic fruit, and I thought a trip to Hanahreum would be pretty inspirational. [From top left: baha, Seekel pear, mango, Indian bitter melon, Korean crunchy pear, mandarin orange, fuyu, and pommelo.]

Could the font you use be affecting your grades?

Everyone loves the log lady.

Cat wigs for cats...