About the Book
Meet Edie Griszbowski and Mister Linguini, two highly unusual people whose lives converge. In the zany, warm world of Linguini, Edie struggles to master the art of ventriloquism. After weeks of trying unsuccessfully to throw her voice into her cat Leopold, Edie gives up, and takes a job as a part-time clerk at the Queens County Coroner's Office. Her unique ways of honoring dead people led to her meteoric rise in office responsibilities.
She meets Mister Linguini when the two collide in the office hallway. Looking up from her position on the floor, Edie can't help but notice that the giggling little man lying on top of her has the very qualities she's always admired in men: he's hairless, the lobes of his ears are soft and large, and he's almost as round as he is tall. It will be awhile before she learns about his finest attribute, the glorious tongue after which he gets his name, Linguini.
The courtship, marriage, and wedding celebration unfold among pranks, wild mishaps, love, and laughter. In the world of Linguini, the unusual is right. And the very unusual, like the large, beautiful tongue that Linguini keeps rolled up and tucked neatly behind his tongue, is even more right. Experience the twists and turns of a romance that rocked the Borough of Queens, one that people talk about to this very day.
About the Author :
Julian Olf (1942-2019) was a distinguished professor of theater and award-winning playwright. Many years ago he enjoyed spinning bedtime tales for his daughter, Kimiko. The stories, about a fanciful family named Linguini, became part of a requisite nighttime ritual that lasted throughout her youth. Decades later he revisited that family in The Book of Linguini: A Romance Set in the Borough of Queens, a picture book for young adult (and not-so-young) readers. As a children's magician, the head counselor and program director of a camp for children with cardiac issues, founding board member of the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter High School, and professor of theatre at the University of Massachusetts, Olf worked with young adults throughout his career. His plays have been performed widely and to excellent reception. Winner of the Nantucket Short Play Award in 2004, Olf also received a 2012 Julie Harris Playwright Award for his play Judith, a full-length play inspired by the biblical tale of Judith and Holofernes. His screenplay Anthony, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, won a Gold Award in 2000 at the Worldfest International Film Festival, Houston. His play (People Almost Always Smell Good in the Art), with the title intentionally in parenthesis, was published in The Massachusetts Review (fall, 2008) and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His short story "Rough Cut" (The Great Stream Review, April 1992) won the Fern Chertkow Memorial Award for Fiction. Olf spent his early childhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, surrounded by the arts. His father, a Yiddish folksinger, was a recording artist and actor; his mother, a pianist and music teacher. He received his early arts education at the Henry Street Music School and the High School of Music and Art (NYC). He earned a BA in English from Union College, an MA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University, and a PhD in Drama and Cinema from New York University. Nancy Meagher's gallery works of art have been predominantly her unique style of oil on canvas until she met Julian Olf, who easily persuaded her to illustrate The Book of Linguini. Her illustrations demonstrate the diversity of her creativity and skills using colored pencil, water color, and gouache. For many years Nancy shared her love of art as an award-winning elementary school art teacher. An author and poet as well, she wrote The Fish in the Polka Dot Dress, a book that her students illustrated and performed for a video and then published through the Connecticut River Conservancy, River of Words program. Other works include A Is for Avenue A: The ABC's of a River Town, and Millicent is Magnificent: A Leeds Mill River Fish Tale. Her monarch butterfly caterpillar sock sculptures and her first-grade students' butterfly mural were curated for the Eric Carle Museum Grand Opening. Now retired from teaching, Nancy continues to collaborate on special projects and exhibits. She also expands on her work as an artist and featured speaker in galleries, museums, and colleges. Examples of her current work can be seen at nancymeagherart.com. Nancy earned an MS in Education from Lesley University and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, where she serves on the RISDiversity Abled Differently initiative. Like The Book of Linguini, the initiative offers perspectives and experiences of community members who are abled differently.
Review :
"Julian Olf's wildly original and hilarious tale is set in the kind of neighborhood I recognize from my own youth. He makes it magical!" - Joel Zwick, film, theater, and television director--films include My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Second Sight, and Fat Albert
"Brilliant! Olf knows how to tell a story. The madcap romp combined with the amazing illustrations is a real treat." - Nancy Meckler, theater and film director, the first woman to direct at the National Theatre in London
"This boisterously amusing book will appeal to readers of all ages. It's a gem." - Richard Michelson, award-winning poet and children's book author, including As Good As Anybody, S Is for Sea Glass, and The Language of Angels, among many others
"Whimsical illustrations propel the reader through this funny and fantastical tale of two unlikely characters finding love and joy." - Rosemary Agoglia, Former Director of Education, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
"Wild, zany, and adorable, The Book of Linguini is imaginative and deliciously funny." - Corinne Demas, award-winning author of Saying Goodbye to Lulu and many other books
"Just loved it. Read it in one sitting. It's the perfect gift for my friends." - David Aukin, television and film producer, including Oscar-winning films The Madness of King George, Secrets & Lies, and Trainspotting
"Nancy Meagher's drawings are a delight. She has great skill in creating an atmosphere that is charming and clever. Her illustrations resonate with wit, meshing with Julian Olf's fanciful and lively story." - Rochelle Shicoff, public art artist and co-author of The Mural Book: A Practical Guide for Educators
"Through these hilarious stories, Julian Olf shines light onto the human condition in all its zaniness. His imaginative take on our world offers many lessons, but most importantly, that we should live fearlessly. It's a reminder that always bears repeating, and Olf has gifted us with one that's full of joy and color." - Joe Salvatore, clinical associate professor of educational theatre and director of the Verbatim Performance Lab, New York University
"The Book of Linguini is so special--creative, imaginative and delightful. Nancy Meagher's drawings bring this romance to life!" - Janice Brickley, consultant for the National Science Foundation, book advocate
"Kindness and laughter are particularly needed in troubled times. Julian Olf delivers a joyous dollop of both with this exuberant, sweet book." - Gloria Schmorr, clinical psychologist
