An amazing new concept in illustrated children’s books, this book, authored by the great grandson of Charles Ringling and illustrated by his wife Barbara Harnack is made in a fashion that could have been molded by the Ringling Brothers themselves. Barbara Harnack followed the Ringling boys dedication to making their own sets and has built every scene in 3-D and photographed the actions that illustrate the Ringling Brothers rise from childhood play to The Greatest Show on Earth (R).

“The Boys from Baraboo, the Ringling Brothers Story” illustrated by Barbara Harnack and written by Michael Lancaster will be released on October 15, 2012. 

retail: $17.95

ISBN – 978-0615655925

Barbara Harnack will join Michael Lancaster for an autumn tour of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and finish in western Florida in December.  Interactive events will introduce children to play and express by making your own characters at children’s museums, bookstores and libraries.  Book signings can share both “The Boys from Baraboo,” and “Ringling, The Last Laugh,” by Lancaster, however, because Lancaster’s novel is adult subject matter readings will be offered at separate events. Barbara Harnack will offer a children’s table where some children may be introduced to materials from which they can learn to express their own stories.

At Ballyhoo we can handle all your public relations needs, i.e. radio, TV, newspapers and blogs, etc to publicize Barbara Harnack’s event at your venue.   We’ll help with all the ballyhoo!  Call 505-474-7564, or email michael@RinglingBook.com or visit us online at www.ballyhoopublishing.com.

  

A new novel from Ballyhoo Publishing by Michael Lancaster, the great grandson of Charles Ringling.

Something traumatic occurred in the life of John Ringling on a March night in New York in 1936.  Sitting in a bar near Union Station Ringling recounts his life story as well as the story of The Ringling Brothers.  He claims to have had the “Last Laugh.”

ISBN – 9708061565925

retail: $17.95 (paperback 6×9)

(hardcover available for book events)

Michael’s fall tour will take him from his home town of Santa Fe, NM to Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and he will finish with book signings and speaking engagements on the west coast of Florida with special events such as “Ringling Memories,” at  The Asolo Theater of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art on December 6.

Michael will be accompanied by his wife, illustrator Barbara Harnack, who will launch her illustrated children’s book “The Boys from Baraboo,” ISBN – 978-0615655925 The Ringling Brothers Story for children ages 6-9, in October 2012. In some towns they may offer book events at the same venues, while Barbara will concurrently be touring her interactive presentation at children’s museums.  The couple will  offer free signed images and book marks.  Standard wholesale, discount rates, returnable rates, and other book rates are available to booksellers.

Early reviewers are talking about the novel:

“The author is good at telling a story, with some lyrical and some earthy language. I’m definitely looking forward to this author’s next book, too!”         JNM, Santa Fe, NM

“As time went on I really felt I was in that restaurant bar listening to John Ringling! The author was not afraid to use the vernacular of John Ringling, including earthy language which caused me to research on line and yes I found that in the end of his life he spoke as such. I was deeply surprised at how the story wove its way in and out of circus, complete with the darkness of New York during prohibition. I am also impressed by the story of the Ringling Brothers themselves and now I have real characters behind the names.”                   PH, Santa Fe, NM

At Ballyhoo we can handle all your public relations needs, i.e. radio, TV, newspapers and blogs, etc to publicize Michael Lancaster’s event at your venue.   We’ll help with all the ballyhoo!  Call 505-474-7564, or email michael@RinglingBook.com or visit us online at www.ballyhoopublishing.com.

* Ballyhoo Publishing is solely owned by Barbara Harnack & Michael Lancaster.  It is an independent publisher dedicated to stories, both fiction and non-fiction, of the American circus and Americana. 

The Buyers Market of American Craft

February 18-20
at The Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA

The American Craft Council Show at Baltimore

February 24-26
at The Baltimore Convention Center

The Scottsdale Arts Festival

March 9-11
at The Scottsdale Center for the performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival 

July 6-8
Cherry Creek – Denver, CO

18″ x 16.5″ x 7″

2009, Barbara Harnack

hand built from slabs and pinched stoneware clay, under glazes and over glaze, Raku fired

A collector from Arizona purchased this piece the weekend of October 23, 2010.

I love this piece because of its layering of 3-D sculpting, and 2-D painting.  There is something essential about the way that the couple’s hands are coming together, while they are not looking at each other, but ahead, toward the future.

Barbara is able to say something very special about intimacy, while still remaining subtle.

Michael Lancaster

There are many versions of the origins of Raku and of ‘American’ Raku’.  I will try to give an overview of where it comes from and why some of us call the ‘new style’ “American Raku.”

In 16th Century Japan, a potter from Korea arrived by small boat.  He brought only the tools he could carry with him, as well as a vast knowledge of clay.  His name was Chojiro, and some scholars refer to him as Chojiro I, or the first.  In that time, when ceramic tile roofs were common,  there was a high demand for repair, as tiles would spall or were easily broken.  Because tiles were hand made and rarely unified, the common technique was to remove the broken tile, take it to a potter and have it duplicated.  Chojiro came up with a concept of making a new tile (usually a batch of tiles)  on site and firing them in a small quickly constructed kiln.  The clay was specially designed to take the rapid shock of being removed while red hot.  To aid in cooling, the tile would be added to rice hulls, which would burn at a cooler temperature than the clay which was about 1800 degrees Fahrenheit (about 982 C.).  He recognized a beautiful interaction of clay and surface and later experimented with the process to make bowls for the tea ceremony.  Again, there are several versions of which Chojiro actually took the process for the ceremonial ware.  Personally, I have enjoyed visiting collections which held bowls by Chojiro II through IX.  There were many generations of Chojiro.  He (one of them) was adopted into the Raku family.

In the late twentieth Century, Hal Riegger reintroduced Raku in the United states.  Frequently credited to Paul Soldner, it was actually Reigger and his experimentation with the style that generated a movement and today has a world wide following of ceramic artists who experiment with many ways to rapid fire in these temperature ranges (usually 1800-2,000 F.)  In our case we open the kiln when we judge the clay/glaze color to be sufficient (usually red/orange).  The works are removed either with special tongues, or high temperature mitts.  We place them in a barrel or metal horse trough and add a combustible material (straw) and cover the barrel.  The process is called reduction (a reduced atmosphere of oxygen rich in carbon).  The raw clay is altered as well as the glazed surface.  In some cases we lay the pieces in the trough on a web of split wood (to maintain some higher temperature) and then spray a mixture of ferric chloride and water on the piece.  This step is called “fuming.”  This adds a rich iron patina.  Safety is important, i.e. shielding from fire, heat and protecting eyes, lungs and mucus membranes from smoke and caustic reactions.   I have written and blogged repeatedly on the subject of safety and occasionally it has been dubbed, “Michael Lancaster’s sermon on safety.”

There are many approaches to Raku.  Most often it expresses something something we feel in our primal self; perhaps a time when we (humans) were more closely bonded with the elements, especially fire, earth, air, etc.  Cared for properly it can last for centuries and hopefully like its name was originally intended, can give us everlasting pleasure.