On Franny and Zooey

I like books. I like illustration. When they come together it can be very pleasing indeed.

I seem to follow a good few illustrators on Twitter and I get feeds from plenty of illustrator’s blogs, too. Not that surprising, I suppose. I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about illustration. I’m always happy to find new things I like. Art (the big stuff in galleries) doesn’t ring my bell like a small intimate illustration – preferably one tucked inside a book.

I only know the artist of this bookmark – Eleni Kalorkoti, through Twitter. I like to hear when a new sneaky-sneak fox has snuck onto her website. Or a nice patterned lady, muffled by scarves but still full of attitude, is available to buy.

So I was really pleased to read her tweet that she had illustrated Franny and Zooey. It’s one of my favourite books. In fact I love all J D Salinger’s minimal output. Catcher in the Rye kept me going through my teenage years. Everything seemed OK during time spent between those pages. I think I could probably recite passages, even now.

I was really touched, then, to receive this beautifully illustrated and tidily finished bookmark from the artist herself. A wee package of nice things dropped through my door. It’s not the first nice thing to come my way via Twitter. I got some pretty French things and a nice old paper bag that needs a bit of restoration before it goes public. However nice it is to be virtual, it’s extra nice when real post arrives because of it.

And I think it’s a great idea – having bookmarks related to the book. Especially if a book hasn’t already got an illustration or two. And this is a great illustration. And it’s good to get post. And so I like this bookmark for all sorts of reasons.