The Long Chalkboard: and Other Stories [Hardcover]

Jennifer Allen (Author), Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2006

Here are three delightful, bittersweet, especially-for-our-time adult stories of modern life as lived by men and women of a certain age: the baby boomer. Jenny Allen’s brilliant and witty narratives and Jules Feiffer’s playfully expressive drawings coax to the surface the hidden anxieties, familiar frustrations, and downright fury that we try to convince ourselves we don't really feel. The characters in these stories are reckoning with life’s little surprises. But what they don't expect sometimes turns out to be all right anyway: a little redemption bubbling up in the kitchen where “Judy’s Wonder Chili” is made. . . or hiding in the folds of an origami crane, waiting to be found by the children’s book writer in “Something Happened”. . . or revealing itself on the surface of the well-used chalkboard of the title tale.

In their humor, simplicity, and subtlety, these stories--brought to life perfectly through Feiffer’s drawings--speak to our deepest adult-yet-childlike selves. There’s not a grown-up among us who won’t be completely charmed.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

These three stories will interest socially savvy young adult readers—young book-worms rather than hipsters—and liberal-leaning adults who enjoy a wry laugh. The first story, which concerns a long chalk-board that gives almost magical creativity to those who use it, feels like a modern fairy tale. Instead of becoming queen, a woman becomes a great filmmaker. Instead of becoming a king, a boy gets into a prestigious university. The second, which concerns two competing children's authors who find they're better off in love, is a story New Yorkers will appreciate, with a strong vibe of Upper West Side anxiety. The third deals with a woman with a nearly magical ability to cook chili. Though Allen is listed as author, it's very much Feiffer's book: the pieces lack his bite, but they have his old charm and whimsy in spades. The art has a ballet-like quality; poise has replaced the attitude Feiffer had back when his name was synonymous with the Village Voice. The final story has a whiff of his old stance—the fabulous chili maker is called on to make chili for a political cause, and it comes out awful. The chili cook becomes a cause célèbre, and T-shirts announce "chili shouldn't have an agenda." (Oct.)
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From Booklist

Renowned cartoonist and children's book author Feiffer shares billing with his wife, journalist and stand-up comedienne Allen, in a trio of charming stories for adults. "The Long Chalkboard" is about the whim of two parents who need to cover a long wall and provide a scribbling surface for their children after moving into a new home. As the home passes on to successive owners, the chalkboard becomes fertile ground for, first, a math prodigy and then a budding film director, whose storyboard sketches later hang in the Smithsonian and ultimately comfort a lonely widow. "What Happened" follows the fortunes of a stuffy children's book author who accuses a fellow writer of plagiarism, and "Judy's Wonder Chili" recounts the misadventures of an amateur chef whose deliciously healing chili undergoes an unpleasant transformation when it catches the attention of the media and politicians. Allen's insightful, uplifting tales are perfectly complemented by Feiffer's wry charcoal, pencil, and wash sketches, which imbue the collection with the flavor of contemporary fables. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon (October 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375424539
• ISBN-13: 978-0375424533
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.7 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,125,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Delightful, November 30, 2006

By 

Nancy Bea Miller "painter" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Long Chalkboard: and Other Stories (Hardcover)

This was one of the most enjoyable books I bought for myself this year! In format it is almost like a graphic novel or manga, but differs somewhat from those genres. It more resembles a picture book, text and illustration on each page, but aimed at adults instead of children. The three seperate stories are wryly humorous and wondrously inventive, and the illustrations are lively and expressive. Ms. Allen is almost scarily adept at the small witty detail that speaks volumes, not unlike Mr. Feiffer's own keen yet sensitive line in drawing. In fact I marveled at how beautifully Mr. Feiffer's drawings and Ms. Allen's stories complemented each other. My favorite of the three tales is the middle one, "What Happened", the tale of two rival writers of children's books. But I loved them all. My only complaint about The Long Chalkboard is that, despite its generous size, I wish it were longer! I'm hoping there are more books like this to come by this talented duo.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful work. Best shared and displayed - not shelved., January 17, 2007

By 

Danae Howe (los angeles, ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Long Chalkboard: and Other Stories (Hardcover)

I really love this book. Its something a little different to put on my coffee table and I enjoy looking through it often. The fact that a husband and wife team created it is touching, and the charcoal artwork is fabulous.
The work really is setup in the format of a children's book, however it is much more mature, and it would take an adult to understand the complexities of the story. The main character has a great deal of depth, and as the reader, I grew to feel that I understood and cared about how she felt. The artwork and the storyline fit together like a hand in glove, interweaving and playing off of each other. I recommend it highly.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Feiffer is the Star Here, January 22, 2010

By 

JustinWrites "book-y" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Long Chalkboard: and Other Stories (Hardcover)

Jenny Allen collaborated with her husband, cartoonist and screenwriter Jules Feiffer, on this visually interesting collection of three short stories. The title story is the best of the lot, with humor and pathos and an unexpected, sweet ending. The other Allen-written pieces feel a bit redundant after the first one, tonally indistinct and with little variation in character development or story progression from the rest. It's a quick read, with expressive black & white drawings by the classic satirist that linger in the mind after the book is finished. Unfortunately, the writing doesn't achieve the same goal, and without Feiffer's art there really is no book. Allen has a deft style, some wit and heart, but I wouldn't exactly call what she writes "stories" -- they're more thumbnail sketches and clever ideas than true, fleshed-out short stories.