A little after the fact, I wanted to share some pix from a beautiful Momma Love celebration at BOBO Restaurant that Jessica Shyba of Momma’s Gone City threw to celebrate the release of my book! Actress Amy Ryan was the honorary momma and she had some really sweet things to say about being featured in Momma Love.

Moms (and everyone else), if you don’t already know about BOBO, you should! They have a private garden in the back that makes you forget you’re in NYC! It’s ideal for private parties, showers, birthdays… and the staff and food couldn’t be better!

Donna Bell’s Bake Shop provided delicious southern desserts, and Anne Kilcullen at Blade NYC made the space even nicer with her beautiful, one-of-a-kind floral arrangements. (Blade NYC is starting a section of their business that will be geared specifically towards children’s parties!). Moore Brothers Wine Shop- my favorite wine store in NY because of its selection, sweet staff, and it’s children’s play area (YES!)- sent over a dozen bottles of sparkling wine for the toasts!

All in all, it was a great sunday evening!

(all photos ©Amber DeVos and Rita Cheng)

 

 

 

I’m thrilled to say that Princeton University has asked me to talk at an “Author’s Lunch” Monday, May 6, 12-2pm. Reserve a seat at the table with us by calling 609.497.1777. $60 per person Includes delicious lunch, and proceeds benefit local scholarship fund, The 101: Fund, supporting need-based college scholarships for local high school graduates.

COME ON DOWN! Let’s chat!! I’ll also be selling and signing books just in time for Mother’s Day! (Cheaper than rush shipping!)

 

 

After 12 years and an emotional roller coaster ride, Momma Love is now for sale at MommaLoveTheBook.com. I’m shipping books daily for Mother’s Day! If you want your’s, waste no time.(Please note that media mail takes 2-8 days to deliver. There is also a priority mail option.)

xAli

 

Momma Love was 104% FUNDED last week when the Kickstarter fundraiser for it ended! Here are some pix of Momma Love rolling off the presses at SHAPCO Printing in Minneapolis, MN. SHAPCO is a “Green” printer, so that means that all waste product- paper, proofs, plates, etc- are recycled, and all inks are eco-friendly. Which is GREAT!

My rep Debi Bergerson has been an incredible person to work with there. She gets my vision for the book and is full of creative suggestions and solutions. (Plus she’s just very nice!) Owner Joe Avery came up with a perfect solution for the poppy title type I wanted! Wait till you see!

 

 

After 12 years of hard work and being thrown for a loop by a publisher who shut abruptly, taking with them the financial investment I’d made towards my book’s production, I’ve decided to self-publish Momma Love; How the Mother Half Lives.

Gloria Steinem says “Ali Smith has given us a gift with Momma Love; a fresh, eye-opening manifestation of motherhood’s contemporary realities.”

Please consider supporting Momma Love’s printing through my Kickstarter campaign. Any amount helps! Pre-sales of the book are available at a special discounted price as well as some other very cool perks!

The book will be released May 1st this year making it the perfect Mother’s Day gift!

In my quest to share these women’s personal stories and portraits, I’ve turned away from the industry and towards the community. I’ve turned to you. The heart of the matter.

Click here to support Momma Love on Kickstarter.

 

 

MOMMA LOVE image Kelly Pregnant Outside, which has had the honor of hanging previously at The International Center of Photography, is currently in a wonderful portraits show at The Center for Fine Art Photography in some very good company!

If you find yourself in Fort Collins, Colorado before March 23rd, stop in to see a great show.

 

I just shot and edited this trailer for Sever, the final book in Lauren DeStefano‘s New York Times bestselling series The Chemical Garden Trilogy.

 

An album I’m really excited about that I recorded twelve years ago with my long time musical collaborator Matt Verta-Ray has just been released. We’d recorded it as a lobor of love, and then put it on the proverbial shelf, busy with other musical projects. Now the stars have aligned and it’s out there walking and talking on its own, available through iTunes and Amazon as well as through the labels listed at the end of this promo video.

 

I recently shot a book cover and promo video for Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans (art directed by Lizzy Bromley at SImon and Schuster). It was such a good experience that I decided to ask Lenore to answer these “8 questions with an author”…

1. What is the natural talent you wish you had?
LA: I wish I had a better ear for languages. I speak Spanish and German fluently and I studied Japanese, but I’m never really able to get the accent right. I envy those few who can sound like native speakers.

2.  What makes you happy?
LA: I love travel – exploring new places and meeting new people. But I also love being at home with my cats.

3.  What makes you miserable?
LA: Not getting enough sleep.

4.  What’s the first book that influenced you?
LA: That would probably be the illustrated version of Last of the Mohicans. I loved that book as a kid.

5.  What’s your favorite motto or saying
LA: You can’t step in the same river twice.

6. What are you reading?
LA: I’ve made it my mission to read as many books from the authors in my debut author group, The Apocalypsie,s as possible. Right now I’m reading SHADOWS CAST BY STARS by Catherine Knutsson – a post apocalyptic where native American people are hunted down because their blood is the only cure for the plague and VELVETEEN by Daniel Marks, a much more twisted look at the afterlife than LEVEL TWO.

7. What are you listening to?
LA: For our 6th wedding anniversary a few days ago, my husband I went to see this Belgian choir called Scala & Kolacny Brothers. They do amazing covers and I’m obsessed with their rendition of Bjork’s Joga.  It’s on my LEVEL 2 playlist.

8.  What did you think when you first saw your cover for Level2?
LA: My husband is a designer and illustrator, so when I saw Alexandra’s e-mail with the subject line “Your Cover” I called him over and we opened it together. We knew Lizzy Bromley was amazing, but THIS — wow. I feel so blessed to have a cover with such a fierce girl on it. It totally transports the thriller vibe of the novel and is so eyecatching. Your photography is amazing and I can’t thank you enough.

AS: Thanks, Lenore! It was a real pleasure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just shot this cover for a thriller called Level 2. I think of this cover - another one I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with Lizzy Bromley of Simon and Schuster – as a mix between Barbarella and Dubstep.

My husband, Joshua Bright, and I shot video together on set, and later I edited it down to be the promo video below. The soundtrack is by the amazing PatrickReza.

Also check out my “8 Questions with an Author” interview with Level 2 author Lenore Appelhans next week.