Whether you’re a crazy cat lady or just enjoy taking a cat nap every now and then, you will have the oppurrrtunity to release that inner feline-fanatic on Sunday. “Cats, Cats, Cats: A Feline Obsession” will give you a chance to get up close and personal with a variety of authors and illustrators who will discuss the feline-phenomena and a cats involvement in litter-a-ture.
“I’ve always been a cat lady,” said Yasmine Surovec, the creator and blogger of Cat Versus Human, who will be one of the speakers at the cat panel this weekend.
Surovec started Cat vs. Human in 2010. The blog consists of cat-comics that the typical cat owner can relate to. Readers really took to her cartoons, and now Survec has published books such as “I See Kitty” and “Cat Versus Human,” a book based on the comics from her blog.
“We all share common complicated experiences with our cats; they wake you up at 3 a.m., they don’t eat the expensive treat you give them, and yet they are a beneficial companion,” Surovec said. The cat cartoonist, who has lived with cats all her life, claims she started with three cats and now owns 12.
Born in the Philippines, Surovec said, “It boggles me because I never thought the cat-lady would have such a negative stereotype.”
As an artist she has redesigned the stereotype, giving it a more paws-itive appeal. Some of her comics actually feature classic princesses such as Rapunzel and Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” as cat ladies. Surovec plans to go into further detail concerning her love of cats and inspirations during the panel.
Other talented authors who will speak about their passion for cats on Sunday include Eugene Yelchin, author of “Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” a children’s book which received the Newbery Honor in 2012. He also wrote “Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku,” and will be speaking about how he began writing nonfiction.
“I will certainly be focusing on reading books as a surviving tool for living in a police state,” Yelchin said.
Carmen Agra Deedy will be presenting the story of her picture books, “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach,” and telling Juan Bobo tales, which are similar to the traditional Jack tales, according to Deedly’s business manager, Erin Grace.
Michael J. Rosen, creator of The Company of Animals Fund, which has donated a variety of profits made by his many award-winning children books such as “Dog People and Horse People” and “Chanukah Lights,” will also speak.
So make like a cat on a hot tin roof, because the event is sure to be the cat’s pajamas.
“Cats, Cats, Cats: A Feline Obsession” will start at 1 p.m. in the Education building in Room 349.
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