The Sea Gull at the Springfield Library

Following my The Rainbow Orchid post late last week, here is a little update on The Sea Gull "A Woman of the Sea" which is also at the Springfield Library. Here is Springfield's catalog librarian, Rita Eberle, with the current copy. Like The Rainbow Orchid books, it is available for interlibrary loan.

Rita Eberle with The Sea Gull book at the Springfield Public Library.

September has turned out as a good month for overseas sales for The Sea Gull, as the book continues to find new homes on bookshelves worldwide. Two books have gone to Australia, alone, in just one week.

Also, the Leonard Maltin review, along with the Josef von Sternberg DVD release, has created more interest from Josef von Sternberg fans.

Currently, if you live in the San Francisco bay area, and like to get a copy, the Niles Essanay Film Museum Gift Shop in Fremont, California has a stack of signed copies. (It is the only bookstore The Sea Gull is currently available. The books are available through the online shop at ednapurviance.com.)

Leading Ladies still have copies on hand, though the stock is getting low, as a new stock of books will be on order for the holiday season.

And just one more Sea Gull note, The Zaneville Museum of Art, in Ohio, is having a special Charlie Chaplin and American Culture exhibit from Oct. 4 through Dec. 4, 2010. It includes a special rare showing of reproduced images from Edna's personal photos from Leading Ladies. This includes a few images from The Sea Gull and from Edna's film 'Education de Prince' (1927) filmed in France.

This is a very rare showing, and could be the only one, so hope some of you may get a chance to see it. Again, many thanks for your continued support of The Sea Gull.

Note: This SG library copy of The Sea Gull (like The Rainbow Orchid and other library paperback books) have a special covering, that protects it from the heavy use of a library. It is quite clear and makes the cover a bit heavier.

Lovely review of The Sea Gull from film critic, Leonard Maltin

Talk about a shot out of the blue! A lovely email and review from one of the top USA film critics, Leonard Maltin!

I've watched Mr. Maltin for years, along with other top favorites, the late Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. I never dreamed I ever have anything reviewed my someone like Mr. Maltin. It is an honor and thrill, indeed. You can find the full review at Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy. LINK

Images from Mr. Maltin's site. Click image for article.
Note: Mr. Maltin couldn't remember who pointed out the book to him,
but whoever it was, I sincerely thank you...

Lovely review of Donna Hill's "Rudolph Valentino The Silent Idol" book
and Thomas Gladysz book "The Diary of a Lost Girl" too!

"I sometimes decry the decline of professionalism in various disciplines—including publishing—but I can’t think of a better argument for breaking down the barriers of traditional publishing than these three exceptional books, which I doubt any commercial house would have taken on. They may be labors of love but they also convey a commitment to both scholarship and the esthetics of the printed page." - Leonard Maltin, film critic, Crazy Movies

The Sea Gull will re-launch in One Week

February 15, 2010: I will re-launch The Sea Gull book. In the meantime, here is how you will know by looking at the cover, you have a revised third edition book. All third editions have a bar code on the back cover with the ISBN number.


I know February 15, 2010 is Washington Birthday in the states, so no books can start to be mailed until, February 16, 2010.

Update: Thanks for all the interest in the book! Fans on the re-launch list will be emailed, once the shopping cart is back up and running on the 15th.

The Sea Gull reviewed by Examiner writer Thomas Gladysz

"Had you not known it was self-published, any reader would assume this book the product of a major concern. It’s beautifully printed. The layout is attractive, and the text is informative. And what’s more, it’s the only book on an interesting and worthwhile subject." - Thomas Gladysz, Examiner (San Francisco).

On Friday, just before shutting down and leaving on a weekend get-a-way, we had a wonderful online surprise with a review of The Sea Gull "A Woman of the Sea" by Thomas Gladysz from San Francisco, writing for the Examiner. It's our first online 'newspaper' review, which is seen nationwide.

The article isn't only about The Sea Gull, but also about the state of publishing for silent film books these days, as traditional publishing houses are turning away from printing such subject matter. It is one of the reasons we self-published our book.

"These days, books on silent film are largely being published by mid-size, specialty, and university presses. McFarland continues its steady issuance of largely worthwhile books, and recently they have been joined in the field by BearManor." - Thomas Gladysz, Examiner

It is not everyday you see your project listed under Google News.

You can follow more of Thomas Gladysz's reports and reviews on silent films at the Examiner. We thank Mr. Gladysz, and all our readers, who have enjoyed our book, and of course, all our supporters who helped in creating The Sea Gull. We are getting a nice 'flood' of new orders from all over, which is cutting handsomely into our new second edition stock.

Also, to answer a few questions about our Lita Hill interview on DVD, we still plan to release about the same time as Edna's second book, which I am still researching. Currently, I have been doing more research on Edna's husband Jack. I am finding this most interesting, lately, as new items are starting to appear. And something is brewing in the background that I think would have made Edna and Jack very excited.

Always very nice to hear back from people who received The Sea Gull. We thank Mr. Baxter for his comment...

"Thanks for sending THE SEA GULL so promptly. It's a fascinating piece of research - particularly since von Sternberg has been almost a lifelong interest. My most sincere congratulations." - author, John Baxter

The Sea Gull in The Bill Douglas Centre Library Collection

"Congratulations on the book, which is a very beautiful and fascinating record of the film and Edna Purviance’s career. ...great addition to the collection."
- Phil Wickham, curator of The Bill Douglas Centre

We like to send our special thanks to Phil Wickham, the curator of The Bill Douglas Centre for the History of Cinema and Popular Culture at the University of Exeter, in Exeter, England and to Peter Jewell (founder of The Bill Douglas Collection), for including The Sea Gull, as part of their collection.

The Sea Gull has been catalogued into their library collection and available for researchers to consult.

"As you know Peter and Bill were great Chaplin fans and we have a fabulous collection of Chaplin memorabila in the Centre." - Phil Wickham

The Bill Douglas Centre has been working with Bryony Dixon, the silent film curator at BFI, with the 'Chaplinalia Exhibition' held this year at BFI Southbank. Part of the continued special program of Chaplin films being held into January 2009.

Chaplinalia - BDC material at BFI Southbank
"Material from the Bill Douglas Centre's vast collection of Charlie Chaplin memorabilia -including toys, games, comics, and postcards -is currently on display as part of the BFI's Chaplinalia exhibition.

The exhibition runs until the beginning of September and is on the mezzanine gallery at BFI Southbank. Also exhibited are items from other sources, such as Chaplin's original hat, cane and suit sported by the 'little tramp'." - The Bill Douglas Centre

Special thanks to IL CINEMA RITROVATO

Leading Ladies sends our thanks to Il Cinema Ritrovato 2008 in Bologna, Italy, with a special thanks to Cecilia Cenciarelli for making our Sea Gull project as part of their festival this year. See this link to Charlie Chaplin Archive for a pdf file of program for 2008.

IL CINEMA RITROVATO - June 28 - July 5, 2008

IL CINEMA RITROVATO
June 28th - July 5, 2008
Josef von Sternberg is the major feature for the 2008 festival. Here is a link to the full schedule of events. Charlie Chaplin films and presentations are also planned throughout the week.

A presentation on The Sea Gull is planned for July 4th, 2008. It will be presented by Janet Bergstrom and Cecilia Cenciarelli.

The Sea Gull Dossier
VENERDÌ 4 LUGLIO (July 4, 2008)
ore 14.45 - Cinema Lumière 1
Progetto Chaplin
CHAPLIN IN VISITA AL CENTRO
SPERIMENTALE DI CINEMATOGRAFIA D.: 10’ circa.
DOSSIER THE SEA GULL
Presentano Janet Bergstrom e Cecilia Cenciarelli

(note: I do not know any of the text presentation for The Sea Gull. I have been in contact with Cecilia (also with Janet). Cecilia will be using images from our book, The Sea Gull, by Linda Wada, for the talk. Link to a short video about the book. Photo of Josef von Sternberg from the Hill Family Collection, Leading Ladies.)

The Sea Gull in Italy

Today, Leading Ladies publications has shipped off some The Sea Gull "A Woman of the Sea" books to Bologna, Italy, for Il Cinema Ritrovato. The week long film festival will be held from June 28-July 5, 2008.

The festival will have a special series of films featuring the work of Josef von Sternberg, with two dossiers by Janet Bergstrom (historian on Josef von Sternberg and works with the UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles).

Leading Ladies will not be present at the festival, but we have been in contact with Janet and with Cecilia Cenciarelli (with the Chaplin Archives in Italy). We are currently working with Cecilia, who is involved with the festival, as well as a dossier planned for The Sea Gull at the event.

Update June 19th: Cecilia has informed us The Sea Gull book shipment has arrived in Italy.

The Sea Gull video

Here is the link to the first of two videos planned featuring The Sea Gull "Woman of the Sea" Charles Chaplin Lost Film Production, starring Edna Purviance and directed by Josef von Sternberg.

The book is a Leading Ladies publication by Linda Wada released 2008. Video is a quicktime video. Best on broadband or high speed modems.

Josef von Sternberg, IL CINEMA RITROVATO

Il Cinema Ritrovato
Bologna, Italy
June 28-July 5, 2008
Josef von Sternberg
The film work of Josef von Sternberg will be the main event at the 2008, IL CINEMA RITROVATO. Many of Josef's films will be shown and I have even learned a presentation on The Sea Gull is on the schedule. Link to full schedule.

From the information released:
"The most spectacular presentation is dedicated to Josef von Sternberg, "the inventor of Marlene Dietrich" – all six American Sternberg-Dietrich films will be shown - and before that the creator of a fabulous silent oeuvre which we will show in too.

The Salvation Hunters (1925), his first film presented in a new print splendidly preserved by UCLA, is already a supreme naturalist illusion that reveals the force of an unsurpassed stylist and the strangest of cinema's poets. Underworld (1927) is the first of Sternberg's four films dominated by the unforgettably wild presence of George Bancroft.

The Docks of New York (1928) is a towering pictorial masterpiece, and the print we show should make any film lover's week or even life worthwhile. The Last Command (1928) is a perfect match between the ironies of Sternberg and the story itself: a general from old Russia is now a Hollywood extra.

In Sternberg's terms we might wonder which one - a man's life or its imitation - is the true parody? This retrospective will be completed by Thunderbolt (1929), Sternberg's first experiment with sound.

The Marlene Dietrich films Morocco (1930), Dishonored (1931), Shanghai Express (1932), Blonde Venus (1932), The Scarlet Empress (1934) and The Devil Is a Woman (1935) open the gates to a dream scape that might take place in China, Imperial Russia, North Africa, Austria or Spain with Dietrich as a spy, adventuress, singer, and Empress, which gives her the opportunity to cut the throats of her men.

These films represent the highest point, perverse and ruthless, of the mythology of the love goddess. But that’s not all. We'll show some rarities: Children of Divorce (1927), partly directed by Sternberg, and his vastly under appreciated An American Tragedy (1931).

And there will be two dossiers curated by Janet Bergstrom in collaboration with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, with the participation of the director's son Nicholas von Sternberg and a vivid portrait of the artist himself interviewed by André S. Labarthe, the creator (with Janine Bazin) of the famous interview series, Cinéastes de notre temps, to which we dedicate a special homage."

UPDATE: I JUST learned too that The Sea Gull/A Woman of the Sea will be talked about at this event:

VENERDÌ 4 LUGLIO (July 4, 2008)
ore 14.45 - Cinema Lumière 1
Progetto Chaplin
CHAPLIN IN VISITA AL CENTRO SPERIMENTALE DI CINEMATOGRAFIA
D.: 10’ circa.
DOSSIER THE SEA GULL
Presentano Janet Bergstrom e Cecilia Cenciarelli

"At the crossroad of the Sternberg retrospective, we will dedicate a dossier to The Seagull/Woman of the Sea (1926), one of the most famous “lost films” of all time.

The film was shot by Sternberg and produced by Chaplin who did not like it and eventually refused to release it. It’s intriguing story will be traced with images and rare documents gathered from many sources."

For readers who was interested, here is a link to a brief video featuring images and the book about The Sea Gull.

And finally, for Charlie Chaplin fans an added event:
"While last year’s Chapliniana still echoes in our minds, this year we will launch an annual "Chaplin’s filiation" program with a series of films devoted to Monta Bell, Chaplin’s assistant on A Woman of Paris (1924) and a wonderful director in his own right, as our selection - Lady of the Night (1925), Pretty Ladies (1925), Upstage (1926) - proves beyond question." - Cinema Ritrovato 2008



If you are a fan of Josef von Sternberg, and can afford to get to Italy, it is certainly an event to see. Bologna is an enjoyable city to visit, and very easy to get around by walking. Learning some Italian before going does help.

UPDATE: We have been in contact from Italy about the festival and the special program about The Sea Gull.

Link to IL CINEMA RITROVATO festival site
Bergstrom presented a program on von Sternberg in Chicago recently.
Can't make it to Italy? Check Cinematheque Ontario for film showings.

(Josef von Sternberg was the director and creator of The Sea Gull 'Woman of the Sea", produced by Charles Chaplin. Leading Ladies publishing released the first book about the film by author Linda Wada on January 13, 2008. You can learn more at ednapurviance.com. And for my regular Edna readers, who have asked, I just learned about this event April 11. The Sea Gull presentation, I actually didn't learn about until April 12. But it sounds like a great event for Josef von Sternberg fans to attend.)

June 9, 2008 - Leading Ladies has shipped some copies of The Sea Gull for this event. We also have been in contact with the festival, as a dossier is planned for The Sea Gull during the week long event.

July 2008 - Special thanks to festival >

Bits...

I will instead call this post Bits...

April 10, 2008 - The documentary "Who is Norman Lloyd?" is being screened in Florida this week. Here is an article about it and a short interview with Lloyd talking about Charlie Chaplin. more>
____________

An interesting post I found on the web, about an event held in Chicago recently featuring the "Project Sternberg" and this item mentioning as part of the presentation The Sea Gull/A Woman of the Sea. more>

Happy Birthday Lita!

"I Love Birthdays!" - Lita Hill said, April 3, 2005, on her birthday

Today would have been Lita's 75th birthday. So to celebrate, I will share the comments Lita would have loved to have read during the past couple of months about The Sea Gull.

"I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IF WE GET ANY REVIEWS TO PRINT!!!" - Lita Hill, October 20, 2007

"Here are some of the fan comments, Lita, I know you would have enjoyed reading. Happy Birthday!!!"

"Received "The Sea Gull" book this afternoon. What an outstanding treasure trove of outstanding pictures and research. Thank goodness Edna fans (and Edna herself) have someone like you to create such a wonderful book!!" - MM

"Almost Speechless! ...the book is PHENOMENAL! ... is even
better than I imagined! I am so impressed. This is such a great contribution to Chaplin/Edna scholarship, and I applaud your hard work and dedication." - PC

"...it blew me away, it's amazing, better than I could have imagined." - GCE

"I have received The Sea Gull, and what a wonderful work it is! It is a very beautiful and important book and I enjoy it immensely." - IG

"The book is beautiful!" - DH

"Reading it was a real pleasure. It's very well conceived, with images illustrating perfectly the story. The progression towards the shooting of the film is very clear for every star involved (Edna, Charlie, Von Sternberg...). It's one of the most enjoyable books I've read about Chaplin. One point strucks me when seeing the pictures of Edna in A Woman of the Sea: She's so fresh and beautiful in these pictures!" - DD

"I received my book!!!!! It is wonderful. I enjoy to see pictures of Edna I never seen before." - FB

"I think it looks smashing. The photos are so interesting, Ellie had a treasure of images for sure. Really you guys did a wonderful job and Lita was so pleased. What you left for her certainly helped her to pass from this world knowing Edna's story would go on forever." - BT

"So many people who know anything about Charlie, let alone Edna, have been intrigued by the fate of The Sea Gull but there has never been anything we could do about it. Now (rather like a similar book that was done on Greed, another 'lost' film, though a truncated version survives), we have the next best thing - your book. I do congratulate you and your husband, as it is a beautifully produced book that will sit proudly on anyone's shelf." - PJ

"Great book!" - BK

"How beautiful, great book this is! Your matchless ultimate work help us to make unknown facts clear about the lost film and Edna." - SO

"I can't tell you how exquisite the Sea Gull book is!!! We were looking through it last night, ooohing and aaahing. The layout, the photos, the writing, the paper, the printing--everything is just perfect." - MM

"Beautiful book!" - JM

"The book arrived today, and it is absolutely fascinating. This is an important book-Leading Ladies should be very proud of themselves." - JW

"You have done a really magnificent job! The book is beautiful and the photos are so crisp & clear. I have read almost all of it already and am sure I will be re-looking and re-reading for some time to come - at least until the bio comes out!" - MC

"Beautiful book. Thanks so much. I know how much hard work went into it. Most Chaplin students who read just Robinson and the CC Autobiography picture her as just pining away after becoming inactive at the studio. What you have discovered about her later life, adventures, and marriage are a revelation." - JJ

"The book arrived - and it's lovely. I had it delivered to work where we know a little about publishing. My colleagues and I all agreed that you did a marvelous job, not only with the copy and design, but with choosing a printer." - AK

"It looks great!" - DF

"I received the book today, very well packaged, and have just been through it. It is really wonderful to be able to see the photos, along with your reconstruction of the story. The book is very nicely designed overall, and your love of Edna shines through it all. Thanks very much for this contribution." - JB

"You did a magnificent job piecing the story together base on those amazing photos. I can't believe there isn't a copy of that film that was originally printed from the negative, before Chaplin burned it. I can't understand anyone, even Chaplin, burning a film without one copy preserved somewhere." - RS

"I have been reading the seagull book, it is beautifully produced. The photos are wonderful. What a terrific loss! the movie, that is. I hope you are greatly appreciated for bringing it to the attention of our generation." - JMc

"Your book arrived! Thank you so much for all your effort which you have put in it. It's very much interesting to read and a little treasure with all those rare to find pictures. Also, I love very much the layout." - RM

"My wife was thrilled and I must say, the book is beautifully done. You can be very proud of this outstanding and long-overdue achievement!" - KB

"We can hardly wait for your next book. I started The Sea Gull and couldn't put it down. We both feel it is outstanding. It was like we were right there. Too bad the film was lost. We are so glad we have the book in our possession. What a marvel. Thanks again. I sure hope you are writing more." - NP

"...the book arrived this past weekend and I am enjoying it very much!"- HM

"...that cover sure does it for me, wow! Thanks again for all your dedication... It feels just like discovering a Chaplin short I've never seen before... It's that kind of feeling." - LS

"The book turned up all safe and just gorgeous... I spent the night pouring through it and taking in the beautiful images. You must be really satisfied with the way it turned out - the quality is divine." - GT

"The book arrived yesterday. From what I've looked at so far, it is amazing! The cast photo from "In the Park" alone is worth the price! Congratulations on a remarkable achievement." - MV

"It is a beautiful book. The photos are so very nicely reproduced. ...a shame it can't be introduced to a wider market." - DT

"It looks very interesting... It is a treasure." - LM

"It's beautifully produced, the page quality and picture clarity are exceptionally good, the 8X10 (the front cover still) of Edna was a fine choice, and nicely protected. All of your careful personal touches - the handwritten card, especially - were thoughtful, and appreciated. The scholarship in it also was important, just the basic outline you provided in it on Edna's personal history alone was more than most of us have been able to learn about her before this." - HM

Lita - April 3, 1933- January 21, 2008
The Sea Gull "A Woman of the Sea" (first book about the lost Charlie Chaplin Production, directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Edna Purviance.) - Leading Ladies publication, release January 2008. Learn more at ednapurviance.com.

The Sea Gull books in stock!

Finally! I received several shipments of books today that will not only clear out my backlog of orders (which I will ship out on Monday), but creates a new stock of books ready to order and ship out soon, instead of waiting for printing!

The plan is to have a stock of books on hand from here on out. So for now, we do have a stock of The Sea Gull books on hand and can ship once your payment clears.

For fans with orders, watch your emails next week on information on your order.

The Sea Gull is only available at ednapurviance.com

The Sea Gull is RELEASED!!!!

Shop is open with books in stock.

Fifty years ago today, we lost Edna to our world. And while Edna was forgotten by the masses, she was not forgotten by her fans. She remains a significant figure in silent film lore, and is fondly remembered by Chaplin fans.

Today, on this 50th anniversary of her passing, we have reason to celebrate! The event is the first book ever published about Edna, an effort we hope will help awaken Edna's memory among film fans worldwide.

Edna Purviance was one of Hollywood's most private film stars, and as a result, even during her film years, little was ever disclosed about her as a person. Today marks a new chapter in learning about the woman who was Chaplin's most endearing and enduring leading lady.

The Sea Gull - "A Woman of the Sea" – is the first-ever publication to feature Edna Purviance. This book is about her lost 1926 film, directed by Josef von Sternberg, who would later create "The Blue Angel" starring Marlene Dietrich. This would be the only film produced by Charlie Chaplin that did not feature Chaplin as director or actor. The film would never be seen by the public, and the story behind its creation and demise is fascinating. The book features over 50 recently discovered, and never-before-published production still photos from the film.

Noted director and film historian Kevin Brownlow has viewed the book, and he notes:

" the film revealed in these marvelous photographs, makes it all the more tragic that it was destroyed... This book provides the nearest experience we will have to seeing it."

So for about the price of an evening for four at the movies, you can order a seat for your own special viewing. Help us create a shining star for the leading lady you have enjoyed so much.

Link to the Home of The Sea Gull, ednapurviance.com

Reviews of The Sea Gull

The morning after, many thanks everyone...

Special Post today, from a longtime Edna fan...
I spotted a very nice post today, from a longtime Edna fan and supporter. If you visit Edna's site at all, you will see the name Garen Ewing. Garen is a very talented artist whose work I have been following for years. I have credited Garen for getting me on the web in the first place, when I sent him my very first Edna site link, long before it was ednapurviance.org.

Garen created and ran the popular Chaplin UK, as well as worked with the Chaplin Society. I use to visit his sites all the time, but never wrote in, being too shy to do so, but loved his work. I met Garen and Dominique (our Chaplin Library founder) in the spring of 2001. They have been great supporters ever since. So thank you Garen, for the very nice post in remembering Edna today. She would have been pleased...

Special Thanks to Bioscope
And another special thanks to Luke and the excellent team at Bioscope! Always a great read for everything silent. And watch them as they start their special Bioscope Festival of Lost Films. Thanks Luke!

UPDATE APRIL 12, 2008 - I have learned that Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Italy will be holding a major presentation about Josef von Sternberg at their festival, June 28-July 5, 2008. The information from Italy also mentions a presentation on The Sea Gull is planned. I don't know anymore about this event at this time.

UPDATE MAY 2009: After over a year, we are in the process of ending our First Edition of The Sea Gull. If you like First Edition books, do get your orders in soon, as supplies are getting low. Thanks to everyone (worldwide) for making the First Edition a greater success, than we hoped.

Little concerned...

As a few of you may know, I had to replace my video card this month, as the other one burned out on my main computer. We decided to buy two cards to have a back-up. Well, as of last night, I am now on the back-up card. The first card burned out last night after about 10 days.

Reason for concern? If this last card doesn't hold up and burns out quickly too, it could cause a lot of problems, because I will have to hold off on normal work, until I can order a new computer with a better cooling system for these cards. (The fans on these cards are worthless.)

I still plan to launch The Sea Gull in January, but if the video card goes, there is no way I can continue until I get everything settled in a new computer. So the reason for my little concern...

I know it will happen, just don't know when.

Update January 7th: "When" didn't take too long, as my third video card has not been working well this last week. But with a bit of tech help, the monitors are running fine, now. This will not stop the release of the book, as I have been placing in a backup plan, just in case.

Just a little update... After getting my main computer backup and running this week, I have been busy catching up. And I am still catching up.

As for Edna, I have been spending the evening preparing the ednapurviance.com site.

With our company Leading Ladies, directly selling all The Sea Gull books, we have to finish work on the shopping cart site and main site. So while it may seem quiet on the blog, it is very busy behind the scenes.

We hope your Christmas is getting off to a good start. No big plans here, just a little celebration, while getting lots of work done, before the New Year.

The Sea Gull Launch!

The Sea Gull Launch in January 2008 and News
First our news: We received our hardcover proof back of The Sea Gull from the printers and we have to say, it was a disappointment. We have been pleased with our paperback books and have few things to change, but the quality of the printing and binding for the hardcover doesn't meet our standards. We decided it would be best to NOT offer the hard cover version at this time.

Edna Purviance's 50th Anniversary
Launch of The Sea Gull: As for the softbound release, January 2008 is the 50th Anniversary of the death of Edna Purviance. With all the 2007 celebrations of the 30th year since Charlie Chaplin's passing, we decided one way to honor Edna would be to launch The Sea Gull in January 2008. (see comment for more) It was also the month Edna started working on The Sea Gull in 1926.

The Sea Gull will be released during the week of January 13th, 2008. For our Edna list members, please watch your emails for a bit more news on this to come.

A very special thanks for all your support on this project.

We have loads to do to get ready for this launch, and are really excited that the book is nearly ready for publication.

We hope everyone will have a happy and joyful Christmas season and a good start to 2008!

And the Winner is...

Ingo Geirdal, from Iceland!





















Congratulations, Ingo!
Special thanks to everyone who entered!

All of you who have been on the Edna contest list, will be getting a special email about The Sea Gull a bit later, so do stay tune!

AND! On Tuesday, December 11th, I will have our special post about the release date for The Sea Gull!

Awaiting the hardbound proof of Sea Gull

UPDATE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2007 - After checking out our time schedule and the printers schedule for December, it was decided to send in for the final proof edition for the paperback today. We are still waiting for the hardback version, but Thanksgiving last week has slowed things down. We will continue to get ednapurviance.com ready in the meantime.

Hardbound Edition: After doing additions and edits we are now waiting for the hardbound proof of The Sea Gull. We will be updating the paperback version as well, as we wait for a few final items to return. Barring any printing issues on the hardbound, I plan to make a release date announcement soon afterwards for the book.

The drawing for the free Sea Gull book will end without notice anytime now. If you have entered, but updated your email address since entering, please let me know. Good luck on the drawing and watch for our Sea Gull release date coming very soon.

Follow-up: If everything stays on schedule we are looking at a December release date. Actual day of release to be announced. Thanks for your continued interest and support. Stay tuned...

P.S. - Sunday, November 25, 2007, Edna's site will start the seventh year on the web. Our biggest celebration will be the coming of The Sea Gull.