The Blog Returns: Many of our readers were dismayed to learn that Agapeta had been shut down due to trumped up claims of TOS violations. Christian has followed our lead and reestablished his blog through Rainbow Digital Media. He was just about to publish some poems penned by my friend, Graham Ovenden. To commemorate the return of Agapeta, those poems are now featured on the front page of the blog. Christian intends to replace all the material from the previous incarnation but gradually and after careful editing. You can visit Agapeta here.
A Lavish Edition: Perhaps one of the most iconic examples of ‘The Cult of the Girl Child’ is Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories. It is always interesting to see what new approaches artists come up with. This time it is Christian Birmingham, a well-known illustrator of children’s books, who is planning an edition of Alice in Wonderland set to be published this summer. You can view more of his work here.
A Run-in with the Law: 12-year-old reporter Hilde Lysiak was following a lead in Patagonia, Arizona when a marshal pulled her over on her bike and reportedly threatened to throw her in juvenile detention. Lysiak calmly confronted the officer and had the presence of mind to record the encounter. This triggered several complaints and authorities state that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the marshal.
Padding His Stats: In last month’s Maiden Voyages, I was initially pleased to announce the existence of a book covering coming-of-age films focusing on little girls. I was warned by a colleague that it may not have been what it seemed and she was right. Apart from having very poor production quality, Mr. Wo claimed to list over 800 titles but it turns out that he lists a number of naturist productions which, although they certainly feature naked little girls, they do little more than pander to voyeurs. Also, many titles that should have been included were not; frankly Pigtails’ database is far superior and will be indexed for readers to view soon. I get the sense from the title selections that the superficial focus is on naked girls or girls in sexual situations. I also took issue with Mr. Wo’s definition of coming-of-age which, to him, was about the age of the girls rather than a process of development. I would suggest that readers save their money and simply keep an eye out for Pigtails’ imminent films index.
Real Survivors: So often we hear of tragedies befalling innocent children but here’s a bit of good news for once. Two little girls in Northern California who wandered off in defiance of their mother were found alive and in good spirits in the woods 44 hours later.
Before the Age of VHS: There are a lot of interesting films out there that have not been remastered on DVD and, consequently, they are hard to find in the digital world. Individuals have been known to take VHS copies or VHS recordings from a television airing and make them available. If anyone knows where we can find a copy of Little Girl in Blue Velvet (La petite fille en velours bleu, 1978), please let us know.
Russian Interpreters Needed: At one time, I had access to a number of fans who helped with translating and interpreting Russian material, particularly short films. Remarkably, all of these sources have dried up for various reasons. I would like to request that readers fluent in Russian come forward and help.
Awkward Conversation a Bit Easier with Friends: This item is a couple years old but it is an informative article about the challenges of little girls growing up. This one is about a mother having her first conversation with her “tween” daughter (and her friend) about getting her first bra.
More than Just a Ham: Young girls do seem to love playing in front of the camera. But, every so often, some real talent emerges. A colleague sent me a link to this video of a phenomenal 10-year-old singer.
Fun at the Beach: Here’s a fun video featuring children having fun at the beach. Summer is just around the corner!