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5 days ago
S. Bear Bergman
backed a project
Kate Bornstein is a Queer & Pleasant Danger by sam feder
This film is an intimate portrait of an artist whose work has given language and permission to thousands of people to live their lives.
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85% funded $17,159 pledged
- 249 backers
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on May 10
S. Bear Bergman
Posted project update #8files are at the printers!
We've pored over proofs, we've poked at specks, we've fiddled everything that can be fiddled and now: the books are almost ready. Finished books will ship the first weekend in June. Digital downloads will be made available next week. Those of you due for artwork will be getting it in July, once everything is signed and tidily packed up. Things are moving along, by gum.
Tshirts are going to take a minute longer. Sorry about that, tshirt orderers, but I am still tracking down a supplier that offers what I want in terms of size range, labour, and eco-friendliness (your suggestions welcomed). But they're coming, I promise.
You'll be getting your surveys in the next day or two, asking all sorts of questions about how you would like us to handle your stuff ( which I mean in a very G-rated way). PLEASE, fill out your surveys promptly. It's so helpful.
Hooray! Home stretch!
B
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on April 24
S. Bear Bergman
Posted project update #7rolling along!
I have, right now on my hot little digital hands, full illustrated drafts of both Tulip and Backwards Day. It's truly amazing to see my words crafted into robust images by two extraordinary illustrators - Katie Diamond and Suzy Malik. All my fondest hopes about how the picture part of these picture books would look have been surpassed. So very exciting.
In just about a week, final drafts of both books will be sent along to the printer, and by 30 May (Gd willing) I should be holding the very first, hott-off-the-press editions of both books - in time to start selling them at Pride festivals all across the US and Canada and have them in your hands before the beginning of summer. Your generous support has allowed us to print gorgeous editions - perfect bound, heavy coated paper, 9x12 inch books of full colour beauty, and professionally-mastered audiobooks to go with them. It's all so exciting I can hardly stand it.
Shortly, you'll be receiving a questionnaire through Kickstarter, asking what book you want, where you'd like your books/tshirts/artwork sent, and (where applicable) what tshirt size you'd like to have. Most of you in North America should have your rewards by the end of June!
Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for your incredibly generous support of this project. It's an old saw, but no less true: I really, really could not have done it without you.
love and wish-fairy sparkles,
Bear
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Thom Vernon on April 26
Keep doing what you're doing, Bear! I'm thrilled that Suzy Q is doing your artwork. Can't wait to get a copy. I don't remember the reward—I want to buy one, or two!
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on March 9
S. Bear Bergman
Posted project update #6joy, delight, and leetle fairies
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on March 7Funded!
Flamingo Rampant! Gender Independent Kids Books by S. Bear Bergman
Great stories for K-4th grade that also feature gender-independent and trans-identified kids.
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185% funded $18,555 pledged
- 397 backers
- Funded Mar 07, 2012
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on March 5
S. Bear Bergman
Posted project update #5on pre-ordering extra books
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on February 28
S. Bear Bergman
Posted project update #4a week to go...
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Nathyn on February 28
This looks fantastic! Hopefully you can make it to Iowa on your pride tour. We have a few awesome prides.
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on February 15
S. Bear Bergman
backed a project
What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg
A modern picture book about where babies come that it fits for every kind of family and every kind of kid.
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689% funded $65,516 pledged
- 1,954 backers
- Funded Mar 16, 2012
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on February 9
S. Bear Bergman
Posted project update #3Big plans, big dreams.
First: thank you so much to every single one of you fabulous people who has backed this project so far, whether for $1 or $1000. Every email saying someone else had backed the project was exciting and energizing. The comments and private messages you've shared have been so touching, and I'm just so goshdarned glad at how this is all unfolding.
But it ain't unfolded yet. There are still four weeks yet to go. So I started thinking... what else could we accomplish in four weeks?
After lots of thought and conversation, here's the new goal I'd like to reach. If we can raise $7500 more - for a total of 19,500 - we can turn BACKWARDS DAY into a full-featured video storybook, and make it a pay-what-you-can download forever.
Please note: all rewards remain the same. The video storybook is in addition to, not instead of, printed books.
Full featured means: animated, with read-along subtitles (toggled on or off), with voice-description for blind/visually-impaired users (toggled on or off), inset American Sign Language storytelling (toggled on or off) and possible other languages if we can figure out how to get it done responsibly (and can afford it).
Not only does this increase accessibility in terms of who can interact with the story, it also increases accessibility in terms of who can use it. It will be downloadable from anywhere, for free if that's what people need, for as long we can afford the bandwidth (part of the additional money is based on what my ISP tells me about what it will cost to support the data transfer this will create - it's surprisingly expensive!)
Of course we hope that people will still buy and give books; market research suggests that they will. Snuggling up in bed with a kid and a stack of books is still a fantastic pleasure. But imagine a supportive auntie or uncle showing a gender-independent kid this video on hir phone, during a visit away from a kid's disapproving parents. Or a primary teacher who knows a book-purchase request would be declined (or unsafe) but can use a video storybook in hir classroom. Or an older sibling who downloads the book for a younger sibling, or parents in communities where religious fundamentalism prohibits open discussion, or kids whose parents are not literate in English... the list goes on and on.
I understand that this isn't a perfect accessibility solution. No such thing exists. But between the book and the video, between downloads and bookstores and libraries, and with your help and the help of friends, this feels to me like the best we can do, and do well. As kids deserve.
So, if you were intending to back this, or send it to your friends, or pass it among your colleagues, now's your moment. If this idea is inspiring and you'd like to increase your backing level, that's amazing. Thanks for all the support so far. Shall we do a little more?
with love and pride,
Bear Bergman
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Kimm Kent on February 9
Bear ~ I am so very proud of you! This is such a wonderful project! Thanks for being YOU and for your amazing work. Love to you. Say hi to J and hug to Stanley. I can't wait for the book. I will donate it to Sebastian's school...after we read it of course!
Peace,
Kimm Kent -
Marisa Elana James on May 11
Dear Bear,
I'm just reading through half of the updates now & saw your hope for future translations - my wife and I would be very happy to do translations into German and/or Hebrew, since that's part of what we do professionally! (and at a big discount - we LOVE this project.)
Looking forward to seeing the finished product - Hooray!
all the best,
Marisa
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on February 7
S. Bear Bergman
backed a project
Wonder Threads- Clever Laptop and iPad Sleeves by Diana Rodgers
These Clever Laptop and iPad sleeves are ready for a Big production run, right here in the USA!
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128% funded $18,019 pledged
- 279 backers
- Funded Mar 05, 2012
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S. Bear Bergman
S. Bear Bergman is a storyteller, a theater artist, an instigator, a gender-jammer, and a good example of what happens when you overeducate a contrarian. He is the author of three books for grownups, four solo shows, a couple dozen book chapters, and many, many silly toddler songs.
So exciting!!