The Story of The Book by Neil Waldman In THE STARRY NIGHT a young boy comes upon an artist painting in Central Park. They become friends, and although the boy has no idea that he has met the legendary Vincent Van Gogh, the boy agrees to act as Vincent's guide through Manhattan. They spend many days together, and the boy marvels at the spectacular canvases that the artist creates as they travel from place to place. In the process, the boy begins to see his familiar surroundings through new eyes. In the end, the experience transforms him. I first fell in love with Vincent's work when, as a young child, I came upon a book of his paintings. I was awestruck. I remember thinking that until I saw those amazing pictures, I'd never really seen the sky. I began looking up every day, and today the skies are a central element in my own landscapes. My passion for Vincent's works remained strong throughout my youth, and during my elementary school years I began reading biographies of the painter I'd come to love. The stories of his life were excruciating, and so I began creating fantasies in the secrecy of my own mind. I imagined sneaking off to France, and bringing Vincent back with me to New York, where I would show him a terrific time, and he would forget the horrors of his life in Europe. When I related this childhood fantasy to Larry Rosler, my editor at Boyd's Mills Press, the idea intrigued him and we soon signed a contract. After several drafts, I completed the manuscript. I then turned to the illustrations, and the visual piece of the book soon presented me with a great learning opportunity. For in order to paint New York in Vincent's style, I decided to begin by copying several of his paintings. I spent many hours studying Vincent's masterworks, learning many lessons about his use of complimentary color, dark and light, texture and composition. Then, as I worked intensely, day after day, an amazing thing started to happen; For my brushstrokes began to resemble Vincent's. It was then that I knew it was time to begin working on the illustrations. I purchased ten rolls of film and boarded an early morning train to Manhattan. Arriving at Grand Central Station, I began walking through the streets of the city, photographing all the places I'd written about. I walked for twelve hours that day, and took more than three hundred photographs. At dawn the following day, I began to paint. Several months later, the illustrations were finished. But the book itself is only part of the story, for when I told the story to one of my good friends (Marc Broxmeyer, a director of the Children's Aid Society) he said, "This is a Children's Aid Society book." Marc went on to explain that the arts were an important part of the Society's programs, and THE STARRY NIGHT would be a wonderful vehicle for introducing inner-city children to the paintings of the masters. I then met with Kent Brown, the publisher of Boyds Mills Press, in Honesdale, Pa. When I related Marc's thoughts to him, and explained the many wonderful programs the Children's Aid Society offers to New York's kids, Kent expressed his support. And so I arranged a meeting in New York with Kent, Marc, and Truda Jewett, an executive officer of the Society. Many meaningful ideas were discussed at that meeting, and during the following weeks several important decisions were made. They are as follows: 1) Kent agreed to produce a special collector's edition (1,000 signed and numbered books that will sell for $100 per book), all proceeds going to Children's Aid Society. 2) I decided to give 25% of my royalties to the Society, and Kent agreed to match them. The result is that the Children's Aid Society will receive eighty cents for every regular edition book that sells. 3) We created THE STARRY NIGHT FUND to raise money to provide free copies of the book for New York's neediest kids. For this purpose, the publisher will produce a special paperback edition of the book at cost (about one dollar per book). It is our hope that every needy kid in the five boroughs will receive a free copy. To make a contribution, make checks payable to THE STARRY NIGHT FUND/CAS, and send it to Truda Jewett, Children's Aid Society, 105 East 22nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10010 4) Several weeks after the meeting, Truda Jewett contacted Dick Solomon, president of Pace Prints, one of the finest galleries in New York. Dick offered us the use of his gallery, free of charge, for a reception, preview and book signing. The event took place on June 3,1999, and introduced the media to the book. 5) There are many other ideas we're working on at present. Among them are readings of THE STARRY NIGHT at New York City elementary schools, where every student will receive a free book. We've also produced limited edition prints of several paintings from the book (on view under STARRY NIGHT PRINTS), with a portion of the profit going to the Children's Aid Society.