Julia Mariciari-Alexander has been named executive director of the Walters. She's currently deputy director for curatorial affairs at the San Diego Museum of Art, and she was previously associate director for exhibitions and publications at the Yale Center for British Art. Mariciari-Alexander replaces Gary Vikan, effective April 1st.

I got my valentine a box of Flaming Lips chocolates, courtesy of the good folks at Dwelling Spaces in Oklahoma City.

The skull-shaped candies (by Dude, Sweet Chocolate) came in a custom box designed by Michelle Romo and signed by Wayne Coyne and Steven Drozd.

And it came with a nifty download card for 15 love-ly Lips tracks!

Wayne & Lewis family, first day of homeschool, September 2009.

What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?

The music of Charlie Parker changed my life. I was first introduced to Charlie Parker's music through a good friend of mine, Warren Wolf. He gave me a tape that included songs like "Confirmation," "Ornithology," "Now's The Time," "Donna Lee," and many other classics. I was in high school at the time, and this music really helped to develop my skills as an improviser, saxophonist, and as an over-all musician. I got so much from transcribing these solos, and there's so much that I'm still getting from his solos to this day. Charlie Parker's music and the Omnibook, which is a book of his written out solos, is what I call the bible for any alto saxophonist who's looking to play jazz. I'm grateful to my friend, Warren, as well as my teacher, David Stambler, for introducing me to the genius of Charlie Parker.

Tim Green celebrates the release of...

Park School librarian Laura Amy Schlitz and her book, Splendors and Glooms, have won a 2013 Newbery Honor for excellence in children's literature. A Newbery Honor is basically an honorable mention for the Newbery Medal, which Schlitz won in 2008 for Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Park will honor Schlitz with an impromptu celebration at 3 pm in, of course, the library.