Ayun Halliday's Blog
November 4, 2025
Ayun's new book, Panther City
Thar she blows! PUBLICATION DAY FOR Panther City: Tales From a Gen X Grade 3 Project Run Amok
Long before social media, cell phones, the Internet, expansive gender definitions, or even cable TV, a 3rd grade class collaborated on a paper city. Conceived as a way to make learning fun, the project quickly devolved into an exercise in accusations, subterfuge, and childish vandalism.
Narrated by 8-year-old Annie, the best girl artist in class, Panther City is both a comedy of manners for adults and an unvarnished recollection of a bygone moment in the pre-Bicentennial American Midwest.
Fortified with 8 essential vitamins, a Teacher’s Edition and illustrations by an actual 8-year-old!
Praise for PANTHER CITY:
Ayun Halliday takes us into the minds of a dreamy 3rd grader and a teacher whose idealism is rapidly fading. A story of trying to do something good even when the odds are stacked against you.
-Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere, author of Actress of a Certain Age
The illustrations are as gloriously unhinged as the text, bringing home the truth that even the smallest of dramas can rise to the level of Greek tragedy
-Emily Flake author of Joke in a Box: How to Write and Draw Jokes
Hilarious, heartbreaking, and utterly human, PANTHER CITY is vintage Ayun at her finest. Beneath the vivid 70s details, Halliday serves up sharp social commentary about power, privilege, and the ways we learn to navigate an unfair world.
- Ariel Gore, author of Rehearsals for Dying
An utterly charming and clever read. The illustrations were adorable and made me LOL. Wonderful!
-MariNaomi, author and illustrator of Losing the Girl
More intel and pre-orders here!
Sharpening up my rubber stamps to decorate envelopes for its first readers. Indie bookstores, HMU!
October 28, 2025
Release Party Photobooth
Click to see some of the cool cats who attended the release party for my new book, Panther City: Tales from a Gen X Grade 3 Class Project Run Amok at Quimby's NYC last weekend.
I'm wired in such a way that I consider it a badge of honor to approach every reading as an opportunity to stage a madcap variety show with an obligatory singalong, a vintage overhead projector, a live game show, copious refreshments, and yes, a DIY photobooth. I live to serve.
I exhaust myself, but in a good way!
July 31, 2025
In my final trimester with a new book
Fortified with 8 essential vitamins, a Teacher’s Eddition, and illustrations by an actual 8-year-old.
No it’s not for children. Stay tuned. Sneak peek: https://www.ayunhalliday.com/panther-...
April 8, 2024
My Favorite Book Variety Semi-Spectalar!
Join us at The Book House in Millburn on Wednesday April 17 for a rollicking evening inspired by our performers' fave books. (I'll be singing an original inspired by Lonesome No More in Kurt Vonnegut's Slapstick
Featuring:
Nick Balaban (Hello, Cruel World / Blues Clues)
Bryce Edwards (The Bryce Edwards Frivolity Hour)
Neal Pollack (Pothead / The Greatest Living American Writer)
Dejen Tesfagiorgis (Deja Deja Comedy / PBS Kids)
Hosted by Ayun Halliday, Queen of the Apes (No Touch Monkey / Creative, Not Famous)
FREE! so support an indie bookstore and buy some books!
Part of Book and Film Globe Week…
More intel here https://www.ayunhalliday.com/news-and...
April 18, 2023
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret QUIZ
© Ayun Halliday, 2023 Published under the auspices of Book and Film Globe. How many points did YOU score?
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January 27, 2023
East Village Inky at the Jersey Art Book Fair 1/28
HEY NEW JERSEY!!! I’m coming for you tomorrow. See you from 11 to 5-ish at the Jersey Art Book Fair at Mana Contemporary, 888 Newark Ave in Jersey City
I’ll be with Ed Kemp, who kindly invited me to elbow my way onto The Word Distribution‘s table with a bunch of hastily reprinted zines & both Creative, Not Famous books, original flavor and extra crispy.
Super last minute but I’M INTO IT!!! (don’t look for me Sunday. I can’t skip bellydancing 2 days in a row…)
The post East Village Inky at the Jersey Art Book Fair 1/28 appeared first on Ayun Halliday.
January 19, 2023
Honk that horn for CREATIVE, NOT FAMOUS’ contributors’ projects, January 2023
Lest you weary of me honking my own horn in service of CREATIVE NOT FAMOUS ACTIVITY BOOK, allow me to unleash a symphony of rapid ASMR honking on behalf of those who let me interview them for CREATIVE, NOT FAMOUS: THE SMALL POTATO MANIFESTO.
I was spurred to spend a couple of hours pulling this round up together after reading my own comments in Eleanor C. Whitney‘s forthcoming Spread the Word: Promote Your Book, Find Your Readers, and Build a Literary Community. It’s always helpful to be reminded that the time to practice what you preach is now.
What are they up to? SO MUCH!!!
New books, new shows, new albums, new web series, group exhibits, new installments of long running passion projects…OH MY!
Click this link and scroll through the comments to get hip, get inspired and support these fabulous creatures.
The post Honk that horn for CREATIVE, NOT FAMOUS’ contributors’ projects, January 2023 appeared first on Ayun Halliday.
January 10, 2023
CREATIVE, NOT FAMOUS ACTIVITY BOOK is here!
LOOK WHAT JUST DROPPED! An exuberant, hilarious, interactive guide! Bypass bullsh*t influencer culture and anxiety inducing branding advice to realize a deeper relationship with your own uniquely weird and wonderful creativity.
A worthy companion to Creative, Not Famous: The Small Potato Manifesto
MORE INTEL HERE
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January 1, 2023
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Before 2022’s just a speck in the rearview, here are 365 memorable seconds of it with end credits and music.
Dare to be Heinie!
Peace, Personal Fulfillment and Public Health in 2023.
#1se
#1secondeveryday
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December 13, 2022
Pick a book! Any book! FREE SHIPPING!
It’s getting a bit scrambly out there holiday shoppers, but the Mailroom Böyz and I are here to HELP!
In addition to East Village Inky subscriptions, we are autographing back stock like a melonfarmer with 2 growing kittens underfoot.
Choose any one of these titles for $15 and we will ship it same day with our compliments via media mail:
Creative, Not Famous: The Small Potato Manifesto – my most recent and therefore favorite baby. Buy it on Etsy and they’re gonna put the bite on you for shipping. Buy it using the method below and everybody’s happy except Etsy.
Peanut – a YA graphic novel by me and Paul Hoppe about a girl who fakes a peanut allergy in an attempt to seem like a woman of mystery at her new school.
Job Hopper – my 3rd self-mocking autobiography…all the crappy jobs I had before finding fame and fortune as the Queen of the Small Potatoes
Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo – a picture book by me and Dan Santat, containing what is arguably the greatest line I have ever written. extremely limited quantities
No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late – don’t believe the Amazon customer reviews!!! In fact, isn’t it time you write a 5 star review yourself? (Who cares that their star rating only goes up to 4…)
Neo Solo – a bunch of Neo-Futurist monologues by me, Greg, and a bunch of pals whose names you’ve probably seen in the East Village Inky over the years. extremely limited quantities.
Want more than one? Make like Schoolhouse Rock and multiply. I know they didn’t go up to 15, but that’s why Texas invented Instruments. However many you want, it’s free shipping to any address in the US via via media mail.
Where’s the link? No link. Do the math then Venmo me or Paypal me (select the friends and family tab, please)
Don’t forget to tell me what title(s) you want and give me the address. Let me know if it’s a gift and I will let the baffled recipient know that this package is arriving with YOUR COMPLIMENTS. I’m also happy to tuck in a personalized greeting if you tell me what to say…
If you care about it arriving in time for Crimbus, USPS is banking on December 15 as the last day for Media Mail orders to arrive by the 25. In my experience, Media Mail travels a bit quicker than that, but I don’t blame them for covering their heiner, the way I’m covering yours. This deal is running through the end of 2022, so you can blow that $15 bill grandma just gave you.
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