Mad-Hatter Tea party with Lewis Carroll's chessboard

The new Alice in Wonderland film has inspired a whirlwind of parties and events around the world.  It's great that the Alice books can stimulate so many imaginative ideas! Even though I may not be particularly keen onLewis Carroll's chessboard on exhibit at University of Illinois Tim Burton's Alice escapade, I am thrilled to see so many people get excited about the Alice books.

We were happy to be invited to a Mad-Hatter's Tea Party at the University of Illinois's Rare Book & Manuscript Library.  The Library was finishing a good exhibit of Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland materials that are housed there titled "Curioser and Curioser: The Games and Mindgames of Lewis Carroll."  The most interesting objects on exhibit were the chessboard that Lewis Carroll used and letters that Carroll wrote to a child in mirror script.

It was an astonishingly fun party for children and adults surounded by objects that Carroll either created or owned.  The party featured giant cards, a beautifully set tea table, cookies marked "Eat Me," and an A chocolate and fondant chessboard cake.amazing cake shaped liked a chessboard complete with chocolate and white chocolate chess pieces.  The Cheshire Cat told the true story of her origins.  The Mad Hatter munched on carrots and apples and was a delightful master of ceremonies.  The Caterpillar smoked a soap bubble hookah.  Children and adults were dressed up in great costumes.  It was the best Mad-Tea Party we've been to.

Two Mad Hatters ready to challenge Johnny DeppEat Me cookies for Alice and friendsPartygoers could read original Lewis Carroll's letters in mirror script.

The cute Dormouse popped out of a teapot to enjoy the festivities.

Not your mother's White Rabbit

Whew!  Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' "White Rabbit" is a white hot version of Jefferson's Airplane 1960s Singer Grace Potter of Grace Potter and the Nocturnalspsychadelic tune.  You can find lots of YouTube versions as the group played the song all over last summer at places like the Gathering of the Vibes.  And it's on the Almost Alice soundtrack for the new Alice in Wonderland film.  Here are two video versions by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals: the group's video for the Almost Alice soundtrack as shown on Amazon and one from the Deep Roots festival in Georgia .

By the way, the Dormouse never said, "Feed your head."  That myth was part of the 1960s fascination with Alice in Wonderland that put a psychadelic spin on the book.  The Caterpillar does smoke a Hookah.  But there's no documentation that Carroll ever used drugs. He may have occassionally drunk red wine. And LSD was developed a century after Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was published.

The White Rabbit continues to be late in the new Alice in Wonderland