NCBLA Literary Lights Readers Theater!

special thanks to Richard Groth for the photos

Even though I had my own performance, the real reason I was at the National Book Festival was because the NCBLA invited me to take part in their  Literary Lights Readers Theater. Readers Theater is a dramatic presentation, kind of like a radio play. This presentation was to feature literary stars like Katherine Paterson, Jon Scieszka, Susan Cooper and your truly! Okay, honestly,  I think I was invited because my old (as in former, not as in age) teacher Mary Brigid Barrett is the president of NCBLA and I might bribed her with a visit from Rain Dragon...

But it was worth it! The rehearsal alone was full of hilarity. Rain Dragon couldn't take her eyes off of the 1st Ambassador of Children's Literature, Jon Scieszka. She was star-struck...or, rather, octopus-stricken.

Rain Dragon recognized that the octopus' eyes were really balls (the awesome costume was made byElizabeth Barrett Groth and has made me envious the Halloween outfits she must be able to create) and has since called all octopi, "Ball!" since.

Jon didn't wear the costume for the whole time but Rain Dragon remained in awe of him the rest of the rehearsal.  Which made her behave well enough for the rest of us to practice the performance:

me, Susan Cooper, Carol Rasco from RIF, Linda Robb Johnson, Jon Scieszka, and Katherine Paterson! talk about rubbing elbows!

And though Jon wore the costume at rehearsal, he did not during the performance. That honor went to Carol Rasco, CEO of Reading is Fundamental:

She and Cowboy Linda Robb Johnson, had to fight the paparazzi to the stage:

But they made it and the performance was a great success!

Squeeze me, I'm sitting next to the Susan Cooper! She's so classy, like the Helen Mirren of children's literature.

Which I guess would make Katherine Paterson and Jon Scieszka the King and Queen of children's literarture, as they were both Ambassadors:

should be crowns instead of medals, then

My imagination fails to make any other analogies, especially as I cannot figure out a place for an octopus in British hierarchy. Needless to say, I was extremely honored to be in the company of ALL the performers and organizers!

Thanks so much NCBLA!

the NCBLA organizers/heroines of the event, Mary Brigid Barrett (my former teacher at RISD), Marilyn Ludolph and Geri Edins

We ART Boston

I'm very proud to be a part of We ART Boston, a great fundraiser for the Emergency and Trauma Fund and Boston Children's Hospital (in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing). More than 40 children's illustrators are donating original works to be auctioned off, 100% of the proceeds for the hospital.  I donated a piece from Olvina Swims (I wanted to give an "athletic" piece, that was the most sports-oriented piece I had!).

But as well as donating the illustration, I also contributed to a special collaborative piece. Eleven different illustrators painted a letter to spell out We ART Boston. My friend (and new neighbor)  Jarrett was in charge of finding artists and I was happy he contacted me:

the handing off of the art--like a marathon baton!

to paint the second "O".  Here is the sketch:

All around my sketch is reference material but it's not placed there so that I can see it. It's placed there to protect the other artists' letters on the paper. Because the other artists' letters are amazing! AND my "O" was right next to a "T" by Eric Carle!!!

I was so nervous painting next to that!

But I did it:

I wanted to do something Boston Chinatown inspired, but the more obvious features--like the Chinatown gate--didn't make an "O" very well. So I decided to modify a Boston Chinatown telephone booth, added a mediating Boston Terrier for added Boston flavor and then had the whole thing levitate in a random homage to Dr. Who (the Sasquatch's favorite TV show). 

And the whole piece now looks like this:

Isn't it neat? Other letter artists include Joe McKendry (founder and creator of the project), Kelly Murphy, David Maculay,  Brian Lies, Adam Rex, Barbara McClintock, Matt Tavares, Jarrett Krosoczka, and Eric Carle! See why I was so nervous?

But now it needs the final letter...who will it be?  What will it look like? I can't wait to find out!*

The whole piece will go on auction with the other We ART Boston art, check the website or facebook page for more info!

* edited to add that the final letter  was done by Tony Diterlizzi and it looks like THIS!

ALA 2011 or how I ran out of marbles: Part 1

My last public event for this school year was the ALA convention. I was excited because I was finishing with a blast-in New Orleans, the Geisel Honor Award--I knew it was going to be a lot of fun. However even with such prospects of delight, I have to admit, even before getting on the plane, I was tired.

A while ago, I wrote about how an introverted person like me can only last so long. As I said then:

...my most natural state is introverted--there are only so many visits I can do in a year without stammering incoherently. I'm kind of like a jar of marbles--every visit I do I am less one marble until I am empty.

So, after the last couple of months being full of events and visits (which were all lovely!), my marble jar was pretty low when I got to New Orleans:

Which is perhaps why I had a bit of envy at the LB Middle Grade Breakfast when the other amazing authors Kelly Barnhill and Andrea Pinkney gave such mesmerizing and spirited readings (Andrea sang! Not fair!).

However, the librarians were still very kind to me and many came to my signings (I had two):

But it was only at the LB one that I signed advanced reading copies of Dumpling Days!!

Eeks, eeks, eeks! I can't believe people will be reading it soon!

Then it was a blur of convention exhibits:

pleased to see my friend Anna Alter's Disappearing Desmond and Thanking the Moon!

plus a screening of the movie The Library of the Early Mind (which I am in for about 10 seconds):

Trailer: 'Library of the Early Mind' from Backspace Productions on Vimeo.

and a panel discussion afterwards with the hilarious and highly energetic Jack Gantos and Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket):

I can't believe I'm rubbing elbows with these two!

Trying to keep up with the fast wittiness of those two was no small feat, let me tell you. Luckily, earlier in the day I was able to sneak off to the famous Cafe Du Monde to ingest copious amounts of caffeine and sugar:

frozen coffee and beignets!

and my friend Libby Koponen and I had our tarot cards read!

I was hoping they would tell me I would get through the conference without collapsing.

What do you think?

(I actually don't really remember much of what she said, except something about how I like having lots of projects and thoughts going on in my head...I guess all those projects distracted me...)

rubbing elbows

So I was incredibly honored to be one the authors at the Boston Public Library's Literary Lights Event this past Sunday:
One of the best things at this event was something that Jerry Spinelli noted in his speech, it was an event where there were more children than adults:
Which made it wonderful. Also what made it quite wonderful was that I got to rub elbows with literary greats such as Karen Hesse, Neil Gaiman (!!) and the aforementioned Jerry Spinelli.

See how happy I am?
They were extremely nice to me, especially considering how awkward I felt during certain star-struck moments. Thank goodness for the the children and everyone involved who helped smooth things out for me for the rest of the event, making me feel like I wasn't quite akimbo next to the other authors. I think this is the first time where I can honestly say my hand did get tired from signing. Never has a muscle cramp caused such happiness! Ha ha!

And with that, I will leave you with the little speech I said upon receiving my lovely award:

When I asked what they’d like me to talk about in my five minutes, they said any tips or advice that would be helpful to a young writer.

Well, I like to think I am still a young writer but I guess according to the actual calendar I am not. I remember one of the first stories I wrote. It came to me like magic, as if the gorgeous rainbow the sky ended at my brain. The words poured out of me like a fountain and I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. When I was done, I knew it was great. It was best story ever.

And because it was the best story, I decided it should be published. I sent it to a publishing company and waited for them to make it into a book.

Instead, I got a rejection letter. “We’re sorry, we cannot offer publication of your story,” they said. “Well, what did they know?” I thought and I sent it to another publisher and got another rejection. And then another publisher and another rejection, again and again.

Finally, I put the story in a drawer and, this is very, very important, I wrote another story. And I wrote another story after that and another after until over ten years later, I am now here at the Boston Public Library with my stories being honored alongside Jerry Spinelli, Karen Hesse and Neil Gaiman.

So, recently, I opened that drawer with my first story in it. And I read it. And you know what?

It was absolutely awful.

No wonder it wasn’t published. Reading it was like 1,000 raining clouds inside your bedroom while you are trying to sleep. I was so, so embarrassed that I had thought it was the best story ever.

So when I was trying to think of advice for young writers, I came up with this:

Be humble. Know that what you have written is not the best.
But, also, be confident. What you will write will be better.

on my desk monday

My award from the Boston Public Library Literary Lights for Children!