Litfest Pasadena This Saturday!!!

Art by Peter Nye

Remember that new book festival I told you about back in March?  It was postponed due to rain.  But it's not raining any more!  Join me this Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Litfest Pasadena in Central Park on Raymond. 

I will be moderating a panel at 10:30 am entitled: YOUTH KNOWS NO BOUNDS: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, Lisa Yee, and Jessica Brody. 

We will signing books after the panel.  I hope to see you all there!

Goodnight, Mr. Sendak, Goodnight



From IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN by Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak passed away today.  He was 83 years old. 

How many of us grew up reading Sendak's work?  Were you haunted by the chefs in the night kitchen?  Did you dream of rolling your terrible yellow eyes?  Did you long for a suit made of batter?

I did.

Thank you, Mr. Sendak, for breathing life into our imaginations, and giving us twisted, magnificent, jungle-like dreams.

Thank you, and good night.

Newsflash - A cancellation and a new beginning

First off, the bad news:  LitFest Pasadena has been postponed due to rain!  It's an outdoor event in lovely Central Park, Pasadena, but the forecast calls for stormy weather.  The good news is, they've already rescheduled for May 12th-- a day the almanac has called rain-free for 10 years.  So, my apologies to all the book fans who were looking forward to celebrating the day.  I hope to see you all in a couple of months.



And now, for the new beginning:  I'm teaching a class!  Yes, I am getting back in front of the blackboard, or in this case, the sofa, for an intimate, small group YA novel writing class.  It's been a few years since my last official class for adults, but I know that group spawned some awesome novels.  Let's do it again!


The class is being offered through Writing Workshops Los Angeles starting April 25th.  We'll be meeting Wednesday evenings for eight weeks at a student's home in Glassell Park, where tea and story structure are the order of the day.  If you're interested, check it out and sign up fast-- there are only eight spots and it's filling up!

Meet the Author - LitFest Pasadena!

Do you know what's so special about this Saturday?  Three things:

1.  It's March 17th, St. Patrick's Day!
2.  It's also my birthday!
3.  And it's the first annual Pasadena LitFest!

Come help celebrate all three wonderful events this Saturday at Central Park in Pasadena, CA.  I'll be moderating the Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature panel at 10:30 am with fabulous local authors Cecil Castellucci, Lauren Kate, Ron Koertge, and Lisa Yee.  Come by, join the conversation, and be sure to wear green!  (I'm not above pinching people!)

Storytelling in the Sunshine State

St. Luke's Lutheran School

How lucky am I?  I'm just back from a visit to St. Luke's Lutheran School in Oviedo, FL as part of their S.P.L.A.S.H. Literacy Festival.  (If you're wondering, S.P.L.A.S.H. stands for "St. Luke's Promotes Literacy At School and Home.)  The festival is the brain child of two teachers, John and Anita Glanzer, who have been spreading a love of books across the country as part of their life mission. 

I must say, Florida is fast becoming my favorite state for school visits.  Gorgeous weather and friendly people, not to mention some of the craziest, most imaginative kids!  The stories we told in our writing workshops started with Crazy Hat Day as an inspiration, and went well beyond.  From Ghost Hats to evil tacos, flying horses to guys who just really need to take a bath-- well, as you can see, we had a blast!  One class had even created a map of events in FLYGIRL, laying out the story like a navigational map for a pilot-- what an amazing idea!  (I'd show you a picture but my photography skills couldn't do it justice.)
Thanks to the S.P.L.A.S.H. organizers, the St. Luke's staff and Parent/Teacher League for bringing me out.  Thank you to all of the students who worked so hard on their stories and made me feel welcome.  An extra special thanks goes to Sherry for the lovely tea cups and to my host mom, Siobhan, for taking care of me every step of the way.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

This short film by amazing writer/illustrator William Joyce and his new production company Moonbot won the Oscar for Best Animated Short last night.  Today, it completely stole my heart.  Enjoy.

L'esprit d'escalier - a book lover's treat!

Bookcase Staircase from Apartment Therapy: Europe

L'esprit d'escalier means "staircase wit."  It references the clever things you wish you had said earlier, but only recall after the fact, say, on the staircase instead of during the conversation.  It's the witty comeback you only come up with two days later, lying awake in bed.

Or, it's could refer to this awesome staircase, designed by Levitate Architecture and Design Studio in London.  A bookcase that is also a staircase, complete with skylight above to light your ascent.  It reminds me of Alice falling down the rabbit hole.  I can see myself curled up here for hours, reading, browsing, and getting in everybody's way.  Like a cat.

Go ahead and feed your imagination.  See more pictures at Apartment Therapy: Europe's website.