One Rochester report down, one to go
Thank heavens for Adrienne and Eisha. Because they were at the Rochester Teen Book Festival last weekend, and actually had the strength to write a post about it. Which I’m totally stealing now.
Or look at this one, which includes a clip of Wordgirl, with my new pal Jack Ferraiolo doing the voice of The Butcher. I was on a panel with Jack, and every time he read from his book I wanted him to just keep reading forever, because Jack is a professional voice actor in addition to being an author, and even though there were four of us on the panel who were supposed to talk, I would have happily yielded the floor to Jack so he could have read out loud to us all day long.
Anyway, this takes care of half of my posts about Rochester. The other has to do with a school I visited, and the experience was so huge and wonderful I’m still trying to mentally digest it. But give me another day or two and I’ll tell you about that, because you’re really going to want to hear about these teachers and these students.
Thank you, Adrienne and Eisha, for performing this great public service!
I wanna know your church story! Do I have to wait for you to come to middle Tennessee (which I would gladly do….)
It had to do with this boy she was dating. One day he was out in the sunlight and members of her church noticed he was sparkling.
Let’s just say, vegan vampire boyfriends are not so popular in Baptist churches.
(Okay, sad coincidence, or is your website tracking my shopping habits!? My Anti-spam word is IKEA.)
Yay! WordGirl Guy! Allegedly he writes for YA, but… I’m still hung up on the WordGirl thing…
Sounds like this was really fun, Robin!
(And thank you for that explanation, Patrick. I feel like we’ve ALL learned something. No, I don’t know what — but something.)
Oh, great, Patrick. Now you’ve ruined the story for everyone. As usual, you are completely right.
Jules, when will anyone invite me to Tennessee? (Besides you, I mean.) I’ve never been there and know I should go!
Tanita, read Jack’s book. As much as you love WordGirl, you’re also going to love The Big Splash. It’s a middle grade novel written in the style of a 1940s noir detective story, and it is HILARIOUS.
It was Thursday. Robin waited patiently for the bus after school, not a single cloud in the sky.
“Hey, Robin,” said the tall slender boy.
“OMG! You startled me, Tom.” His name wasn’t Tom, but he was too polite to tell her.
“I just had to see you, Robin.” Tom leaned in close to Robin. His breath brushing softly against her cheek.
“But Tom, you shouldn’t be here.” Robin pulled her books to her chest.
“I just had to show you something,” said Tom. “I couldn’t wait. I. Couln’t. Wait.”
“Whoa, keep your pants on sailor!”
“Sorry,” said the sailor walking by. “Belt broke!” holding up the broken pieces of his belt buckle.
“Robin,” whispered Tom.
“Tom, aren’t you–”
“What, Robin?”
“Aren’t you–” Robin hesitated, her voice caught in her chest. She knew in her heart, but didn’t think she could speak.
“Say it, Robin!” His lips were almost touching her neck.
“A SENIOR?!?!” Robin thought her heart would explode when she said it.
“Oh, yeah,” said Tom. “My sister took my car and threw her bottle of glitter in my face. Look at me.”
Robin had just noticed his face. It sparkled in the afternoon sun. All this time she had been staring at his really white Nike sneakers wondering if they were new.
“Aaaiiieeeeee!” shreiked Tina, pointing at Tom. “He’s sparkling!!!! Robin’s dating a VAMPIRE!!!!!”
Robin, furious, spun around to face Tina. “Oh, yeah? Watch this! I’m dancing, too.”
Robin raised her arms, planted her right foot a little forward and gave a little booty shake, with a double fist pump.
Tina ran off to tell Pastor Bill…
*snerk* Patrick, you’re ghost writing my next novel, dude.
No prob, I’ll get right on that as soon as I sell my book.
Well, I’ll try to convince every librarian I meet to get you here. No kidding. I’ll be at the Tennessee Library Association conference this Friday, too. I’ll even be co-presenting about blawgs. I’ll evangelize the wonderfulness here, and maybe some librarian will bite.
Mwahahahahaha.
I love Patrick’s bizarro story.
Aw shucks…I’m getting all blushy, here…But Robin is being somewhat modest, as her passages were hilarious, and her church story stole the show (not by a small margin, either). I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but go see Robin read as soon as humanly possible…
P, I’ll check with you again. What do you think–next week?
Jules, yes! Do it! I’ll come!
Jack, thanks, but I heard me and I heard you, and I would rather hear you. Any day. So it’s lucky for me we were on the same panel, otherwise I would have had to leave my room to go hear you. Now stop arguing.
Hey, Tanita, I got “Ikea” as my anti-spam word the other day too. Today it’s “van.” They don’t seem to be trying very hard with that one.
Anyway… Robin, I’d be happy to follow you around on your fab writer gigs and blog about ‘em for you. My rates are very reasonable, and I’m very good at remembering things like shoe brands. Think it over.
I’m sorry I couldn’t remember the brand of fantastic shoes Linda Sue Park was wearing! You’re a big girl–write to her on her blog and ask.
And for everyone else who doesn’t know what Eisha is giving me grief about, I found out from Linda Sue Park on the limo ride over (yeah, I say that like it happens all the time) that the fabulous, adorable shoes she was wearing were made by a woman who is both an engineer and a ballroom dancer, who wondered why her ballroom dancing shoes were so comfortable, but regular high heeled shoes made her want to scream. So she quit her job and started this shoe company and Linda Sue Park bought a pair of her shoes and swears she could walk up Everest in them.
But I don’t remember the name of the company. I was busy. I don’t remember shoes. Write to Linda Sue and report back if you care.
Well, I’ve got a 2 book YA proposal and pages hanging around.
I like to think that editors will sense this and come to me and offer money for me to finish.
That’s how it works, right?
Well I TRIED to ask at Linda Sue’s blog but it wouldn’t let me ’cause it’s LiveJournal and probably knows I say bad things about it all the time. But I am a librarian, and figuring out answers with little or nothing to go on is what I do all day, so I just looked it up myself. I believe the answer is: Anyi Li. (www.anyili.com)
Eisha–Librarians rock!!! Yay for meeting another person who finds answers to obscure questions with little or nothing to go on (“Um, I was here last year, and I saw this book in your display case. And I think it was about math. Or maybe it was about social studies. What was the title?”) for a living!!
Robin, are you gonna read out loud to us librarians in Michigan next week? Also, went to Whole Foods. Found Ener-G. Made eggless chocolate zucchini bread. Was in heaven. Repeating it for you. How’s that for a bribe?
Rereading our co-blog, I kept thinking of all the things that struck me that I forgot to mention. It was kind of an overwhelming day, even for an audience member. I can’t imagine what it would have been like being one of the people the crowds were there to see.
I’m looking forward to hearing about that school visit.
Patrick, of course the editors will contact you on their own. You know that’s how it works. And if anyone asks you why you don’t send out queries or do the other normal things an author does to get published, your answer should be, “Don’t you know who I am?”
Eisha, your research skills are incredible. That’s her! Anyi Li! Now will you find the kong one of my dogs lost the other day? I know it’s in my house somewhere.
Elizabeth, it’s kind of embarrassing how excited I am by that news. Thank you in advance for making my taste buds happy! And even though I wasn’t planning on reading from FAT CAT at the thing next week, now I am. So thanks for the suggestion!
Adrienne, that’s why I was so happy with the things you reported, because it all went by in a blur. We all need people following us around at those things, taking pictures and notes. Can’t you hire an assistant or something?
You’re a big time published author – you decide you need an assistant…
Patrick, I’m pretty sure that if Robin were to hire an assistant, she would hire a book-loving, vegan-chocolate-zucchini-bread-baking, extremely sleep deprived librarian. Who, as a bonus, can kibby with the best of ‘em.
You mean there’s other kinds of assistants besides book-loving, vegan-chocolate-zucchini-bread-baking, extremely sleep deprived librarian. Who, as a bonus, can kibby with the best of ‘em?
I didn’t say I should get an assistant, Patrick, because obviously I can’t afford that, but I did say Adrienne should get one, because obviously she can.
Elizabeth, I hope you’re always putting “kibbying” on your resume from now on.
Elizabeth – rock on! “I read this book when I was maybe 9… the cover was, um, brown? I think it had a dog in it?” Dude, I LOVE those.
Dang, though, I think you just out-lobbied me for Robin’s assistant. I can’t bake unless it’s from a box, and even then it’s dicey.
Adrienne, I know! I forgot all about one of the David Van Ettens wearing Fluevogs. How could I have left that out? The day was just too full of awesome to possibly retain it all.
Robin, look under the couch. No, the other one.
My BFF is forever asking me if I can afford to start paying her to be my assistant yet, so you never know.
I meant “Anyi Lu” (www.anyilu.com). Sorry, my bad.