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We've seen Craig, as he would want me to call him, with guests Robin Williams and Neil Patrick Harris. (They weren't on at the same time.)
And COLIN FIRTH. That's right. Me and Colin Firth and Craig Ferguson. Together. All of us.
Here's Colin visiting my office . . .
This time Alfred Molina was Craig's guest.
(That's not Alfred with Craig, that's Geoff.)
This is Alfred from the film AN EDUCATION. (Loved that movie!)
Before the show, we had lunch at The Grove, which is next door to the CBS Studios.
Why is the CBS Studios famous? Is it because many famous TV shows are shot there?
Noooooooooo.
It's famous because that's where I flunked my typing test.
Yes, that's right. I flunked.
It was during college and I went there to try to be a production assistant. I aced the interview and was told I had the job -- and all I had to do was pass the typing test.
I was given a TYPEWRITER* and a sheet of paper to retype.
(For those of you who are young, a typewriter is a machine that was used to make letter marks on paper. If you made a mistake, you would have to start over, or use something called WiteOut.)
When I was done, I knew I was done. I said, "I flunked, didn't I?" And the woman interviewing me said, "Well, no one flunks," and she tried not to laugh, "But it isn't good."
I typed 32 words a minute with 16 mistakes.
Oh well. The thing is, I can compose at the keyboard really, really, really fast. But when asked to type something someone else writes, then, well, I flunk.
Oops. Too long a digression! Back to The Grove.
While we were there so was Extra, the entertainment news show . . .
There were crowds trying to see who was being interviewed . . .
We made our way up, but still couldn't figure out who it was . . .
Can you tell? (We we told is was one of the "housewives" of New Jersey.)
Actually, the real celebrity is seen here . . .
After, we stopped by The American Girl Place to visit our Kanani books . . .
What was that? Cruise? Did someone say, "American Girl cruise to the Caribbean?"
Oops. Digression. Okay, so then, it was time to wait in line for Craig's show. Here's our ticket and the ticket people . . .
We weren't allowed to bring our iPhone into the studio, so there are no photos of Craig or Alfred. However, we took these photos in the parking lot later . . .
(We were impressed by the unnecessary quotation marks.)
Oh! Before we go, thank you, New Jersey librarians! Honored that BOBBY THE BRAVE (SOMETIMES) is a 2013 Garden State Book Award Nominee!!!
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Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
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Lisa Yee
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Last year, the middle school in my hometown of South Pasadena got a brand new library. Recently, Peepy and I stopped by to visit . . .
Peepy goofed off a bit and explored . . .
She even made friends . . .
. . . and bought necessary supplies . . .
And thought about snacks . . .
Then we remembered why we were there! It was to donate gently used books . . .
This made librarian Betsy Kahn happy . . .
(Do you know what else makes Ms. Kahn happy? The fact that every day over 50% of the entire student body visits the library!!!!!!!!!!)
Before we left, Peepy looked to see where her as-yet-unwritten epic novel/memoir would go . . .
So then, if you have any books you can spare, any doubles of books, or books that you just don't have room for, consider donating them to your local school or public library!!!
In other news, there's this . . .
Yep, that's my dog. She accomplished all that in just one (busy) morning!
===========================
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Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
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Lisa Yee
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But it's also fun to speak to college students. Last week I traveled all the way from South Pasadena to Pasadena -- officially, they are two different cities . . .
Look! The invisible man was there, too!!!
I was invited to speak to the Children's Literature class at Pasadena City College . . .
The campus is gorgeous in the day . . .
And at night . . .
Peepy and I were early, so we hung out at the Writing Center and gathered notes . . .
Kathleen Green introduced us to her students . . .
We began by retelling the history of the cotton swab, only no one seemed interested in this . . .
So we decided to spice it up and talk about children's literature, and showed how many, many, many drafts it took to write BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY), a book the students had been assigned to read . . .
(That's Dan Santat lounging about on top of the books. He illustrated BOBBY and we brought him with us.)
Can you tell how many revisions we did?
This seemed to wake up most of the students, but not all . . .
Later, we had a rousing discussion and a wonderful time! Thanks, everyone!!!
BTW, do you live in Southern California, know someone who does, or will be visiting between this very minute and the next 50 years? If so, then check out the Southern California Independent Bookstores!
You never know what you'll find! Like, I recently discovered that I am the end of Junior Fiction! (Um, is that a good thing?)
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
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Perfect weather for the very very very first LitFest Pasadena -- and we were there!
Before the festival began, we wandered around and checked it out . . .
Wait! Who's that attractive trio? Why it's Co-founder of the Lit Fest, Pasadena Star Newsman Larry Wilson; author of HELEN OF PASADENA, Lian Dolan; and YA author/poet Ron Kortege hanging out in the Green Room!
We were thrilled to visit Little Junebugs, a new bookstore-and-fun-things-store in Pasadena . . .
Can it be? Yes! It's one of our fav indie bookstores, Once Upon a Time . . .
Hey, is that Candace Ryan and James Burks?
(The correct answer is YES!)
While we were wandering about, we ran smack into YA author Blake Nelson wandering about, too. He didn't see us at first, at least, that's his story . . .
Maybe he was distracted by the Muggles playing Quiddich . . .
To kick off the inaugural fest, Larry spoke and Lian read from her new book -- so new that it's not out yet or even finished, and then we heard from Sandra Tsing Loh . . .
Soon it was time for our panel discussion . . .
(Above: Ron, Me, Cecil Castellucci, Sherri Smith, Blake, and Jessica Brody)
Okay, so here's a popular game I invented just for you! It's called Guess Which LitFest YA Author is Wearing What/Whose Shoes . . .
Here are the answers in order of shoes: Ron, Cecil, Blake, Lisa, Jessica, Sherri.
The panelists had a wonderful time taking about Young Adult novels, the industry, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, the writing, the controversy, the state of geometry with regards to its impact on astrophysics, and adjectives. (Okay, so maybe we didn't talk about one of those topics, but we would have had we not run out of time.)
Later, Peepy had her own solo panel called "How to Be a Bestselling Author Without Even Writing a Book or Knowing What a Conjunction Is" . . .
Thanks, LitFest Pasadena, we had a great time!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
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Why, the belong to none other than author/illustrator/fashion maven Tony DiTerlizzi! He was on his planet-wide tour for A HERO FOR WONDLA.
When last we saw him, he was modeling a lovely limited edition front/back/arms deer/nature scene shirt we gave him . . .
This time we caught up with Tony at Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, closer to our home . . .
Before his author/illustrator appearance, he took time to read his Caldicott Honor book, SPIDER AND THE FLY to Andrea Vuleta, General Manager of Mrs. Nelson's and President of the SoCal Independent Booksellers Association, and Peepy . . .
Then it was showtime! Tony drew pictures as he talked. Here he is with a totally realistic drawing of his younger self . ..
You know how some authors are shy and stiff. Well, Tony's a tad like that, only he's trying to overcome it . . .
He was so entranced by Peepy's presence, that he even dedicated much of his talk to her . . .
She encouraged him to come out his shell and emote more . . .
After everyone left, we stayed behind and Tony was autographed books to his muse . . .
Then we explored Mrs. Nelson's . . .
Peepy wondered where her bestselling epic memoir/fashion tips book would go, once she wrote it. And Andrea knew just the place!
And now for some super secret photos. Yes! The bathroom door signed by authors and illustrators who have visited Mrs. Nelson's!
Hmmmm . . . not sure what it is with scrawls on bathroom walls. This is Tony's bathroom at his house.
Here's Tony talking about the WONDLA series on CNN.
And finally, want to see something that will make you smile? Check out these are these totally awesome teachers!!!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
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So it's only fitting that we visit the bookstore itself. But first, lunch!
Above: Bob Boyle and Dan Santat count the carbs. (The vegetable plate was mine, and Tao Nyeu had chili and a sandwich.)
Then it was indie bookstore time with Maureen Palacious, the owner of Once Upon a Time . . .
While we were there, Dan signed some books. And many of them were even his!
Peepy loved exploring with Bob and Tau . . .
Oh, look! It's Tao's new book . . .
Wait! What's that? Why it's an AMAZING-AND-SILLY-VIDEO created for the Children's Choice Book Awards -- featuring Jarrett Krosoczka vs. Jon Scieszka, two guys whose last names are slightly harder to spell than mine.
Warning: Film contains mayhem, destruction, and wayward authors and illustrators. So, look carefully, I'm in it along with Jeanne Birdsall. Our cameos are short, but the acting is dramatic, hilarious and heartbreaking -- truly, Oscar-worthy.
Here are some exclusive behind-the-scenes shots of the shoot. Behold the expensive trash-can-steady-cam . . .
And finally, here are some shots the paparazzi took of Jeannie and Cagney confer with the director . . .
Next Blog: More independent bookstore fun. This time we visit Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop where we find out what exactly Tony Di Terlizzi is trying to gell us . . .
Support your local indie bookstores!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
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We were THERE last blog, and now here's more of the LA TIMES Festival of Books at the University of Southern California!
This is an iconic building. Why? Because when I was a senior at USC I fell down the stairs inside the building, that's why.
Oops. No digressions! Back to the book festival.
It's always great to see Lauren Myracle, who is alive (despite her AWOL website), and find out what kind of trouble she's gotten herself into. The last time we saw her, at the National Book Festival, this happened . .
Wouldn't you know it? We had to bail Lauren out yet again . . .
After, we headed to the Diesel/Scholastic booth where we ran into National Book Award Winner and newly minted LA TIMES Book Award winner Pete Hautman . . .
BTW, Pete is a genius. Most authors I know get TONS of emails from students asking us to do homework or write book reports. Check out Pete's free book reports . . .
Other authors signing for Scholastic included Libba Bray and Maggie Stievater . . .
After my book signing, the next author showed up -- Lin Oliver!!!
While Lin and I gabbed, Peepy made new friends . . .
Marc Brown was on the Target Stage . . .
And there was a crowd for this author . . .
(Um. It was "Real Housewife" Bethenny Frankel who wrote a novel?)
In the green room we admired the spread and gabbed with Aaron Hartzler, who moderated many of the YA panels, the prolific Cecil Castellucci, and Australian author Tristan Bancks . . .
For our second day at the USC Civic Engagement booth, I read from BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) . . .
Then a boy who was there to get an autographed copy of STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME (USC gave 100 of my books out for FREE), volunteered to help me. While I read, he acted out a part . . .
It was so wonderful to be back at USC as an author. When I was a student there, I only dreamed about writing books. And now that's what I do!
In addition to books and authors everywhere, there were also films. We saw the new Stan Lee documentary. Here's the trailer.
After, we ended our book fest in a Newbery-esque manner. Mary Casanova and I were waiting for my car . . .
(That photo is not from the book festival. I was so busy talking to Mary, I forgot to take her picture. So the one above is of me with Valerie Tripp, on left, and Mary when we were in the Caribbean last winter.)
Who should we see (also waiting for a car)? Behold! It's this year's Newbery winner, Jack Gantos!
We reminisced about the first time we met eons ago at the Booklist Humor Forum at ALA in New Orleans. Here we are with Mo Willems and Jack's daughter . . .
And now, KidLit Jeopardy! question of the day: What do these three authors have in common?
Answer: Dubai. Excuse me? Yes, Dubai. Jack spoke at the American School of Dubai last year, Mo spoke there this year, and I will be there next year! Squeeeee!!!!
CLICK HERE for Publishers Weekly photo essay of the LA TIMES Festival of Books!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
LitFest Pasadena, May 12
10:30 – 11:20 -- Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature
with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, and Lisa Yee
Moderated by Sherri L. Smith
Lisa Yee
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It began with the drive down freeway. Most people would have been worried about parking, but I wasn't worried because I had these . . .
Yes! Coveted valet parking passes to the LOS ANGELES TIME FESTIVAL OF BOOKS!!!!
This is the second year it's taken place at my alma mater, the University of Southern California . . .
I had five book signings over two days.
Before our (meaning me and my Peep) first one, we met this year's Printz winner, John Corey Whaley author of WHERE THINGS COME BACK . . .
Oh, look! It's D.J. MacHale of PENDRAGON fame . . .
(That's Australian author Tristan Bancks looking on.)
Soon it was time to sign with Dan Santat, illustrator of my BOBBY books, at Once Upon a Time's booth . . .
And look! Priscilla Burris and Brian James were there, too . . .
After, Dan and I wandered around and ran into Betty Birney, who was signing next to uber author John Green . . .
Hey! Hay! Hey! (I spelled one of those words wrong to see if you were paying attention.) What do John, Dan and I have in common?
Here's a hint:
That's right! We are all represented by Jodi Reamer, agent, lawyer, blackbelt. (That's Jodi in the tree.)
Last year, I was on the Target Stage . . .
This year, I was there to cheer on friends. In the Green Room (that's what they call backstage, even though it isn't green), we ran into Tom Angleberger and his publicist Jason Wells arguing over how to cut the paper to make Origami Yodas . . .
Then, who should wander in, but NERDs author Michael Buckley. Sadly, he misbehaved, too . . .
I will add though, that Michael was very nice to Fatima Ptacek, who voices Dora the Explorer! (She was a HUGE fan of his.)
Peepy was still a bit shaken, not knowing if Michael was serious or not, but luckily James Burks was there to console her. Later, Ken Min (left) and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy creator Bob Boyle (right) joined us to watch James onstage . . .
Later, Dan and I also signed at the Diesel/Scholastic booth . . .
While we were there, we contributed to an ongoing story for 826LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring center . . .
Then Peepy and I headed over to the USC Civic Engagement booth. It was near the YA Stage . . .
USC Civic Engagement partners with residents and civic leaders and initiates programs like this year's book drive which brought in over 8,260 books to be distributed among local schools.
Dozens of my books were given out for free to kids attending the book fest . . .
What a wonderful day! Stay tuned for the next blog, where we meet more famous authors at the LA TIMES Festival of Books, including this year's Newbery winner.
Um. That's not the Newbery winner, above. That's Peepy's new friend.
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
LitFest Pasadena, May 12
10:30 – 11:20 -- Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature
with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, and Lisa Yee
Moderated by Sherri L. Smith
Lisa Yee
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Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
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Yes, apparently the black squirrel is the unofficial mascot of the school, and they are everywhere . . .
During the conference, we had an informal conversation with conference attendees. (Since it was informal, I felt compelled to sit on the stage floor.)
After a lovely lunch we checked out the bookstore . . .
Soon it was time for E.B. Lewis to speak. (E.B. and I are both on the SCBWI Board of Advisors.)
After the conference, we were fed again . . .
This time we got to see and explore the Reinberger Children's Library Center and the magnificent Marantz Collection of more than 21,000 picture books . . .
Imagine my surprise when I turned a corner and happened upon this . . .
Yep. That's right. It's K.T. Horning, director of the CCBC hard at work. Or so she said.
For more about the Virginia Hamilton Conference, check out Christina Getrost's blog for YALSA.
Wheeee -- STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME made Grace Lin's PBS Parents List of favorite Asian American books. To see the full list, CLICK HERE!
(Above: Grace and friends.)
Next Up: What set off Origami Yoda's Tom Angleberger?
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
LitFest Pasadena, May 12
10:30 – 11:20 -- Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature
with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, and Lisa Yee
Moderated by Sherri L. Smith
Lisa Yee
|
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
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Where was I headed next? Why, here . . .
I was in Kent, Ohio for the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth . . .
Fun Fact: I lived in James Thurber's childhood home in Columbus, Ohio for a month when I was the Thurber House Children's Writer-in-Residence!!!
Oops. Digression noted. Back to the conference! It began on Thursday evening with a food-filled reception . . .
(Above: That's E.B. Lewis sharing dessert with his favorite Peep.)
It was followed by dessert and storytelling, and a speech by the amazing Alma Flor Ada . . .
After our book signing, we got to meet Arnold Adoff, author and husband of Virginia Hamilton . . .
Since there's alway room for more food, middle school teacher Dawn Sullivan, E.B. and I piled into teen services librarian Christina Getrost's car . . .
Then we headed to a famous local hang out -- Ray's . . .
As you might guess, we discussed literature, physics, and whether the man at the next table was Jeff Bridges or Mickey Rourke. Actually, Dawn and E.B. debated this. Christina and I debated over which was better, the regular fries or the sweet potato ones. (The man was neither Mickey nor Jeff, and we were at an impasses over the fries.)
(Photos not to scale.)
The next morning I was driven to the conference by Christina in her Star Wars Millennium Falcon Saturn complete with mini space vehicles hanging from the window . . .
Kent State Dean Stanley T. Wearden welcomed us and I delivered the opening keynote . . .
(I always find it interesting that like birds on a wire, people in auditoriums spread out so they are equidistant from one another. This happens in elevators, too, but never on airplanes. There is always someone sitting next to me.)
Alma was presented with the 14th Annual Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, which she generously offered to share with Peepy. . .
The other recipient of the award was Julius Lester, who was Skyped in for his acceptance speech . . .
Later in the day, I visited the May 4 Memorial. Perhaps many of you remember this iconic photo. The photographer was a undergrad and it won him a Pulitzer . . .
On May 4, 1970, during thirteen seconds of carnage and confusion, National Guard members killed four students and injured many others . . .
Two students died in the parking lot and now there are markers where they fell . . .
Here's more of the memorial . . .
In other news, a ten-year old girl read my Kanani stories and was inspired to raise money to help the endangered Hawaiian monk seals. You can read about here HERE.
And here I am talking about Kanani and the monk seals . . .
NEXT BLOG: More conference, more books, some squirrels, and an inside look at this . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
LitFest Pasadena, May 12
10:30 – 11:20 -- Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature
with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, and Lisa Yee
Moderated by Sherri L. Smith
Lisa Yee
|
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
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We were still staying in our lovely undisclosed location when we first visited the Montague Bookmill . . .
Set in an gristmill that was built in 1842, this amazing indie bookstore is on the banks of a river and located near Amherst . . .
After THE MOST DELICIOUS SALAD at Lady Killgrew , which is part of the Montague Mill . . .
. . . it was time to explore . . .
Wait! Who's that reading to Peepy? Why it's Susan Shilliday, ex-pat from Los Angeles -- a screenwriter (Legends of the Fall, Thirtysomething, etc.) turned Montague Bookmill owner . . .
Here's more to admire . . .
Ah, what a glorious bookstore!!!
BTW, it was so great that on our last day in the area, we returned to look at books and eat the delish brown rice and veggie salad . . .
Brace yourself for a rocky transition . . .
Whoa, DoSomething.org is amazing. They are "one of the largest organizations in the US for teens and social change." Recently, DoSomething.org editorial intern Molly Hornan interviewed me on their website. You can read it HERE.
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
LitFest Pasadena, May 12
10:30 – 11:20 -- Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature
with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, and Lisa Yee
Moderated by Sherri L. Smith
Lisa Yee
|
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
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Peepy and I did lots of other fun authorial stuff in the Northampton, MA area.
"Like what? What did you do?" you ask, or I ask, or we can pretend Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy asked.
Why, here's a small sampling. We worked on a novel at the Mount Holyoke College library and feigned being at Hogwarts, which was probably really distracting when we leapt on the table and shouted, "expecto patronum!"
We explored the library . . .
We ate lunch with Ellen Wittlinger and then ate another lunch with Jarrett Krosoczka (on a different day) . . .
But while we were waiting for Jarrett, we ran into Grace Lin and Little Brown editor Alvina Ling!!!
Then we met more Blue Rose Girls, Anna Alter and Libby Koponen . . .
Later, we went to Emily Dickenson's house, but no one was home . . .
So then we went to Tony DeTerlizzi's house and even though he and his wife Angela hid, we knew they were inside. And finally, so were we . . .
(That's actually stuff from the Spiderwick movie!)
The bathroom was delightful. Um, if you can say that about a bathroom . . .
(Famous artists made their marks, so to speak.)
Then Tony brought out the really cool stuff . . .
Yes! He made a set of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends when he was in college. It seems we are both HUGE Pooh fans! Here's some of my collection . . .
Now, being the kind person I am, I gave this lovely front-back-both-arms-deer-art shirt to Mr. DiTerlizzi . . .
And he gave these to me!!!!!
(He doesn't know it yet, though.)
While we were trying to figure out how we could hide Pooh and his pals in my purse, Scott Fischer stopped by and distracted us . . .
Oh, hey! (How's that for a smooth transition?) Here's a recent interview I did over at Author Turf!
Next blog . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
LitFest Pasadena, May 12
10:30 – 11:20
Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés
of Young Adult Literature with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, and Lisa Yee
Moderated by Sherri L. Smith
Lisa Yee
|
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
| Or you can click this for a RSS feed... |
However, there's also other art there, too. We asked, Richard Michelson how he got started with his gallery and his books (he's an award-winning children's book author). Here's what he said . . .
Rich: "When I was young I wanted to be a poet. I wasn't good in school, but I had a high school teacher, Mr. Ketchum, who got me reading, and I fell in love with words."
After graduating, Rich went on to sell posters and art to college students out of the trunk of his car, not because he loved art, but because it was a job. On the side, he continued to work on his poems.
One day, Rich went to an art museum, because he thought that knowing about "real art" would make him a better salesperson. It was there that he finally understood the power of art.
"After that, I wanted to open my own gallery. My boss didn't want me to, so we played ping pong. If I lost, I had to work for him for three more years. If he lost, he'd stake me in my dream to open a gallery."
The boss lost.
The R. Michelson Galleries has grown since those ping pong days. It now inhabits a stately bank building in the heart of downtown Northampton, MA . . .
Rich's writing career has taken off, too. And not only does he write children's books, but just recently he was named Northampton's Poet Laureate.
Gallery-wise, Rich represents a who's who in children's picture book art. He also represents other artists, like Kurt Vonnegut. That's right. Kurt Vonnegut . . .
Kurt Vonnegut even drew this for Rich . . .
(It's inscribed to "Richard, Ping Pong Hustler.")
Here's more art . . .
Wait! What's that . . . ? Hey, it's the work of our dear friend Jeanne Birdsall, National Book Award Winner AND photographer . . .
(That's right. Jeanne's photography is even in the Smithsonian!)
Rich also represents another photographer. Perhaps you've heard of him? Leonard Nimoy a.k.a. Mr. Spock. The two are quite close and Rich even got this for me when WARP SPEED, my novel about a Star Trek geek who worships Mr. Spock, came out . . .
So it's no surprise that Leonard Nimoy's photography is represented exclusively by the R. Michelson Gallery . . .
I dunno, though. When I look at the two of them together, I see a resemblance. Do you?
(Photo Credit: Silvia Mautner Photography)
I asked Rich outright, "Are you Leonard Nimoy's long lost son?"
Rich hesitated, then replied. "There is no truth to that rumor. I deny it, right now, right here on your blog."
Hmmm . . . I'm not totally convinced. When I asked him to say it again, this time without smiling, he couldn't do it.
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
SAT
11:00-12:00 NOON: signing at Scholastic/Diesel booth with Dan Santat
1:00 PM-2:00 PM: signing at Once Upon a Time booth with Dan Santat
4:00-5:00 PM: signing at USC Civil Engagement Booth
SUN
12:15-1:30 PM: signing at USC Civil Engagement Booth
1:30-2:30 PM: signing at Scholastic/Diesel booth
Lisa Yee
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We sat down with him in Northampton, MA and gabbed over lunch.
Peepy was nervous at first, but after a couple of seconds, she showed Richard the art she created at the Eric Carle Museum.
Needless to say, Rich was impressed . . .
He was so taken with Peepy's work that he offered her a contract and asked that her art be exclusive to his gallery.
Peepy wasn't sure. After all, Rich represents all the big names in children's literature art, and she didn't want to be overshadowed . . .
However, Rich assured her that she would be his number one artist. He even had the perfect place to showcase her work -- even if it meant moving someone else . . .
Peepy didn't want to displace Mo Willems, at first. But then she flashed back to her recent lunch with him . . .
(That's Mo on the right, and not helping the helpless Peep is Tony DiTerlizzi.)
And so, Peepy told Rich to go ahead and throw Mo and his pigeon under the bus . . .
CLICK HERE to see the video on YouTube.
Sorry, Mo. You've been Peeped . . .
Next Up: Not just children's literature art, plus Mr. Spock, I presume?
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
SAT
11:00-12:00 NOON: signing at Scholastic/Diesel booth with Dan Santat
1:00 PM-2:00 PM: signing at Once Upon a Time booth with Dan Santat
4:00-5:00 PM: signing at USC Civil Engagement Booth
SUN
12:15-1:30 PM: signing at USC Civil Engagement Booth
1:30-2:30 PM: signing at Scholastic/Diesel booth
Lisa Yee
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Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
| Or you can click this for a RSS feed... |
The museum is filled with great children's book art and great children's book artists. While we were visiting, so was Kadir Nelson, along with Sharon Robinson, author and daughter of baseball great, Jackie Robinson . . .
Here's Moi with Kadir at the National Book Festival Library of Congress Gala last year . . .
And CLICK HERE to see photos of Kadir painting Dan Santat faster than I can take a photo.
But back to the Carle. You never know who you'll run into in KitLitLand. Look -- It's big mouth Susannah Richards!!! (I'm not being mean. That's what they call influential booksellers and experts in our industry. Publishers send big mouths early editions of books, etc. so they can help buzz a book.)
It was so cool because Susannah knew I was in town. So she had copies of my books in the trunk of her car for me to sign in case she saw me . . .
Then who should we see, but Diane DeGroat (center left) and author Shelley Rotner, the creators of HOMER . . .
There's art everywhere, even in the restrooms . . .
Later, Peepy ventured into the art room to make a lovely Peep stamp . . .
We're hoping to get our Peepy art into a gallery someday. What do you think?
Oh, and guess what? WARP SPEED has been named to Bank Street's Best Books of the Year list!!!
Hey! Hey! If you happen to be on the Hampshire College campus, or one of the other surrounding colleges, be on the lookout for these totally awesome flyers put up by a college student who loves children's books!!!!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
SAT
11:00-12:00 NOON: signing at Scholastic/Diesel booth with Dan Santat
1:00 PM-2:00 PM: signing at Once Upon a Time booth with Dan Santat
4:00-5:00 PM: signing at USC Civil Engagement Booth
SUN
12:15-1:30 PM: signing at USC Civil Engagement Booth
1:30-2:30 PM: signing at Scholastic/Diesel booth
Lisa Yee
|
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
| Or you can click this for a RSS feed... |
What's a Meltdown, you ask? Well, it's an awesome annual book and music celebration featuring live bands and live KidLit authors and illustrators!!!
Our good friend Jarrett Krosoczka wrangles and cajoles and organizes all the book people.
(That's Jarrett when we were at this.)
Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple were the authors on before me . . .
After mother and daughter, Jane and Heidi, a band played onstage and Peepy played backstage . . .
One never knows who they might meet backstage. One time we met this person . . .
(YES! It was Julie Andrews!)
And another time we met that person . . .
(YES! It was Carol Burnett!)
Who did we spy backstage at the Meltdown? That's right! The male equivalent(s) of Julie and Carol . . . Jarrett and Eric Wight
. . .
Soon it was time to hit the stage. And to also go on the stage. (Get it? Hit the stage . . . go on stage . . . okay. Nevermind.)
I asked for the "most handsome man in the room" to volunteer to join me, and he did. As I read from BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY), Jarrett acted it out . . .
Then, when I read from MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS, I played the part of Millicent, while Jarrett played her arch enemy, Stanford Wong. I made him shove a sandwich in his mouth while reading, eat a big bag of chips, and chug an entire bottle of soda . . .
Then disaster struck! Jarrett could not burp on command, as called for in the book. In a panic, I asked for a stunt burp-er from the audience and this lovely young lady let out the biggest baddest belch you can imagine--and saved the day!!!!
(Above: The talented Sarah is the daughter of the talented Scott Fischer and the talented Teresa Fischer.)
After the Meltdown, there was a After the Meltdown party. The event was catered by the amazing Gina Krosoczka . . .
The whole gang was there, like Heidi Stemple, and John Bemelmans Marciano with Jarrett, Teresa Fischer, Jeff Mack and Tony DiTerlizzi.
Some of the foods were even THEMED to the authors. Like this for Moi . . .
And these Madeleine cookies for John who is carrying on the work of his grandfather who created Madeline . . .
For Eric there were franks and pickles in honor of his Frankie Pickle books . . .
Since we were at Jarrett's house and his studio was right there, he insisted on drawing Peepy . . .
Ralph Macchio, the Krosoczka's dog, was also a huge fan of my Peep's, and they became instant BFFs . . .
What a marvelous Meltdown-y day we had!!!!
Sadly, it had to come to an end, and Ralph Macchio misses Peepy . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In April, you can find me here . . .
And then I'll be here . . .
Lisa Yee
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The day after our radio interview and lunch with Jeanne Birdsall and Cammie McGovern, it was time for lunch, again!
This time, we met up with Mo Willems (sitting across from me) and Tony DiTerlizzi and Angela DiTerlizzi. (Yes, they are related. Well, two of the three are related via marriage. I won't say which two, so you're going to have to guess.)
Now, Mo being Mo, meant that he was not on his best behavior. In fact, this was a tragedy in the making . . .
Of course, it's natural that any guy who'd even consider letting a bird drive a bus would be rather cavalier. But lest, you worry, Peepy was unharmed.
That is, until the guy who illustrates The Spiderwick Chronicles and got a hold of her . . .
Luckily, Angela stopped the hijinks by saying, "Say what?" and rescuing my Peep for the clutches of ill-behaved author/illustrators . . .
After lunch, Tony, Angela and I decided that the only logical thing to do would be to go and eat some more. And so, with Peepy tucked safely in my purse, we did just that . . .
Up next: HEADING FOR A MELTDOWN with Jarrett Krosoczka . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In April, you can find me here . . .
And then I'll be here . . .
Lisa Yee
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After a Scholastic book signing in San Diego, I took the train home. This was my window view . . .
(The bad news was that there was "mechanical issue" so the train was delayed for 1-1/2 hours. The good news was that there was free wifi onboard.)
I was in South Pasadena long enough to take care of important matters before packing up again . . .
As always, I got to the airport early. I don't know why I do this since my planes are always late. But I do.
We arrived in Northampton, MA and stayed at a lovely undisclosed location. Peepy was totally cozy in her own little bed . . .
The next morning we headed to a radio station to do an interview with the irrepressible Monte Belmonte from 93.9, The River . . .
He had never met my Peep before and wasn't sure what to make of her . . .
The interview was a total blast and we discussed micro/macro physics, dust mites, string theory, books and linear equations, or at least one of those things . . .
Then Monte tried to rope me into a debate about this . . .
Before things could get too heated, a special guest dropped in . . . National Book Award winner, Jeanne Birdsall!!!
WANNA HEAR THE INTEVIEW???? Then CLICK HERE.
BTW, you may not know this tidbit of literary trivia, but what does Ms. Birdsall do in her spare time? Here's a hint . . .
That's right! She's the head of my posse and my bodyguard!!!
OKAY! So after the interview, I felt safe walking with Jeanne to the local luncherina (I just made up that word!) and we met up with author Cammie McGovern . . .
Lunch was so fun that there was only one sensible thing to do after that. Yes! Look for birdhouses. And guess what we found at Pinch? Why, these totally cool bird abodes made from RECYCLED BOOKS . . .
Speaking of birdhouses made of books, or at least the book part of that last sentence, guess who's on the Kansas Reading Circle Best Books of 2011 list? I'm not going to tell you, but here's a hint . . .
And also, WARP SPEED has been nominated for Vermont's Book of the Year aka Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award List
Squeeeeee!!!
Oh. And finally, this. There has been a report of Peepy's demise.
You can read Peter D. Sieruta's blog about it HERE. (Scroll down a little ways.) However, keep in mind that this was posted on April 1st (and that on April 2nd, she was fine.)
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In April, you can find me here . . .
And then I'll be here . . .
Lisa Yee
|
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
| Or you can click this for a RSS feed... |
Well, I did. She was too young, so she stayed in my purse. After all, someone had to hand me the tissues.
Later, we decided to play a totally different kind of Hunger Games. That's because we were in San Diego for the National Center on Family Literature Conference . . .
What did we play? Why we played the DESSERT GAMES!!! Just take a look . . .
What did we order from Extraordinary Desserts?
Why this . . .
Was it great? Well, yes!!!! Later, we strolled through the neighborhood . . .
And then headed to our hotel. Luckily we got in before the rain!
The next morning was GORGEOUS . . .
Peepy registered for the NCFL conference and then we headed to our Scholastic book signing . . .
Copies of WARP SPEED were given out for the wonderful price of FREE!!!
It was fun taking to everyone. Plus, I brought along my little Moo cards that I use instead of bookmarks and biz cards . . .
After the signing, I had a chance to walk the conference floor . . .
I even signed the Right to Literacy petition . . .
What a wonderful time!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
On March 31 at 1:40 p.m., I'll be onstage in Northampton, MA for the River's Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash. To hear a radio promo of the event, CLICK HERE.
In April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
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And the blogs before that covered, I LOVE SCRIVENER BECAUSE IT TIDIES UP MY MESSES . . .
And before that there was a blog about FREEDOM, the amazing thingy that helps tame my internet addiction . . .
So, in keeping with the STUFF I DO WHEN I WRITE theme, there's this . . .
Oops. Ignore that. That was the drawer where I keep the cords and cables from old cellphones, et al. that I don't know what to do with because they might be important someday.
Let's try again, shall we? There's this . . .
Um. Okay. "What's that?" you ask, or I ask, or Johnny Depp asks, or Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy asks . . .
Well, let me tell all of you. Those are my NOTES!!!
Yes, NOTES!!!
Notes.
Why? Because I have this insane scary ability to remember my childhood, including my best friend from second grade's phone number . . .
(Above: Me, making memories back then that I remember now.)
Yet, I cannot recall yesterday . . .
So I have to take NOTES!!! when an idea hits me. I write them all down, and after I transfer them to my computer, I rip them out and skewer them (see above), or I cross them out in the small, but delightful, notebooks I have.
How many small, but delightful, notebooks do you have, you ask, or I ask, or Nathan Fillion asks?
A lot. Here's a brief tour of some of them,
I really like this brand, called Pocket Pads - aria, and I buy them in bulk . . .
After I use up one, I write on the cover and keep them forever so that they can become a burden to me . . .
(That says "retired." I know, I know. Handwriting was the only time I ever got a "C" in school.)
I'm no snob, and I also use other brands . . .
I use bigger notebooks when I know I'm going to write a lot . . .
Now, since I never know where (and why) an idea might smack me in the head, I leave these notebooks and pads of paper scattered everywhere I am, was, and will be. For example, these are in my car . . .
Police, please take note: I am a safety-first kind of driver, so if the car is in motion, I have my dog jot down notes for me . . .
Look! More notepads, this time in the basement . . .
These are next to my bed . . .
There's aways at least one in my purse . . .
(There's even a pad of paper in the bathroom.)
Sometimes, I have ideas that I don't know where they are supposed to belong. (Egads, was that even a sentence?) Like, maybe they're for future stories. If so, they get their own special place . . .
Now, with all these pads of paper and notebooks floating around, I need pens, right? My favorites are Pilot G2s . . .
But I have others . . .
And if you are like me and have an office supply problem, then you have lots of paper clips, binder clips, fasteners . . .
What was that???? Oh, those are earplugs for times when certain-people-who-shall-not-be-named are too loud and you cannot hear yourself/myself thinking . . .
Here's another view of the office supply portion of my desk . . .
And so, now you know!
Okay, what's top of mind right now? Correct! I'm thinking of working on my speech for the Virginia Hamilton Conference at Kent State next month. . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
On March 31, I'll be in Northampton, MA for the River's Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash. To hear a radio promo of the event, CLICK HERE.
In April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
|
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you! |
| Or you can click this for a RSS feed... |
