Talking about censorship & preparing to dive into the Pool of Revision

Madison, Wisconsin and the CCBC are fun. I was there last week to talk about censorship.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic The first half of the workshop name.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic The second half.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic This is KT Horning, Pat Scales, and Megan Schleisman. KT Horning is the director of CCBC and has spent her career making sure there are great books for kids. (She also has a bachelor’s degree in linguistics. What a wise woman.) Megan is a CCBC librarian who very kindly schlepped me around and made sure we had time for a delightful cup on coffee on the shore of Lake Mendota. (I think it was Lake Mendota. Wisconsin has a lot of lakes.) Thank you!

Pat was the leader of the workshop. She is a Master Librarian (I don’t know if that is a real title. If it’s not, it should be) who has worked in libraries for 36 years. I could listen to her talk about books, kids, and the glories of the First Amendment for days on end. It’s a good thing I got to listen to her when I did. Pat was just elected the incoming President of ALSC, and will be rather busy for the next three years.

(I was fascinated to learn about the Lawyers for Libraries program, offered by the ALA to help “build a nationwide network of attorneys committed to the defense of the First Amendment freedom to read and the application of constitutional law to library policies, principles, and problems.” The CCBC also has many resources for teachers and librarians who are having books challenged or banned. Please check it out and pass on the information!!!)

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Thanks to all of the teachers (I knew some of them ::waving to Appleton contingent::) who made the trek to Madison!

We had a bunch of birthdays in the Forest over the weekend, with more this coming week. I head out of town on Friday for my booksigning in Bethlehem, PA and the graduation of my oldest kid from college. (Want proof that the time-space continuum has been mucked up? There is no earthly way that Stephanie is 22 years old, that she is ready to graduate, and that she has a real job. And yet, apparently, this is the case. Go figure.)

After the graduation festivities, I’m off to Toronto for the International Reading Association Convention.

But before any of this happens, I am going to unplug the phones and dive into the final (I hope) revision of my historical novel. So I might not be in LJ-land much for the next couple of weeks. On the other hand, I might, if I think I have anything useful to say about the revision process. Stay tuned.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic I leave you (temporarily) with some of my daffodils.

Worshipping Tori Amos

I have this bizarre weird fangurl/life connection with Tori Amos.

First, her music is beyond ab-fab…. she is one of my favorite, favorite musicians. And she has a new album which I just bought and you might want to take a listen to: American Doll Posse. Wikipedia has some interesting stuff about the new album.

Second, she and I have all this synchonicities in our lives: both preacher’s kids, both huge supporters of sexual assault survivors (she is the driving force behind RAINN), both feminists of the same generation and proud of it, both huge Gaiman fans, and on and on.

Third… well, I just think she is a gift from the Gods. I am going to listen to Tori fly flying through the air today.

River’s End Rocked

Still running on the treadmill that is my life right now, so I only have time a quick update.

Saturday night? River’s End Bookstore in Oswego? Yeah, there were about 200 people jam-packed into the place.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic I kid you not.

dry_the_rain aka Jacqueline the Expert Photographer Who Moonlights As a Great Bookseller, has kindly posted a bunch more photos, if you care.

http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie-Crowd.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/the%20Band.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/Scott.jpg (In which BH finds his long-lost sibling)
http://lalande.info/jacks/mobscene.jpg –>this gives a better sense of how crowded it was
http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie-Crowd2.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie&Jim.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie&girl.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/Bill-Laurie-Mindy.jpg –> Bill and Mindy own the store. Mindy handed out Twizzlers.
http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie2.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie&me.jpg
http://lalande.info/jacks/Laurie&Band.jpg —> the author falls for the boys in the band, again

THANK YOU for the photos, Miss Jack!

The band, Mind Over Matter, was amazing. I am beginning to think I should request a band at all of my events. Thank you Kevin, Billy, Brian, and John. (If you live near Oswego, you can buy their CD at the bookstore.)

Big hugs to everyone who came out to the event (I am waving at YOU Sara from Solvay, and YOU Little Quirk, and YOU, Lisa Who Happens to be my Sister) and bought books and asked great questions and made for a totally insane, wonderful night. Special thanks to Jess (aka Daughter #2) and Ryan for putting up with the whole affair when they could have been out on a romantic date.

So – Saturday night was late and busy. Sunday morning came way too early. At 4:30 in the am. Ouch. We drove down to PA to see first, Mer (Daughter #3), then Stef (Daughter #1) and their various boyfriends and companions and pets. Yesterday, we drove home. Today, I answered some email, though there are many, many notes that are starting to mutter at me because I’ve not yet answered them.

And tomorrow? I’m flying to lovely Madison, WI to speak at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center about my experiences with censorship. I’ll be back in a couple of days. (Only 6 more trips this spring and then I get to burn the suitcase – wa-hoo!) And really, I promise, I will post the last pictures of the Poland trip.

Oh, one more thing. My mom’s bathing suit? Very hot. Smoking hot. She brought the temperature of the physical therapy pool up ten degrees when she stepped out of the locker room in it.

Oh, one more thing. (Really.) My dad turns 80 on Thursday. If you know him, give him a call and give him a very hard time. He is old and tough and he likes things like that.