My NCTE & ALAN schedule

I am packing again – this time for a trip to New York City for the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention and the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents. These are the conferences organized and attended by the best of the best English/Language Arts/Literature/Reading teachers *** in the country. They are the smart ones – the passionate ones, the ones who get to school early and stay wicked late to help their students. I love them.

*** note: some of the best of the best can’t make it to this critically important professional development conference because their school districts won’t pay for it. Some folks pay out-of-pocket (on a teacher’s salary!) because that’s how important this conference is.

Will any of youse guys be there? Here is where you will find me:

Thursday, November 15th
Spending the day in comfort riding the train and writing instead of suffering the hassles of the airport.

Dinner with a group of teachers.

Friday, November 16th
9:30–10:45 a.m. Panel: “Adolescent Literacy at the Crossroads: Redefining Sex and Sexuality in YA Fiction”. Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street (at 11th Avenue) | Room TBA

This panel has a YA killer line-up: me, Brent Hartinger, E. Lockhart, Laura Ruby, Tanya Lee Stone & Lara Zeises, and will be chaired by She Who Knows Most Everything, Teri Lesesne. You really, really, really want to come to this one. I imagine the conversation will continue in the hall long after the session is over.

2:00–3:00 p.m. Book signing at Penguin Young Readers Group, Booth #202, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street (at 11th Avenue) | Hall C, Level 1

3:00–4:00 p.m. Book signing at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Booth #442, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street (at 11th Avenue) | Hall C, Level 1

Dinner with a group of teachers.

Saturday, November 17th
9:00–10:00 a.m. Book signing at Anderson’s Bookshop, Booth #479, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street (at 11th Avenue) | Hall C, Level 1

10:00–11:30 a.m. Book signing at PermaBound, Booth #357, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street (at 11th Avenue) | Hall C, Level 1

12:30–2:15 p.m. Books for Children Luncheon at the Marriott Marquis Times Square, 1535 Broadway | Westside Ballroom Salon ½. Andrea & Brian Pinkney will be speaking – this should be awesome.

Afternoon – I might hang at the convention or I might run in Central Park (if the weather is decent). Anybody want to join me? I’ll run 6-7 miles, probably at a 10-minute mile pace. You are welcome to join me for some or all of it. If you’re interested, let me know in the comments section and I’ll get more details to you.

Evening – I need to write.

Sunday, November 18th
Daytime – holed up in hotel, writing. Might sneak out to attend a few sessions. We’ll see.

6:00–7:30 p.m. ALAN Reception, Marriott Marquis Times Square , 1535 Broadway (at 45th Street) | Astor Ballroom, 7th Floor – I think I am going to wear my new shoes, so I will be the one limping.

Dinner with my publishers.

Monday, November 19th

Breakfast with my agent.

Daytime – hanging out at ALAN and meeting with an editor

Evening – a party and dinner

Tuesday, November 20th
10:30–11:05 a.m. ALAN Program: “Brown-Bagging It with Mattie and Hank: What does Testing have to do with lunch?” Marriott Marquis Times Square, 1535 Broadway | West Side Ballroom, Salon 1, 5th Floor

This should be really interesting. Professor Denise Ousley will demonstrate a fascinating classroom technique – giving students brown paper bags that are filled with objects that relate to a historical novel, and allowing students to respond to the objects. L.M. Elliott will talk about how this technique works with her book, UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY. I will be talking about it in relation to FEVER 1793. I’ll also be talking about the research for my new historical CHAINS (it will be published September, 2008). Please join us!

11:15–11:45 a.m. “Silent book” signing (as other authors will still be speaking) Marriot Marquis Times Square, 1535 Broadway | Room TK

Afternoon – fight the mid-town crowds trying to escape the city for Thanksgiving. If the Turkey God smiles on me, I will make my train and I will get a seat and I will trundle on home where our brood and all of their beloveds and the dog and my husband, who is the bestest Thanksgiving cook ever, will be waiting.

16 Replies to “My NCTE & ALAN schedule”

  1. Train advice!

    I wish I could run with you on Saturday afternoon but our Thanksgiving travel plans call for taking off that morning.

    Wanted to give you a warning about Amtrak between NYP and areas upstate: there have been a lot of delays on trains between NYP and Albany and especially between Albany and Syracuse. (I take the train frequently between NYC and Albany and last weekend my train was 2hrs delayed–no fun with a 7 month old baby, I tell you!)

    So be sure to bring snacks (no snack cars between NY/Alb on most trains) and plenty of patience and personal entertainment material.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  2. Re: Train advice!

    Yep, I’ve lived through that delay plenty of times. I imagine it would be hell with a baby.

    When you get on Amtrak, you enter a new universe where time is a fluid concept. Daliesque, it lays around like cough syrup in a spoon.

    I will be equipped for a 24-hour layover. Thanks for the reminder!

  3. “Redefining Sex and Sexuality in YA Fiction”

    I so wish I could attend. I did a presentation on Sexuality in my Adolescent Lit class a few years ago. I’ve never enjoyed research that much (although more time would have been fantastic since I didn’t get to read as much as I wanted to). And I didn’t even mind the public speaking bit all that much. It was actually really interesting to hear the students’ responses since Houghton is a Jesus school.

  4. the run is tempting, though my pace is more like a 12 minute mile, on a good day. hmmm. also i am signing til 3 on saturday, so maybe the notion is unreasonable.

    but, tempting nonetheless!

  5. Wow! I am pooped from just reading your itinerary. I hope you enjoy your time in the Big Apple the city is so glorious this time of year.

  6. Re: Train advice!

    Just for clarification, there is track work right now (plus switching problems last weekend) so it is even worse than usual.

    Good luck though–sounds like you’ll be prepared.

    I think the baby took it better than I did, being the jolly sort that she is. :o)

  7. wish i could be there with you in NYC. you’ll love the mariott marquis though. they actually have a broadway show in the theatre in there called the drowsy chaperone. i saw it this past april and it was really funny. just thought you’d like to know. can’t wait to hear all about the event when you get back! (oh and happy thanksgiving in case i don’t get to talk to you before!) good luck running in central park too! miss you! =) ♥

  8. NCTE

    YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    You have no idea how excited I am to be able to attend this year and the news was even better when I found out you were on the schedule. I have died and gone to fan geek heaven.
    My all girls class just finished Speak a month ago and they are so jealous that I get to meet you.
    I have to share this with you. One of the girls in the class was really opposed to reading Speak. “I’m not a chick reader,” she huffed. I asked her to give it a chance. When we were on the last chapter she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, “this book is much better than I ever expected.”
    The counselor later told me that this same student showed up in her office with a real life issue-different from Melinda’s but still just as tramatic. She said she knew she had to speak up for herself. I was speechless. Reading the book helped her face a very real problem in her life and she is now getting help. Thank you.

    I can’t wait to meet you. I’m just hoping for a picture with me in the distant background in your general location. I arrive Wednesday morning. See you then!!!!!!!

  9. Long Lines and Smiles

    I think the good people at PermaBound were a little overwhelmed by the lines of people waiting to see you. Apparently, the first 100 copies of Twisted flew out into the convention center as word spread that you and your little Sharpie were there. Then there is the little issue of you being the most warm, gracious author in attendance. Only those with the patience of saints or teachers can understand what it took you to tell the mother of an actual teenager “Don’t worry, we’ll just get to know each other while you figure out how to use the camera part of your pink phone.”

    It was great to see you and I’m guessing the backpack is filled with lead weights to keep your feet upon the ground amongst the cumulus of high praise and warm feelings.

    Thanks for the autographs, I now have something to call prized possessions.

    J

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  11. OMG, I AM SO JEALOUS OF THAT GUY IT ISN’T EVEN FUNNY!!! I’m at a major block right now, and I really wish I could go through writing without angst like he does.

    Maybe his secret is he doesn’t worry? I’ve always been a worrywart and I doubt things will change for me, but maybe he figures he has nothing to lose…

    I really wish I was him. Actually, at this point, I wish I was anything but who I am now, trapped inside a block I can’t get out of.

    But don’t worry. I still love it. ^_^

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