March 2009 – Page 2 – Laurie Halse Anderson

March 23, 2009

San Fran Day 1

Apparently, Tony Bennett left his heart in a park three blocks from my hotel. It is doing well.

Thanks to the driving skills of my author nanny, Alex, we were able to squeeze in three stock signings before my events yesterday.

The Not Your Mother’s Book Club event was held in a candle-lit room underneath a bistro in Haight Ashbury. More than 50 teen readers and adults packed in and enjoyed yummy noshes and lots of conversation. Many, many thanks to bookseller extraordinaire Jen for a perfectly planned, stupendous event!!

Some people actually went from my NYMBC event to my event at Kepler’s (looking at you, Heidi!)! In addition, my friend Debbi Michiko Florence turned up (with her husband Bob, a fellow alum of Onondaga Community College) and friends from San Jose State U. Thanks to everyone for coming out on a beautiful Sunday.

Only one radio interview this morning, then I’ll check out of the hotel and head for my school events. BTW, I thought I heard on the news that the women’s team from Tennessee is already out of the tournament. Is this true? What happened?

Also, if you’re not following me on Twitter, you should because I am posting more photos on the Twitter feed than here… it’s a logistics thing.

TODAY’S EVENTS
Morning & afternoon – School visits coordinated by Rakestraw, 409 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526, Contact: Mike Barnard, Phone: 925-837-7337. We’re also supposed to have lunch with some area librarians – that will be fun!

7 PM Copperfields
140 Kentucky St
Petaluma, CA 94952
Contact: Patty Norman
707-762-0563

TUESDAY’S EVENTS: SEATTLE

Morning and afternoon – school events hosted by Third Place Books and Secret Garden.

6:30 PM – 8 PM Seattle Public Library, Ballard Branch hosted by Secret Garden
5614 22nd Ave. NW
Seattle, WA 98107
Ellen FitzGerald, Librarian
206-386-4078
Location: Miriam Twitchell Alberg & Thomas A. Alberg Meeting Room

WEDNESDAY… Phoenix, AZ!

11 comments

March 22, 2009

LA Day 2 & strolling the streets of San Francisco

My morning Chinatown walk was great, thanks, and I got back in time to watch the end of the Syracuse/Arizona game. S.U. won and is in the Sweet Sixteen!

It’s tempting to post photo after photo of me standing in front of the groups I get to speak to this tour, but that would be dead boring for most of you, so I won’t.

But I can’t resist this one.

Lisa Yee came to the Vroman’s event and sweettalked me into putting on this wig in honor of her new book, Absolutely Maybe. Do you think pink is my color? Lisa posted more pics on her blog, as well as a great shot of Neal Shusterman (who also came out, with Christine; thanks guys!). Neal looks good in pink, don’t you think?

On a more serious note, a woman at the Vroman’s event gave me a memorial ribbon that she had from a funeral earlier in the week; a funeral for a 42-year-old woman who died from complications of anorexia. It was a tear-filled moment for both of us.

Mrs. Nelson’s Bookshop was filled with librarians, teachers, and a couple of pre-published writers. I also got to meet the latest Mr. Freeman, from SPEAK; a local teacher who is organizing the west coast premier stageplay adaptation of the book, and who is playing Mr. Freeman in the play. I am hoping I can make time to meet up with the cast when I am back in LA at the end of April.

A couple of quick shots from my morning stroll.

I paid homage to City Lights Bookstore (and picked up a volume of poetry by Nikki Giovanni.)

I had an excellent croissant and cappuccino in North Beach.

And best of all, I had Skype visits with my BH and the kids, and later with Queen Louise and her princes. Awesome start to the day!

TODAY’S EVENTS
3 PM Not Your Mother’s Book Club event hosted by Books Inc.
Bistro 9
1224 9th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94122
This is a ticketed event, ticket price includes book, gift bag, food & drinks. I’m not sure if there are still tickets available – contact Books Inc. Laurel Village or Books Inc. Burlingame
(415) 221-3666 or (650) 685-4911 for more info.

6:00 PM Kepler’s
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Contact: Lauren O’Niell
(650) 324-4321

MONDAY’S EVENTS

Morning & afternoon – School visits coordinated by Rakestraw, 409 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA 94526, Contact: Mike Barnard, Phone: 925-837-7337. We’re also supposed to have lunch with some area librarians – that will be fun!

7 PM Copperfields
140 Kentucky St
Petaluma, CA 94952
Contact: Patty Norman
707-762-0563

Tuesday… Seattle!

5 comments

March 22, 2009

Stay tuned

I have a couple of unforeseen free minutes and I am in San Francisco. Much as I love you guys, I really need a walk.

I’ll try to sneak a blog update in when I get back. Promise.

4 comments

March 21, 2009

Los Angeles, Day #1

The “Here and Now” NPR interview is up!! Have a listen and tell me what you think!

After a couple of radio interviews first thing in the morning, I set out on the great adventure. Had three wonderful school presentations, thanks to the coordination by Children’s Book World.

Because this is LA, we were able to grab a fast lunch at an all-organic salad bar type place. There were a few things on the menu I hadn’t seen before.

Like lychees and organic yogurt with chopped candied ginger.

Not to mention this.

In between exotic food and school visits, we dropped in on a couple of bookstores to sign stock, including the newest branch of Diesel in Brentwood.

Many thanks to all the people who came out to my afternoon event at the Santa Monica library, including buddy Sonya Sones. Before the event, I had a blast with the reporters from area high school newspapers at the press conference before my presentation.

Aren’t they awesome?

There was one last event in the evening and then much sleeping.

TODAY’S EVENTS

12:00 PM Vroman’s
695 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Contact: Jen Ramos
626-449-5320

4:00 PM Mrs. Nelson’s
1030 Bonita Ave.
La Verne, CA 91750
Contact: Andrea Vuleta
Phone:
909-599-4558

Tomorrow’s Events:

3 PM Not Your Mother’s Book Club event hosted by Books Inc.
Bistro 9
1224 9th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94122
This is a ticketed event, ticket price includes book, gift bag, food & drinks. I’m not sure if there are still tickets available – contact Books Inc. Laurel Village or Books Inc. Burlingame
(415) 221-3666 or (650) 685-4911 for more info.

6:00 PM Kepler’s
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Contact: Lauren O’Niell
(650) 324-4321

Monday…. Rakestraw in Danville, CA, and Copperfield’s in Walnut Creek, CA!!

8 comments

March 20, 2009

Tour 2009 & First Day of Spring

Good Equinox, good peoples, especially those of you shivering on Brooklyn where it is snowing!

Here is a picture of what our forest looked like just as I was leaving yesterday.

The daffodils are up!

Yesterday’s trip to LA was pretty smooth. The plane was over an hour late leaving Syracuse, so I had a fun sprint through the Detroit airport to make my connecting flight, but it all worked out in the end. My luggage even arrived on time! Did my March Madness brackets in the air. Felt pretty good when I saw that MD beat California.

(Of course, I prefer not to talk about all of the bad picks I made. There’s not much fun in that!)

I’ve already started to get some nice email from readers of WINTERGIRLS saying how much they enjoyed the book. Thanks to everyone who took the time to write!

Bookavore pointed out to me that everyone can follow my daily peregrinations on tour by watching my Twitter feed and hitting refresh every once in a while. You do not have to sign up for Twitter to watch what I write there.

Today’s Events
Early morning – a couple of radio interviews.

Late morning – a visit to the Archer School for Girls (not a public event).

Afternoon – a visit to Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica (not a public event).

Late afternoon – a press conference with high school students.

4:30 – 5:30pm Public Event at the Santa Monica Public Library (hosted by Children’s Book World)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium
601 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Contact: Erica Cuyugan, young adult librarian
310-458-8600

7 pm Public Event at Barnes & Noble
3rd St. Promenade, 1201 3rd St
Santa Monica, CA
Contact: John Schatzel
Phone: (310) 260-9110

Saturday’s Public Events: Come One, Come All!

12:00 PM Vroman’s
695 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Contact: Jen Ramos
626-449-5320

4:00 PM Mrs. Nelson’s
1030 Bonita Ave.
La Verne, CA 91750
Contact: Andrea Vuleta
Phone:
909-599-4558

6 comments

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