Appleton, Day 2

Life continues swimmingly here in Appleton, Wisconsin. More hanging out with great kids and librarians (and very cool principals which is always a welcome surprise). More conversations about books and life and teens and culture and what is important. I took the Best Nap of the Century during my break and woke up feeling ready to take on the world.

Here are some things that amuse/intrigue me about this part of the country:
Human-scale living: most of the buildings downtown are only two or three stories tall. People smile at each other. Are these facts connected?
Great town names; stuff you say over and over again like incantations: Oshkosh, Neenah, Kaukauna, Menasha.
Extremely good hot wings served in the restaurant at my hotel.
Harry Houdini grew up here. (I have a bizarre fascination with him. Someone remind me to riff on that in a couple weeks.)
So did Edna Ferber.
They make paper here. Not so good for rivers. Very good for authors and readers.
The slightly Scandinavian accent around “o” vowels as pronounced by people who have lived here their whole lives.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com Favorite image du jour. This is the popcorn machine that magically appears in the Madison Middle School staff room every Wednesday (Hump Day) to give teachers the extra boost they need to get through the rest of the week. I want a machine like this to magically appear at my apartment every Wednesday!!! It made Very Good popcorn. (Yes, I whined until they gave me some.)

Image hosted by TinyPic.com Here are the some of the folks who came out to the Appleton Public Library tonight. Thanks!

Thursday morning at 9:15 I’ll be speaking at the Neenah Public Library. The rest of the day I’ll be at Appleton West High School. Tomorrow night from 7-8:45 pm I’ll be back at the Neenah Public Library. Friday I head to New London (not too far from here) and on Friday night – if the weather cooperates – I head back to PA.

30 Replies to “Appleton, Day 2”

  1. Congrats on the Nap! Sounds like you had fun! Thats such a good idea about the magical popcorn machine, and glad you got some… although begging should not have been necessary. ^_^
    My friend Jennifer live out in Wisconsin… Hertal, WI… I don’t know how close that is but se says she excited just knowing your in the state.

  2. Congrats on the Nap! Sounds like you had fun! Thats such a good idea about the magical popcorn machine, and glad you got some… although begging should not have been necessary. ^_^
    My friend Jennifer live out in Wisconsin… Hertal, WI… I don’t know how close that is but se says she excited just knowing your in the state.

  3. Congrats on the Nap! Sounds like you had fun! Thats such a good idea about the magical popcorn machine, and glad you got some… although begging should not have been necessary. ^_^
    My friend Jennifer live out in Wisconsin… Hertal, WI… I don’t know how close that is but se says she excited just knowing your in the state.

  4. glad to see you have a livejournal! i went and saw you tonight at the appleton public library…i was the last one in line. i’m glad you got a feel for appleton. i’ve lived here my entire life and have really grown to love its REAL sense of community. the last five years i think it’s been ranked 1st or 2nd in the country for the safest city of its size!

    i forgot to ask, i was curious if you had read “Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood” by Koren Zailckas. I read it right after Speak,…its a true story of a girl who was drunk a good portion of her life (at syracuse university!) and what she learned about herself and alcohol abuse. for being only 23 i think she is quite an insightful and talented writer.

    Smashed deals with self esteem issues with women, alcohol and sex in american culture, the way men treat women (rape, sexual assault), the fraternity system…among other things. i think it ties in with your book because it touches on those topics that we aren’t necessarily comfortable talking about…

  5. glad to see you have a livejournal! i went and saw you tonight at the appleton public library…i was the last one in line. i’m glad you got a feel for appleton. i’ve lived here my entire life and have really grown to love its REAL sense of community. the last five years i think it’s been ranked 1st or 2nd in the country for the safest city of its size!

    i forgot to ask, i was curious if you had read “Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood” by Koren Zailckas. I read it right after Speak,…its a true story of a girl who was drunk a good portion of her life (at syracuse university!) and what she learned about herself and alcohol abuse. for being only 23 i think she is quite an insightful and talented writer.

    Smashed deals with self esteem issues with women, alcohol and sex in american culture, the way men treat women (rape, sexual assault), the fraternity system…among other things. i think it ties in with your book because it touches on those topics that we aren’t necessarily comfortable talking about…

  6. glad to see you have a livejournal! i went and saw you tonight at the appleton public library…i was the last one in line. i’m glad you got a feel for appleton. i’ve lived here my entire life and have really grown to love its REAL sense of community. the last five years i think it’s been ranked 1st or 2nd in the country for the safest city of its size!

    i forgot to ask, i was curious if you had read “Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood” by Koren Zailckas. I read it right after Speak,…its a true story of a girl who was drunk a good portion of her life (at syracuse university!) and what she learned about herself and alcohol abuse. for being only 23 i think she is quite an insightful and talented writer.

    Smashed deals with self esteem issues with women, alcohol and sex in american culture, the way men treat women (rape, sexual assault), the fraternity system…among other things. i think it ties in with your book because it touches on those topics that we aren’t necessarily comfortable talking about…

  7. the weather better cooperate. it’s beautiful here. oh, and I’m going to prom with my favorite person now. I’ll fill you in tonight. Call me after 8.

  8. the weather better cooperate. it’s beautiful here. oh, and I’m going to prom with my favorite person now. I’ll fill you in tonight. Call me after 8.

  9. the weather better cooperate. it’s beautiful here. oh, and I’m going to prom with my favorite person now. I’ll fill you in tonight. Call me after 8.

  10. It was a pleasure meeting you. I’ve read about SMASHED – didn’t realize she went to SU. I’ll find a copy this summer to read. Thanks for the recommendation!

  11. It was a pleasure meeting you. I’ve read about SMASHED – didn’t realize she went to SU. I’ll find a copy this summer to read. Thanks for the recommendation!

  12. It was a pleasure meeting you. I’ve read about SMASHED – didn’t realize she went to SU. I’ll find a copy this summer to read. Thanks for the recommendation!

  13. Just finished Fever

    Hello Mrs. Halse Anderson, or may I say Laura? I just finished Fever and loved it for many reasons. Not since reading Holes have I experienced the “can’t put it down” feeling with a young adult novel. I teach English 7 at Rappahannock County Elementary School and last year we bought a great be bunch of new young adult novels. One of my students, who normally doesn’t like to read that much told me he thought Fever was a great book. I noticed him burning through it during our reading time, so I checked it out. Well, it fired my imagination, which was already stoked by our recent 4 day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. That trip helped me visualize the Cook’s coffee shop and many of the details you describe so well in the novel – like the characters clothing, speech patterns and the look of a thriving community. Thanks for a great book! I have been telling all my students to check it out as soon as they finish what they are on now. I am using our Willimasburg trip as a kind of springboard into Fever. Cool website too.

    Gerhard

  14. Just finished Fever

    Hello Mrs. Halse Anderson, or may I say Laura? I just finished Fever and loved it for many reasons. Not since reading Holes have I experienced the “can’t put it down” feeling with a young adult novel. I teach English 7 at Rappahannock County Elementary School and last year we bought a great be bunch of new young adult novels. One of my students, who normally doesn’t like to read that much told me he thought Fever was a great book. I noticed him burning through it during our reading time, so I checked it out. Well, it fired my imagination, which was already stoked by our recent 4 day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. That trip helped me visualize the Cook’s coffee shop and many of the details you describe so well in the novel – like the characters clothing, speech patterns and the look of a thriving community. Thanks for a great book! I have been telling all my students to check it out as soon as they finish what they are on now. I am using our Willimasburg trip as a kind of springboard into Fever. Cool website too.

    Gerhard

  15. Just finished Fever

    Hello Mrs. Halse Anderson, or may I say Laura? I just finished Fever and loved it for many reasons. Not since reading Holes have I experienced the “can’t put it down” feeling with a young adult novel. I teach English 7 at Rappahannock County Elementary School and last year we bought a great be bunch of new young adult novels. One of my students, who normally doesn’t like to read that much told me he thought Fever was a great book. I noticed him burning through it during our reading time, so I checked it out. Well, it fired my imagination, which was already stoked by our recent 4 day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. That trip helped me visualize the Cook’s coffee shop and many of the details you describe so well in the novel – like the characters clothing, speech patterns and the look of a thriving community. Thanks for a great book! I have been telling all my students to check it out as soon as they finish what they are on now. I am using our Willimasburg trip as a kind of springboard into Fever. Cool website too.

    Gerhard

  16. appleton west student

    i have to attmit , you are one funny lady mrs anderson… i hope you enjoy the rest of wisconsin… ever think about getting a xanga or other online journal type thingy-mer-bobber
    danielle .. AW student

  17. appleton west student

    i have to attmit , you are one funny lady mrs anderson… i hope you enjoy the rest of wisconsin… ever think about getting a xanga or other online journal type thingy-mer-bobber
    danielle .. AW student

  18. appleton west student

    i have to attmit , you are one funny lady mrs anderson… i hope you enjoy the rest of wisconsin… ever think about getting a xanga or other online journal type thingy-mer-bobber
    danielle .. AW student

  19. I realize you’re going to riff on the Harry Houdini thing at another time, but just wondering if you’ve ever been to the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA?

    I believe it’s the only one in the country. It used to be really fun for birthday parties when I was little.

  20. I realize you’re going to riff on the Harry Houdini thing at another time, but just wondering if you’ve ever been to the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA?

    I believe it’s the only one in the country. It used to be really fun for birthday parties when I was little.

  21. I realize you’re going to riff on the Harry Houdini thing at another time, but just wondering if you’ve ever been to the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA?

    I believe it’s the only one in the country. It used to be really fun for birthday parties when I was little.

  22. 1. Your message to students is fabulous. Thank you!
    2. I want a popcorn machine to pop up!

  23. 1. Your message to students is fabulous. Thank you!
    2. I want a popcorn machine to pop up!

  24. 1. Your message to students is fabulous. Thank you!
    2. I want a popcorn machine to pop up!

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