This is Day 2, no, Day 3, right? where is the coffee??
The trip down to New York started with a surprise: Amtrak was on time – AND – it stayed on schedule!
I set up a little office for myself in my seat and worked for six hours in utter peace. If I were rich, I might just ride the train all over the country and write.
Dinner Thursday was with a group of teachers from Florida, including Professor Joan Kaywell whose book Dear Author: Letters of Hope continues to get rave reviews. I got to meet this wonderful family at dinner: from the left, (grandma) Barbara, (daughter) Bree, and (mom) Tamara who is the Florida English Teacher of the Year.
It’s nice to see an actual teenager at these things.
Robert Lipsyte and Neal Shusterman were also at dinner.
Yesterday started with a great walk down 9th Avenue to the Javits Center for the panel on YA fiction and Sexuality, chaired by She Who Knows Most Everything, Teri Lesesne, aka
We spoke to a huge crowd.
It was standing room only. We could have talked all morning. Thank you everyone for the great questions and for sharing your stories about using our books in the classroom.
Highlight of the day for me was finally meeting Rita Williams-Garcia!!
When I wasn’t signing books, I was stalking other authors, like Scott Westerfeld.
And Avi.
I have more to tell, but it’s time to head back to the convention. More later!
Way cool stuff! Thanks for keeping those of us at home posted!!
Cool!!!
Great photos! Thanks for sharing these – and I’m so sorry I couldn’t make your panel discussion. I was in NY for NYSEC, right before NCTE but had to head home yesterday. It sounds like it was fantastic – Congratulations!
You know what I’m doing right now? Squinting at the S&S table behind Scott Westerfeld in hopes of seeing my book on display. I need to be stopped…
Your Blog
Great to finally meet you. Although I would have dressed up for my close-up.
Bob Lipsyte
ps. Bree looks kinda like Megan McCaffrey when she was younger (from her Retro-Blog!)
Great pictures!
P.S. If you’re ever rich, they have this amazing thing called First Class on airplanes. They’ll give you a drink before everyone else even finds a seat! Which actually, kinda makes you feel like a jerk. Maybe the train is best.
Wow! i’m in one of those pictures! i wish i had seen you waving so i could have waved back! instead, i’m just smiling, which is a good reflection of my excitement for the panel!
NCTE
You were fantastic on the panel. I felt privileged to be in a room with such a talented and passionate group of writers. If I’d had the guts I would have come up and told you how much I love/have learned from your books. Oh well. Telling you electronically will have to suffice.
— A Fan
It was so great meeting you! I’m only sorry we didn’t have more time to chat.
Oh, and I envy your knitting skills!
Yeah, trains are just wonderful. So civilized. Like the transportation version of a fire in the fireplace. We keep talking about taking a sleeper car out to Chicago on our way to Minnesota to visit my mother-in-law, some day.
Should that happen– you become wealthy, or least better off– go spend a weekend at Mohonk. It evokes the same feeling as trains.
I’m in a photo also, looking blissfully happy(having just listened to that great panel). But better than seeing me, was seeing You and, like the groupie that I am, I stood in line for 1/2 an hour (missing a great seminar I’m sure)just to SPEAK to you and get my books signed. My students were so excited!
Thank you for all that you do! We love you in the Bronx!