I am writing this in the Springfield, IL airport, which is wrapped in fog so thick the planes can’t land or take off.
Yesterday was a crazy busy wonderful day at one of the best state reading/English teacher conferences I have ever been privileged to attend. Thank you to everyone in IL who greeted me to kindly and made a long day a lot of fun. I gave the lunch speech, a workshop on revision, and a workshop in which I divulged the “stories behind the stories”of my novels. And met a lot of very enthusiastic teachers at three book signing sessions. AND, last night, I read a chapter of CHAINS for the first time in public, which went over very well.
I ran into a couple of old and new friends, but didn’t have much time to chat.
Lisa Yee and her traveling Peep.
Richard Peck and I chatted while waiting for our suitcases and in line for coffee.
I just gawked at Brian Selznik
This teacher was so, so, so sweet because she looked through DAMES and made all the right cooing noises and exclamations. And I am a heel for forgetting her name, but I will always remember how happy she made me.
I met Liz last year when I was in St. Louis on book tour; we got to hang out a bit and talk about historical fiction.
OK, fog is lifting, plane is boarding. Thank you, Fine Teachers of the Land of Lincoln! I salute you!