Thank you, good citizens of San Antonio, for providing wifi in your airport! I’m sitting at Gate 13, waiting for the plane that will take me to Atlanta, where I will get the plane to take me HOME.
I’m not feeling terribly energetic or articulate right now, but I am so very, very grateful for everything the past month has brought: the people I met on book tour, the opportunity to go on book tour, the incredible teachers and librarians of NCTE/ALAN…. pretty much everything. I’m a gooey puddle of gratitude, spiked with caffeine and apples.
(Does that make any sense?)
I have plenty of pics to share.
A common sight all conference. I think these teachers are from Kansas.
This is the first conference where we passed out galleys of my new YA novel, WINTERGIRLS. The smart lady on the right is Joy Peskin, the editor of WINTERGIRLS. You can kind of see the cover of the book behind me. WINTERGIRLS will be published in March and I promise I will blog about it soon. Like when my brain re-engages.
In the mood for more pictures?
Kathi Appelt, John Green, me, and M.T. Anderson
Sharon Creech gave a terrific keynote speech – I was honored when she teased me about hating Certain Boring Classics.
Ellen Hopkins was there along with editor Emma Dryden.
So were David Lubar and Walter Mayes.
From the right: Tanya Lee Stone, Nancy Werlin, David Leviathan, and my eyes are too tired to figure out the rest.
Joan Bauer was signing PEELED.
Nancy Werlin (please go and read her book IMPOSSIBLE right now, OK?), Greg Smith and the incomparable Cynthia Leitich Smith.
My dear friend, Sue Campbell Bartoletti, just back from Bangladesh.
My buddy Sonya Sones, her husband Bennett Trammett (sorry, Bennett if I spelled your name wrong) and their kids, Ava and Jeremy.
Darn, we’re boarding the plane. I’ll leave you with this photo of an awesome dessert (from the Penguin dinner) and promise more later.
So glad you posted a picture of Greg. I was trying to describe his new look to Joelle, and this way is so much easier.
It was a joy to see you.
My colleague came home from NCTE and called me to say she met you! She knew I would care. 🙂
wow! looks like you had a blast!
Chains
Laurie,
I love your books but I must say that Chains has the potential to replace Speak as being my favorite book you’ve written. I absolutely fell in love with Isabel and this story. I thought I knew a lot about American History. Wrong. Your book really opened my eyes to the plight of the slaves during this time period and how they played such a big part in the war. I was so excited to see at the end of the book that you are planning a sequel….yippee!! “jumps up and down with sheer happiness.” Thank you, thank you, thank you, for writing such an amazing story!
Sincerely,
Staci Taylor
http://www.lifeinthethumb.blogspot.com
**tried posting OpenID couldn’t figure it out!!
It was really nice to meet you at author prom… I mean, NCTE. 🙂 Also, I read WINTERGIRLS on the way home and wanted to tell you that it’s beyond brilliant.
Even though it was delicious both times I had it, that desert platter still looks like a brownie flanked by a lump of meatloaf with gravy and an inverted espresso-creme shot.
omg you have ANOTHER BOOK coming out so soon? You are wonder woman. Are you going to kindle words this coming January? I hope so. I was only very briefly at NCTE and would love to see you in a less chaotic setting soon!
Wow. Looks so fun.
I for one, can’t wait for your new book.
looks like you had a good time! that’s neat that you saw sue campbell-bartoletti and sharon creech-their books are great! the dessedrt looks delicious too! happy thanksgiving and can’t wait to see you soon!
It was so great to see you, Laurie!
How on earth did I miss Kathi Appelt?! Maybe she was only at NCTE and I was only at ALAN.
Oh well, I guess I’ll catch her another time.
Great pics, thanks for sharing!
~Julie Prince
Finished Wintergirls
Laurie: I talked to you at dinner where you snapped that pic of our dessert, thought the panacotta was the best. Anyhow, finished Wintergirls over Thanksgiving…OH MY GOD! That last scene in the motel, the parallelism w/ what happened to Cassie, the guilt, the slow withdrawal from life and pain…it was more than I could take but I couldn’t stop reading.
You made me cry with hope!
Love ya!
Maribel Castro (aka~Serial Reader)