ALA Schedule for this weekend

Today is June 38th. Time is still not moving as slow as I’d like!

Yes, somehow it is time for ALA again. My speeches are almost done, but I haven’t started thinking about what I’m going to wear. This might be the year I show up in my pajamas. You have been warned.

If you are headed to Chicago for ALA this weekend, and you are curious about my attire, or have a bet with a friend about my shoes, here is where and when you can find me.


Saturday, July 11th (aka June 41st)

10:30 am AASL President’s Program: Literacy Leadership and Librarian  (McCormick Place West, W-184)

Noon – 2pm – Margaret A Edwards Award Luncheon (Hyatt Regency – Ballroom)


2:30pm – 3:30pm
Penguin Autographing  (Booth #2120)


3:30pm – 4:30pm
   Simon & Schuster Reception and Scott O’Dell Award Presentation (Booth #3326)

7pm       Anderson’s Bookstore Author Appearance w/ Sarah Dessen (yep – BOTH of us!)

                        123 West Jefferson  Naperville IL 60540  Phone: 630-355-2665


Sunday, July 12th (aka June 42nd)

8:00am – 10:00am        Amelia Bloomer Breakfast (Chicago Hilton Hotel – Boulevard C Room 720 South Michigan Avenue)

11:00am – noon 
Simon & Schuster Autographing – booth #3326

Noon – 1pm        YALSA / BBYA Teen Pizza Party (McCormick Place West (convention center) – Room W 475)

evening – super-fancy dinner

Monday, July 13th (aka June 43rd)

10:00am – 10:30am       Interview with Roger Sutton – Junior Library Guild booth #2256

afternoon – meetings

evening – fancy dinner              

For those of you playing along with your scorecards at home, there are 3 official signing times, and I’ll be giving three speeches. I’m not sure if the speeches will have audience overlap, but I am trying very hard to make sure they are distinct.

Will you be in Chicago this weekend??

Not-so-random link of the day: My daughter Stef (aka Bookavore) is interviewed at Wired.com about bookstores and e-books.

WFMAD announcement and In the meantime….

I was planning on repeating last July’s Write 15 Minutes A Day Challenge (WFMAD), but between my mother’s death and some other complicated family business that needs to remain in the family, it’s not going to happen this month.

As a matter of fact, I am not ready for July at all.

Therefore, I declare today to be June 31st in the Forest. Tomorrow shall be June 32nd. Friday? Right, June 33rd. And there will be fireworks on June 34th.

If all goes, well, I’ll be ready to hold the Write 15 Minutes A Day Challenge the day after June 61st, also known as August 1st. Want to join in? Check out last year’s details and tell me what you think.

In the meantime, get yourself over the Penguin Books new video site, loaded with oodles of authors videos, including moi.