Category: LHA

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am not going into Philly for Live 8. But I’ll be watching all day.

And wondering.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m looking forward to the music. And I’m proud of Philly for being a host (even as I have my fingers crossed for a disaster-free day). But I have to wonder… how does this achieve the goal of raising awareness about the struggles of people in Africa?

Maybe I’m just being a curmudgeon because the coffee isn’t ready yet. Or I’m too old. Or I’m one of those irritating cynics who, at heart, are profoundly innocent, and who hate seeing the better nature of mankind squashed by ignorance and greed over and over again. Enough grumbling. I will try to be sunny and optimistic about this. In fact, I’ll drop in here throughout the day with my thoughts about the extravaganza.

Now where’s that coffee?

10:30am update: I’ve been using my frustration to pack books. And I keep checking Live 8 news. Local news reports that Michael Jackson will not be performing. Thank God.

11:30 am. This is the Live 8 blog I’m following. I used to work with this guy when I was a reporter.

Noon. Coffee has kicked in and I am trying not to be cranky and cynical. But I sure hope that they have voter registration booths set up. If you want to make a difference, register and vote. If you want to make a HUGE difference, get involved with the party of your choice at the grassroots level. If enough people did that, we could remake the political landscape in two years. (Opening with Sgt. Pepper is fun.)

1:46 pm – Will Smith for President!! Will Smith for World Emperor! That was the best performance, IMHO.
2:06pm – Here’s a radical idea – have MTV and VH1 donate their profits from all the incredibly annoying commercials. You could use that money to feed, clothe and educate people all over the world.
2:19pm – I vow to work out until my shoulders are are cut as Madonna’s. (That is one of those lines you never think you’re going to write.)
2:39pm – We just enjoyed 2 seconds of Dave Matthews. (I counted.) Thank you, MTV. Thank you very much. Because you gave me what I really wanted: another commercial for Bewitched.
2:44pm – we come back from commercial in time for three seconds at the end of a Dave Matthews song. Now he’s talking… now he’s playing. I love this guy. Off to listen. I hope.
2:50 pm – they almost let us hear the whole song. Sigh. I have to get ready for a graduation party.

Word came today that both SPEAK and FEVER 1793 were chosen for the 100 Best of the Best list compiled by YALSA. (Thank you, lovely librarians!) I haven’t been able to find an ala.org link to the entire list yet. If somebody knows the coordinates, let me know so I can post it and we can all enjoy it.

Scheduling utility shut-offs didn’t take as long as I feared. I used the extra time to write a poem. Now I have to pack the extra sheets and pots and pans.

I am NOT going downtown for Live 8 tomorrow. I am a weenie about sun and heat, and I’ve heard they are going to be stingy with public bathrooms. Are any of you guys going? If so, be sure to report back.

A thunderstorm is rolling in. The kitties living on the deck have taken cover under the folding chairs.

Here’s a writing prompt. Use this image to kick off a story or essay idea. If you want, link to your story in the comments, or insert your favorite couple of paragraphs in a comment.

Me? I have to contact all the utility companies in preparation for the Big Move. (Picture me throwing the phone against the wall in frustration.)

(If you are feeling like you have too much sugar in your system, do not read this post.)

Mer and I have been adopted. By cats. Two moms and six kittens, to be precise. They showed up on our back porch yesterday. The kittens are at the most adorable stage possible – still nursing, but playful. Three of them like to sleep in one of my flowerpots.

They like to watch us.

Paw-to-paw combat

This is the big guy, leader of the pack.

They are feral – we have a lot of them in our apartment complex. There is a swath of woods behind my building and a stream, so they don’t have any trouble finding food and water. And I am hugely allergic, so no matter how much they tug at my heartstrings, they have to stay outside.

I’ll be packing again this morning, then going out to lunch with a friend, and hanging out with Steph in the evening. Tomorrow is a writing day.

Spent yesterday stuck in paperwork hell. Rewarded myself this morning by getting a coffee at Starbucks. Got personal brownie points by making it to the post office before it opened. I was number four in line.

The interview at Recorded Books last week was lots of fun. The quality of the soundproof booth freaked me out. It felt like it should have been hard to breathe, but it wasn’t. The reader for PROM is Katherine Kellgren who, in addition to her audiobook work, is a stage actress in NYC. Thank you for the great questions, Katherine! I go back to NYC next Friday, this time to do some commentary for the DVD version of the SPEAK movie. I have more details about that, but I’m not supposed to talk about them yet. As soon as I can release the info, you’ll read it here.

One of the coolest things about writing for kids and teenagers is that readers sometimes show you their school projects that were based on your books. I’ve seen lots of trees (SPEAK), mosquitoes (FEVER 1793), and periodic tables (CATALYST). And now the fun is beginning with PROM!

Here are Brittany, Lauren, and Meghan from Penn Manor High School showing the PROM love with tee-shirts they made.

Many thanks to their English teacher, Holly, for sharing the photos with the grateful author.