Category: LHA

Started in Battle Creek, drove to Ann Arbor, then drove to Kalamazoo, You can look it up if you want. They have great radio stations here. It almost made up for my rental car that REEKED of cigarette smoke. Ack. Puke.

Note to Hertz: We have smoke-free planes, hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, dorms, airports, casinos, shopping malls and grocery stores. It is past time to offer smoke free rental cars.

When I arrived at Kalamazoo, I was picked up by one of the best YA librarians in the country, Kevin King. He took me to dinner at the Spicer Residence, home of Ed, Anne, Antoine, Penni, Max, and dog Betsy. They gave me my first home-cooked meal in a very long time and filled my heart with joy. The food was excellent and the company even better. A deep bow of gratitude in the direction of chez Spicer.

If I can keep my stupid cell phone connected for more than 10 seconds at a time *grumble* I will finish talking to my Beloved Husband right now, then crash. Busy day tomorrow speaking at Kalamazoo Central High School and Loy Norrix High School. Tomorrow night, Terry Trueman and I will be speaking together at the gorgeous Kalamazoo Public Library, from 6:30-8:30pm. Come one, come all!!

Shame on you, Tony Tiger. Shame.

I consumed cubic tons of sugared, artificially-colored cereal as a kid. I gobbled bowl after bowl while staring at Saturday morning cartoons, a slave to the commercials, a cult follower of Fat Albert, The Archies, and Batman. I slurped my milk in the bottom of the bowl when it was petunia pink, bile green, and that blue that always tasted like freshly-washed sidewalk.

And you wouldn’t let me in.

My hotel in Battle Creek is one block away from Cereal City, USA. I planned to use my break today to discover the fruit of my childhood food, to stroll the simulated Cereal Production Line, to squeeze Kellogg’s themed merchandise. I walked there all a-quiver, my body ready for a sugar cereal buzz. I was feeling grrrrreat.

Your doors were locked. Only open on the weekends in March. The cruelest month.

So close, yet so far.

I’m disappointed, Tony. And you wonder why I defected to oatmeal.

In other news, the kids at the middle school were fun, and we had a nice crowd at the library tonight. Tomorrow I have to rent a car and drive a bunch of places (no public appearances), winding up in Kalamazoo for what should be a raucous evening with some librarians and teachers in Kalamazoo.

Welcome to Cereal City. For real. At one time, this town had 50 cereal companies. Now it’s down to Post, Kellogg’s, and Ralston Purina. I wonder if going on a low-carb diet is illegal here?

I’ll be at schools in the area to talk about Fever 1793. I have a public presentation at the Willard Library here at 7pm.

Had about 70 people turn out last night at the Ann Arbor Library. That was a pleasant shock. (Thank you, Erin!) Before my presentation I was able to sneak in a couple hours of work on the Picture Book Manuscript That Won’t Go Away.

I decided that if it turns out that I didn’t pass high school and I have to go back and finish up my degree, I am moving to Ann Arbor so I can go to Community High School. I cannot say enough good things about that place. Incredible. If all schools were like that…

Forgot to mention the lovely lunch of legumes I enjoying with lively literary librarian ladies.

I desperately need coffee

and sleep

and punctuation

I’m writing this in the Ann Arbor Library which has wireless Internet. Someday the whole world will have it. Boggles the mind.

Spoke this morning at Community and Huron high schools here – great kids, lots of energy. My BH had to fly home today. *weeping*. We had a blast watching the NCAA tournament selection and eating too many chicken wings. I miss him wicked.

Second audience at Community HS.

I loved everybody’s LJ comments about the marching bands in hotels yesterday.

Lauren writes: Firstly, I would like to say how much I adore your writing. Speak is on my all-time favorite books list. I also loved Catalyst and I just bought Prom today. Anyway, I know you are from the Philadelphia area, and I read the “Special Thanks To…” thing in the back of Prom. The part where you said who you listened to while writing it, and one of them was Y100. I don’t know if you already know this or not, but sadly on February 24th, Y100 was taken off the air. (Full story & a lot of other awesome stuff is at www.y100rocks.com) Please, if you can contribute anything to the Save Y100 Cause, please help. Anything you can do is greatly appreciated.

Yes, I wailed and gnashed my teeth when the radio station was so cruelly snatched off the air (see archived Feb. posts). Thanks for giving me another chance to plug the effort again. Thank also, to Erin who wrote in to say she liked PROM, especially the epilogue.

Schedule notes:
Tonight I’m speaking here in the Ann Arbor Library, 7pm.
Tomorrow I’m speaking at schools. I’ll be presenting at the Battle Creek Library at 7pm.

Random photo from Los Angeles airport. Reminds me that I want to learn more languages.