Friday, March 21, 2008

paris and bologna...


I leave Sunday for a couple weeks to Europe. The whole trip is one long book and writers fest and I am really looking forward to meeting all the writers who have sent me their work for critique and the mentorship program. I'll get to see a lot of author friends--it's an odd thing, the writer tribe. We are tight, in a nomadic way.
Last week, at a literature conference at the University of Northern Illinois, I got to have a real conversation with David Wiesner for the first time, after loving his art and "wordless stories" for years. I got to see my friend literacy expert/librarian/author Michael Sullivan and watch him inspire a few hundred librarians and give them ways to en-literate more boys, Sylvia Barzei and her amazing science/grossology, the kind and peaceful Joseph Bruchac, whom I had never met, but whose work I admire, Mark Crilley, a very nice guy, who was spit-your-milk funny and Robert Burleigh whose presentation I missed half of , because I was freezing and had to leave to go fetch a sweater, then got stuck on the phone. I shivered much of the time. IL apparent has a season called winter?? I grew up in snow country, but southern California often skips cold weather altogether, it so I have become a weather wuss. . .

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Sacred Scars (with orchid)


So I am in a writing doldrums now--probably because I had such a great surge last week. It ebbs and flows. Sadima continues to amaze me, she is living through what no one should be able to live through, as least so far. 





Into this lull has come an idea for the next work. I had a notes file going and it is expanding faster than I expected. I love knowing what's next before each book is finished. It saves me panic, terror and poverty....



Sunday, March 02, 2008

I get paid for this?


Writing can be hard, tedious, frustrating, bang-your-head-on-your-keyboard elusive. But when it flies, it flies, and you get to fly with it. Sometimes it feels like I am eavesdropping on the people in the book and just transcribing their lives. *Those* are the days when I am amazed that this is my job.

Saturday, March 01, 2008

a childhood love...

No, not a person, an art form. Hand shadows. Richard just sent me this and it warmed up my whole day.

Raymond Crowe, ladies and gentlemen.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llI98n6rVJI

And now, back to work--doing critiques for the SCBWI Bologna and Paris events, then on to Sacred Scars.