Author Simone Elkeles with MSLA board members Ann Perham, Gerri Fegan and Sandy Kelly.I have been stargazing. From the receptions to the sessions to the vendor hall, the conference has authors galore; it's a chance to speak with an old favorite, or to discover a new gem. I confess that I have been dazzled by all of the authors....
I grew up with Judy Blume, so finding out that she is days away from her 70th birthday was a bit of a shock. Her speech was emotional and personal, revealing a dysfunctional childhood and her revelation that her writing saved her. Another entertainer that I grew up with is Julie Andrews who revealed that she has been writing for 35 years and has launched a book company with her daughter. For both the Blume and Andrews sessions, there was not an available seat and the audiences were captivated by these amazing women.
At a reception, we spotted Walter Dean Myers and we managed to "casually" join his conversation. I was wondering how to open the conversation, when he turned to me and said, "What should I write about for my next book?" Wow.....I shared with him that my students had dealt with a series of suicides and suggested that he might write about that. Kathy suggested that "snitching" would be a good theme.
At another reception for Michael Prinz winners, I spotted John Green immediately and made a beeline for his corner. He was surrounded by very young and attractive librarians but I managed to enter the conversation and informed him that my son Ross had read his An Abundance of Katherines when it came out in galley and that Ross had loved his book before the committee even nominated him for the award.
A special treat was the Bookcart Drill Cart Team competition, emceed by none other than Stinky Cheese Man Jon Scieszka and Don't Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus Mo Willem!A workshop on Young Adult authors featured Laurie Halse Anderson and her new book, Twisted. Cecily von Ziegesar and Alyson Noel shared how they got into writing. Sherman Alexie, author of Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian spoke passionately from the heart about his biographical novel and asserted that a movie deal has to include a Native American actor. I attended a workshop on the Alex Awards and got some great tips on titles to add to my high school library. Author Ron Rash read passionately from The World Made Straight.
Imagine "bumping into" Joyce Carol Oates or Paula Poundstone in the vendor hall....Yes, I confess that I gawked.Something that resonated strongly in my mind after all these sessions and meetings was, "There is no age group more important than the YA Reading Group." It will take a while to digest all the authors I have met and even longer to sift through all the galley copies that I have picked up. I am looking forward to doing some beach reading!
