Oh. My. Dog. I’m tired. Bone tired. Here’s a recap of BEA from me for today:
- Eff blowing out the hair this morning. We’re all book nerds, nobody’s going to care about my hair.
- Yesterday’s comfortable shoes weren’t so comfortable. Suede converses today. Yo.
Sat at the Pannell Award table with my Women’s National Book Association cronies and one of the recipients of the award from The Book Beat in Oak Park, Michigan. They are some cool, book hippies. xoxo- I was served delicious fruit with my weak coffee again. Yay fruit.
- Chris Colfer: how cute are you?! Chris shared drawings with us that he made when he was 10 years old, about his book that Little, Brown just published, The Land of Stories. Chris was humble, quick witted and just delightful as an emcee, and he had a very impressive pompadour-ish ‘do.
- John Green: yes, I know we’re both married, but pleeze?! I just love this guy. He kept saying something like, “I know I’m good at the internet, but…” and the bottom line of his talk was that the world of books is safe because we do what we do great, and we don’t need to worry about enhancing e-books or making apps we can just keep making books, because “Story trumps everything.” I repeat: I will marry you, John.
- Lois Lowry: besides happily jumping up to participate in your standing ovation, you are just absolutely inspiring, Lois. Lois told us that the true reason for originally writing her novel, The Giver, after having written 17 novels that were very different from it, was just because she was wondering about something. Her advice to writers was counter to what most people offer. She said, “Write what you don’t know; what makes you uneasy; what keeps you up at night; what you wonder about.” Her newest book, Son, is the fourth and last book in the quartet.
I thought to myself, how can anyone speak after Lois Lowry?! But Kadir Nelson did a fine job, let me tell you. Kadir has illustrated Martin Luther King’s I have a Dream speech, and his paintings are just gorgeous. You can tell when someone has a good heart by the art they make. Kadir is one of those people.- Click here to watch live streaming of BEA events: http://cdn.livestream.com/events/bea/channelthin.html
After the breakfast I met up with the film and television agent who works with The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency and we walked around the floor of Javits. That was totally cool. She knew people, I knew people, we introduced each other around, and in cahoots we had more bravery to just go up to people we didn’t know and “network” (i.e. be friendly and interesting enough that they wanted to do the business card shuffle with us).
Then I went to the Middle Grade Editors Book Buzz and that was totally awesome! Although the alphas were snapping and biting at the ARC feeding frenzy after the panel, I did manage to get a couple of the books. And again, I introduced myself to one of the editors afterwards (one I totally want to pitch to!), and she offered me her ARC. Publishing people really are nice folk, I tell ya. I’m going to have to figure out how to read this in my (nonexistent) spare time because it looks great! I shuffled cards with another two editors, who both seemed pretty cool. And they were guys! You don’t know how rare that is. Sometimes it feels like all of publishing is women.
I missed the Neil Young/Patti Davis interview. I really wanted to go, but it just wasn’t what I was there for. Perhaps I’ll regret it. Oh well.
I was with fellow agency-mate Marie Lamba, who also happens to be a YA author, and prior to today she was a BEA virgin! I felt somehow honored to be part of popping that particular publishing cherry with her. She kept saying things like, “I’m with this troublemaker over here, Linda Epstein.” Now why do you suppose she would say that? *I guilelessly ask as I look innocently around.* Marie and I went back out on the convention floor and were charming and interesting and friendly and we got/gave more business cards.
And then my friend texted me. Not just any friend. A really good friend, who I have known for 25+ years, who’s an art director and an artist and just one of the best people on the planet, in my humble opinion. (Love ya, Robin!) So we got together and then waited for 10 years to get a salad, and we all ate lunch, and then. I. Faded.
I had to go home. I was just DONE. I left an hour before I had intended, lugging three tote bags of books. Uphill to Penn Station. Now I’m writing this inelegant recap for all of you wonderful blog followers. Dad, if I’ve made spelling and/or grammar mistakes, tough noogies. I just don’t care.
So what did you all do today? Did any of you get to see Chris Colfer? Hunh? Hunh?
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