SAN DIEGO, SO FAR

Here we are at YELLOW BOOK ROAD signing books:

Here's the books I brought home: (other authors, do you have this affliction, too? Every signing I go to, I end up buying a slew of books!)

Another pic at the signing, this one with owner-extraordinaire Ann Weiner:

If you're looking for me and Jame at the hotel, go to the 12th floor and look for this Sweet & Low packet. (We are VERY sweet & low, let me tell you.)

Okay, have you ever seen a conference goodie bag with real, ACTUAL books??! Here's what each of the 300 attendees get to take home:

...and not just books. SWAG. Lots.

The best part so far: reconnecting with Jame Richards and Janet Fox. Love those gals!

FIVE FOR FRIDAY

1. I'm in San Diego!

Reading/signing/fun this afternoon with the lovely Jame Richards & Janet S. Fox at The Yellow Book Road, 4:30 pm.

2. Tomorrow we'll be presenting "How to Put the Y in YA Historical Fiction" at 2011 Historical Novel Society conference. For updates,etc., follow #hns11 on Twitter.

3. I have written 8 - that's right: EIGHT!!! - poems since last weekends Poetry Retreat. (Was I in a rut, or was I in a rut?! Holy moly, so very wonderful when the words fly. Or DIVE, as the case may be....)

4. I'm reading Gary Schmidt's LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMISTER BOY. If I'd read this one first, I would have known just what to expect with OKAY FOR NOW. I've already dog-eared a bunch of pages to revisit.

5. After San Diego, no appearances for me for a while. We are homeschooling youngest son, so I will be keeping it close to home for the next calendar year. I'm excited about this new chapter. (Aren't new chapters awesome?)

Happy Friday, all! Don't forget Poetry Friday Roundup with Jone at Check it Out.

IT'S A POETRY DRESS!

Leave it to poets to come up with such a fabulous way to display poetry by women! The brain-child of Danielle Jones-Pruett, the dress included seventy one poems from Boston, Connecticut, Maine, Texas and Alabama. (My contribution was on the theme: "Black Dress." An early version of this poem found here. Edited version found in my latest book, THE COLOR OF LOST ROOMS, found here.) The dress was displayed at the Massachusetts Poetry Festival in Salem, MA, last month.

Next year perhaps even more poems and a floor-length dress?? YES!

Big thanks to Danielle and all the other poets who contributed both in-kind and in-words. You are an inspiration!

I WROTE THREE POEMS TODAY.

And guess what? They are for CHILDREN.

Why has this never occurred to me before?!

I think maybe I just needed the mix of Robyn Hood Black, the north Georgia countryside and Rebecca Kai Dotlich.

Awesome retreat. Thanks to all the wonderful organizers and attendees and gracious Rebecca. I'll be back with some tips and lessons learned, but wanted to get these pics to you straightaway:

-me and Rebecca-

-the whole posse of poets-

-not visibly writing, but yes, writing-

WHAT IS YOUR SOUND?

This week I've been reading LUCKY FISH (poems) by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

In a poem entitled "The Ghost-Fish Postcards," there are some very inviting lines:

“The whole planet howls – a conch blown on the beach, a pair of monkeys grate papaya rind into each other’s hungry mouths, a simple bee in a jeweled tulip. What is your sound & when & where should I listen?”

(emphasis mine)

So I've been thinking about sounds. And listening.

The first thought that popped into my head in response to the query was, "my sound is Ben Sollee on the cello."



I'll be listening to Ben as I drive today to the Poetry Retreat with Rebecca Kai Dotlich. I'm excited! And I will be back Monday to tell you about it.

Meanwhile, tell me: What is your sound? And don't forget to visit Anastasia for Poetry Friday Roundup.

NOTHING LIKE A QUILT SHOW TO STIR THE CREATIVE JUICES

Even though I totally failed to meet my goal of displaying one of my own quilts in our guild's show, it didn't stop me from admiring the amazing creations others brought.

This one might be my favorite:

This one made me think of my friend Pat, who loves horses:

I kept coming back to this one:

I'm always interested when words find their way onto quilts. And this one was titled "The Secrets of Life." Love!

This one made me miss my Grandma:

This one has buttons!

This one got my vote for The One that Made me Laugh Out Loud (seriously, there was a space on the ballot for quilt-induced laughter!)

This one is hypnotic, don't you think? In both color and form. Wow.

This one made me think of all the Housetop quilts made by Gee's Bend quilters. Great color scheme, too.

And what have I been doing since the show?

Yep. Piecing the next quilt. And promising myself that I WILL display a quilt next show (2013). Yes. I will.

THE NO GOOD HORRIBLE VERY BAD VACATION

Well, it wasn't all bad.

What it was, was HOT. And miserable. And crowded.

While the fife and drum processional to honor the dead on Memorial Day was quite moving, the rest of Historic Williamsburg has taken on a Disney-esque, what-can-we-sell-them-and-for-how-much aura. Nearly every building we walked into had a cash register. Grr.

And DC. Holy madness. The Metro. The lines. The sold-out tickets. The missed highway exits. The traffic. The blistering HEAT....

You get the idea.

There were a couple of highlights:

The Natural Bridge in Virginia. There were two weddings going on while we were there. And I can see why. What an inspiring place to start a new life.

Shirley Plantation, the oldest plantation in Virginia, located right on the James River. I would not have known about this if not for Pat Weaver, who so graciously passed along her travel tips.

And the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax. I was so ho-hum about this stop and really only made it a priority for youngest son's obsession with guns. And you know what, it was really amazing. Who knew guns could be displayed so creatively? Basically the museum takes you on a trek through a history of America, using firearms. It was SO well done. I was riveted. And the museum is FREE. And parking is FREE too. Nice.

ICE COLD SUNSHINE

Warning: this post will make you thirsty!

Turns out, readers really respond to the scene in LEAVING GEE'S BEND where Mrs. Cobb gives Ludelphia her very first Coke. And it shows up in the sweet notes and cards I receive. Aren't these great?

One of the stories I like to tell kids during my school visits is how I had to research Coke for the book: I had to pretend to be Ludelphia and drink Coke from a bottle, as if I had seen it advertised as it was in 1932 -- Ice Cold Sunshine -- and as it was my very first one.

Fun!

2011 QUILT A MONTH CHALLENGE UPDATE

JANUARY (for James, who is 6 and loves Lightning McQueen)

FEBRUARY (for me, who loves the Quilts of Gee's Bend and was excited to try this kit put out by Windham in cooperation with the Gee's Bend Foundation)

MARCH (for Julie, who will be turning 5 loves pink and purple)

APRIL (for Phyllis, just because the fabric with all its happy yellows made me think of her)

MAY (for Vonda, although she hasn't seen it yet, and if you knew her, you'd know why I had to use a whole bunch of fabrics!)

JUNE (coming soon... for my sister Lynn and niece Anna, in shades of purple)

and I must give a shout-out to Pat Weaver who sends me fabric packages on just about a weekly basis -- she scavenges yard sales and always ALWAYS shares. Love you, lady!

ME AND SARAH DESSEN

Confession: I have never read any of Sarah Dessen's books.

This is probably a character flaw, but my thinking is this: once an author hits the NYT list, they don't need me anymore. I prefer to champion those invisible authors, the not-yet-discovered, perhaps NEVER to be discovered. THOSE are the authors I feel most connected to, those are the stories I like to talk about.

You're probably thinking, well, that's crazy!

I won't argue. It MIGHT be crazy. But I think it has a little something to do with the fact that before a writer is discovered by the masses, I feel closer to the story, like it is mine and mine alone.

I felt this way about Suzanne Collins' GREGOR THE OVERLANDER. Way back before she was famous, I loved Gregor and Boots and Ripred. It pleased me to discover that world and to feel like I had an experience that others hadn't.

HUNGER GAMES? Yes, I enjoyed it. But Suzanne Collins wasn't my secret anymore. The whole world loved her. She had plenty of readers without ME.

So back to Sarah Dessen. There is a fantastic interview of her in this month's Writer's Digest magazine. (Aside: my sister, who is The Most Awesome Sister in the Whole Wide World has bought me a subscription to WD for my birthday for the past TWENTY YEARS. No lie. She is very cool like that.)

She talks about being a "slow" writer. She talks about the slow build of her career. She talks about all the books she's written between published books that will NEVER BE PUBLISHED. Because her agent or editor or gut said, that's not your next book.

As a gal who has written 5 books in the past four years - 2 of which have sold, 2 of which aren't the next book, and 1 of which *might* be.... I loved reading that part of the story.

And it made me wish I'd picked up one of Sarah's books ten years ago, before the rise to bestsellerdom. When she needed me. And I could claim her as my own.

Anyone else out there feel that way about the underdog/undiscovered? Let me hear from you!

A TALE OF TWO ORPHANS

Jane Eyre. Anne of Green Gables. Pollyanna. Orphans have long been the subject of great stories. For Tuesday Book Talk, I want to tell you about two new orphans that have come along and made my heart expand in true Grinch-style. Gracious hostess Kelly will gather the book talk links at The Lemme Library. Go on over and add yours!

First, Maud from A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR by Newbery medal winner Laura Amy Schlitz.

The thing about Maud is, she's "plain, clever, and bad." She's also desperately in want of love. So when she's plucked away from the orphanage by the elderly Hawthorne sisters, she thinks her life will be rosy. Instead, she's a "secret child," banished to the attic, brought out only to work in the Hawthorne sisters' money making schemes, which happen to involved pretending to commune with the dead during seances.

I loved being inside Maud's head. I was also taken by her relationship with the deaf maid, how she continue to doubt and disobey and eventually finds love, in spite of everything. I think the book would have benefited greatly from a more engaging title. But don't let this shortcoming prevent you from getting to know Maud. She's quite the memorable, inspiring character.

Next, meet Betti, or Babo, from BETTI ON THE HIGH WIRE by Lisa Railsback.

I enjoyed an audio version of this one, and again, we've got a "bad" orphan desperately in need of love. The focus of Babo's journey is her immigration to America from an unnamed war-torn country where she has lived with the circus. She wants to be bad and unloveable so the family will send her back, so she makes all sorts of missteps during her adjustment.

The family renames her Betti (is this common? It seems awfully cruel to change something so vital about a person, even though I understand the intentions behind such a decision), and I was captivated by the sense of wonder and confusion this child experiences -- it seemed very real to me, and I enjoyed the misinterpretations and adventures of a child learning a completely new way of life. She's a funny kid, Babo... any person struggling with finding a place to belong (and who doesn't?) will relate to her story.

So here's to plucky orphans. Who are your favorite fictional orphans?

LAST SCHOOL VISITS OF THE 2010-11 YEAR

Thank you Inverness Elementary and Chelsea Intermediate! It's so great to meet enthusiastic readers/writers and teachers/librarians. I hope all of you have a fantastic summer filled with many Ludelphia-like adventures. xo

TWO NOVELS THAT CELEBRATE ART

So it's my first time to participate in Book Talk Tuesday, and I'm excited! For other great book talks, please visit The Lemme Library.

First up, because I read it most recently: OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt. As soon as I heard the tiniest bit about this novel, I knew I wanted to read it. Mostly because I loved THE WEDNESDAY WARS, and this one features Doug Swietek, who was a minor character in that one.

So it's the end of the 60's, Doug has just moved to "stupid Marysville" in upstate New York, and he's got all sorts of personal things to deal with in the midst of the Vietnam war and impending moonshot.

There are so many things I could say about this novel. But I really REALLY want you to read it for yourself, because it is an EXPERIENCE. So I'm just going to tell you some of my general reactions:
Fantastic voice.
Deep, layered story.
My writer-radar was pinging away as Schmidt did a brilliant job of witholding information to the last possible moment...
and it's such an emotion-generating book without being overtly emotional.
Also, the characters: you think you know them, then the more you find out about them, you realize you had it all wrong. Just like in real life... I mean, come on, the set-up here is AMAZING.
And okay, I'm a sucker for birds. I disagree wholeheartedly with the premise here -- "a thing belongs in its assigned set" so Doug wants to return all the plates to the original Birds of America -- but I love how far Schmidt takes the bird metaphors. It made me want to write a whole series of poems based on these birds... and I just might.

Meanwhile, I am kicking myself for not attending Schmidt's talk at Kay B. Kaigler Conference in April. (It wasn't like I had a choice - I was hemmed in by a school visit and had to drive to Hattiesburg SOMETIME -- but doggone it, I would have loved hearing him talk about writing this particular book.)

Seriously: GO READ. BRILIANT. And big shout out to my dear friend Pat Weaver who sent me a copy. SO SWEET. Now I'm listening to an audio version.... fantastic!

For a more detailed review please visit Betsy Bird at Fuse #8.

Now for the second book I want to talk about: SPARROW ROAD by Sheila O'Connor. It was my great privilege to read this one as an ARC, and I gotta tell you, main character Raine still lives in my heart. The setting is unique: an artists' colony with its own mysterious past. You will fall in love with these artist-characters AND with Sheila's amazing lyrical writing. Really beautiful. And it'll inspire you to put on your own Arts Extravaganza to celebrate everyone's unique way of expressing themselves. But mostly it will make you think about family and forgiveness and how creation -art- is at the heart of EVERYTHING.

Look for this one during awards season! But read it NOW. Seriously. Don't wait. I've got it on my nightstand ready for another go. And for another more detailed review, please visit a Flashlight Reader. Congratulations, Sheila, on a beautiful debut!

LOVE LETTERS

When I visit schools, I always include a bit about letters that I have received. The kids immediately assume I'm talking about FAN mail, which I'm not.

Instead, I share rejection letters. So they'll know what it's really like, and how they too can be rejected again and again, then, eventually, get that oh-so-happy news.

But today I want to share some favorite snippets from recent FAN MAIL. That's right. Little Ludelphia has made friends everywhere she goes!

"I go to Straughn Middle School and everyone is real happy you came. Not just because you got them out of class but because you inspired us."

"I really love your book...because it has mixed emotions and I can relate to Ludelphia."

"OMG! Mrs. Cobb is horrible!"

"Thank you for the bookmark. I realy[sic] need one because I was useing [sic] a stickypad."

"Ludelphia is an awesome name. I like how it goes along with Philadelphia."

And this one, from Mrs. Teresa Galbraith, Assistant Principal at Monroe County High school in Monroeville, Alabama:

"Yesterday, I was in the library speaking with our Future Teachers of Alabama, and one of the young men in that club came up to me with a signed copy of your book from the Beehive Bookstore. He was so proud of his copy of the book and he wanted to talk about the story and the characters. His excitement was refreshing and contagious. It was a wonderful thing to see. I want you to know that you definitely made a difference in at least one life."

One life. That's makes every single moment worthwhile, doesn't it?

I am honored and humbled and so very grateful to know each of you, even in the tiniest ways. Thank you for being part of my story.

IN WHICH I AM INSPIRED BY GIANTS AND HONEYBEES

What to say about my visit to Monroeville, Alabama?

It was AWESOME! I was thrilled to finally FINALLY visit the "Literary Capital of Alabama," home of literary giants Harper Lee and Truman Capote.

Crissy Nettles, who owns only one of the best, most inviting independent bookstores EVER, snuck me into the closed courthouse for these pics:

Then we had ice cream and posed next to what remains of Truman Capote's house. Wow, windy day!

Later, Pat Nettles, who was my most gracious host/tour guide (also Crissy's mother-in-law), took me to visit Sam Williams the potter, where I bought a bowl we have used every single night since my return. What's super-cool about Sam (besides his gorgeous pottery) is that his accounting system consists of a legal pad and a cigar box. I was honored when he came to the bookstore event that evening. Thanks, Sam!

And now the bookstore: Beehive Coffee & Books. When Crissy showed me the before/after pics of the renovation, I saw just how much love went into this place. It's been three years, and several people told me how great the store had been for the community, how much Crissy had done for Monroeville.

Here's some pics:

Meet Pat who contributed to the spread of incredible southern tasties brought by other members of the Monroeville Friends of the Library, who were so sweet, and made me feel so at home, that by the time the evening was over, I was about ready to buy a house, just for the weekends!

And this little bit of wonderful: it reminds me of my third grade teacher, Mrs. Fattig, whose husband was a plumber, so she brought in a big bathtub, set it up in the corner of her room, filled it with cushions and made it a reading spot. Love!

And back to the Queen Bee, Crissy, who affectionately refers to her employees as "the honeybees." This is one creative, inspiring woman, folks. Please go to Monroeville and say hello and have a cup of coffee and buy that book you've been craving.

Thanks for everything, Crissy. And good luck this weekend with Alabama Writers Symposium. No doubt, it will be awesome too. xo

IF YOU LOVE LUDELPHIA...

...you might want to read my post over at Smack Dab in the Middle where I reveal comparable titles as shared with me by readers.

And no, not all of them are GIRLS!