A photo journey of ALA Annual 2011

   




Happy Fourth of July, all! It's been a hectic time for me, so I thought I'd just share my ALA experience in photos:

oyster po' boy at Mother's

boxes galore!

almost finished with set-up

done!

blackened drum fish at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen

Laini Taylor and I at the DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE party

The party turned into an 80s Dance Party!

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde

Karen Healey (author of Morris finalist GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD) signing books

Grace Lin (DUMPLING DAYS), Kelly Barnhill (THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF JACK), and Andrea Davis Pinkney (BIRD IN A BOX) at our Middle Grade breakfast

Bryan Collier and his wife Christina at our luncheon with the Coretta Scott King committee to celebrate DAVE THE POTTER

Banana's foster from Brennan's, originator's of this classic dessert. Served at our dinner with the Caldecott Committee to celebrate Bryan Collier and DAVE THE POTTER

at the Newbery/Caldecott Banquet

Bryan accepts the Caldecott Honor for DAVE THE POTTER

Luncheon with Grace and the Geisel Committee

Rebecca Sherman, Grace, and me at the Geisel Award ceremony

A giddy Grace with her award!

Sara Zarr (HOW TO SAVE A LIFE), Daniel Handler (HOW WE BROKE UP) and Karen Healey (THE SHATTERING) pose at our YA luncheon

Paolo Bacigalupi with his Printz Award for SHIP BREAKER

Jewell Parker Rhodes accepts the Coretta Scott King honor for fiction for NINTH WARD

Bryan accepting the CSK medal for illustration for DAVE THE POTTER at the CSK breakfast

It was an extremely busy, but celebratory and rewarding ALA for me, and for Little, Brown. It was also my first trip to New Orleans--I loved the city, and would love to go back soon.

Till next time...

ALA 2011 or how I ran out of marbles: Part 1

My last public event for this school year was the ALA convention. I was excited because I was finishing with a blast-in New Orleans, the Geisel Honor Award--I knew it was going to be a lot of fun. However even with such prospects of delight, I have to admit, even before getting on the plane, I was tired.

A while ago, I wrote about how an introverted person like me can only last so long. As I said then:

...my most natural state is introverted--there are only so many visits I can do in a year without stammering incoherently. I'm kind of like a jar of marbles--every visit I do I am less one marble until I am empty.

So, after the last couple of months being full of events and visits (which were all lovely!), my marble jar was pretty low when I got to New Orleans:

Which is perhaps why I had a bit of envy at the LB Middle Grade Breakfast when the other amazing authors Kelly Barnhill and Andrea Pinkney gave such mesmerizing and spirited readings (Andrea sang! Not fair!).

However, the librarians were still very kind to me and many came to my signings (I had two):

But it was only at the LB one that I signed advanced reading copies of Dumpling Days!!

Eeks, eeks, eeks! I can't believe people will be reading it soon!

Then it was a blur of convention exhibits:

pleased to see my friend Anna Alter's Disappearing Desmond and Thanking the Moon!

plus a screening of the movie The Library of the Early Mind (which I am in for about 10 seconds):

Trailer: 'Library of the Early Mind' from Backspace Productions on Vimeo.

and a panel discussion afterwards with the hilarious and highly energetic Jack Gantos and Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket):

I can't believe I'm rubbing elbows with these two!

Trying to keep up with the fast wittiness of those two was no small feat, let me tell you. Luckily, earlier in the day I was able to sneak off to the famous Cafe Du Monde to ingest copious amounts of caffeine and sugar:

frozen coffee and beignets!

and my friend Libby Koponen and I had our tarot cards read!

I was hoping they would tell me I would get through the conference without collapsing.

What do you think?

(I actually don't really remember much of what she said, except something about how I like having lots of projects and thoughts going on in my head...I guess all those projects distracted me...)

Check for ALA 2011 Part 2 & 3 tomorrow and Friday at my personal blog.

Striking a goldmine?

Recently an older, much more successful author called me up, "to check in." I'm not going to say who it was, because it's not fair to blab out things about other people. They can do that themselves if they want to.

He asked (not for the first time) if I was going to ALA in New Orleans and I said no. He then proceeded to give me one of the most inspiring, life-changing talks I've ever received -- actually, I've probably received plenty of good advice over the years but maybe now it's life-changing because I act on it.

First, he said that if I want to sell my work, I can't just stay here all the time, "writing alone." I have to get out there and see what other people, other publishers are doing so I knew who to submit to. I said that I had an agent.

"You can't count on that," he said.

He said it was important to meet people, talk to people, create opportunities (he talked about this eloquently). I said that I wasn't good at selling myself (yes, all my responses sound like what my mother called "feeble excuses").

"It's not about striking a gold mine!" he said. "It's about laying groundwork."

I hope you agree that merits its own color and bold.

I think it's the most profound comment on how to work in this business I've ever heard. The romantic view is that you write the book (alone, inspired), send it in, and it becomes a bestseller. But in fact lasting success is usually achieved with steady, day-after-day plodding -- for the writing, one page at a time, hour after hour, day after day. (Or in the immortal words of Jane Yolen,

"Jarret, this is how it's done. BIC. Butt in chair.") For the selling, no matter where you are in your career it's the same thing -- steady effort, laying groundwork. In both, it's about getting better, through your own efforts.

When I go to the conference (and I AM going, who wouldn't, after that?) I'll go with the spirit that I'm there to:

* look and see who's doing books I like

* listen and learn

* introduce myself (following the rules Alvina posted here awhile ago)

* HAVE FUN

It's the only way. Despite my best efforts, my mss. may never get published, let alone ever be bestsellers. So I better enjoy the process -- ALL of it -- or quit the business.

And after all, how hard can it be to be in New Orleans, rooming with one of my best friends in the world, eating delicious food, looking at books, and (as Alvina said) talking to other people who love them?