So far ALA has been pretty exciting.
- I left the wire that connects my camera to my computer at home, so no pictures yet. Once I have pictures I’ll post an Emerging Leaders recap.
- Today was apparently my day to spot all the celebrity authors, but I didn’t bring my camera because I didn’t want to carry extra stuff around the exhibit hall. Stupid.
- On the other hand, what would I really do with pictures of celebrity authors? They all have headshots on their websites.
- It was nice to see John Green in front of me instead of on a computer screen. I spoke with him briefly but I didn’t actually say anything intelligent.
- I did have a nice chat with Peter Sis. We talked about Tito nostalgia while he signed a copy of The Wall for me. He said when he was growing up in Prague everyone thought Yugoslavia was paradise.
- Excellent panel discussion on graphic novels, pop culture, and reluctant readers with Barry Lyga, Holly Black, and Kazu Kibuishi. Holly Black talked about writing with her dyslexic husband in mind: “I’m so aware of how he gets thrown out of books.” A new way to think about what makes people put books down - bit of a perspective shift.
- Reader’s Theater program w/ MT Anderson, Linda Sue Park, Shannon Hale, and Eric Rohmann (what a voice on that one!) all acting out each others’ work. They also performed an excerpt from The Phantom Tollbooth and Norton Juster was in the house!
- Lots of free stuff from the exhibit hall, obviously, including a new Gaiman and the second in the Octavian Nothing series. Trying not to take too much because I just don’t have time to read when classes are in session. Also, books are heavy.
- Walked by Betsy Bird twice and failed to introduce myself. What is wrong with me?
- Indulged myself in a new unshelved shirt since my last one got ink on it in the wash.
And now that my powerpoints are ready to go for tomorrow I can go to Disneyland! Finally going to use the disney dollars I got in an Easter egg hunt in, like, 2001.
