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Some day I'll be too old for this. This insistence (within myself/for myself) that I live each minute, see each place, feel each thing I can find my way to.

But I'm not there yet. I'm still the woman who arrives mid-afternoon to New York City, checks into a hotel with her husband, and starts to walk. This time to the Columbia University campus, which I had never seen (that old library, now the administration building, soars). To the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Past the fruit vendors on upper Broadway.

Then a subway ride to Columbus Circle and the Museum of Arts and Design (where an exquisite Wendell Castle show is in place). Then a walk-run (to the extent possible) through Times Square, and then more underground tunnels to the World Trade Center, where we were stopped by the power of those two pools, the remembered names, the roses and calla lilies left in respect and honor. Art can speak, and this art does—the down and the down of the water, the sound of that water, the return of the water, and the light behind the names.

It was the hour of the gloaming. The stone buildings burned red-orange inside the blue glass of the new tower, and that big Calatrava bird, soon to be the World Trade Center Transportation Center, was already soaring.

We walked a long length of Greenwich, then, met our son for dinner, watched him take off in an Uber for a date, made our way all the way back to 103rd Street, where all night long we listened to the trash trucks, the buses, the NYC talk just outside our window. I rose in the dark, put on a dress, and as soon as the sun was up I was walking again—finding a French bakery, buying an almond croissant, and working my way toward Central Park, where the early dog walkers were out and about and I could see the river just beyond them.

By 8:15 I was dancing with the extraordinary educator/advocator Susannah Richards in the lobby of Bank Street. Dancing, yes. I swear we danced. (Susannah is especially good at the twirls.) At Bank Street, a remarkable cast of writers, illustrators, educators, librarians, and book people were convening for what, in my book, is the best gathering of storytellers ever anywhere. Here the conversation circles around Thoughts as opposed to Marketing Platforms. The forum encourages conversation, consideration, a maybe this or a maybe that. This is hardly accidental. This reflects the good work of those who assemble this program, moderate the panels, conduct the keynote (thank you, Rita Williams-Garcia), and say yes. I bow down to you, oh Bank Street, with thanks especially to Jennifer Brown and Cynthia Weill, and then to my fellow panelists Daniel Jose Older and Tim Wynne-Jones—the three us led toward greater understanding about narrative risk by the exceptionally thoughtful questions of Vicki Smith of Kirkus Reviews. And with thanks to Chronicle Books, who said yes to the event.

When it was done, when I hugged my old and new friends goodbye, I was running again, to the subway, to the PATH, and toward my husband and son, where we walked some more, had an early dinner, and watched the lights of the World Trade Center blink on.

(Can I just thank here the little boy on the incredibly crowded train who must have read the panic of this claustrophobe on his face and said, "Miss? Do you want my seat?")

We drove home in the dark. I slept. I actually slept. The sleep of a satisfied woman.

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The holidays are nearly upon us!  Time to buy things!  To chop down trees.  To find books for the small fry!  I can’t help you with the first or second of these necessities but #3?  Here’s a bit of an aid for you.  As you may know, Rocco Staino and KidLit TV have together been interviewing all the heavyweights in the children’s literary field.  Now he has a kind of holiday special (cool, right?) with three of my favorite folks: Jenny Brown (Children’s Editor for Shelf Awareness, director of the Center for Children’s Literature at Bank Street College), Susannah Richards (Associate Professor of Education at Eastern Connecticut State University), and Luann Toth (Managing Editor School Library Journal Reviews).

You can see the full roster of their recommendations here.

Not to be outdone, Candlewick sent their holiday greetings as well.

I sort of wish the guy in the bear suit had turned out to be Jack Gantos or Tobin Anderson or something.

Now can you keep a little secret?  This is a good one.  Here it is: If you would ever like to watch me grapple with my own personal hell, make me do a TED Talk.  This is nothing I fear more.  I like public speaking.  I like people looking at me.  But for whatever reason the prospect of doing a talk, like the one presented here by expert speaker and children’s librarian Shannon Ozirny of Vancouver, reduces me to a quivering mass of goo.  Fortunately, Shannon’s a pro.  Watch this:

Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link.

And now, this series. It appears to be a sort of Dr. Who meets Buffy concoction.  I’m just amused that it’s supposed a group of adults with MLIS degrees and yet not a single one of them is wearing glasses.  Ah, Hollywood.  How you hate frames so.

Thanks to Marci for the link.

And finally, for our off-topic video, I never post cute cat videos.  Life is too short.  I’m not that kind of gal.  Certainly there are enough fabulous videos out there that I’d never have to rely on . . . OH!  Whack-a-Mole!

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Where the heck is 2012 going? Already midsummer is about on us. Soon in Maine we'll be chopping wood and thinking of snow. OK, maybe not for a couple of months yet ...

I've been deep into finishing up final spreads for my next book with Kane Miller (spring 2013). I can't tell you what it's about yet, so you will just have to wait! As will I. (To tell you that is, I already know what it's about!) Due date is end of June and I'm going to ALA, Anaheim on June 22 for a couple of days, so right now I am madly colouring.

Haven't even had breath for the warm up sketches ... I do miss them, but the schedule is heavy.To keep myself on track I have a daily schedule with the spreads listed ... that way I can keep track and if I get ahead a little, it feels good! Might even get Saturday off.

Had to have a new head shot for book signing at ALA (more on that in another post!) and so I girded up my loins, got the SLR and with 'im indoors to click the shutter and spent an hour in the garden taking hundreds of horrible shots until I eventually got one that was decent. The pansies look nice. I totally hate having publicity photos done! Argh!

I've been pretty quiet lately, no long posts. I got pretty sick in April with shingles. Gah! I hope I never get it again. I thought I had a pulled shoulder, but no, within a few days the dreaded rash appeared. My right arm was out of action for a couple of weeks. It made me realize how enormous it would be if I couldn't use it again! When you are sick you think you'll never feel better, right? Boy, was I a bear. Still had work to do and managed to get to a couple of booked events on meds, but I NEVER want to have shingles AGAIN. To those of you who think it's just an itchy rash ... oh buddy.

Thankful to be feeling much better and to be able to meet this book deadline. 'In between' I also did black and white illo's for a chapter book for little ones, that I can't tell you about just yet .. but hopefully next month. So many things I can't say!

I also can't say anything about a new book project coming my way this month. Makes you wonder why I am writing this blog post at all! Here is one of the great things I have learned more about since beginning my journey in children's publishing - PATIENCE.

Last week I escaped from the studio for the day and made it down to Boston to Fablevision's art show and the meet and greet that is 'Creative Juices'. From my northerly position here in Maine it's about a 2 hour drive to the train station in Portland, then the DownEaster to Boston 2.5hrs - but a lovely ride and scenery! (Reminder to self, stay in Boston another time ... getting home at 4am was too much. My age is showing). Met up with illustrator Katia Wish for dinner (vodka pizza, lemincello, tiramsu, cappuchino) and then a roam around the North End, then to Fablevision studios for an evening of  kahoots and gossip.




Fablevision are a great company, headed up by the Reynold's brothers Peter and Paul. (Peter is a many times over best selling children's autho

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