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My dear friends Elizabeth Mosier and Chris Mills sent me this photo last night, following their excursion to Radnor Memorial Library.

We writers live in the forest of doubt, or at least this writer does. This photo startled me—this idea of a dear librarian (Pam Sedor) taking the time to locate my books and to place them all on one wall. This idea of a celebration going on while I've been going on elsewhere.

I forget, often, about the words I've left behind. I focus, too often, on what must be done right now, on what isn't done yet.

I neglect to pause. This celebration at Radnor Memorial Library—discovered by friends—is cause for a pause.

We'll be celebrating Going Over at this very Radnor Memorial Library on April 30, 7:30. This will be my only formal reading from the book, and this party is open to all; cake will be served. Please join us.

In the meantime, today, I am celebrating the work of Michael Sokolove and editor Avery Rome at the University of Pennsylvania's Kelly Writers House. My class has read Sokolove's fantastic Drama High. We have questions. We look forward to reflection, to a deep and true conversation.

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Thank you, John McPhee.

Here I am, set to begin the narrative profile component of English 135.302 at Penn, set, as a matter of fact, to teach the art of the interview this coming Tuesday (this very one), and there you are in the pages of The New Yorker, with your essay "Elicitation."

Your timing, as always, is impeccable.

I am tempted to quote the entire piece back to my students, back to the world. I will honor the rules of borrowing and quote just a tad. Here we go:

Whatever you do, don't rely on memory. Don't even imagine that you will be able to remember verbatim in the evening what people said during the day. And don't squirrel notes in a bathroom—that is, run off to the john and write surreptitiously what someone said back there with the cocktails. From the start, make clear what you are doing and who will publish what you write. Display your notebook like a fishing license.

And:

You can develop a distinct advantage by waxing slow of wit. Evidently, you need help. Who is there to help you but the person who is answering your questions? The result is the opposite of the total shutdown that might have occurred if you had come on glib and omniscient. If you don't seem to get something, the subject will probably help you get it. If you are listening to speech and at the same time envisioning it in print, you can ask your question again, and again, until the repeated reply will be clear in print. Who is going to care if you seem dumber than a cardboard box? Reporters call that creative bumbling.

In two weeks, Michael Sokolove will come to Penn and speak to my class as well as the students now being taught by my friend Avery Rome about this interviewing thing. He'll talk as well about his exceptional book, Drama High. John McPhee, you've given us more to ponder. And I (as I always am with you) am grateful.

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L. Divine is probably the first author I obsessed over as a YA blogger and posts about her books are among the few that get responses from teen readers on my blog. Her Drama High series began in 2006 and provided teens with a fresh literary perspective by presenting a primarily Black cast of characters in a contemporary setting faced with everyday concerns like friend issues, love concerns, parent’s expectations and school with just a few big life, gritty issues. Oh, the drama!

My students liked the books as much as I did and couldn’t wait for the next one to appear. I was so excited to actually be able to meet Ms. Divine earlier this year!! I was so impressed by her energy, her genuine concern for young people and her accessibility. While I’d like readers to know that side of her, my interview today looks more at what’s happening with the Drama High series and how she maintains her authentic voice.

 Hello! And welcome to CrazyQuiltEdi! Let’s start with a chance to get to know you!

As a child, what did you do for fun?

I loved to play with my cousins and neighbors, read, listen to music, jump double-dutch, roller skate and hoola-hoop. I also loved being in the kitchen with my grandmother, mom and stepmother, which are also some of my favorite childhood memories, not to mention playing with dolls, doing hair and other “normal” kid stuff.

What’s your favorite place?

By far I love being at home. My children and I can hibernate all weekend long. It’s also one of my favorite places to work once I reach the edit phase of a manuscript.

What book(s) are you currently reading?

I am re-reading my favorite writer, Octavia Butler’s Lilith’s Brood series, as well as Iyanla Vanzant’s Peace from Broken Pieces. I am also a big fan of anything written by RM Johnson, Joseph Campbell, Hill Harper, Nathan McCall, Tananarive Due, Alice Walker and many other gifted writers listed at the back of my latest novel, Drama High, volume 15, Street Soldiers.

Series have become so popular in today’s book market! What are the challenges in keeping them going?

The most challenging obstacle I’m currently encountering is keeping the books published. Just because I (and my readers) have faith in the series doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to publish and market. I started out as a self-published author and now, eight years later, I am again self-publishing. I love Drama High and am happy to be here because of it, but it’s an uphill battle, especially being a black author writing about black teens in mainstream cultural situations.

I noticed that one of the topics you speak about is overcoming obstacles in multicultural thinking. What are some of the obstacles you see in this regard as an African-American writer, and how do you overcome them?

As I stated before, it is an obstacle. I think all stories from all cultures are valid and have something to sh

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