Farewell fabuous Salisbury University.
Thankyou to Professor Patricia Dean – special hugs to her dogs Zoe and Lucy and the best kitten ever – Socrates.
Thankyou to Professor Ernest Bond for everything – also lift o Washington airport & stop off at the best ever diner!
Cool flight with Alaska Airlines to Seattle and collected by Tabatha Roach from Usborne-Kane Miller Books and Lisa -start of my Seattle speaking tour.
Beautiful hotel Deca – in the Washington University area. I’m on the 15th floor overlooking the city. It has an art deco lounge area with fireplace, huge artworks – very special hotel.
Next morning drove through magnificent conifers over bays and a very long floating road. Seattle is beautiful.
Shared ‘Butterflies’ and my ‘I Am Jack’ books with 100′s and 100′sof kids and teachers and of cousre the wonderful librarians.
Some wonderful moments – reaching kids through story.
Farewell Maryland USA – loved every minute here.
Really enjoyed talking to the students at Salisbury University – they’re going to be wonderful teachers.
Loved the professors and their welcome
Loved the beautiful grounds of the university with its mix of old and new buildings, artworks and parklands
Loved the Peace display and act of kindness at the university – I wrote on the wall of course
Loved the Green Earth Book Award = Kadir Nelson is a favourite US illustrator – check out his stunning book MOSES.
Loved the international book displays – and of course the Australian and New Zealand component – with books by my friends like Deborah Abela and Prue Mason – glad to see my JACK books there and Butterflies.
Loved the hosp
itality of Professor Patricia Dean & Professor Ernie Bond.
THANKYOU – and I’m flying to Seattle today to begin my new writing tour – I Am Jack and No to school bullying.
Driving South down route 13 in Maryland US holds secrets-
along the Atlantic Coast is this special Island
- ponies run free
- deer
- gulls who are so huge
Heritage wooden oak trees, firs, homes, ocean boardwalks with famous popcorn and cold beer
= great fun with the cool professors from Salisbury university – Ernie Bond, Patricia Dean with Ernie’s boys.
Talking about kids books from around the world – love it.
New York is cold, cold, cold but fun and I shopped as well as heard amazing speakers at the SCBWI Conference and talking at schools.
Took the train from Penn Station to my friend’s home – thankyou Lynn and George – in beautiful Summit New Jersey -
with gracious heritage homes made of wood, huge oak trees lining the streets, snow thinly dusting the houses.
I snuggled warmly inside looking out.
It was lovely.
I was soooo lucky. I left Summit as the huge snow storms hit and arrived in Salisbury Maryland 4.5 hours later.
I discovered that the USA has more police car patrols than Australia. I didn’t think it was possible.
There were that many cops stopping and fining cars. Luckily I was too nervous to drive fast – being on the wrong side of the road.
No speeding fine for me.
Arrived in beautiful Salisbury – a university town where I was met by the brilliant Professor Ernest Bond, who is head of the Education Faculty at Salisbury.
He’s such a visionary embracing literature from all over the world and establishing the Green Book Award for children’s literature that promotes protecting our environment.
Ended the day with coffee overlooking a rustic lake;
speaking to university students and academics at Salisbury University about I Am Jack, Butterflies, ‘Ships in the Field’ – my books.
then Mexican dinner.
Fabulous day!
New York, New York, New York – hope it’s not too freezing. I’m wearing thongs!.
I was there last time to speak at the World Burn Congress about ‘Butterflies’ & was on the faculty with the amazing Kim Phuc UNESCO Ambassador for Peace.
My itinerary:-
Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Conference with JULIE ANDREWS – Sound of Music
and our very own brilliant Shaun Tan
and meeting my writing and illustrating friends from across the world.
Lecturing at Friends Seminary on Ships in the Field in New York
Then it’s off to Salisbury University Maryland who are studying my books- this great university supports international books and I get to catch up with Professors Ernest Bond and Patricia Dean.
Then 10 days of speaking in Seattle hosted by Publisher Kane Miller’s Tabitha Roach. Thankyou Tabitha.
What a trip!
Brasília
Coordinates: 15 47 S 47 55 W
Population: 3,341,00 (2006 est.)
It will be another 27 months until this modern metropolis can truly celebrate its golden anniversary, but 2007 did give the Brazilian capital two reasons to celebrate nonetheless. First, the famed construction of Lúcia Côsta’s Plano Piloto began here on the plateaus of Goiás state fifty years ago, although work on the airport and the presidential palace had already started in 1956. (more…)
Share This
