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:
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| oyster po' boy at Mother's |
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| boxes galore! |
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| almost finished with set-up |
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| done! |
4 Comments on A photo journey of ALA Annual 2011, last added: 7/6/2011
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By: Linda S. Wingerter,
on 6/29/2011
Blog: Blue Rose Girls (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: grace, ALA 2011, Add a tag
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!!
5 Comments on ALA 2011 or how I ran out of marbles: Part 1, last added: 7/2/2011
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By: Linda S. Wingerter,
on 6/15/2011
Blog: Blue Rose Girls (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: the writing process, marketing, ALA 2011, Add a tag
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 *
1 Comments on Striking a goldmine?, last added: 6/16/2011
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Great Pictures :) The Caldecott/Newbery dinner was a wonderful evening... I loved Erin Stead's speech, and hearing her speak really gives you a hint why her drawings have the powerful emotion that they do.
I loved Erin's speech, too. It totally made me cry, it was so lovely and touching and powerful. It didn't help that I was sitting next to a sobbing member of the Caldecott committee, too!
Thanks for posting great pictures! I enjoyed seeing all the honorees, but the desserts! - they look to be worth the trip alone!
All I can say is Yum! and Yay! and maybe, I wanna go! :)