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For some on the scene reporting about this Caldecott and Newbery announcements this week, please dial your computer to Fuse #8's report and Educating Alice. Mother Reader has a nice roundup of links including David Lubar's reflection and vent space for authors whose phones did NOT ring Monday a.m.

All of them Fuse and MR commented on Today Show's Ann-I'm-a-professional-newsreader-Curry's rapid fire monologuistic "interview" with Selznick and Schlitz. Now I am sure Selznick and Schlitz did not have high expectations for their 180 seconds on camera but "Good Gad, Peabody!" Someone get that woman on decaf.

Even the camera man had trouble following Curry's staccato tear through her script, missing a head shot of Laura and barely getting focused on Brian before giving up altogether and retreating for a group shot. I don't expect in depth knowledge from these interviewers. I realize they are supposed to ask the questions of the "great uninformed" but Curry's shock and awe that the winner of the Caldecott Medal had created a book filled with ... illustrations...well that was just too funny.

"Curry: I have to say that I found them [thebooks] surprising in many ways.
[to Brian Selznick] "Your book is filled with illustrations that you did yourself... I mean, these images we're seeing, you did these!"

Poor Brian and Laura could barely interject a single syllable. Not only did Curry, professional newsreader and journalist, repeatedly bungle Laura "Ann" Amy Schlitz's name, oblivious to Selznick's gallant attempt to correct her, but she tags Schlitz as a "school teacher" when she is actually the librarian at her school. Now I am a teacher. My teaching certificate says so but if asked to designate my profession, I am a librarian.

The funniest moment was when Curry mangled Schlitz's name for the umpteenth time and mistook Laura's eye roll for embarrassment over the precious photo in the newspaper. Maybe it really was the picture that caused Laura's action but that is not why I was rolling MY eyes. If I had been Laura I would have been thinking, "how much does this woman make to do this?"

I'm thinking, probably more, alas, than a Newbery author.


As Curry tried to get it all done in three minutes, her words accelerated to the point that I thought her head was going to snap off and go shooting through the roof of the studio. She reminded me of the windup artillery my brothers aimed at me when we were kids which has now morphed into the Flying Alarm Clock.



As she brought the segment to an end, she braked hard on her delivery to gush, "Well, there you go...congratulations..."


I agree with Fuse, next time, give it to Al Roker.

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