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This past weekend, I had the pleasure of being one of the authors at the inaugural Lone Star Book Festival in Kingwood, Texas (just outside Houston)!
Here are some pics:
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| Edward Carey, Emma Virjan, Jennifer Ziegler, Bethany Hegedus, Carmen Oliver, and me |
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| Carmen Oliver presents BEARS MAKE THE BEST READING BUDDIES |
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| Jennifer Ziegler and Jo Whittemore discuss encouraging reading |
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| I present CHRONAL ENGINE and BORROWED TIME |
Thanks to all the organizers, sponsors, and attendees! It's on its way to becoming a grand, annual tradition!
Last weekend I had the pleasure of being a panelist at the first annual Mississippi Book Festival at the State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi!
For me, the weekend started with the plane flight out on Friday and a lovely reception that evening at the Eudora Welty House. Representatives of the Eudora Welty Foundation were on hand to provide tours and answer any and all questions about Jackson's favorite daughter. It was a great chance to talk to the organizers and volunteers, as well as other authors.
The next morning was breakfast at the Winter Archives Building, where the staff gave us a tour and showed us the forthcoming Museum of Civil Rights and Mississippi History Museum.
Then we were off to opening ceremonies, where the Jackson State University Marching Band performed on the Capitol steps, and then the panels! The Harper Lee Reconsidered panel, held in the old Supreme Court chamber, was lively and fascinating (and also covered by C-SPAN). I wasn't able to make it to the picture books panel due to the long line, but hear it went well, and I'd had the chance to talk with the presenters the night before :-).
My panel was the Young Readers panel, and featured moderator Margaret McMullan, and panelists Kimberly Willis Holt, Taylor Kitchings, Deborah Wiles, Carolyn Brown, and Cassie Beasley. Margaret did a great job as moderator and kept the conversation going and on track. :-).
Many thanks to all the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and attendees for making the event such a success!
Altogether, it was a fantastic event, with standing-room-only crowds and a terrific venue! Here's a report on the festival from the Clarion-Ledger: Book Festival Attendance Outpaces Projections.
And here are some pics from out and about festival weekend:
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| My duffel bag leaves the jetway in Houston |
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| Art deco Greyhound Station, downtown Jackson |
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| Kerry Madden, Susan Eaddy, Hester Bass, Chris Barton in the Eudora Welty House Garden |
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| Deborah Wiles, Kerry Madden on the Eudora Welty House lawn |
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| In front of the Eudora Welty House |
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| MS State Capitol |
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| Kerry Madden, Kimberly Willis Holt |
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| W. Ralph Eubanks, Margaret McMullan |
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| Jackson State University Marching Band |
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| View from the Capitol steps |
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| Capitol interior and dome |
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| Dome in House of Representative Chamber |
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| Dome of Senate Chamber |
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| Mayflower Cafe |
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| Kimberly, Taylor, Deborah, Margaret, Me, Cassie, Carolyn |
…is taking shape. And I’m pleased to say that I’m among the authors who will be participating in Jackson on August 22.
Where better for me to share The Amazing of Age of John Roy Lynch with the public than in the city where he began his political rise?
“In 1868 the U.S. government appointed a young Yankee general as governor of Mississippi. The whites who had been in charge were swept out of office. By river and by railroad, John Roy traveled to Jackson to hand Governor Ames a list of names to fill those positions in Natchez. After John Roy spoke grandly of each man’s merits, the governor added another name to the list: John Roy Lynch, Justice of the Peace.”
Book Festivals: A Must Have for Your Book Marketing Toolbox
By Donna McDine
With all the wonder of technology at our fingertips we are able to accomplish an abundance of work without even meeting people face-to-face. Don’t let the cyberspace vortex suck you in 24/7. Before you know it, it’s been days since you’ve had personal contact with others. It’s important not to get caught up into the loophole of isolation by keyboard. One of the best ways to put one’s self out there amongst is by participating in book festivals.
I implore you to stop screaming and wipe that worried look off your face. You can do this! Believe me, if I can do it you can do it. I’m not a sales person whatsoever and find it much easier to promote fellow authors than I do my own books. You give me a synopsis and bio of an author and I can talk about them endlessly. Me, my books…not so much. Until the day I pulled up my big girl pants and took the plunge into researching book festivals. Like anything in this world, some events are successful in sales, others not so much. It’s important to know either way the day is a networking opportunity to connect with fellow authors and yes the READERS we are dying to reach. Connections are essential regardless of the monetary, especially with the event organizers.
Hmmm, I hear you grumbling…
“How do I find out about book festivals?”
“It’s too costly!”
Slay your naysayer and get down to research. Yep, even though I’ve told you to get out from behind technology, this is one of those times where it’s imperative to hunker down at your keyboard. For here we go on the roller coaster ride through your region of events via the magic of cyberspace. One of the VERY BEST websites out there for book festival listings is…
It’s incredible the wealth of information provided!
Not to brag, but I want to share with you two of my success stories to hopefully get you out of your comfort zone…
In the fall of 2014 I participated in the Collingswood Book Festival and the 19th Annual Rockland Literacy Extravaganza. Both events targeted a different audience, the Collingswood Book Festival focused on readers and the 19th Annual Rockland Literacy Extravaganza focused on teachers. Connections were made at both… At the Collingswood Book Festival I had the opportunity to meet readers and the 19th Annual Literacy Extravaganza I met over 60 teachers.
I dare you, put yourself out there….you never know what new friends and connections you may make!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,Donna M. McDineMulti Award-winning Children's Author
Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+
A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star ReviewPowder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star ReviewHockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star ReviewThe Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
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By: Zoe,
on 5/18/2015
Blog:
Playing by the book
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Michael Rosen,
Book Festivals,
Kevin Crossley-Holland,
Catherine Rayner,
Patrick Benson,
Daniel Morden,
Jessica Souhami,
Benji Davies,
Rachel Rooney,
Bernardo Atxaga,
Kit Wright,
Marie-Aude Murail,
The Children's Bookshow,
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The Children’s Bookshow is an organisation that arranges an annual tour across England of children’s authors, poets and illustrators. It’s a fantastic opportunity to take entire classes to see an author, poet or illustrator live, with the added bonus that if you buy tickets to one of the Children’s Bookshow events, you will have the opportunity to book a free school workshop with an author/poet/illustrator. If you are successful in bidding for a free school workshop the Children’s Bookshow will gift the attending children a book to keep.
This year Bernardo Atxaga, Patrick Benson, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Benji Davies, Daniel Morden, Marie-Aude Murail, Catherine Rayner, Rachel Rooney, Michael Rosen, Jessica Souhami and Kit Wright are taking to the stage, everywhere from London to Leicester and Stafford to Snape Maltings. Events take place from September to November, but if you want to be sure of places for the kids you teach and in with a chance of winning a free author/poet/illustrator workshop, early booking is strongly advised.
Booking is now open and you can find full details at The Children’s Bookshow website: http://www.thechildrensbookshow.com/arts-award.html
One of this year’s participants in the The Children’s Bookshow is Rachel Rooney, shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award. In conjunction with The Children’s Bookshow Rachel is running a super poetry competition for kids (9 and under, and 9-11). You can find out full details here:
http://www.thechildrensbookshow.com/competition.html
I invite you to cruise on over to #IWSG and visit with me today as I chat about... "Book Festivals: A Must Have for Your Book Marketing Toolbox" at...
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2015/03/book-festivals-must-have-for-your-book.htmlThanks for your interest, I look forward to chatting with you, once I return from work!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDineMulti Award-winning Children's Author
Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!Connect with
Donna McDine on Google+A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
Or, more formally, “A Comprehensive List of U.S. College- and University-Sponsored or -Hosted Children’s and Young Adult Literature Conferences, Festivals, and Symposia.” (All of them that I could find, anyway).
A few years ago, I was looking for such a list, wondered why I couldn’t find one, and decided to just go ahead and make one myself.
Since then, I’ve periodically updated and reposted it, and I plan to continue doing so. If I’ve missed any, or included some that no longer exist, won’t you please let me know in the comments section?
Arizona
University of Arizona Tucson Festival of Books
California
University of Redlands Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival
Connecticut
University of Connecticut Connecticut Children’s Book Fair
Georgia
Kennesaw State University Conference on Literature for Children and Young Adults
The University of Georgia Children’s Literature Conference
Illinois
Northern Illinois University Children’s Literature Conference
Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio
Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More College, University of Cincinnati, and Xavier University Ohio Kentucky Indiana Children’s Literature Conference
Kentucky
University of Kentucky McConnell Conference
Maryland
Frostburg State University Spring Festival of Children’s Literature
Salisbury University Read Green Festival
Massachusetts
Framingham State University Children’s Literature Festival
Simmons College Children’s Literature Summer Institute
Minnesota
St. Cloud State University Children’s Literature Workshop
University of Minnesota Kerlan Award Ceremony
University of St. Thomas Hubbs Children’s Literature Conference
Missouri
University of Central Missouri Children’s Literature Festival
Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival
Nebraska
Concordia University Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival
New Hampshire
Keene State College Children’s Literature Festival
New Jersey
Montclair State University New Jersey Council of Teachers of English Spring Conference
Rutgers University One-on-One Plus Conference
New York
Manhattan College 21st Century Children’s Nonfiction Conference
Stony Brook University – Southampton Southampton Children’s Literature Conference
Ohio
Bowling Green State University Literacy in the Park
Kent State University Virginia Hamilton Conference
Ohio State University 2016 Children’s Literature Association Conference (ChLA 2016)
The University of Findlay Mazza Museum Summer Conference and Weekend Conference
Youngstown State University English Festival
Pennsylvania
Kutztown University Children’s Literature Conference
Texas
Sam Houston State University Jan Paris Bookfest: Children’s & YA Conference
Texas A&M University – Commerce Bill Martin Jr Memorial Symposium
Utah
Brigham Young University Symposium on Books for Young Readers
Utah Valley University Forum on Engaged Reading
Virginia
The College of William and Mary Joy of Children’s Literature Conference
Longwood University Summer Literacy Institute and Virginia Children’s Book Festival
Shenandoah University Children’s Literature Conference
Washington
Western Washington University Children’s Literature Conference
The 2015 San Francisco Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual program celebrating the best books of the spring.
The San Francisco Book Festival will consider non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, compilations/anthologies, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, business, history, wild card, gay, photography/art, poetry, unpublished, technology and spiritual/religious works. There is no date of publication restriction.
Grand prize for the 2015 San Francisco Book Festival winner is $1500 cash appearance fee and a flight to San Francisco for our gala awards ceremony on May, 2015. Exact date TBD.
Submitted works will be judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria: 1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story. 2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
Deadline submissions in each category must be received by the close of business on April 25, 2015. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail and on the web site.
Read more at our website.
The 2014
Texas Book Festival is over -- and, as usual, what a great event! Varian Johnson, Jennifer Ziegler, and I had a blast on the "Capers, Cons, and Catastrophes" panel moderated by Anne Bustard.
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| Anne Bustard, me, and Jennifer Ziegler |
Here are some more pics from the weekend's events:
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| In the Green Room (cw from left): Anne Bustard, Me, Jennifer Ziegler, Varian Johnson, Varsha Bajaj, Nikki Loftin, Cyn |
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| Erszi Deak, Carmen Oliver, and me at the Texas Monthly breakfast |
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| Jo Whittemore and me in the Green Room |
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| Me and Cyn before #WeNeedDiverseBooks panel |
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| Me, Varsha, Cyn and Trent Reedy at the Saturday night party |
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| Me and Lindsey Lane |
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| Donna Janell Bowman photobombs Carmen Oliver, PJ Hoover, and Cyn |
Many thanks to all the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors!
By: Jeanne Lyet Gassman,
on 10/27/2014
Blog:
Jeanne's Writing Desk
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The Department of English at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and GRASSROOTS,SIUC's undergraduate literary magazine, are pleased to announce the 2015 Devil's Kitchen Reading Awards.
One book of poetry (book-length work or single-author collection of poems), one book of fiction (novel, novella, or single-author short fiction collection) and one book of prose nonfiction (literary nonfiction, memoir, or single-author essay collection) will be selected from submissions of single-author titles published in 2014, and the winning authors will receive an honorarium of $1000.00 and will present a public reading and participate in panels at the Devil's Kitchen Fall Literary Festival at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
The dates for the 2015 festival will be October 21-23, 2015. Travel and accommodations will be provided for the three winners.
Entries may be submitted by either author or publisher, and must include a copy of the book, a cover letter, a brief biography of the author including previous publications, and a $20.00 entry fee made out to "SIUC - Dept. of English." Entrants wishing to submit entry fees electronically should e-mail a request to:
grassrootsmagATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )
and they will be sent a link to pay by PayPal or credit card.
Entries must be postmarked December 1, 2014 - February 2, 2015. Materials postmarked after February 1 will be returned unopened. Because we cannot guarantee their return, all entries will become the property of the SIUC Department of English. Entrants wishing acknowledgment of receipt of materials must include a self-addressed stamped postcard.
Judges will come from the faculty of SIUC's MFA Program in Creative Writing and the award winners will be selected by the staff of GRASSROOTS. The winners will be notified in May 2015. All entrants will be notified of the results by e-mail in June 2015.
The three awards are open to single-author titles published in 2014 by independent, university, or commercial publishers. The winners must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must agree to attend and participate in the 2015 Devil's Kitchen Fall Literary Festival (October 21-23, 2015) to receive the award. Entries from vanity presses and self-published books are not eligible. Current students and employees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and authors published by Southern Illinois University Press are not eligible.
I am delighted to announce that I will be presenting LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN on the panel "Capers, Cons, and Catastrophes," (Sunday, at 130-230 in Cap. Ext. E2.026) with Varian Johnson and Jennifer Ziegler! (There may be mayhem :-)).
Below are the other panels featuring children's and YA authors.
Note that there's also ongoing programming throughout both days in the Children's Activity Tent and the Read Me a Story Tent! For the complete schedule, click here.
Panels featuring Austin authors are in italics.
SATURDAY
10-1045
Grandfather Gandhi
Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Authors:
Arun Gandhi
Bethany Hegedus
10-1045
Choose Wisely
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Lauren Miller
Trent Reedy
Stephen Graham Jones
Moderator:
Vanessa Lee
10-11
YA and not so Y.A.
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.012
Authors:
Claudia Gray
Melissa de la Cruz
11-1145
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Michelle Knudsen
Steve Brezenoff
Moderator:
Sean Petrie
12-1
#WeNeedDiverseBooks
Location: The Sanctuary at First United Methodist Church (1201 Lavaca, enter from Lavaca St.)
Authors:
Tim Tingle
Jacqueline Woodson
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Pat Mora
Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Moderator:
Don Tate
12-1
Tomás Rivera Award
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Susan Goldman Rubin
Duncan Tonatiuh
Moderator:
Jesse Gainer
12-1
Guys Read: True Stories
Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Authors:
Jon Scieszka
Nathan Hale
1215-1
Hazardous Tales
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.016
Authors:
Nathan Hale
1215-115
Survival 101
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Lindsay Cummings
Rick Yancey
Dayna Lorentz
Moderator:
Sarah Pitre
115-215
Do You Believe in Magic?
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Natalie Lloyd
Annie Barrows
Nikki Loftin
230-330
Adventure is Out There
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Michael Fry
P. J. Hoover
S.S. Taylor
230-330
Poetry for YA
Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Authors:
Jacqueline Woodson
Isabel Quintero
K. A. Holt
245-330
Frank Einstein
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Jon Scieszka
345-430
Katherine Applegate
Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Authors:
Katherine Applegate
345-445
Eyes on the Prize
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Deborah Wiles
Duncan Tonatiuh
London Ladd
Moderator:
Sharon O'Neal
SUNDAY
11-12 Sun
Beginning, Middle, End: A Trio of Trilogies
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Adam Gidwitz
Edward Carey
Deron Hicks
1215-115
Design Decisions: Children's Illustrators At Work
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.028
Authors:
Patrick McDonnell
Lane Smith
Tad Carpenter
Divya Srinivasan
Carolyn Dee Flores
130-230
Capers, Cons, and Catastrophes
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Jennifer Ziegler
Greg Leitich Smith
Varian Johnson
130-230
Unfinished Business
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.028
Authors:
Meg Wolitzer
Lindsey Lane
Adele Griffin
245-340
Tony DiTerlizzi
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.028
Authors:
Tony DiTerlizzi
Moderator:
Suzanne Wofford
245-345
Growing Pains
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Varsha Bajaj
Mariko Tamaki
3-5
At-Risk Summer Movie
Location: Capitol Auditorium Room E1.004
Authors:
e.E. Charlton-Trujillo
Last weekend, I had an awesome time being a panelist at the Tweens Read Book Festival, held at South Houston High School in Pasadena. In all, more than 1700 tween readers showed up to hear keynotes by Jacqueline Woodson and Margaret Peterson Haddix, as well as any three of five panels of authors. For the complete list, click here.
My panel was called "Houston, We Have Problems," and featured six authors in a lively discussion of science fiction for tweens:
Greg Leitich Smith - Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn
Stu Gibbs - Space Case
Jennifer Brown - Life on Mars
Will Alexander - Ambassador
Jessica Brody - Unforgotten
Matt London - The 8th Continent
Check out some pictures:
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| The students gather for the opening keynote |
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| Jennifer Holm, Jennifer Ziegler, Varsha Bajaj |
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| Megan Frazer Blakemore, Kirby Larson, Jenni Holm, and me |
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| Me and Bruce Hale, with Jonathan Auxier (background) |
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| Authors gathered onstage for introductions |
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| Matt London, Jessica Brody, Jennifer Brown, and me |
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| Signing stock |
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| Natalie Lloyd, Varian Johnson, Jennifer Holm, Jennifer Ziegler, Varsha Bajaj |
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| Cynthia Leitich Smith and Jacqueline Woodson |
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| Megan Frazer Blakemore, a South Houston Trojan, and me |
Many thanks to all the organizers, sponsor, and volunteers, especially Blue Willow Books!
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| After speaking to 350 children at Edinburgh International Book Festival |
It’s easy to get depressed in the worlds of children’s books: whether it’s the ongoing closure of public libraries, the fact that writers are earning less and less or the dismal statistic that over 1 in 4 British children don't own a single book. But, if you haven’t abandoned me already, there ARE bright spots. One of these positive trends is the amazing growth of literary festivals.
Big festivals are growing. Small festivals are mushrooming.
This summer I witnessed both ends of this spectrum, doing events at one of the newest festivals and one of the most long established.
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| Leeds Big Book End - Children's Programme |
The Leeds Big Bookend has been set up by a bunch of enthusiastic and dynamic people in the city where I live, Leeds, who felt that with virtually everywhere else around us boasting a festival – Ilkley, Harrogate, Morley, Wakefield (I could go on) Leeds should have one too. Entirely run by volunteers, it’s obviously been immensely hard work.
The children’s venue was rather tucked away above a health food shop…and yet inside the organizers had built a wonderful story-telling yurt, to which every child in the place immediately gravitated. It was lovely. And still small enough and intimate enough that I probably had chat with every child there.
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| Fellow author Kate Pankhurst in the yurt: Photo credit - Coronita Coronado |
Then, at the end of August, I was off to one of the biggest and most well-established of festivals – the EdinburghInternational Book Festival (EIBF), where I was taking part in the Schools Gala Day. The EIBF is a major event in the literary world, where probably the highlight of a packed children's programme this year was an appearance by Malala Yousafzai, introduced by JK Rowling.
Edinburgh is my original home town and I’ve been to the book festival there for years. I remember sitting in small tents, sometimes with a handful of people, listening to the speakers organized by Scottish Book Trust. Now the programme has grown hugely and the marquees in Charlotte Square are a hub bub of activity, with enormous queues, packed out events, famous faces passing in the crowd and a whole lot of people eating ice cream and sunning themselves on the grass (well, Edinburgh weather permitting).
Of course, I’ve heard critics say that this growth in festivals only affects a few people – the book-buying public, and the families who encourage their children to read anyway. In other words, festivals are the past-time of a literary elite.
Not so. My own first event was for an audience of around 350 children who had traveled to the Festival with their schools – seven different primaries from across Scotland. And in the afternoon, I did another school event in a local library – part of the Festival’s Outreach Programme, that takes writers and illustrators to meet children who most likely wouldn’t have the chance to come to the Festival. And this year Edinburgh also ran a Writer in Residence scheme – enabling a writer to go in and work with children in a school over an extended period, creating their own picture books. |
| Questions prepared by the children at my EIBF outreach event |
Edinburgh isn’t alone in this. Many literary festivals run programmes of school visits, bringing together teachers, children, writers and illustrators.
When I was growing up, I never met an author or illustrator. I was fascinated by books, but I never thought that writing them was something that living, breathing people did. (I knew Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl were dead…I reckoned the rest probably were too.)
Now, many children are meeting authors, and that has a lot to do with book festivals.
Did I inspire any of the children I met this year? I don’t know. I know they laughed a lot. I know they had lots of questions. And I know when a bunch of those 350 children came up onto the stage and acted out their own story about my character, Wild Thing (where she and her sister visited Edinburgh Castle and accidentally set off the One O’clock Gun) they certainly inspired me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Emma's new series for 8+
Wild Thing about the naughtiest little sister ever (and her bottom-biting ways) is out now from Scholastic.
"Hilarious and heart-warming" The Scotsman
Wolfie is published by Strident.
Sometimes a Girl’s Best Friend is…a Wolf. "A real cracker of a book"
Armadillo "Funny, clever and satisfying...thoroughly recommended"
Books for KeepsEmma's
WebsiteEmma’s
Facebook FanpageEmma on Twitter - @EmmaBarnesWrite
I’ve just returned from Edinburgh on a train packed to the gills with rucksacks, sleeping bags, and the odd piece of bin-bag wrapped set. Yes, it’s festival time and the returning festival-goers include, as they have for the last twenty-two years, me.
I’ve also been a participant this year – talking at the Edinburgh Book Festival, just one of seven festivals that completely take over the Scottish capital every August. At the same time as I was talking to 80 children about The Dark Wild yesterday, Alex Salmond was discussing the referendum next door, and had you struck out in almost any direction from Charlotte Square in search of alternative fare, I guarantee you could have found some event to suit your palate.
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| My audience at the Edinburgh Book Festival 2014 |
I wasn’t with my partner on this occasion, who was giving a talk on a forgotten Elizabethan play…at another festival, Wilderness, in Oxfordshire. Wilderness is part of a new crop of ‘boutique’ festivals offering a midsummer’s assortment of revels from hip bands to literary events to Madhatter’s Teaparties. The lakes and Arcadian lawns of Wilderness are a far cry from the cobbles and closes of Edinburgh, although this weekend they shared the same weather.
Earlier this summer we
didgo to the same festival, to the brand new
Curious Arts – a kind of Voewood-on-Sea, in the charming grounds of Pylewell Park, a Regency mansion with a view
from the terrace straight down to the Isle of Wight. You could dance to Ed Harcourt in the evening, listen to Lady Antonia Fraser on the Great Reform Act after breakfast, hunt a Jabberwocky in the Aboretum all afternoon, and finish the day with a gin cocktail leaning over a crumbling balustrade watching ships pass on the Solent.
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| Pylewell Park, the setting for the Curious Arts Festival |
All very charming and civilised. But as I returned for the umpteenth time from the granddaddy of all festivals last night – I found myself meditating on the true attraction of such gatherings. What’s the point of a festival?
Let me first declare an interest in this British summer sport. I began my career programming a large theatre on the Edinburgh Fringe,
the Pleasance (of which I am now a Trustee). Each year we have enough shows in enough different rooms to momentarily make us one of the largest arts venues in Europe.
I’ve sat in the sun at Hay and waded through the mud at Latitude. I’ve spoken at a tiny theatre festival that just takes over three floors of one building in Suffolk and a new book festival in Devon which was just a room in a library.
Later this year I’ll be leading a wildlife walk at
Bath Festival and then dashing off to sit on a panel at Cheltenham. You can festival it up from Port Elliot
to Adelaide to Dubai, if you want to.
It would seem that we are at peak Festival, with over 700 events taking place this year classified as one, about 300 of them literary.
As a writer, you will be told many things about festivals, as I know theatre companies, musicians and comedians are told about theirs. You will be told they are essential for profile, that ‘festivals are the new bookshops’ and a great way for connecting with readers.
I don’t wholly dispute those things. Being in a Festival programme, especially an established one, does lift perception of you and your titles. Sales wise I’m less sure – I had a sold out talk at Edinburgh yesterday, in a 75 seat room, and probably sold 20 odd books, which is great - but it’s not the sole reason I went.
You certainly don’t go for the money. Some Festivals, like Bath and Edinburgh offer a token fee, and some like Hay, offer a case of wine and a flower. And as someone involved with the running of a festival venue, I can report that the ever increasing rental, accommodation, promotional, regulatory and staff costs associated with mounting one of these temporary gatherings mean profits are only ever normally found behind the bar rather than the box office.
It’s not cheap for audience members either. Individual events may carry an average ticket price of £8-10 but the travel, accommodation, taxi and food/drink bill means the minimum festival tab comes close to the £100 prices offered by the all inclusive weekend events like Curious Arts, and can be often more - if you visited Edinburgh all week, for example.
Why do we all go and what do we take away?
A dull critic of this pastime might argue that at best audience members take away an empty wallet and often a hangover, and we take away some book sales and inclusion in a programme mailing list.
Of course, all of us are in search of something much more profound.
Festivals may be promoted effectively but I would not place them under the heading of ‘Effective Promotion’ for any artist. There are numerous more sober and less fun ways to do that – just speak to your publisher’s sales and marketing department. But festivals are also fun for them to attend too.
Festivals, especially the summer ones, satisfy a much deeper urge in us to ‘gather.’ Writing, as we all know, can be a damnably lonely business, just you, your ideas and a cold screen all day long. School visits are often hectic and at best your longest conversation with an adult might be five minutes on logistics over a coffee in the staff room.
I think all of us, from writers to actors to comedians to singers to audience members, go to festivals primarily to talk, and to connect. We need our events, sure, we need a reason to gather, our cover story; but the real business of a Festival takes place in the green room, the author’s yurt, the performer’s bar and the pop-up café franchise.
The classic image of a festival is a big tent, and that is the heart of their appeal. Where else can one talk to Archbishop Emeritus Rowan Williams, the Gruffalo and First Minister Salmond all in one room? Even if I chose not to. They are harvest festivals without the back breaking labour (unless perhaps you’re in an acrobatic troupe), weddings for all, and the very best are always tinged with midsummer madness.
 |
| The Gruffalo loses his head at all the excitement in the Edinburgh Author's Yurt |
We gather, we discover, share ideas, news, worries and gossip like crazy. Twitter handles become three dimensional, books expand to reveal the lives behind them, and readers are no longer scary anonymous Amazon commenters.
We might sell the odd book or register with a bookseller who didn’t know us before. All of which is great and worthwhile. But next time your publisher invites you to a festival, don’t worry too much about the fee or whether the sales will be worth it, just gather in the tent (ideally under a super moon) and enjoy the craic.
Piers Torday
@PiersTorday
www.pierstorday.co.uk
If anyone has any memorable Festival experiences, good or bad, do share them below!
Tomorrow, Saturday, July 12th is the Harlem Book Fair. LEE & LOW BOOKS will be there from 11 a.m., selling some of your favorite titles. We’ll be at table C32!
For a full list of tables and exhibitors, please click here.
LEE & LOW BOOKS, along with some other industry professionals, will be participating in a panel discussion on diversity in children’s books:
ABUNDANTLY RICH: HARVESTING THE WEALTH IN MULTICULTURAL BOOK PUBLISHING
- Where: Langston Hughes Auditorium
- Time: 12:00pm to 1:15pm
- More information can be found here.
We hope to see you there!
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I've been having a nail biting, train zooming, speed-writing, brain tingling time recently. Deadlines have loomed and thankfully been achieved. Awards received (thank you Stockton-on-Tees and Shrewsbury) and talks and presentations for children and adults given.
My first Hay Festival talk went well (even though my dogs who'd been given special dispensation to come along too decided to lie in muddy puddles just before and had to be washed off with bought bottled water from the Co-op.) They're appearing in Edinburgh next.
I got final edits done and lots of emails from my website replied to whilst on the train to Roehampton University to talk to final year teaching students for Reading Zone and more done on the train up to Manchester to talk to teachers and student teachers with Andy Seed, Kate Pankhurst and Jon Mayhew about Reading to Inspire. We were invited by the lovely Nikki Gamble from Just Imagine. Andy told everyone how when he was a teacher the books he pitched to the children were the ones that were most read and it reinforced how important it is that adults show how much they enjoy reading and talk about books they love to inspire children. Our enthusiasm rubs off.
I love days when I can cuddle up with a good book and be transported into another world. It's just the best. I especially used to like Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle as a comfort book.
But my favourite book of all time is Charlotte’s Web. It was read and re-read more than once when I had whooping cough as a child and had a whole term off school. Every week my mum would bring me back all the books she could from the library and I went from a non-reader at the start of my illness to a child with the reading bug by the end.
Thumbs up to the brand new reading group for 8-12's @suttonlibrary that launched on Saturday 7th June. Hope you all keep on having a brilliant time.
This week I received a letter from a school I visited during my last book tour:
'Every time we go into one of our classrooms, we see someone reading one of the books that they bought when you visited- Even one of our teachers, who isn't an animal-person, read your book overnight and loved it. When we knew we were going to write to you we wondered what our friends thought of your books -so we asked them! Ben in year 6 said they took me into another dimension in my learning about World War 2 and I found it hard to escape. Year 3 came up with words like 'awesome', 'epic' and 'can't wait 'til the next one.' And finally, Jessica in year 5 actually made up a new word - 'AMAZEYBULLS!'
Nothing beats letters and emails from happy readers.
I've been taking Traffy in to listen to children read at our local school. She loves it and the children love it and I'm very pleased to say that the children who've been seeing her each week have shown significant improvement in their reading.
I'll be at the Higgins Museum for the first Bedford Bookfest on Saturday 5th July at 11am talking about 'A Soldier's Friend'. Sadly Traffy and Bella won't be allowed because of the risk of dog fur on the exhibits (probably just as well!) :)
By: DanP,
on 6/14/2014
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By Kate Farquhar-Thomson
It was down to the trustworthy sat nav that I arrived safe and sound at Hay Festival this year; torrential downpours meant that navigating was tougher than usual and being told where to go, and when, was more than helpful.
Despite the wet and muddy conditions that met me at Hay, and stayed with me throughout the week, the enthusiasm of the crowd never dwindled. Nothing, it seems, keeps a book lover away from their passion to hear, meet, and have their book signed by their favourite author. But let’s not ignore the fact that festival-goers at Hay not only support their favourite authors, they also relish hearing and discovering new ones.
My working holiday centres on our very own creators of text, our very own exponents of knowledge, our very own Oxford authors! Here I will endeavour to distil just some of the events I was privileged to attend in the call of duty!
Peter Atkins was an Oxford Professor of Chemistry and fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford until his retirement in 2007 – many of us, including myself, studied his excellent text-books at ‘A’ level and at university. What Peter Atkins does so well is make science accessible for everyone and none less so than an attentive Hay audience. Peter puts chemistry right at the heart of science. ‘Chemistry has rendered a service to civilization’ Atkins says ‘it contributes to the cultural infrastructure of the world’. And thereon he took us through just nine things we needed to know to ‘get’ chemistry.
Ian Goldin’s event on Is The Planet Full? addressed global issues that are affecting, and will affect, our planet. So, is the planet full? Well, the Telegraph tent for his talk certainly was! Goldin, whose lime green sweater brought a welcome brightness to the stage, is Professor of Globalisation and Development and Director of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford. His words brought clarity and insight: “politics shapes the answer to this question,” said Goldin.
Hay mixes the young with the old and academics with us mere mortals, and what we publishers call the ‘trade’ authors with the more ‘academic’ types. This was demonstrated aptly by Paul Cartledge who right from the start referenced an earlier talk he attended by James Holland. Cartledge is A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at University of Cambridge and James (who is an ex-colleague and friend) is a member of the British Commission for Military History and the Guild of Battlefield Guides but a non-academic. The joy of Hay is that it brings everyone together. Paul Cartledge was speaking about After Thermopylae, a mere 2,500 years ago, but rather a more tricky period to illustrate through props and pictures which Holland so aptly used in his presentation.
OUP had 15 authors at The Hay Festival but the Hay Festival also had other visitors such as Chris Evans whose show was broadcast live from the festival as it was the 500 Words competition announcement and I was lucky enough to be there.
So what does Hay mean to me? It’s a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with heroes in literature and culture, as well as academia. It’s a week of friends, colleagues, and drinking champagne with Stephen Fry whilst discussing tennis with John Bercow – and wearing wellies every day!
Kate Farquhar-Thomson is Head of Publicity at OUP in Oxford.
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Image credits: Stephen Fry, Ian Goldin, and 500 Words competition at the Hay Festival. Photos by Kate Farquhar-Thomson: do not reproduce without permission.
The post Post-Hay Festival blues appeared first on OUPblog.
I've been so busy this week. I went to San Antonio and signed at The Book Festivals of Texas booth at the Texas Library Association's Annual conference. I also shared the news of my upcoming YA Rom-Com PLUMB CRAZY. Best of all, I spent a few days with some true heroes this week -- water for my soul this week. I'm chatting about that.
I trekked across the great state of Texas with Kathy Whitehead, and truly felt like I had magically been transported to a Porfirio Salinas' painting. Here's a link to "Springtime in Texas" by Salinas. It makes me want shove my WIP in a corner and spend my days painting the world around me.
The wonderful DannyWoodfill of The Book Spot in Round Rock, Texas was the bookseller for the Book Festivals' booth. Oh, independent bookstores fill me with happy feelings of freedom of speech. I also feel this happiness that someone is spending his life investing in the future, in his community and ultimately our whole county by adding fabric to the community. How? Who supports local authors? Who understands the specific needs of a local reading community? Who creates a hub for creative folk within a community? Who can guide a non-reader into the world of reading? (So huge!) I hope this makes you want to drive over to your local independent and buy some books!
Big shout out for Tabatha Perry. She heads up the Montgomery County Book Festival. Again another cultural investment maven! A real hero! Here's an interview with her. How does she add to the fabric of our community? Who supports local writers? Who will create communities of readers who have a wide vision of the world through reading? Who will light imagination fires in the minds of teens? Yes, Tabatha Perry! Books saved me as teenager. I have no idea how I would have survived those years without books. I wish there had been book festivals when I was a teen.
Finally, I'm not forgetting the army of heroes, the Librarians of Texas!!!! Yes, these folks are the best ever. I am at war with Texas. Why? This stuff: Why do we need librarians in elementary schools? Let's save money in the budget and do away with those librarians.Why do we need any librarians at all? Here is my why....we must facilitate life-long learners, an informed global community and all-access educated citizenry.
This apparently means little to so many Texans. Here is a link to Texas Literacy facts. Understand me. I love Texas. I'm a generational Texan. This is my home. But this galls me: Football is the important thing. I know this is not a popular stance, but I don't seen giant shining libraries across Texas. I see football fields, really fancy ones. I'd like to see a huge library as the fabric of community in every small town in Texas. I'd like to see a big staff of librarians stamping out ignorance that is choking the people of my state.
Don't believe me? My home town football field: Waller ISD stadium (accommodates 10,000). My hometown library: The Melanee Smith Memorial Library (no words for how much I treasure this place as teen). The library doesn't have a website. Just a page. There is one librarian.
Do me a favor -- visit your local bookstore, your wonderful local library, and/or a book festival and thank important heroes in our world.
I will be back next week with more April Showers.
Here is the doodle: Girl in Bluebonnets.
From a Texas gal I like, a quote for your pocket.
The library card is a passport to wonders and miracles, glimpses into other lives, religions, experiences, the hopes and dreams and strivings of ALL human beings, and it is this passport that opens our eyes and hearts to the world beyond our front doors, that is one of our best hopes against tyranny, xenophobia, hopelessness, despair, anarchy, and ignorance. Libba Bray
There’s just over a month till the third Hoo’s Kids Book Fest (11th May, 2014) at the magical Luton Hoo Walled Garden (just north of London) and if I lived nearer, I’d definitely be going!
Along with sessions by Robert Muchamore, author of the bestselling Cherub series and Richard and Judy Book Club winner Sophie McKenzie, you could also see Jim Smith, author of the rib-tickling Barry Loser and winner of the 2013 Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the fantbaulous Alex T. Smith & Caryl Hart, the glorious Clara Vulliamy, the utterly brilliant Gary Northfield and many more.
You might catch Julian Sedgwick doing circus tricks, Mike Brownlow talking like a pirate. I’m sure Steve Lenton will NOT be getting up to no-good with Shifty McGifty!
The Phoenix Comic, Roahl Dahl Museum, Miffy and Kipper will also be there to provide lots of great fun. Seriously, what an amazing day it’s going to be!
To buy tickets and to find out full programme details do check Hoos Kids Book Fest.
Entrance fee is £6.00 per person. Family tickets £20. Under 2s are free. Special events are £3.00 per person, but there are also lots of free activities. Advance booking is recommended as some events have limited seating and sell out quickly. (Do take a look at the special Golden Tickets deal!)
Whilst you’re exploring Hoo’s Kids Book Fest website don’t miss out on the details of the short story competition for 9-16 year olds or the new children’s book award, the Look! Hoo’s Reading Book Award, Full details of both these initiatives can be found here.
Whether you want to meet the authors, discover new books, listen to favourite stories or get creative with our illustrators, there’s something for all ages!
And if you do go, please let me know how it was! I least I can live vicariously through my blog readers 
Yesterday was the inaugural
Young Adult Bookfest (aka YABFest), sponsored by
The Book Spot, the City of Round Rock, the Round Rock and Pflugerville ISDs, and
The Frisco!
I was on a panel titled "Out of this World" with
Sharon Bayliss,
Ernest Cline,
Krissi Dallas,
Rachel Harris and
Cory Putnam Oakes! At Cory's instigation, here's a pic of us doing something called "Blue Steel:"
Here are a couple pics of the day, behind the scenes:
 |
| CC Hunter, Cory Oakes, Mari Mancusi, Rachel Harris |
 |
| Andrea Cremer and David Levithan |
 |
| Andrea, PJ Hoover, Jill Bailey, David |
 |
| Krissi, Lindsey Scheibe (Back, blue), Cory, Sharon |
Here are some pics fromt he Friday night reception:
 |
| Jessica Lee Anderson, Cyn, PJ Hoover, Danny Woodfill |
 |
| Julie Woodfill and Madeline Smoot |
 |
| Books! |
 |
| Cyn and me |
Thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers, and attendees! Congrats on a great first event!
Cyn and I are just back from the Montgomery County Book Festival, where we had an amazing time! Congrats on a terrific event and thanks for all the hard work by the organizers and volunteers!
My panel was titled "We're Not in Kansas Anymore: SciFi Reads," and included co-panelists Brian Falkner and David Macinnis Gill. I haven't read Brian's work, but am excited to do so now; and I'm thrilled that the third book in David's BLACK HOLE SUN series is forthcoming next month.
We had a great discussion, including how science fiction reflects society and inspirations of our respective works.
Here are some pictures:
 |
| Opening night reception |
Check out Cyn's report
here for more photos!
Cyn and I are safely back from YAK Fest! We had a great time road-tripping with Cory Putnam Oakes and Jessica Lee Anderson, although traffic on I-35 was the worst ever. (And we didn't allow anyone in the car who doesn't have three names in their byline).
Once we arrived in Keller, we were treated to a nice reception/dinner at the awesome Book Carriage Book Store. The next morning, Simone Elkeles delivered a rousing keynote, followed by our panels!
On my panel,Krissi Dallas spoke about creating worlds and names therefor; Tracy Deebs talked about apocalypses and Pandora's bad rap; and Andrea White talked about the inspiration for Surviving Antarctica.
Many thanks to all the organizers, sponsors, and volunteers!
Here are some pictures:
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| Jason Henderson, Lori Aurelia Williams, Cory Putnam Oakes, Jessica Lee Anderson, and Cyn and Me. |
 |
| The Elvis shrine at the Waco Chuy's |
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| Cory, Cyn, Krissi Dallas, Me |
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| Jason Henderson and Me |
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| Road tripping! |
 |
| Traffic jam in Waco |
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| Cory, Jessica, a Yak, Krissi, Cyn and Me |
By: msedano,
on 10/15/2012
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Late Breaking News
Memorial Honors Frank Sifuentes, QEPD
Tempus fugit que no?
Frank's long-time friend, Jesus Treviño, has compiled a memorial including messages from all five of Frank's friends, and a video. Click the links to Frank's spoken word recordings at the USC digital library and Nuestrafamilia.
http://latinopia.com/latino-history/latinopia-hero-frank-sifuentes/QEPD, Frank.
Michael Sedano
Over there, across a couple of blinded-by-the-light grey roofs and assorted HVAC ducts, underneath the canopy, all old and faded. Behold the remains of
América Tropical, a mural painted on a Los Angeles wall by David Alfaro Siqueiros 80 years ago and whitewashed shortly thereafter.
"In a way, the whitewashing preserved it," one docent avers, pointing to the richer coloring at the right, a section that had been whitewashed earlier by disillusioned patrons whose vision of tropical America included lovely colorful people and happy native dancing girls.
What America got from el maestro is an undulating jungle surrounding a native nailed to a double cross upon whose crown perches a fierce eagle. ¡Ajua!
The mural also signals the benefits of painting on wall substrates. Nelson Rockefeller jackhammered a Diego Rivera fresco off the walls of that arts patron's building in Manhattan. In El Lay, where easy solutions prevail, city powers tagged the wall with their own gang color.
The mural, the only publicly accessible Siqueiros mural in the United States, is conserved. Numerous visitors ask about preservation, or repainting. The mural, whitewashed and exposed to ample ultaviolence by its south-facing wall, has faded past the point of ever being more than what it is.
A Getty-led conservation team has managed to remove the obscuring layer of paint and some tar stains, and has protected what remains from further degradation now that it once again finds the sun and elements. Black and white fotos exist of the mural, making impossible any ill-conceived wild hair notion to repaint.
Visitors to the observation platform must simply marvel at what that wall once said in its own voice. Downstairs, in the interpretive center, a trio of Siqueiros' muralist descendants--Barbara Carrasco, Wayne Healy, John Valadez--recreate
America Tropical in grand scale, reproducing those B&W frames taken back in 1932.
Opening day packed the space shoulder-to-shoulder. Such heavy demand must account for the elevator being out of service on my second visit. Access to the viewing deck, without that elevator, is restricted to able-bodied gente.
The spectacular corn mural in the stairwell is the compensation for stressed knees. Below, Angelica Garcia, a principal in a
Fontana tax firm, takes a breather for a snapshot with her daughter.
ATIC adds an important cultural dimension to school field trips to the birthplace of Los Angeles. I visited in 4th grade around '54. The place remains largely unchanged, a single file of curio and dulces-selling puestos down a cobbled pasillo flanked by restaurants, mid-scale boutiques, and recuerdos. ATIC fills a space midway down the street, next door where my primos' shop, Casa de Sousa, used to sell quality artifacts and espresso.
Thelma Reyna Reviews Pat Mora's Borders
La Bloga friend and guest columnist Thelma Reyna continues with
her exploration of classic works by Chicanas, a project Thelma's engaged in conjunction with Latinopia. The multifaceted Latinopia features historical and historic video features picked from filmmaker Jesus Treviños exhaustive archive of the movimiento, along with coverage of art, food, music, literature; la cultura en general.
Among the beauties of reassessing classic works is the likelihood of introducing readers new to these seminal expressions, to foundation literature that has influenced what they read today. Beginning at the beginning helps develop an informed critical understanding of everything read.
Among the classics Dr. Reyna has reviewed are
House on Mango Street, Nilda, Loving In the War Years. Latinopia currently features Thelma's appreciation of Pat Mora's poetry collection,
Borders.
Her book goes on to evoke and explore borders large and small, known and unknown, old and new, faint and glaring. The poet draws on her lifetime of living on and near borders, beginning with her birth in El Paso, Texas, her home for most of her life before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, Mora has straddled the border between cultures and languages, has navigated the “like” and “unlike” for her entire life. As her book depicts, borders can be cruel or innocuous, but they ultimately reveal us to ourselves.
Cruel Borders of Hardship
Her book is filled with snapshots of people from all walks of life, people identifiable for their hardships as much as for their triumphs. Mora starts with the famous pioneering author and university leader, Tomás Rivera, whose hands “knew about the harvest,/ tasted the laborer’s sweat” but also “gathered books at city dumps
You can read Thelma Reyna's full review at
Latinopia here. The classics series also features
polymath Luis Torres, who reviews male writers, with Thelma Reyna covering women writers. La Bloga encourages gente to visit Latinopia's literary cornucopia.
Count on La Bloga to continue our de vez en cuando
reviews of the old stuff, too. You can join in as a reader, or a
guest columnist. For comments and questions, click the Comments link below, and be sure to subscribe to your comment to receive reader comments.
The Closet of Discarded Dreams Book Tour Makes Pasadena Stop
Author Rudy Garcia joined a handful of guests--writers and artists--in Pasadena to talk books, science fiction fantasy writing, Rudy's novel, and the upcoming Latino Book & Family Festival.
 |
Hugo Garcia tells J. Michael Walker and
Alfredo Lascano about La Dolce Vita. |
One aspiring novelist arrived early, expressly to quiz Rudy on the mechanics of getting his first book published.
Garcia replied with the classic question, "what's your book about, in 25 words or less?"
Rudy stopped the novice around the 800th word. The lessons from pro to beginner: know your own stuff and get it written, then worry about the rights.
Rudy Garcia noted the rarity of Chicana Chicano science fiction and fantasy titles, making
The Closet of Discarded Dreams a pleasingly unique opportunity for scifi readership, but uniqueness an obstacle to publisher decision-making.
Discussion ranged widely across writers, titles, and story lines, then divagated to revolutionary new waves in film, and authenticity in historical fiction, and other genres.
Discussion segued into an ideal moment for Rudy to take the floor and read two passages he selected that illustrate his book's surreal exposition and the author's ability to write funny.
Short story writer and poet Angel Guerrero basks in the ambiente of good friends, new friends, good reading and listening. Then cracks up at one of Rudy's funny passages.
Painter,
cartographer,
portratist, J. Michael Walker absorbs the performance from his artist's eye.
Novelist Sandra Ramos O'Briant observes as Jesus Treviño documents Rudy Garcia's reading in this living room setting. Treviño will showcase the reading in a future
Latinopia.
Beyond the reading at Casa Sedano, Rudy appeared at Tia Chucha's Open Mic on Friday, the LB&FF, then a reading at Tia Chucha's Sunday afternoon.
The Closet of Discarded Dreams heads to a science fiction writers conference in Colorado then San Antonio.
Banned Book UpdateStill banned.
No big news out of Tucson. Vote like Freedom depends on it, because it does. Give Obama a Democratic Congress and let the nation see the return of bipartisanship to government. Give the GOP power and they will ban more books, just as a beginning.
On-Line Floricanto Mid-October 2012Avotcja, Sharon Elliott, Tara Evonne Trudell, Andrea Mauk, Tom Sheldon
ALGO DE TI, Avotcja
The Fence, Sharon Elliott
Dual Citizenship, Tara Evonne Trudell
Second Story, Andrea Mauk
Columbus through tiny eyes, Tom Sheldon
ALGO DE TIby AvotcjaTu pelo,
Abrazando su propia negrura
Como el color de medianoche en la manígua
Tu ser,
Un cuento vestido en sabiduría anciana
Una sabiduría agridulce
Sabiduría con sabor a colores de miles de flores
Bestial y arrogante
Una seda desenvoltura
A la vez inmóvil, pero misteriosa
Y como la noche de luna
Esclava de nadie
Eternamente libre como el viento
¿Y Otoño?
Siempre hay otoño,
Riendo, llorando, y bailando
En la negrura de tus ojos Indios
Tus ojos sabios
Tus ojos orgullosos
Tus pies ya caminaron por unos miles de siglos
En las tierras de tres continentes
Por los sueños de los afortunados
Por las pesadillas de los que nos engañan
Y porque tu eres quien eres tu,
Crecen las flores donde caminaste
Los Dioses me dicen
Que tu piel tiene el sabor de miel salvaje
Mientras que el viento canta tu nombre
Como yo ..… como yo
Y tu eres el color de amor
El color Moreno
El color prieto
El color Indio
El color de mi felicidad
El color de amor ….. eres tu
SOMETHING ABOUT YOUby AvotcjaYour hair,
Embracing its own blackness
Like the color of a jungle midnight
Your being,
A story dressed in ancient wisdom
A bittersweet wisdom
Wisdom that
Tastes like the colors of thousands of flowers
Arrogant & wild
A smooth flowing freedom
That's at the same time stubborn, but mysterious
And like the moonlight
A slave of nobody
Infinitely free just like the wind
And Autumn?
Autumn is always laughing, crying & dancing
In the blackness of your Indian eyes
Your wise eyes
Your proud eyes
Your feet have walked
Through thousands of centuries
On the lands of three continents
Through the dreams of the fortunate
Through the nightmares of those who deceive us
And because you are who you are,
Wherever you’ve walked flowers grow
The Gods tell me,
That your skin tastes like wild honey
While even the wind sings your name
And so do I ….. so do I
And you are the color of love
The color brown
Very dark brown
A dark red Indian brown
The color of my happiness
You ….. are the color of love!
The Fenceby Sharon Elliottsin vergüenza
Germany pulled theirs down
artifact of Nazis
with joy
celebration
Berlin united
pieces of brick
and stone
now inhabit the globe
in memory
of tyranny overcome
we
construct new fences
of wire and steel
to keep out ciudadanos
los que son
dueños de esta tierra
quienes que nos dieron
una bienvenida de corazón
nos cuidaron
nos regalaron una cama para acostarnos
nos alimentaron
con maíz y amor compartido
y que hicimos nosotros?
what did we do?
we accepted their gracious gifts
then stole their land
pushed them off
enslaved them
and their children
treated them as interlopers
in their own home
now we build fences
to keep them away
from what is rightly theirs
what hardened our hearts
blinded our eyes
withered our souls
money is a simple answer
privilege and power
more complex
yet the
foundation of those fences
bears more scrutiny
es una pobreza de alma
corazones sin sangre
como podemos vivir así
sin lo que alimenta a uno o el otro
tear those fences down
stand in our humanity
wield sledgehammers
wire cutters
bulldozers
machetes
y en un solo golpe
tear those fences down
until we do
we will not be whole
we will continue to be ghosts
fragmented spirits
alone
disconnected
and afraid
Dual Citizenshipby Tara Evonne TrudellAnswers lie
when their truths
don't add up
whitewashing politicians
diluting
intelligent thoughts
puppet shows
debating
who's in control
slandering smiles
blinding white
control
Americans hanging on
to every word
taking their minds
off humanity
the wanting
of righteous law
breaking politics
playing ping pong
hitting hard
manipulating tactics
of manifest destiny
corporate sponsors
running the game
monopolizing
earth
colonizing
brown
people backed up
against
invisible walls
guns drawn
border agents
playing warfare
targeting migrants
killing softly
our song
500 years
of proving
we belong
to our earth
erasing their borders
in sand
willing breaths
we fall
before we stand
in barrios
in canyons
in homes
uniting
dual citizenship
past
their make believe
land
their misleading debate
loudly continues on
in a world
our spirits
do not belong.
Second Storyby Andrea MaukNo matter where you live,
you exist on top of a
failed, conquered civilization.
You walk upon footsteps of buried wisdom,
upon people who understood
the whispers of the winds,
the nutritional medicinal value of
each plant and
the reason to respect each animal,
upon 'pagan' engineers, architects and astronomers
who learned the formulas taught
by the sun and moon and stars.
You walk on the skulls of those
sacrificed in ceremonies
we will never fully understand,
you guffaw at their Gods and
their nectars and their dances
as you marvel at the
modern technology that
distracts you away from the fact
that our planet, our earth,
our way of life is spinning out of control,
and you are standing on top of
land grabbed without regard to
the wisdom of civilizations
who may have understood
our existence
better
than we.
Columbus through tiny eyesby Tom Sheldonsister Marie taught us about an Italian sailor
who shaved every day and carried a bible
he brought us pork n beans
warm blankets n fry bread
he brought farmers and soldiers
and discovered us
bringing Original sin and horses n dogs too
all on ships sent to aid the white man’s domination of Mother earth...
Is it entirely appropriate that this most auspicious day, be a day of mourning, ashes and weeping.
biosALGO DE TI by Avotcja
The Fence by Sharon Elliott
Dual Citizenship by Tara Evonne Trudell
Second Story by Andrea Mauk
Columbus through tiny eyes by Tom Sheldon
Avotcja (pronounced Avacha) is a card carrying New York born Music fanatic/sound junkie & popular Bay Area Radio DeeJay & member of the award winning group Avotcja & Modúpue. She’s a lifelong Musician/Writer/Educator/Storyteller & is on a shamelessly Spirit driven melodic mission to heal herself. Avotcja talks to the Trees & listens to the Wind against the concrete & when they answer it usually winds up in a Poem or Short Story.
Website:
www.Avotcja.org Email: mailto:
[email protected]Born and raised in Seattle, Sharon Elliott has written since childhood. Four years in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua and Ecuador laid the foundation for her activism. As an initiated Lukumi priest, she has learned about her ancestral Scottish history, reinforcing her belief that borders are created by men, enforcing them is simply wrong.
[email protected]
Andrea García Mauk grew up in Arizona, where both the immense beauty and harsh realities of living in the desert shaped her artistic soul. She calls Los Angeles home, but has also lived in Chicago, New York and Boston. She has worked in the music industry, and on various film and television productions. She writes short fiction, poetry, original screenplays and adaptations, and is currently finishing two novels. Her writing and artwork has been published and viewed in a variety of places such as on The Late, Late Show with Tom Snyder; The Journal of School Psychologists and Victorian Homes Magazine. Both her poetry and artwork have won awards. Several of her poems and a memoir are included in the 2011 anthology, Our Spirit, Our Reality, and her poetry is featured in the 2012 Mujeres de Maiz “‘Zine.” She is also a moderator of Diving Deeper, an online workshop for writers, and has written extensively about music, especially jazz, while working in the entertainment industry. Her production company, Dancing Horse Media Group, is currently in pre-production of her independent film, “Beautiful Dreamer,” based on her original screenplay and manuscript, and along with her partners, is producing a unique cookbook that blends healthful recipes with poetry and prose.
The panels have been announced for the 2012
Tweens Read Book Festival, in Pasadena Texas, on October 20, 2012! I'll be presenting
CHRONAL ENGINE on the GUYS WRITE panel with Trent Reedy, Roland Smith, and Tommy Greenwald.
Here's the complete listing:
Panel 1: Going Graphic!
Rachel Renee Russell
Dave Roman
Raina Telgemeier
Amy Ignatow
Panel 2: Guys Write!
Roland Smith
Trent Reedy
Tommy Greenwald
Greg Leitich Smith
Panel 3: Adventures for All!
Geoff Rodkey
E.J. Patten
Shannon Messenger
Heather Brewer
Stefan Bachmann
Panel 4: From a Girl's Point of View
Lisa Schroeder
Diana Lopez
Shana Burg
Claire Legrand
Panel 5: Dare to Debut
Lynne Kelly
W.H. Beck
Deron Hicks
Augusta Scattergood
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Back during Labor Day weekend, the Library of Congress hosted the 14th annual National Book Festival at the Washington Convention Center. We posted the notice here, showcasing all of the amazing graphic novel programming, but now the Library of Congress has posted videos from most of the sessions!
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Emma's new series for 8+ Wild Thing about the naughtiest little sister ever (and her bottom-biting ways) is out now from Scholastic. 
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Ooh, that does look good. Not too far from my mother-in-law either, something for us to keep in mind for the future.