This and that, of the bookish variety

I participated in a photoshoot for an E. B. Lewis-illustrated picture book about integration in my hometown a couple of week ago. The book will be called Seeds of Freedom. I might appear in an "integrated downtown street scene." Seeing his storyboards and hearing about how he transforms photographs into his artwork was my favorite part.

 

I went to UA SLIS Alumni Day, where I tried to convince people to be more active in their professional organizations. Are you an Alabama librarian? Volunteer for ALLA.

I went to the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville last weekend, and saw an amazing variety of writers, many old friends and writer crushes, but others I'd never caught, including Daniel Woodrell, and Holly Golberg Sloan, whose middle grade novel Counting by 7s has garnered so much award buzz.

Chuck Palahunik's weird interactive light show raised the bar for author events 

The IBBY Regional Conference in St. Louis was perhaps the best professional conference experience I've ever had state-side.... USBBY is an incredible group of kind and thoughtful people, and the turnout from around the world and the very powerful general sessions and intimate breakouts all left me feeling very happy to be a part of this kidlit-loving world. I am saving my pennies for the IBBY Congress in Mexico City next September.



Katherine Paterson signs Jacob Have I Loved for me

And getting to rub shoulders with Katherine Paterson? Just amazing.