Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Writing What You Don't Know
Okay, so I've been remiss about posting on my own personal blog whenever I post on Shen's Blog. But this topic is too juicy not to announce--Writing What You Don't Know: Creating Characters and Stories Outside of One's Ethnicity and Culture. I'm still working on my first article, but the overview is up. Also check out the week before, the Hyphenated American experience, or any of the previous weeks. I could have spent months exploring these books! Go to Shen's Blog.
Friday, August 10, 2007
SCBWI LA Annual Conf '07 Recap - Day 1
First thing in the morning, I met up with my poet friend Ann. Here we are at the Santa Monica Library, where she works as a children's librarian:
Lin Oliver introduced the amazing march of faculty, every person sharing a single, sometimes more than one word.
Kicking off the conference was Walter Dean Myers, a calm giant. Of course, he played basket ball. His mother says, "My boy types stories for a living."
EJ's haiku highlight of Walter Dean Myers' speech:
Good writing is not
about information, it's
selecting details.
Artist/Author Peter Brown, creator of the drooling bulldog Chowder, shared his artwork and his journey as an artist during his 28 year lifetime. I was especially impressed with how many ways he graphically interpreted trees.
EJ's haiku highlight of Peter Brown's speech:
How to make good art?
Draw what you know and love, then
push the envelope.
Since I did not make it into Lee Bennett Hopkins' poetry master class, I decided to make the most of the author craft sessions. So for the first breakout session, I went to Cecil Castellucci's Creating a Memorable Character. She had a ton of energy and we analyzed memorable characters.
We had a writing exercise based on our personal nicknames, and here's my excerpt:
In junior high, my friend K loved to draw, but she didn't like drawing people, she loved drawing aliens, specifically those slimey-scary aliens from the movie starring Sigourney Weaver. And one day K turned me into an alien, too. I will never forget her laughter the day she drew a naked brain, a wiggly, smooshy, maze-like mess with two googly eyes and six tentacles.
"This is you," she said.
"That's disgusting," I said. "I'm not a brain."
"Yes, you are," she said and drew on top of the alien a black graduation hat with a flying tassel. "You are all brain. You are Jiang the Brain."
EJ's haiku highlight of Cecil Castellucci's session:
We all have nick names
revealing who we are, who
we don't want to be.
Here I am with Cecil:
Emma Dryden of Margaret K. McElderry and Atheneum had an inspiring keynote about how media-distracted kids today are similar to the media-distracted kids of the past.
EJ's haiku highlight of Emma Dryden's speech:
We read stories to
explore, be transported, face
fears, and find ourselves.
Lunch was a wonderful reunion with friends I had met in NYC. Though these photos are from Day 4, here I am with Stephanie, then Amy, finally Angele:
When I first considered writing for kids, I attended a conference where editor Julie Straus-Gabel was raving about her new author John Green and his about-to-be-published novel Looking for Alaska, which eventually won the prestigious Printz Award. So to follow up on the journey, I was very curious to see the interaction between the brilliant editor and young up-and-coming author.
EJ's haiku highlight of Julie Strauss-Gabel and John Green's presentation:
Collaboration
means follow a common goal:
Create the best book.
A nice addition this year to both major SCBWI conferences was a panel where publishing professionals gave advice to writers and artists on how to receive professional critique.
EJ's haiku highlight of Arthur Levine's advice:
Separate critique
process from getting published.
Ask to clarify.
EJ's haiku highlight of Elizabeth Parisi's advice:
Keep on the high road.
Research your critique person.
It's a small, small world.
EJ's haiku highlight of Mark McVeigh's advice:
Take notes. Don't record.
Detach your emotions, too.
Bring your best game face.
EJ's haiku highlight of Krista Marino's advice:
A critique is meant to
help, not hurt, not break you down.
Keep an open mind.
After the panel, I did not eat dinner because I thought there would be dinner. Oh, how I should have read the schedule more carefully. I ended up eating cheese, crackers, cheese, bread, and more cheese at the Wine and Cheese Reception Honoring Global Voices. I chatted with Candie Moonshower and Lisa Albert at their table. I ran into Sidonie Wiedenkeller and Rebecca Langston-Hughes. Earlier in the day I passed Alexis O'Neill and Suzanne Williams and Verla Kay in the bathroom. There are many, many more, and please forgive me if I haven't listed your name!
An amazing Hmong musician and throat singer performed. I had heard throat singing before in Canada, and the Hmong had a different technique. Instead of singing into the throat of another person, he produced it all himself while playing an Asian instrument that looked like a square elongated violin.
Overall a wonderful first day!
Lin Oliver introduced the amazing march of faculty, every person sharing a single, sometimes more than one word.
Kicking off the conference was Walter Dean Myers, a calm giant. Of course, he played basket ball. His mother says, "My boy types stories for a living."
EJ's haiku highlight of Walter Dean Myers' speech:
Good writing is not
about information, it's
selecting details.
Artist/Author Peter Brown, creator of the drooling bulldog Chowder, shared his artwork and his journey as an artist during his 28 year lifetime. I was especially impressed with how many ways he graphically interpreted trees.
EJ's haiku highlight of Peter Brown's speech:
How to make good art?
Draw what you know and love, then
push the envelope.
Since I did not make it into Lee Bennett Hopkins' poetry master class, I decided to make the most of the author craft sessions. So for the first breakout session, I went to Cecil Castellucci's Creating a Memorable Character. She had a ton of energy and we analyzed memorable characters.
We had a writing exercise based on our personal nicknames, and here's my excerpt:
In junior high, my friend K loved to draw, but she didn't like drawing people, she loved drawing aliens, specifically those slimey-scary aliens from the movie starring Sigourney Weaver. And one day K turned me into an alien, too. I will never forget her laughter the day she drew a naked brain, a wiggly, smooshy, maze-like mess with two googly eyes and six tentacles.
"This is you," she said.
"That's disgusting," I said. "I'm not a brain."
"Yes, you are," she said and drew on top of the alien a black graduation hat with a flying tassel. "You are all brain. You are Jiang the Brain."
EJ's haiku highlight of Cecil Castellucci's session:
We all have nick names
revealing who we are, who
we don't want to be.
Here I am with Cecil:
Emma Dryden of Margaret K. McElderry and Atheneum had an inspiring keynote about how media-distracted kids today are similar to the media-distracted kids of the past.
EJ's haiku highlight of Emma Dryden's speech:
We read stories to
explore, be transported, face
fears, and find ourselves.
Lunch was a wonderful reunion with friends I had met in NYC. Though these photos are from Day 4, here I am with Stephanie, then Amy, finally Angele:
When I first considered writing for kids, I attended a conference where editor Julie Straus-Gabel was raving about her new author John Green and his about-to-be-published novel Looking for Alaska, which eventually won the prestigious Printz Award. So to follow up on the journey, I was very curious to see the interaction between the brilliant editor and young up-and-coming author.
EJ's haiku highlight of Julie Strauss-Gabel and John Green's presentation:
Collaboration
means follow a common goal:
Create the best book.
A nice addition this year to both major SCBWI conferences was a panel where publishing professionals gave advice to writers and artists on how to receive professional critique.
EJ's haiku highlight of Arthur Levine's advice:
Separate critique
process from getting published.
Ask to clarify.
EJ's haiku highlight of Elizabeth Parisi's advice:
Keep on the high road.
Research your critique person.
It's a small, small world.
EJ's haiku highlight of Mark McVeigh's advice:
Take notes. Don't record.
Detach your emotions, too.
Bring your best game face.
EJ's haiku highlight of Krista Marino's advice:
A critique is meant to
help, not hurt, not break you down.
Keep an open mind.
After the panel, I did not eat dinner because I thought there would be dinner. Oh, how I should have read the schedule more carefully. I ended up eating cheese, crackers, cheese, bread, and more cheese at the Wine and Cheese Reception Honoring Global Voices. I chatted with Candie Moonshower and Lisa Albert at their table. I ran into Sidonie Wiedenkeller and Rebecca Langston-Hughes. Earlier in the day I passed Alexis O'Neill and Suzanne Williams and Verla Kay in the bathroom. There are many, many more, and please forgive me if I haven't listed your name!
An amazing Hmong musician and throat singer performed. I had heard throat singing before in Canada, and the Hmong had a different technique. Instead of singing into the throat of another person, he produced it all himself while playing an Asian instrument that looked like a square elongated violin.
Overall a wonderful first day!
SCBWI LA Annual Conf '07 Recap - Day 2
For the first major session, agents Kate Schafer and Tracey Adams shared how their different agencies worked.
EJ's haiku highlight of Kate Schafer & Tracey Adams' presentation:
Kate works for big firm.
Tracey owns a mom and pop.
They both writer shop.
Kadir Nelson's artwork was extremely impressive as one can tell from childhood sketches that he was incredibly talented. I was impressed with his elongated style.
EJ's haiku highlight of Kadir Nelson's speech:
His toys on the floor,
his artwork, paper, pencils
are not toys but tools.
Even though I've seen her at a couple other events this year, I never tire of hearing Linda Sue Park speak. She is so brilliant and articulate. She is so passionate about writing and not at all afraid to take chances.
EJ's haiku highlight of Linda Sue Park's session:
Write every day. Make
one thing happen every day.
Pages will add up.
During the lunch hour I hung out with Candie Moonshower and Lisa Albert. Here's Candie's perfect pedicure:
At long last, we arrive to Tamora Pierce's keynote about Reality and Fantasy. I was so excited, I sat in the front row along side another avid fan girl. Unfortunately, her head barely cleared the podium because it was too tall for her. I still heard her just fine and felt her passion about fantasy stories. I admit I got a little teary-eyed.
EJ's haiku highlights of Tamora Pierce's speech:
Fantasy teaches
kids that actions often have
big consequences.
Fantasy gives kids
safe worlds to roam, prepares kids
for reality.
Rubin Pfeffer of Simon & Schuster started off by sharing that next to the ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, he was the best kept secret in publishing. Though he had been working in publishing for over 30 years, this was his first ever SCBWI conference. He spoke about trends and the future of the children's book business.
EJ's haiku highlight of Rubin Pfeffer's speech:
Publishers (authors,
also) should promote reading,
not just their own books.
At the next break out session, I thought I would check in on the Class of 2k7 panel. Joni Sensel moderated while Greg Fishborne, Jay Asher, Carrie Jones, Greg Neri, and Thatcher Heldring each talked about the marketing collaborative.
EJ's haiku highlight of Class of 2k7 panel:
Sometimes the whole is
greater than its author parts,
more marketable.
Here's Jay Asher holding an ARC of his new book Thirteen Reasons Why:
Ellen Wittingler spoke about writing for teens even though she is currently 58. Her goal in life is to normalize gay, lesbian, and transgender characters.
EJ's haiku highlight of Ellen Wittingler's speech:
Once you know someone,
your prejudices fall as
you explore basements.
Afterwards, there was the Art Portfolio Display. Then we retired to my friend Angele's room, and we got ready for the Saturday party with the theme "By the Light of the Silvery Moon." Lots of silvery people. Some folks like the Disco Mermaids were completely silver and sparkly from head to toe. Others wore interesting silver jewelry:
Here's Angele and I on Day 4:
Rita Crayon Huang can really dance! Here's a pic of us from Day 4:
Linda Joy Singleton encouraged me to enter the costume contest with her. I don't have pic of us in our silver costumes, but here we are on Day 4:
Silver + Moon only meant one obvious thing for me. I came as an Asian Artemis, Greek goddess of the moon. Though a lot of people called me Diana, which was fine, too, since Diana was Artemis' Roman alter ego. But Dumpy Diana didn't seem as nice as Asian Artemis. I made a silver moon out of aluminum foil to wear on my forehead. I painted a bow and arrow set with silver spray paint, and the dull grey results matched my silver-grey metallic dress I got online for $6. I wore crazy silver sparkly shoes which matched my round $3 silver necklace. Lisa Albert and Deborah Davis especially were enamoured of my crazy silver platform shoes, I bought during my clubbing days. I met and danced with a lot of people, many of them newbies to SCBWI LA, which is so cool! But you know, I missed my costume twin of last year, Lindsey Bell. Ah well, there's always next year.
Alas, I completely forgot to take photos. Anyone have any to share? Sara Eitenne? Rita Crayon Huang?
EJ's haiku highlight of Kate Schafer & Tracey Adams' presentation:
Kate works for big firm.
Tracey owns a mom and pop.
They both writer shop.
Kadir Nelson's artwork was extremely impressive as one can tell from childhood sketches that he was incredibly talented. I was impressed with his elongated style.
EJ's haiku highlight of Kadir Nelson's speech:
His toys on the floor,
his artwork, paper, pencils
are not toys but tools.
Even though I've seen her at a couple other events this year, I never tire of hearing Linda Sue Park speak. She is so brilliant and articulate. She is so passionate about writing and not at all afraid to take chances.
EJ's haiku highlight of Linda Sue Park's session:
Write every day. Make
one thing happen every day.
Pages will add up.
During the lunch hour I hung out with Candie Moonshower and Lisa Albert. Here's Candie's perfect pedicure:
At long last, we arrive to Tamora Pierce's keynote about Reality and Fantasy. I was so excited, I sat in the front row along side another avid fan girl. Unfortunately, her head barely cleared the podium because it was too tall for her. I still heard her just fine and felt her passion about fantasy stories. I admit I got a little teary-eyed.
EJ's haiku highlights of Tamora Pierce's speech:
Fantasy teaches
kids that actions often have
big consequences.
Fantasy gives kids
safe worlds to roam, prepares kids
for reality.
Rubin Pfeffer of Simon & Schuster started off by sharing that next to the ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, he was the best kept secret in publishing. Though he had been working in publishing for over 30 years, this was his first ever SCBWI conference. He spoke about trends and the future of the children's book business.
EJ's haiku highlight of Rubin Pfeffer's speech:
Publishers (authors,
also) should promote reading,
not just their own books.
At the next break out session, I thought I would check in on the Class of 2k7 panel. Joni Sensel moderated while Greg Fishborne, Jay Asher, Carrie Jones, Greg Neri, and Thatcher Heldring each talked about the marketing collaborative.
EJ's haiku highlight of Class of 2k7 panel:
Sometimes the whole is
greater than its author parts,
more marketable.
Here's Jay Asher holding an ARC of his new book Thirteen Reasons Why:
Ellen Wittingler spoke about writing for teens even though she is currently 58. Her goal in life is to normalize gay, lesbian, and transgender characters.
EJ's haiku highlight of Ellen Wittingler's speech:
Once you know someone,
your prejudices fall as
you explore basements.
Afterwards, there was the Art Portfolio Display. Then we retired to my friend Angele's room, and we got ready for the Saturday party with the theme "By the Light of the Silvery Moon." Lots of silvery people. Some folks like the Disco Mermaids were completely silver and sparkly from head to toe. Others wore interesting silver jewelry:
Here's Angele and I on Day 4:
Rita Crayon Huang can really dance! Here's a pic of us from Day 4:
Linda Joy Singleton encouraged me to enter the costume contest with her. I don't have pic of us in our silver costumes, but here we are on Day 4:
Silver + Moon only meant one obvious thing for me. I came as an Asian Artemis, Greek goddess of the moon. Though a lot of people called me Diana, which was fine, too, since Diana was Artemis' Roman alter ego. But Dumpy Diana didn't seem as nice as Asian Artemis. I made a silver moon out of aluminum foil to wear on my forehead. I painted a bow and arrow set with silver spray paint, and the dull grey results matched my silver-grey metallic dress I got online for $6. I wore crazy silver sparkly shoes which matched my round $3 silver necklace. Lisa Albert and Deborah Davis especially were enamoured of my crazy silver platform shoes, I bought during my clubbing days. I met and danced with a lot of people, many of them newbies to SCBWI LA, which is so cool! But you know, I missed my costume twin of last year, Lindsey Bell. Ah well, there's always next year.
Alas, I completely forgot to take photos. Anyone have any to share? Sara Eitenne? Rita Crayon Huang?
SCBWI LA Annual Conf '07 Recap - Day 3
I must admit as the weekend rolled on, the lack of full nights' sleep started catching up to me. I got up later and later and thus missed some of the very-important-but-scheduled-way-too-early-for-a-night-owl sessions. The first session showed Mark McVeigh and Laurent Linn discussing artistic relationships.
In his morning keynote, John Green said that all writing is rewriting. He believed that in his first book Looking for Alaska, only 10% of the original submission to his editor survived to be printed in the published version. Nice to know because John Green reminds me of my brother. Incredibly articulate, a Nerdfighter and a genius.
EJ's haiku highlight of John Green's speech:
We are translating
our thoughts to make the readers
feel what we feel.
Here's a pic of John Green and moi from Day 4:
Since I write primarily for teens, I was especially interested to hear what Tamora (aka Tammy) Pierce thought about the topic. The session was extremely interactive, and she was extremely helpful answering questions.
Write the character
so that the character is
a real human being.
Afterwards, Tammy Pierce and I sat together for the Golden Kite Luncheon!
If you missed that, I HAD LUNCH WITH TAMORA PIERCE!
As a fan girl, I was simply beside myself and couldn't believe that I had the opportunity to spend time with one of my all-time favorite children's authors. I couldn't help myself, and I started gushing and geeking out, telling her why I loved her books since childhood and about my favorite characters in her Tortall world especially, but also in the Circle world. I think I also started telling her my life story, specifically why I wanted to be a kid's author. Tammy was very, very patient with me, perhaps because by now she was used to being gushed at by crazy fan girls. Or perhaps because she was busy eating while I was talking and possibly ignoring me. No, she was definitely listening because she responded with intelligent comments every time I stopped chattering to take a breath. Tamora Pierce is soooooooo incredibly cool.
There was also a singing contest, and my friend Steph volunteered me because I was so excited about it yesterday and perfectly fine with singing in front of 1000 people. Yes, I'm a big ham.
When I said I didn't know "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," Tammy Pierce started singing in a rich alto voice. I followed along, too. After we finished a verse, we sang "Blue Moon" and "Moon River," the two songs I was sure I could sing. But I couldn't choose! Finally I decided on "Moon River" because it showed off my soprano range. Tammy offered to defend my dessert "to the death."
In the end, Aaron Hartzler led all 1000 people in a "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" sing along. Aaron has an amazing voice, and he should be on Broadway. They didn't pick our table number, so I started eating while listening to the contestants. The cheesecake especially was defend-to-the-death-worthy. Delicious and a miniature work of art:
Okay, even though I was star-struck by the presence of the amazing Tamora Pierce, I still managed to pay attention to the presentations of the Golden Kite Awards and the Sid Fleischman Humor Award.
EJ's haiku highlight of Russell Freeman's acceptance speech:
A trip to China
inspired a wonder of
Marco Polo's life.
EJ's haiku highlight of Larry Day's acceptance speech:
He used to not be
so fond of cover stickers
but now he likes them.
EJ's haiku highlight of Walter Dean Myers' acceptance speech:
Jazz is an unique
American art form more
loved outside than here.
EJ's haiku highlight of Tony Abbott's acceptance speech:
The reading chid
is open and vulnerable.
We're responsible.
EJ's haiku highlight of Sara Pennypacker's acceptance speech:
When we're laughing, we
let our guard down. We're saying,
"Yes, I'm like that, too."
Abbott's Firegirl and Pennypacker's Clementine are two of my absolute favorite books that I've read this year for different reasons. I knew I would like Clementine because honestly, I have absolutely adored every single Sid Fleischman Humor Award winner, and the character of Clementine is so hilarious and endearing that I laughed out loud when reading it. I wasn't expecting to like Firegirl because the protagonist was a boy in a contemporary school situation. Yet after I finished it, I found myself absolutely haunted for days by this quiet book and wondering at the bravery of friendship.
Here I am with Tony after I gushed to him a little about how much I loved Firegirl on Day 4:
Special thanks to my good friend Stephanie Ruble for saving me (and Tamora Pierce) a seat! Here's Steph and me, tired but still smiling on the end of Day 4:
At Lisa Yee's Point of View session, she reviewed the different points of view and asked us:
Think of a story's
point of view. Could it have worked
any other way?
Here's Lisa's head with Peepy watching the audience:
Then Lisa brought in author Paula Yoo to explain 3rd person point of view.
Then Lisa asked for a volunteer, and brave Deborah Davis went up. We had to write about what we saw. Here's my excerpt in 3rd person:
Deb didn't know what she was in for, but she figured, she didn't have shoes, and there was comfy carpet on the floor, so why not. She was happy that Lisa gave her the yellow Peepy. She hopped on one foot and gripped Peepy carefully in hand because she hadn't hopped on one foot since she hiked the Himalayas last year with her husband and did a little victory hop. When Lisa asked her to Hula, Deb started circling her hips like she had a giant invisible hula hoop around her waist, and if the hula hoop was real, Peepy was in danger of getting knocked out of her hand. When Lisa asked her to tell a joke, Deborah put Peepy to her forehead for inspiration. The soft plush texture brushed against her nose, and Deborah instantly thought of a chicken and a pathway and a road that was dangerous and yet needed to be taken. She thought about her new book and her birthday and how she was glad she actually made it to SCBWI LA. Because she knew the journey of a writer was much like a joke and a punch line.
After her session, here's Lisa and moi showing off our uber-colorful, uber-useful memo note takers:
Linda Sue Park and her editor Dinah Stevenson had an amazing session where they shared their persectives on the editing process.
EJ's haiku highlight of Linda Sue Park's thoughts:
The story is way
more important than me or
my feelings. Revise.
EJ's haiku highlight of Dinah Stevenson's thoughts:
Your editor is
on your side, and she is not
your teacher or mom.
Sunday was the quiet day with no big evening celebration scheduled. I did manage to make it to the Northern California meeting, headed by RAs Jim Averbeck, Tekla White, and Margaret Speaker Yuan. Also present were Susan Hart Lindquist, Genny Heikka, Sara Kahn, and other active Norca folks as well as several newbies.
My carpool Ann and I thought about going to yoga, but I decided to have dinner with one of my newer writer friends Mary Cronin, one of the 2 current winners of the Kimberley Colen Memorial Grant. I'd been trying to have lunch or dinner with her for a while so we could catch up. We invited Ann, Mary's friend Becky, and SCBWI newbie Jennifer.
Here's Mary Cronin and moi on Day 4:
When I got back, Ann and Mary said that we were going to have diner with Lee Bennett Hopkins and his partner. WOW! I couldn't believe my luck!
Here's Lee Bennett Hopkins with his newest poet Ann and her beautifully illustrated poem:
Ann was on cloud nine, especially since Lee told her that Rubin Pfeffer had posted a copy of her poem on his office door!
I HAD DINNER WITH LEE BENNETT HOPKINS!
I was bummed this entire conference for not getting into his poetry masterclass, yet here I was eating next to the amazing Lee Bennett Hopkins! He and his partner Charles are a hoot and a half! We laughed so much and there were times when I was about to cry, too, I was so touched by some of the amazing, true stories they have experienced. A wonderful ending to an amazing conference day. I was on cloud nineteen by the end!
In his morning keynote, John Green said that all writing is rewriting. He believed that in his first book Looking for Alaska, only 10% of the original submission to his editor survived to be printed in the published version. Nice to know because John Green reminds me of my brother. Incredibly articulate, a Nerdfighter and a genius.
EJ's haiku highlight of John Green's speech:
We are translating
our thoughts to make the readers
feel what we feel.
Here's a pic of John Green and moi from Day 4:
Since I write primarily for teens, I was especially interested to hear what Tamora (aka Tammy) Pierce thought about the topic. The session was extremely interactive, and she was extremely helpful answering questions.
Write the character
so that the character is
a real human being.
Afterwards, Tammy Pierce and I sat together for the Golden Kite Luncheon!
If you missed that, I HAD LUNCH WITH TAMORA PIERCE!
As a fan girl, I was simply beside myself and couldn't believe that I had the opportunity to spend time with one of my all-time favorite children's authors. I couldn't help myself, and I started gushing and geeking out, telling her why I loved her books since childhood and about my favorite characters in her Tortall world especially, but also in the Circle world. I think I also started telling her my life story, specifically why I wanted to be a kid's author. Tammy was very, very patient with me, perhaps because by now she was used to being gushed at by crazy fan girls. Or perhaps because she was busy eating while I was talking and possibly ignoring me. No, she was definitely listening because she responded with intelligent comments every time I stopped chattering to take a breath. Tamora Pierce is soooooooo incredibly cool.
There was also a singing contest, and my friend Steph volunteered me because I was so excited about it yesterday and perfectly fine with singing in front of 1000 people. Yes, I'm a big ham.
When I said I didn't know "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," Tammy Pierce started singing in a rich alto voice. I followed along, too. After we finished a verse, we sang "Blue Moon" and "Moon River," the two songs I was sure I could sing. But I couldn't choose! Finally I decided on "Moon River" because it showed off my soprano range. Tammy offered to defend my dessert "to the death."
In the end, Aaron Hartzler led all 1000 people in a "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" sing along. Aaron has an amazing voice, and he should be on Broadway. They didn't pick our table number, so I started eating while listening to the contestants. The cheesecake especially was defend-to-the-death-worthy. Delicious and a miniature work of art:
Okay, even though I was star-struck by the presence of the amazing Tamora Pierce, I still managed to pay attention to the presentations of the Golden Kite Awards and the Sid Fleischman Humor Award.
EJ's haiku highlight of Russell Freeman's acceptance speech:
A trip to China
inspired a wonder of
Marco Polo's life.
EJ's haiku highlight of Larry Day's acceptance speech:
He used to not be
so fond of cover stickers
but now he likes them.
EJ's haiku highlight of Walter Dean Myers' acceptance speech:
Jazz is an unique
American art form more
loved outside than here.
EJ's haiku highlight of Tony Abbott's acceptance speech:
The reading chid
is open and vulnerable.
We're responsible.
EJ's haiku highlight of Sara Pennypacker's acceptance speech:
When we're laughing, we
let our guard down. We're saying,
"Yes, I'm like that, too."
Abbott's Firegirl and Pennypacker's Clementine are two of my absolute favorite books that I've read this year for different reasons. I knew I would like Clementine because honestly, I have absolutely adored every single Sid Fleischman Humor Award winner, and the character of Clementine is so hilarious and endearing that I laughed out loud when reading it. I wasn't expecting to like Firegirl because the protagonist was a boy in a contemporary school situation. Yet after I finished it, I found myself absolutely haunted for days by this quiet book and wondering at the bravery of friendship.
Here I am with Tony after I gushed to him a little about how much I loved Firegirl on Day 4:
Special thanks to my good friend Stephanie Ruble for saving me (and Tamora Pierce) a seat! Here's Steph and me, tired but still smiling on the end of Day 4:
At Lisa Yee's Point of View session, she reviewed the different points of view and asked us:
Think of a story's
point of view. Could it have worked
any other way?
Here's Lisa's head with Peepy watching the audience:
Then Lisa brought in author Paula Yoo to explain 3rd person point of view.
Then Lisa asked for a volunteer, and brave Deborah Davis went up. We had to write about what we saw. Here's my excerpt in 3rd person:
Deb didn't know what she was in for, but she figured, she didn't have shoes, and there was comfy carpet on the floor, so why not. She was happy that Lisa gave her the yellow Peepy. She hopped on one foot and gripped Peepy carefully in hand because she hadn't hopped on one foot since she hiked the Himalayas last year with her husband and did a little victory hop. When Lisa asked her to Hula, Deb started circling her hips like she had a giant invisible hula hoop around her waist, and if the hula hoop was real, Peepy was in danger of getting knocked out of her hand. When Lisa asked her to tell a joke, Deborah put Peepy to her forehead for inspiration. The soft plush texture brushed against her nose, and Deborah instantly thought of a chicken and a pathway and a road that was dangerous and yet needed to be taken. She thought about her new book and her birthday and how she was glad she actually made it to SCBWI LA. Because she knew the journey of a writer was much like a joke and a punch line.
After her session, here's Lisa and moi showing off our uber-colorful, uber-useful memo note takers:
Linda Sue Park and her editor Dinah Stevenson had an amazing session where they shared their persectives on the editing process.
EJ's haiku highlight of Linda Sue Park's thoughts:
The story is way
more important than me or
my feelings. Revise.
EJ's haiku highlight of Dinah Stevenson's thoughts:
Your editor is
on your side, and she is not
your teacher or mom.
Sunday was the quiet day with no big evening celebration scheduled. I did manage to make it to the Northern California meeting, headed by RAs Jim Averbeck, Tekla White, and Margaret Speaker Yuan. Also present were Susan Hart Lindquist, Genny Heikka, Sara Kahn, and other active Norca folks as well as several newbies.
My carpool Ann and I thought about going to yoga, but I decided to have dinner with one of my newer writer friends Mary Cronin, one of the 2 current winners of the Kimberley Colen Memorial Grant. I'd been trying to have lunch or dinner with her for a while so we could catch up. We invited Ann, Mary's friend Becky, and SCBWI newbie Jennifer.
Here's Mary Cronin and moi on Day 4:
When I got back, Ann and Mary said that we were going to have diner with Lee Bennett Hopkins and his partner. WOW! I couldn't believe my luck!
Here's Lee Bennett Hopkins with his newest poet Ann and her beautifully illustrated poem:
Ann was on cloud nine, especially since Lee told her that Rubin Pfeffer had posted a copy of her poem on his office door!
I HAD DINNER WITH LEE BENNETT HOPKINS!
I was bummed this entire conference for not getting into his poetry masterclass, yet here I was eating next to the amazing Lee Bennett Hopkins! He and his partner Charles are a hoot and a half! We laughed so much and there were times when I was about to cry, too, I was so touched by some of the amazing, true stories they have experienced. A wonderful ending to an amazing conference day. I was on cloud nineteen by the end!
SCBWI LA Annual Conf '07 Recap - Day 4
In the morning, I met up with Kathleen Duey, who was looking for a missing Susan Patron. But luckily, Kathleen agreed to dine with me, Deborah Davis, and Liz Scarpelli instead. We talked books, conferences, families, and other writerly things.
Kathleen is a collector of seeds, and here are some of them:
with Kathleen's bracelet:
And even though she was not fond of pictures, Kathleen agreed to have one taken with me anyway:
Monday morning I tried to catch up on my blogging, which I have been sadly neglecting, so I missed a couple of sessions:
Connie Epstein always gives a thorough, informative session updating us on the changes and trends in publishing houses over the next year.
Allyn Johnston and Marla Frazee spoke about their collaborative artistic process.
Okay, I know I didn't cry much during this conference, but there's always a couple of speeches that bring me to the verge of tears. When Kirby Larson spoke about her journey to writing Hattie Big Sky and how it began with her grandmother, I definitely became all teary-eyed.
EJ's haiku highlight of Kirby Larson's speech:
Secret to writing
success is bum glue. So keep
your bum in your chair.
Thankfully, John Green's session was more about his thoughts on the contemporary YA novel and not about his grandmother at all. Or even much about his younger brother Hank. He did acknowledge Kirby Larson, who sat right next to me! I admired her shiny bronze sandals that were apparently quite comfortable, too. She admired my Neo Alphasmart.
EJ's haiku highlight of John Green session:
Edginess is all
crap. Edgy content doesn't
mean the book is good.
I had lunch with Candie Moonshower and Carole Dagg, both wonderful authors and former Sue Alexander Award winners. We shared the table with a newbie SCBWI member whose name I have completely forgotten, but I thank him for taking this photo of the three of us:
The hilarious Lisa Yee spoke about how because since she had grown up in LA, she had never really been confronted with her Chinese-American identity until after she left LA.
EJ's haiku highlight of Lisa Yee's speech:
Our fights should not be
about excluding people
but including them.
A panel of editors shared their thoughts on the perfect book. The consensus seemed to be that there was no such thing as the perfect book but if there were, here were a few bits of advice.
EJ's haiku highlight of Dinah Stevenson's thoughts:
Not everyone loves
the perfect book, but we all
will react to it.
EJ's haiku highlight of Emma Dryden's thoughts:
Look for reasons and
choices made by characters.
Words can be a game.
EJ's haiku highlight of Rachel Griffiths' thoughts:
Explore what you find
is fascinating in your
writing. Find your truth.
EJ's haiku highlight of Julie Strauss-Gabel's thoughts:
Her perfect author--
independently wealthy,
writes unique choices.
EJ's haiku highlight of Allyn Johnston's thoughts:
Prefer picture books,
a quiet read, a gentle
flow, a unique voice.
Finally, the amazing Lee Bennett Hopkins ended the conference with a rousing keynote packed full of amazing poetry. I got chills from his readings, they were so powerful. And when he started reciting poems from his war anthology, I started crying and couldn't stop. Thankfully I came prepared and had plenty of tissue.
EJ's haiku highlight of Lee Bennett Hopkins' speech:
His new collection:
War. As children change, so
has their poetry.
Lee, Me, Charles
At the autograph party, Lee Wind and I smile pretty for the camera:
Showing off her fun foot stamp, here's Roxyanne Young, editor of SmartWriters.com and author of Tales from the Cryptids:
Here's Tamora Pierce's beautiful silver necklace:
Linda Joy Singleton also wore a gorgeous necklace:
A fellow writer and her awesome shirt:
Her shirt reads: "I prefer to think of myself as pre-published." So perfectly aligned with my philosophy! We are all on our unique paths as artists, whether we are writers or illustrators, published or pre-published. We must savor our journeys, celebrate our successes and support our friends along the way.
Kathleen is a collector of seeds, and here are some of them:
with Kathleen's bracelet:
And even though she was not fond of pictures, Kathleen agreed to have one taken with me anyway:
Monday morning I tried to catch up on my blogging, which I have been sadly neglecting, so I missed a couple of sessions:
Connie Epstein always gives a thorough, informative session updating us on the changes and trends in publishing houses over the next year.
Allyn Johnston and Marla Frazee spoke about their collaborative artistic process.
Okay, I know I didn't cry much during this conference, but there's always a couple of speeches that bring me to the verge of tears. When Kirby Larson spoke about her journey to writing Hattie Big Sky and how it began with her grandmother, I definitely became all teary-eyed.
EJ's haiku highlight of Kirby Larson's speech:
Secret to writing
success is bum glue. So keep
your bum in your chair.
Thankfully, John Green's session was more about his thoughts on the contemporary YA novel and not about his grandmother at all. Or even much about his younger brother Hank. He did acknowledge Kirby Larson, who sat right next to me! I admired her shiny bronze sandals that were apparently quite comfortable, too. She admired my Neo Alphasmart.
EJ's haiku highlight of John Green session:
Edginess is all
crap. Edgy content doesn't
mean the book is good.
I had lunch with Candie Moonshower and Carole Dagg, both wonderful authors and former Sue Alexander Award winners. We shared the table with a newbie SCBWI member whose name I have completely forgotten, but I thank him for taking this photo of the three of us:
The hilarious Lisa Yee spoke about how because since she had grown up in LA, she had never really been confronted with her Chinese-American identity until after she left LA.
EJ's haiku highlight of Lisa Yee's speech:
Our fights should not be
about excluding people
but including them.
A panel of editors shared their thoughts on the perfect book. The consensus seemed to be that there was no such thing as the perfect book but if there were, here were a few bits of advice.
EJ's haiku highlight of Dinah Stevenson's thoughts:
Not everyone loves
the perfect book, but we all
will react to it.
EJ's haiku highlight of Emma Dryden's thoughts:
Look for reasons and
choices made by characters.
Words can be a game.
EJ's haiku highlight of Rachel Griffiths' thoughts:
Explore what you find
is fascinating in your
writing. Find your truth.
EJ's haiku highlight of Julie Strauss-Gabel's thoughts:
Her perfect author--
independently wealthy,
writes unique choices.
EJ's haiku highlight of Allyn Johnston's thoughts:
Prefer picture books,
a quiet read, a gentle
flow, a unique voice.
Finally, the amazing Lee Bennett Hopkins ended the conference with a rousing keynote packed full of amazing poetry. I got chills from his readings, they were so powerful. And when he started reciting poems from his war anthology, I started crying and couldn't stop. Thankfully I came prepared and had plenty of tissue.
EJ's haiku highlight of Lee Bennett Hopkins' speech:
His new collection:
War. As children change, so
has their poetry.
Lee, Me, Charles
At the autograph party, Lee Wind and I smile pretty for the camera:
Showing off her fun foot stamp, here's Roxyanne Young, editor of SmartWriters.com and author of Tales from the Cryptids:
Here's Tamora Pierce's beautiful silver necklace:
Linda Joy Singleton also wore a gorgeous necklace:
A fellow writer and her awesome shirt:
Her shirt reads: "I prefer to think of myself as pre-published." So perfectly aligned with my philosophy! We are all on our unique paths as artists, whether we are writers or illustrators, published or pre-published. We must savor our journeys, celebrate our successes and support our friends along the way.
SCBWI LA Annual Conf '07 Preview
If I meet a movie star or a rock star, I don't anticipate that I would get all weak in the knees. But if I meet an author whose work I admire, I get star-struck and overwhelmed. I want to start gushing, "OH MY GOD, I LOVE YOUR BOOKS! I LOVE YOU! I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU!" I've learned not to gush quite so much because usually the author's smile and eyes grow a bit too wide as she/he takes a step back as if preparing to flee from the nearest crazy-stalker fan. That would be me. Or, to be more correct, that would be I. Crazy Asian Fan Girl.
I've been quiet on my own blog because I was preparing for and attending then recovering from SCBWI LA, where so many fabulous authors were speaking. I admire all of them and was determined not to gush excessively. I was bummed to be one of 100 people on the wait list for the Poetry Masterclass taught by Lee Bennett Hopkins. I looked forward to hearing all the amazing keynotes, especially the multicultural American authors Linda Sue Park, Lisa Yee, and Walter Dean Myers. I couldn't wait to reconnect with the great authors on faculty like Kathleen Duey, Candie Moonshower, Jay Asher, etc.
But secretly, I went for Tamora Pierce.
When I was a pre-teen, I discovered Tamora Pierce's wonderful Alanna books. I checked them out of the library over and over again and often imagined I lived in Tortall and was training to become a knight just like Alanna. I wasn't Alanna because I didn't have violet eyes or red hair (Alanna was one of those red-haired heroines that I adored right up there with Anne of Green Gables and Pippi Longstocking). Even though I wanted to be tough just like Alanna, what I really wanted was Alanna's community, a group of special friends who accepted me for me.
Then one year I decided to revisit my favorite children's books, and I discovered to my utter delight that Tamora Pierce had published many, many more books, many of them in Tortall and the rest in another magical world of the Circle. As I read them all in the order they were published, I noticed that her writing grew better and better with each book. Usually, perhaps the greatest challenge for a fantasy writer writing series in a magical world is keeping the world and characters of each new book fresh.
But I digress. Or do I? Don't we write because we loved a book so much that we had to read it over and over again? Didn't we all as children have imaginary friends and live in imaginary worlds? Don't we go to conferences to connect with actual flesh and blood people who have similar interests and vocabulary and passions?
At at the conference, I practiced my new mantra: "Follow your bliss."
I've been quiet on my own blog because I was preparing for and attending then recovering from SCBWI LA, where so many fabulous authors were speaking. I admire all of them and was determined not to gush excessively. I was bummed to be one of 100 people on the wait list for the Poetry Masterclass taught by Lee Bennett Hopkins. I looked forward to hearing all the amazing keynotes, especially the multicultural American authors Linda Sue Park, Lisa Yee, and Walter Dean Myers. I couldn't wait to reconnect with the great authors on faculty like Kathleen Duey, Candie Moonshower, Jay Asher, etc.
But secretly, I went for Tamora Pierce.
When I was a pre-teen, I discovered Tamora Pierce's wonderful Alanna books. I checked them out of the library over and over again and often imagined I lived in Tortall and was training to become a knight just like Alanna. I wasn't Alanna because I didn't have violet eyes or red hair (Alanna was one of those red-haired heroines that I adored right up there with Anne of Green Gables and Pippi Longstocking). Even though I wanted to be tough just like Alanna, what I really wanted was Alanna's community, a group of special friends who accepted me for me.
Then one year I decided to revisit my favorite children's books, and I discovered to my utter delight that Tamora Pierce had published many, many more books, many of them in Tortall and the rest in another magical world of the Circle. As I read them all in the order they were published, I noticed that her writing grew better and better with each book. Usually, perhaps the greatest challenge for a fantasy writer writing series in a magical world is keeping the world and characters of each new book fresh.
But I digress. Or do I? Don't we write because we loved a book so much that we had to read it over and over again? Didn't we all as children have imaginary friends and live in imaginary worlds? Don't we go to conferences to connect with actual flesh and blood people who have similar interests and vocabulary and passions?
At at the conference, I practiced my new mantra: "Follow your bliss."
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