Lisa Yee's Blog, page 11
March 5, 2012
Finding Serendipity in Canada, Plus Oscar Fever
The weirdest thing happened. On the last day-ish that Peepy and I were in Austin, TX, author Lindsey Lane saw this . . .
After Austin, we were home long enough to do laundry, pay bills, you know, all that fascinating author-esque stuff. Then we hopped a plane and crossed the boarder into Canada . . .
When we arrived in Vancouver, there was white stuff on the ground. Luckily, Kay Weisman from the Serendipity Conference gave us a ride to our hotel.
Awaiting us was a garbage bag with our name on it. But surprise! There were goodies inside . . .
That night, there was a Gala Dinner and Auction. Peepy was not quite herself that evening, but still had a wonderful time . . .
The food was fab! Plus we met our "guardian angel" Rob Bittner, who was in charge of keeping us out of trouble . . .
We got to see Caldecott medalist Allen Say, again. The last time we saw him was at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. And look! Allen and I, and all the other attendees got gift bags with books in them!
BTW, Allen's book DRAWING FROM MEMORY is fabulous. You should read it.
The next morning was the start of the Serendipity Conference "The Year of the Dragon," presented by the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable. Peepy was quite taken with the silent auction -- and the pastries . . .
The event was held on the campus of the University of British Columbia.
It was so fun getting to hang out with award-winning Canadian author Paul Yee, who may or may not be my brother, son, cousin or other relative. And Peepy got to hang out with a Paper Tiger . . .
The event was MC'ed by uber librarian, Shannon Ozirny . . .
(That may or may not be Rob hiding behind Shannon to make sure Peepy is well balanced.)
In addition to Paul, other speakers included Marjorie Coughlan and Corinne Robson, the editors of papertigers.org, an amazing resource focusing on multicultural, Pacific Rim, and South Asian Literature . . .
When Allen Say spoke, he showed us his studio . . .
During lunch, we learned how to make origami dragons!!!
Then, of course, right before I was set to speak, there was . . . Bollywood dancing. As expected, Peepy was the star with her graceful moves . . .
Imagine having to follow that! Still, I think we managed to have fun . . .
After, there was a presenters' panel and a book signing . . .
Peepy was excited to meet a new friend after the conference . . .
I was looking forward to exploring Vancouver the next day. Only, that was not to be. Yep. I got sick. Luckily, the Academy Awards were on and we got to watch it . . .
Last year, when Colin Firth won an Oscar, we were right there to cheer him on . . .
This year, wasn't quite the same. Still we cheered on Brian Selznick, whose HUGO was a multi-nominee. These photos were taken when we were at the Library of Congress last year . . .
(Brian always has the best shoes. Um, his are on the left.)
Here's when we saw HUGO filming in Paris. That's Michael Stuhlbarg who played Rene Tabard . . .
We also watched as KidLit-er William Joyce picked up an Oscar for THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE . . .
Here's the film . ..
Or you can CLICK HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
After Austin, we were home long enough to do laundry, pay bills, you know, all that fascinating author-esque stuff. Then we hopped a plane and crossed the boarder into Canada . . .
When we arrived in Vancouver, there was white stuff on the ground. Luckily, Kay Weisman from the Serendipity Conference gave us a ride to our hotel.
Awaiting us was a garbage bag with our name on it. But surprise! There were goodies inside . . .
That night, there was a Gala Dinner and Auction. Peepy was not quite herself that evening, but still had a wonderful time . . .
The food was fab! Plus we met our "guardian angel" Rob Bittner, who was in charge of keeping us out of trouble . . .
We got to see Caldecott medalist Allen Say, again. The last time we saw him was at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. And look! Allen and I, and all the other attendees got gift bags with books in them!
BTW, Allen's book DRAWING FROM MEMORY is fabulous. You should read it.
The next morning was the start of the Serendipity Conference "The Year of the Dragon," presented by the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable. Peepy was quite taken with the silent auction -- and the pastries . . .
The event was held on the campus of the University of British Columbia.
It was so fun getting to hang out with award-winning Canadian author Paul Yee, who may or may not be my brother, son, cousin or other relative. And Peepy got to hang out with a Paper Tiger . . .
The event was MC'ed by uber librarian, Shannon Ozirny . . .
(That may or may not be Rob hiding behind Shannon to make sure Peepy is well balanced.)
In addition to Paul, other speakers included Marjorie Coughlan and Corinne Robson, the editors of papertigers.org, an amazing resource focusing on multicultural, Pacific Rim, and South Asian Literature . . .
When Allen Say spoke, he showed us his studio . . .
During lunch, we learned how to make origami dragons!!!
Then, of course, right before I was set to speak, there was . . . Bollywood dancing. As expected, Peepy was the star with her graceful moves . . .
Imagine having to follow that! Still, I think we managed to have fun . . .
After, there was a presenters' panel and a book signing . . .
Peepy was excited to meet a new friend after the conference . . .
I was looking forward to exploring Vancouver the next day. Only, that was not to be. Yep. I got sick. Luckily, the Academy Awards were on and we got to watch it . . .
Last year, when Colin Firth won an Oscar, we were right there to cheer him on . . .
This year, wasn't quite the same. Still we cheered on Brian Selznick, whose HUGO was a multi-nominee. These photos were taken when we were at the Library of Congress last year . . .
(Brian always has the best shoes. Um, his are on the left.)
Here's when we saw HUGO filming in Paris. That's Michael Stuhlbarg who played Rene Tabard . . .
We also watched as KidLit-er William Joyce picked up an Oscar for THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE . . .
Here's the film . ..
Or you can CLICK HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Serendipity in Canada, Plus Oscar Fever
The weirdest thing happened. On the last day-ish that Peepy and I were in Austin, TX, author Lindsey Lane saw this . . .
After Austin, we were home long enough to do laundry, pay bills, you know, all that fascinating author-esque stuff. Then we hopped a plane and crossed the boarder into Canada . . .
When we arrived in Vancouver, there was white stuff on the ground. Luckily, Kay Weisman from the Serendipity Conference gave us a ride to our hotel.
Awaiting us was a garbage bag with our name on it. But surprise! There were goodies inside . . .
That night, there was a Gala Dinner and Auction. Peepy was not quite herself that evening, but still had a wonderful time . . .
The food was fab! Plus we met our "guardian angel" Rob Bittner, who was in charge of keeping us out of trouble . . .
We got to see Caldecott medalist Allen Say, again. The last time we saw him was at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. And look! Allen and I, and all the other attendees got gift bags with books in them!
BTW, Allen's book DRAWING FROM MEMORY is fabulous. You should read it.
The next morning was the start of the Serendipity Conference "The Year of the Dragon," presented by the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable. Peepy was quite taken with the silent auction -- and the pastries . . .
The event was held on the campus of the University of British Columbia.
It was so fun getting to hang out with award-winning Canadian author Paul Yee, who may or may not be my brother, son, cousin or other relative. And Peepy got to hang out with a Paper Tiger . . .
The event was MC'ed by uber librarian, Shannon Ozirny . . .
(That may or may not be Rob hiding behind Shannon to make sure Peepy is well balanced.)
In addition to Paul, other speakers included Marjorie Coughlan and Corinne Robson, the editors of papertigers.org, an amazing resource focusing on multicultural, Pacific Rim, and South Asian Literature . . .
When Allen Say spoke, he showed us his studio . . .
During lunch, we learned how to make origami dragons!!!
Then, of course, right before I was set to speak, there was . . . Bollywood dancing. As expected, Peepy was the star with her graceful moves . . .
Imagine having to follow that! Still, I think we managed to have fun . . .
After, there was a presenters' panel and a book signing . . .
Peepy was excited to meet a new friend after the conference . . .
I was looking forward to exploring Vancouver the next day. Only, that was not to be. Yep. I got sick. Luckily, the Academy Awards were on and we got to watch it . . .
Last year, when Colin Firth won an Oscar, we were right there to cheer him on . . .
This year, wasn't quite the same. Still we cheered on Brian Selznick, whose HUGO was a multi-nominee. These photos were taken when we were at the Library of Congress last year . . .
(Brian always has the best shoes. Um, his are on the left.)
Here's when we saw HUGO filming in Paris. That's Michael Stuhlbarg who played Rene Tabard . . .
We also watched as KidLit-er William Joyce picked up an Oscar for THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE . . .
Here's the film . ..
Or you can CLICK HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
After Austin, we were home long enough to do laundry, pay bills, you know, all that fascinating author-esque stuff. Then we hopped a plane and crossed the boarder into Canada . . .
When we arrived in Vancouver, there was white stuff on the ground. Luckily, Kay Weisman from the Serendipity Conference gave us a ride to our hotel.
Awaiting us was a garbage bag with our name on it. But surprise! There were goodies inside . . .
That night, there was a Gala Dinner and Auction. Peepy was not quite herself that evening, but still had a wonderful time . . .
The food was fab! Plus we met our "guardian angel" Rob Bittner, who was in charge of keeping us out of trouble . . .
We got to see Caldecott medalist Allen Say, again. The last time we saw him was at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. And look! Allen and I, and all the other attendees got gift bags with books in them!
BTW, Allen's book DRAWING FROM MEMORY is fabulous. You should read it.
The next morning was the start of the Serendipity Conference "The Year of the Dragon," presented by the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable. Peepy was quite taken with the silent auction -- and the pastries . . .
The event was held on the campus of the University of British Columbia.
It was so fun getting to hang out with award-winning Canadian author Paul Yee, who may or may not be my brother, son, cousin or other relative. And Peepy got to hang out with a Paper Tiger . . .
The event was MC'ed by uber librarian, Shannon Ozirny . . .
(That may or may not be Rob hiding behind Shannon to make sure Peepy is well balanced.)
In addition to Paul, other speakers included Marjorie Coughlan and Corinne Robson, the editors of papertigers.org, an amazing resource focusing on multicultural, Pacific Rim, and South Asian Literature . . .
When Allen Say spoke, he showed us his studio . . .
During lunch, we learned how to make origami dragons!!!
Then, of course, right before I was set to speak, there was . . . Bollywood dancing. As expected, Peepy was the star with her graceful moves . . .
Imagine having to follow that! Still, I think we managed to have fun . . .
After, there was a presenters' panel and a book signing . . .
Peepy was excited to meet a new friend after the conference . . .
I was looking forward to exploring Vancouver the next day. Only, that was not to be. Yep. I got sick. Luckily, the Academy Awards were on and we got to watch it . . .
Last year, when Colin Firth won an Oscar, we were right there to cheer him on . . .
This year, wasn't quite the same. Still we cheered on Brian Selznick, whose HUGO was a multi-nominee. These photos were taken when we were at the Library of Congress last year . . .
(Brian always has the best shoes. Um, his are on the left.)
Here's when we saw HUGO filming in Paris. That's Michael Stuhlbarg who played Rene Tabard . . .
We also watched as KidLit-er William Joyce picked up an Oscar for THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE . . .
Here's the film . ..
Or you can CLICK HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
March 1, 2012
The Best BBQ in the United States + Vending Machine Art
In our last blog before our last blog, we were speaking at a conference in Austin.
And in our last blog, we were exploring the city's sites . . .
Well in this blog were going to take you on a gourmet tour, plus reveal an artistic find!!!
Eating in Austin was fabulous. There were food trucks EVERYWHERE . . .
Salsa and hot sauce was in abundance . . .
We had lunch at the historic Driskill and later partook in frozen yogurt downtown . . .
But the real thrill was the BBQ. Lots of the locals gave us great suggestions.
One of them was Franklin Barbecue which Bon Appetit magazine named the Best BBQ in America.
The place opened at 11 a.m., but when we arrived at 10:30, there was already a long line. Luckily, everyone was nice and no violence broke out . . .
After waiting two hours, it was exciting to finally enter the inner sanctum . . .
I'm not a fan of waiting in lines. So you ask,"Was it worth it? Is anything worth waiting TWO HOURS for?"
YES!!! It was totally worth it. The BBQ was the best. I especially liked the brisket with its perfectly spiced crust. Here's a before and after of the meal . . .
There was just so much, we couldn't eat it all! Sadly, not everyone could say the same thing. Half an hour after we got our meal, Franklin ran out of BBQ . . .
Yes, we were totally full. However, we weren't about to let that stop us from going to Amy's Ice Cream!
(I had coffee ice cream with crushed Heath Bar Crunch.)
Since we couldn't eat 24/7 (I know, I tried), we also found totally cool stuff like this . . .
Wha . . . ??? YES! The Art-O-Mat sells ORIGINAL ART for five bucks!!!
Here's the vending machine in action . . .
To find an Art-O-Mat machine near you, CLICK HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
And in our last blog, we were exploring the city's sites . . .
Well in this blog were going to take you on a gourmet tour, plus reveal an artistic find!!!
Eating in Austin was fabulous. There were food trucks EVERYWHERE . . .
Salsa and hot sauce was in abundance . . .
We had lunch at the historic Driskill and later partook in frozen yogurt downtown . . .
But the real thrill was the BBQ. Lots of the locals gave us great suggestions.
One of them was Franklin Barbecue which Bon Appetit magazine named the Best BBQ in America.
The place opened at 11 a.m., but when we arrived at 10:30, there was already a long line. Luckily, everyone was nice and no violence broke out . . .
After waiting two hours, it was exciting to finally enter the inner sanctum . . .
I'm not a fan of waiting in lines. So you ask,"Was it worth it? Is anything worth waiting TWO HOURS for?"
YES!!! It was totally worth it. The BBQ was the best. I especially liked the brisket with its perfectly spiced crust. Here's a before and after of the meal . . .
There was just so much, we couldn't eat it all! Sadly, not everyone could say the same thing. Half an hour after we got our meal, Franklin ran out of BBQ . . .
Yes, we were totally full. However, we weren't about to let that stop us from going to Amy's Ice Cream!
(I had coffee ice cream with crushed Heath Bar Crunch.)
Since we couldn't eat 24/7 (I know, I tried), we also found totally cool stuff like this . . .
Wha . . . ??? YES! The Art-O-Mat sells ORIGINAL ART for five bucks!!!
Here's the vending machine in action . . .
To find an Art-O-Mat machine near you, CLICK HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 27, 2012
Exploring Austin City Limits
I'm on the road a lot.
In the past, I'd fly in for an event, like the SCBWI Austin Conference, and then turn around and fly home right after it ended.
But on this trip I added a couple of extra days to explore . . .
As I suspected, Austin, Texas is awesome. Peepy and I loved South Congress St. . . .
At Uncommon Objects, there were great uncommon objects . . .
They even had these old-fashioned machines with the alphabet on them . . .
(The notes on the machines read, "PLEASE RESIST THE URGE TO TYPE.")
Of course, I had to visit local indie institution, Book People. Thought it was interesting that when I looked it up on my iPhone, it said, "The Drunk Diet Mo Willems - Hooray" . . .
We also boarded the Austin Duck Tour and saw these sights . . .
One of the highlights of the Duck Tour is when the vehicle barrels into the water. Peepy wasn't prepared for it though and was quite shaken up . . .
This being Austin, music was in the air and on the walls . . .
Oooh, look! Even more sights . . .
At the Harry Ransom Center for the arts and humanities, the gallery was closed. However, at least we got to see the Gutenberg Bible in the lobby . . .
But most importantly, the frosted glass windows had images of some of the most important names in the arts. Can you see who the latest addition to the wall is???
NEXT BLOG: Searching for the best BBQ in the United States.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
In the past, I'd fly in for an event, like the SCBWI Austin Conference, and then turn around and fly home right after it ended.
But on this trip I added a couple of extra days to explore . . .
As I suspected, Austin, Texas is awesome. Peepy and I loved South Congress St. . . .
At Uncommon Objects, there were great uncommon objects . . .
They even had these old-fashioned machines with the alphabet on them . . .
(The notes on the machines read, "PLEASE RESIST THE URGE TO TYPE.")
Of course, I had to visit local indie institution, Book People. Thought it was interesting that when I looked it up on my iPhone, it said, "The Drunk Diet Mo Willems - Hooray" . . .
We also boarded the Austin Duck Tour and saw these sights . . .
One of the highlights of the Duck Tour is when the vehicle barrels into the water. Peepy wasn't prepared for it though and was quite shaken up . . .
This being Austin, music was in the air and on the walls . . .
Oooh, look! Even more sights . . .
At the Harry Ransom Center for the arts and humanities, the gallery was closed. However, at least we got to see the Gutenberg Bible in the lobby . . .
But most importantly, the frosted glass windows had images of some of the most important names in the arts. Can you see who the latest addition to the wall is???
NEXT BLOG: Searching for the best BBQ in the United States.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 23, 2012
Conference Confidential + Austin Austen Meets a Peep
Just got back from my first trip to Austin, Texas where I spoke at the SCBWI Regional Conference. The whole time I was there, I kept wanting to spell the city: A-U-S-T-E-N, as in Jane . . .
Left the house at 7:30 a.m. for a 10:45 a.m. flight, which was cancelled, and then I was rebooked for a 7 p.m. flight. Sigh. Behold the gliz and glam of traveling . . .
As soon as I got to Austen/Austin, the doom and gloom of travel and a particular bad airline which I won't mention (UNITED AIRLINES), lifted. Peeps was particularly pleased with the gift bag the SCBWI chapter left for her . . .
BTW, there were BAT symbols everywhere in Austin . . .
I thought that the town was Batman crazed, but learned that it's because their bridge is batty.
A couple MILLION bats live under the Congress Bridge. They weren't there when I was in town, luckily for all because you would have heard me screaming.
Oops. Digression. Back to writing!
The next morning, I delivered the opening keynote . . .
It was so much fun and everyone was wonderful. After, Peepy and I cast our ballots for portfolios and sat in on some of the panels, like this one with Chris Barton moderating and agents Erin Murphy and Ammi-Joan Paquette from the EMLA Agency.
We also marveled (and were confused) by the bathroom sinks . . .
Peepy was presented by ANOTHER gift bag, this time by the Texas Sweethearts . . .
To cap off the conference, there was a wine and cheese party and book signing. Here's the room before and after . . .
During the signing, Peepy cornered author/editor Diane Muldrow and asked for advice about her epic memoir/fashion tips book. (They also discussed trigonometic integrals.)
Then Peepy had the great idea of getting author Donna Jo Napoli to blurb her yet-to-be-written book . . .
(Donna agreed, but only after Peepy promised to blurb her next novel.)
After, there was a big bash for the faculty and amazing volunteers and birthday people . . .
Jeanette Larson, Cynthia Leitich Smith and Peepy discussed who would play them in the movie version of their autobiographies . . .
The next day it time for my class "Creating Compelling Bad Guys and Bullies." Peepy was gifted (yes, again!) with a lovely Texas cheerleader dress. It was given to her by her newest BFF, Austin Austen, the bear . . .
The workshop sold out and closed at 50 attendees, and I made them work and work and work. Okay, so I sort of bullied them . . .
At one point, we role played and then wrote about it. The actors were so convincing that if this writing thing doesn't work out, they have promising careers in the theater . . .
At lunchtime, the baked potato buffet was a hit . . .
Then back to work!
After exhausting my students, agents Jill Corcoran, Sarah Davies and Erin Murphy, and I did first page critiques. That's where the first pages of novels are submitted without anyone's name on it and read aloud . . .
Then, the agents and I give our first impressions on the page while being timed (so that it moves quickly) by Debbie Gonzales, the amazing Austen/Austin regional advisor . . .
Thank you, Austen/Austin SCBWI, we had a MARVELOUS TIME!!!
NEXT BLOG: Exploring Austin City Limits . . .
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This weekend, I'll lbe in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Left the house at 7:30 a.m. for a 10:45 a.m. flight, which was cancelled, and then I was rebooked for a 7 p.m. flight. Sigh. Behold the gliz and glam of traveling . . .
As soon as I got to Austen/Austin, the doom and gloom of travel and a particular bad airline which I won't mention (UNITED AIRLINES), lifted. Peeps was particularly pleased with the gift bag the SCBWI chapter left for her . . .
BTW, there were BAT symbols everywhere in Austin . . .
I thought that the town was Batman crazed, but learned that it's because their bridge is batty.
A couple MILLION bats live under the Congress Bridge. They weren't there when I was in town, luckily for all because you would have heard me screaming.
Oops. Digression. Back to writing!
The next morning, I delivered the opening keynote . . .
It was so much fun and everyone was wonderful. After, Peepy and I cast our ballots for portfolios and sat in on some of the panels, like this one with Chris Barton moderating and agents Erin Murphy and Ammi-Joan Paquette from the EMLA Agency.
We also marveled (and were confused) by the bathroom sinks . . .
Peepy was presented by ANOTHER gift bag, this time by the Texas Sweethearts . . .
To cap off the conference, there was a wine and cheese party and book signing. Here's the room before and after . . .
During the signing, Peepy cornered author/editor Diane Muldrow and asked for advice about her epic memoir/fashion tips book. (They also discussed trigonometic integrals.)
Then Peepy had the great idea of getting author Donna Jo Napoli to blurb her yet-to-be-written book . . .
(Donna agreed, but only after Peepy promised to blurb her next novel.)
After, there was a big bash for the faculty and amazing volunteers and birthday people . . .
Jeanette Larson, Cynthia Leitich Smith and Peepy discussed who would play them in the movie version of their autobiographies . . .
The next day it time for my class "Creating Compelling Bad Guys and Bullies." Peepy was gifted (yes, again!) with a lovely Texas cheerleader dress. It was given to her by her newest BFF, Austin Austen, the bear . . .
The workshop sold out and closed at 50 attendees, and I made them work and work and work. Okay, so I sort of bullied them . . .
At one point, we role played and then wrote about it. The actors were so convincing that if this writing thing doesn't work out, they have promising careers in the theater . . .
At lunchtime, the baked potato buffet was a hit . . .
Then back to work!
After exhausting my students, agents Jill Corcoran, Sarah Davies and Erin Murphy, and I did first page critiques. That's where the first pages of novels are submitted without anyone's name on it and read aloud . . .
Then, the agents and I give our first impressions on the page while being timed (so that it moves quickly) by Debbie Gonzales, the amazing Austen/Austin regional advisor . . .
Thank you, Austen/Austin SCBWI, we had a MARVELOUS TIME!!!
NEXT BLOG: Exploring Austin City Limits . . .
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This weekend, I'll lbe in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 20, 2012
Look Who's in USA Today + Lunching with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy
In our last blog we talked about Jeremy Lin and the Boys of Basketball. I discussed my fictional basketball player Stanford Wong, and real life player, my dad.
Well guess what?? USA TODAY read the blog and did a story about it!!!!
You can CLICK HERE to read the whole article.
Speaking of Stanford Wong, there's a scary teacher in the book. His name is Mr. Glick.
The real Mr. Glick was my 7th grade teacher. Not long ago he visited my house.
We keep in touch, and this week he sent me this e-mail . . .
Here's the chapter he's talking about . . .
Not too long ago, our friend, Ken Min, had some good news recently.
The last time we saw Ken, he drew this award-winning picture . . .
Now, I know what you're thinking. Ken Min. Min. MIN? Millicent Min. Are they related????
Actually, they are not. However, maybe they are. One never knows.
Also armed with good news was friend and wild thing Sara Wilson Etienne who had a first novel debuting . . .
Well, with all this good news stuff going around, there was only one logical way to celebrate . . . LUNCH!!!!
(It is safe to note that the writerly lunches I attend are EXACTLY like the ones at the famed Algonquin Round Table. Well, sort of, in that food is involved and that many of my lunch companions share the some of the same vowels and that Dorothy Parker's posse had in their names.)
We rounded up the unusual suspects, including our partner in dining, Dan Santat and author/grammar Queen, Martha Brockenbough, plus the nomadic Julia Shahin Collard.
In Dan's and Mine's Quest (I purposefullyness made that grammatically awkward so that Martha could have a meltdown) to try out different dining establishments for our literary lunches, we decided to dine in Paris, France . . .
However, the airport was busy that day, so we ate in Burbank instead.
We met up at Flavor of India and partook of their delicious buffet. Here's Dan and Martha buffetting . . .
Peepy had quite a lot on her plate, too . . .
The conversation was lively and we discussed our solutions to the growing global warming problem . . .
In case you weren't eavesdropping, here's what we came up with . . .
Of course, we were so fascinating that everyone in the restaurant wanted in on the conversation . . .
Wait? What? Who??? Why, it's Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth as Colin Firth!!! Apparently, Ken had arranged for him to be there . . .
Now I have history with this person, having just spent the day with Colin Firth as Colin Firth, and Craig Ferguson as Craig Ferguson, recently . . .
Even though we had just seen him, we didn't want Colin to feel left out, so we invited him(s) to join us . . .
Colin was such delightful company, that afterward when he needed a ride, I was happy to oblige . . .
Somehow, he ended up in my office . . .
And we continued our, er, global warming discussion there . . .
BTW, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, wait, hasn't Colin visited you before. Well, yes, indeed he has. Can I help it if people send him my way???
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
Next week I'll be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Well guess what?? USA TODAY read the blog and did a story about it!!!!
You can CLICK HERE to read the whole article.
Speaking of Stanford Wong, there's a scary teacher in the book. His name is Mr. Glick.
The real Mr. Glick was my 7th grade teacher. Not long ago he visited my house.
We keep in touch, and this week he sent me this e-mail . . .
Here's the chapter he's talking about . . .
Not too long ago, our friend, Ken Min, had some good news recently.
The last time we saw Ken, he drew this award-winning picture . . .
Now, I know what you're thinking. Ken Min. Min. MIN? Millicent Min. Are they related????
Actually, they are not. However, maybe they are. One never knows.
Also armed with good news was friend and wild thing Sara Wilson Etienne who had a first novel debuting . . .
Well, with all this good news stuff going around, there was only one logical way to celebrate . . . LUNCH!!!!
(It is safe to note that the writerly lunches I attend are EXACTLY like the ones at the famed Algonquin Round Table. Well, sort of, in that food is involved and that many of my lunch companions share the some of the same vowels and that Dorothy Parker's posse had in their names.)
We rounded up the unusual suspects, including our partner in dining, Dan Santat and author/grammar Queen, Martha Brockenbough, plus the nomadic Julia Shahin Collard.
In Dan's and Mine's Quest (I purposefullyness made that grammatically awkward so that Martha could have a meltdown) to try out different dining establishments for our literary lunches, we decided to dine in Paris, France . . .
However, the airport was busy that day, so we ate in Burbank instead.
We met up at Flavor of India and partook of their delicious buffet. Here's Dan and Martha buffetting . . .
Peepy had quite a lot on her plate, too . . .
The conversation was lively and we discussed our solutions to the growing global warming problem . . .
In case you weren't eavesdropping, here's what we came up with . . .
Of course, we were so fascinating that everyone in the restaurant wanted in on the conversation . . .
Wait? What? Who??? Why, it's Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth as Colin Firth!!! Apparently, Ken had arranged for him to be there . . .
Now I have history with this person, having just spent the day with Colin Firth as Colin Firth, and Craig Ferguson as Craig Ferguson, recently . . .
Even though we had just seen him, we didn't want Colin to feel left out, so we invited him(s) to join us . . .
Colin was such delightful company, that afterward when he needed a ride, I was happy to oblige . . .
Somehow, he ended up in my office . . .
And we continued our, er, global warming discussion there . . .
BTW, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, wait, hasn't Colin visited you before. Well, yes, indeed he has. Can I help it if people send him my way???
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
Next week I'll be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 13, 2012
Jeremy Lin and The Boys of Basketball
Before Jeremy Lin, there was Stanford Wong, and before Stanford Wong, there was my father.
I am not a huge basketball fan. However, growing up, basketball was part of my life.
Why? Because of my dad.
My father has always been basketball-obsessed. It started when he was a boy growing up in Seattle, Washington. He loved the game, and not just watching it. He loved to play.
Dad played JV his freshman year of high school, then three years of Varsity. That's right. THREE YEARS on the VARSITY team. I once saw a newspaper article that referred to my father as, "the little Chinese boy," or something close to that. He considered an oddity on a team of tall white guys.
Apparently, Chinese American basketball players were as rare then as they are now.
(For the record, I was being sarcastic. Asian American basketball players are not rare. There thousands of kids and adults who play, only it's sort of our secret since no one seems to notice them.)
My father played basketball in the Navy. Here he is with his team at the San Diego Training Station. They won the All-Service Tournament (Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force). Dad's in the second row, second from the right.
Later he coached high school basketball, until he had to give it up because all the yelling wore on his vocal cords. He also refereed basketball games. I always remember my father in his striped shirts.
After I wrote my first novel, MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS, I decided to write a book about a boy. A boy who was obsessed with basketball. This boy, Stanford Wong, loved basketball more than anything else in the world. It defined him.
Stanford and his friend Marley Sandelski (who is featured in WARP SPEED) were losers. At least until basketball transformed one of them . . .
Stanford's dream was to play in the NBA. But until recently, there were no Chinese American NBA players players for him to emulate.
Though gifted athletically, Stanford struggled academically and flunked his English class because of book reports like this one . . .
If he didn't pass English in summer school, Stanford would get kicked off the basketball team -- thus ending his life. Here's what he imagined would be on his tombstone.
I got nervous when Stanford's book came out because it was featured Sports Illustrated Kids and I was terrified I might get some of the basketball parts wrong. But boys (and girls) have since said, "I love the basketball in your book. Did you play?"
Though I fenced in college, and I used to run, until I had some bad accidents, I am not sporty. It's sort of weird to me that all my books, except for ABSOLUTELY MAYBE, have sports in them.
STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME - basketball
MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS and SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS - volleyball
WARP SPEED - running
GOOD LUCK, IVY - gymnastics
BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) and BOBBY THE BRAVE (SOMETIMES) - football and skateboarding
ALOHA, KANANI and GOOD JOB, KANANI - surfing, paddle board, snorkeling
When the Fox Sports Network included me on their list of "Americans in Focus," for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, I felt so honored. I went into the studio to shoot the segment and I talked about books, and a boy named Stanford Wong . . .
Lisa Yee
FOX Sports | Myspace Video
Flash-forward to early February when Jeremy Lin seemingly appeared out of nowhere and took the sports world by storm . . .
But he didn't come out of nowhere, did he?
He has a story.
Funny, but when we don't know someone's story, we think they didn't exist before. But that's not true. They've always been there. It's just that we never noticed.
Jeremy sure is getting noticed now.
When I googled "Jeremy Lin" on Saturday afternoon, over ONE QUARTER BILLION entries showed up. (Note: When I googled "Jeremy Lin," right before posting this blog, over 464,000,000 entries appeared.)
Everyone knows Jeremy's story now. But in case you're one of the four who don't, here it is. Jeremy Lin is a Chinese American kid who loved basketball. He was a star on his high school team, but wasn't offered any athletic scholarships. Smart enough to attend Harvard, he played on their team. Great player. Lots of promise.
Still, Jeremy was not drafted by the NBA. Why? Could it be his race? TIME magazine, back in 2009, brought up this topic.
Because, really, who ever heard of a Chinese player in the NBA? Sure, there's Yao Ming, but c'mon, there are over 1.6 billion Chinese in the world, and only two have played in the NBA.
BTW, Yao Ming (below) is not an American, and he's taller than Jeremy by over a foot, and outweighs him by about 100 pounds.
After being on a couple of other NBA teams, last week-ish Jeremy was called up to actually play for the Knicks.
Just that morning he was sleeping on his brother's couch in NY and didn't know if the Knicks were going to keep him.
(Not actually photo of either his brother's couch or Jeremy.)
He dazzled in that first game, and the rest, as they say, is history.
CLICK HERE to read The Post article. Or Google him, if you've got a few thousand hours.
If I wrote STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME today, Stanford would have had a Jeremy Lin poster in his room, and a basketball hero who looked like him to aspire to. Although, unlike Jeremy, Stanford was not headed to Harvard . . .
Millicent Min, Stanford's brainiac nemesis, would have loved Jeremy's bookish pre-game ritual. Here he is, with fellow Knick's Ivy leaguer, Landry Fields who, incidentally, attended Stanford -- the school Stanford Wong is named after.
What the two are doing is flipping though page of a book -- taking off their glasses -- and then sticking them in their pocket protectors.
Stanford believed that basketball is life-transforming, just as girl genius, Millicent Min, believed that books are, too. They are both right.
Here's what my dad thinks about Jeremy Lin. "He mastered the fundamentals through constant hard work. Jeremy's in the right situation now because New York Knicks play an open, fast game which suits his style. This wide open court helped bring out his basketball savvy. He may not be as quick and athletic as other guards, but he makes up for it with his knowledge of the game and quick thinking on his feet. Jeremy sees the whole picture when he's on the court . . . he's a team player and does his best to be part of a cohesive unit."
Here's what I think about Jeremy Lin -- Everything my father said, plus, it doesn't matter if Jeremy never wins another game, though I hope he does. In these past months with irate Americans mad at this and that, and various factions of country at each other's throats, we all stopped, for just a bit, to watch basketball, an all-American game.
We stopped to watch a young man who pursued his childhood dream to play for the NBA, and against all odds, he made it. He is an inspiration to not only to Chinese Americans, Harvard grads, basketball boys and girls, and New Yorkers, but to anyone who has ever had a dream. Heck, if Lakers fans could root for a Knicks player, then anything is possible.
As for my father. He's 80 years old . . . and he still plays basketball. His eyes are weaker, and his knees aren't what they used to be, and that bypass surgery kept him out for a bit, but he's still in the game.
Dad plays with other seniors, and while they may not make as many baskets as they used to, they still know how to have a good time.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
Next weekend , I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference, and later in the month I'll be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
I am not a huge basketball fan. However, growing up, basketball was part of my life.
Why? Because of my dad.
My father has always been basketball-obsessed. It started when he was a boy growing up in Seattle, Washington. He loved the game, and not just watching it. He loved to play.
Dad played JV his freshman year of high school, then three years of Varsity. That's right. THREE YEARS on the VARSITY team. I once saw a newspaper article that referred to my father as, "the little Chinese boy," or something close to that. He considered an oddity on a team of tall white guys.
Apparently, Chinese American basketball players were as rare then as they are now.
(For the record, I was being sarcastic. Asian American basketball players are not rare. There thousands of kids and adults who play, only it's sort of our secret since no one seems to notice them.)
My father played basketball in the Navy. Here he is with his team at the San Diego Training Station. They won the All-Service Tournament (Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force). Dad's in the second row, second from the right.
Later he coached high school basketball, until he had to give it up because all the yelling wore on his vocal cords. He also refereed basketball games. I always remember my father in his striped shirts.
After I wrote my first novel, MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS, I decided to write a book about a boy. A boy who was obsessed with basketball. This boy, Stanford Wong, loved basketball more than anything else in the world. It defined him.
Stanford and his friend Marley Sandelski (who is featured in WARP SPEED) were losers. At least until basketball transformed one of them . . .
Stanford's dream was to play in the NBA. But until recently, there were no Chinese American NBA players players for him to emulate.
Though gifted athletically, Stanford struggled academically and flunked his English class because of book reports like this one . . .
If he didn't pass English in summer school, Stanford would get kicked off the basketball team -- thus ending his life. Here's what he imagined would be on his tombstone.
I got nervous when Stanford's book came out because it was featured Sports Illustrated Kids and I was terrified I might get some of the basketball parts wrong. But boys (and girls) have since said, "I love the basketball in your book. Did you play?"
Though I fenced in college, and I used to run, until I had some bad accidents, I am not sporty. It's sort of weird to me that all my books, except for ABSOLUTELY MAYBE, have sports in them.
STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME - basketball
MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS and SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS - volleyball
WARP SPEED - running
GOOD LUCK, IVY - gymnastics
BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) and BOBBY THE BRAVE (SOMETIMES) - football and skateboarding
ALOHA, KANANI and GOOD JOB, KANANI - surfing, paddle board, snorkeling
When the Fox Sports Network included me on their list of "Americans in Focus," for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, I felt so honored. I went into the studio to shoot the segment and I talked about books, and a boy named Stanford Wong . . .
Lisa Yee
FOX Sports | Myspace Video
Flash-forward to early February when Jeremy Lin seemingly appeared out of nowhere and took the sports world by storm . . .
But he didn't come out of nowhere, did he?
He has a story.
Funny, but when we don't know someone's story, we think they didn't exist before. But that's not true. They've always been there. It's just that we never noticed.
Jeremy sure is getting noticed now.
When I googled "Jeremy Lin" on Saturday afternoon, over ONE QUARTER BILLION entries showed up. (Note: When I googled "Jeremy Lin," right before posting this blog, over 464,000,000 entries appeared.)
Everyone knows Jeremy's story now. But in case you're one of the four who don't, here it is. Jeremy Lin is a Chinese American kid who loved basketball. He was a star on his high school team, but wasn't offered any athletic scholarships. Smart enough to attend Harvard, he played on their team. Great player. Lots of promise.
Still, Jeremy was not drafted by the NBA. Why? Could it be his race? TIME magazine, back in 2009, brought up this topic.
Because, really, who ever heard of a Chinese player in the NBA? Sure, there's Yao Ming, but c'mon, there are over 1.6 billion Chinese in the world, and only two have played in the NBA.
BTW, Yao Ming (below) is not an American, and he's taller than Jeremy by over a foot, and outweighs him by about 100 pounds.
After being on a couple of other NBA teams, last week-ish Jeremy was called up to actually play for the Knicks.
Just that morning he was sleeping on his brother's couch in NY and didn't know if the Knicks were going to keep him.
(Not actually photo of either his brother's couch or Jeremy.)
He dazzled in that first game, and the rest, as they say, is history.
CLICK HERE to read The Post article. Or Google him, if you've got a few thousand hours.
If I wrote STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME today, Stanford would have had a Jeremy Lin poster in his room, and a basketball hero who looked like him to aspire to. Although, unlike Jeremy, Stanford was not headed to Harvard . . .
Millicent Min, Stanford's brainiac nemesis, would have loved Jeremy's bookish pre-game ritual. Here he is, with fellow Knick's Ivy leaguer, Landry Fields who, incidentally, attended Stanford -- the school Stanford Wong is named after.
What the two are doing is flipping though page of a book -- taking off their glasses -- and then sticking them in their pocket protectors.
Stanford believed that basketball is life-transforming, just as girl genius, Millicent Min, believed that books are, too. They are both right.
Here's what my dad thinks about Jeremy Lin. "He mastered the fundamentals through constant hard work. Jeremy's in the right situation now because New York Knicks play an open, fast game which suits his style. This wide open court helped bring out his basketball savvy. He may not be as quick and athletic as other guards, but he makes up for it with his knowledge of the game and quick thinking on his feet. Jeremy sees the whole picture when he's on the court . . . he's a team player and does his best to be part of a cohesive unit."
Here's what I think about Jeremy Lin -- Everything my father said, plus, it doesn't matter if Jeremy never wins another game, though I hope he does. In these past months with irate Americans mad at this and that, and various factions of country at each other's throats, we all stopped, for just a bit, to watch basketball, an all-American game.
We stopped to watch a young man who pursued his childhood dream to play for the NBA, and against all odds, he made it. He is an inspiration to not only to Chinese Americans, Harvard grads, basketball boys and girls, and New Yorkers, but to anyone who has ever had a dream. Heck, if Lakers fans could root for a Knicks player, then anything is possible.
As for my father. He's 80 years old . . . and he still plays basketball. His eyes are weaker, and his knees aren't what they used to be, and that bypass surgery kept him out for a bit, but he's still in the game.
Dad plays with other seniors, and while they may not make as many baskets as they used to, they still know how to have a good time.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
Next weekend , I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference, and later in the month I'll be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 9, 2012
Mother Daughter Book Party!!!
Are you a mom? Do you know a mom? Did you have a mom? How about a daughter? Are you a daughter? Do you have a daughter? Do you know a daughter? If so, read on . . .
Last week was the third annual Mother Daughter Book Party at Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse . . .
(Um, part of the sign got cut off because -- because Peepy was goofing off and distracted me.)
The first time I was part of this event, it took place off-site . . .
That's because a four-wheeler truck had crashed into the center of the bookstore and demolished it. Here's a photo of when I had taught a writing workshop at the old location, and what it looked like about one month later . . .
Happily, a new bookstore was been built and has been up and running!
It even has two espresso machines. One for printing books (Espresso Book Machine) and for pouring coffee . . .
BTW, I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but I have started drinking COFFEE!!! on a regular basis, and I'm not sure what the big deal is. It doesn't affect me in any way . . .
Anyway, back to books. Before we started, Peepy and I chatted with Susan Patron, Janet Tashjian and Catherine Linka, the children's books buyer and mastermind behind the event. We discussed particle/wave duality and the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum theory . . .
In case you weren't able to eavesdrop on us, I've diagramed the conversation for you . . .
Here we are with Kathleen O'Dell and Kathryn Fitzmaurice . . .
The authors were in different areas of the store. Oh, look! There's Lee Wardlaw and friends, and Kathryn getting ready . . .
I was in the back of the store, and Catherine The Bookseller (for the record, there was a Catherine the bookseller, and authors Kathy, Kathleen and Kathryn there), said I was "the milk."
I wasn't sure what that meant, but she went on to explain that in a grocery store the milk is always in the back because people gravitate toward it!!!
We had over 80 moms and daughters attend! Here are some of girls I spoke to . . .
I loved being the milk!
Speaking of typos (pretend we were), here's a lovely little Storycorp video that shows us that not all typos are bad . . .
NEXT BLOG: My private personal lunch with Colin Firth.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This month, I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference and I'll also be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Last week was the third annual Mother Daughter Book Party at Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse . . .
(Um, part of the sign got cut off because -- because Peepy was goofing off and distracted me.)
The first time I was part of this event, it took place off-site . . .
That's because a four-wheeler truck had crashed into the center of the bookstore and demolished it. Here's a photo of when I had taught a writing workshop at the old location, and what it looked like about one month later . . .
Happily, a new bookstore was been built and has been up and running!
It even has two espresso machines. One for printing books (Espresso Book Machine) and for pouring coffee . . .
BTW, I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but I have started drinking COFFEE!!! on a regular basis, and I'm not sure what the big deal is. It doesn't affect me in any way . . .
Anyway, back to books. Before we started, Peepy and I chatted with Susan Patron, Janet Tashjian and Catherine Linka, the children's books buyer and mastermind behind the event. We discussed particle/wave duality and the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum theory . . .
In case you weren't able to eavesdrop on us, I've diagramed the conversation for you . . .
Here we are with Kathleen O'Dell and Kathryn Fitzmaurice . . .
The authors were in different areas of the store. Oh, look! There's Lee Wardlaw and friends, and Kathryn getting ready . . .
I was in the back of the store, and Catherine The Bookseller (for the record, there was a Catherine the bookseller, and authors Kathy, Kathleen and Kathryn there), said I was "the milk."
I wasn't sure what that meant, but she went on to explain that in a grocery store the milk is always in the back because people gravitate toward it!!!
We had over 80 moms and daughters attend! Here are some of girls I spoke to . . .
I loved being the milk!
Speaking of typos (pretend we were), here's a lovely little Storycorp video that shows us that not all typos are bad . . .
NEXT BLOG: My private personal lunch with Colin Firth.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This month, I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference and I'll also be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 6, 2012
Jay Asher Answers Everything
As many of you know, I have a time honored tradition of interviewing a famous NY TIMES bestselling guy author with one vowel in his first name every five years and eight months. The last interviewee was John Green when he was blog touring for AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES. You can read that HERE.
This time around, it was a different famous NY TIMES bestselling guy author with one vowel in his first name. This mystery author was criss-crossing the country on a book tour, so Peepy and I waited in the hotel lobby for him . . .
Can you guess who it is? Here's a hint . . .
Yes! It's Jay Asher, author of the mega-hit 13 REASONS WHY, and the new mega-hit, co-written with Carolyn Mackler, THE FUTURE OF US!!!
Jay and I have been friends for a long time, hence the pink wig, so I knew that I could ask him the sort of personal, in-depth, top secret questions that not just anyone could ask. Are you ready? Okay, here we go . . .
LISA: What's your favorite salty snack?
JAY: Really? Um . . . er, Chili Cheese Fritos?
LISA: I thought you'd say that, so I prepared these for you!!!
LISA: Okay, I'm thinking of a number between 1 - 47. What is it?
JAY: 23.
LISA: Nope.
LISA: How many cities are you visiting on this book tour?
JAY: Nine.
LISA: Correct!
LISA: Do you ever take the small soaps and little bottle of lotion from the hotel room?
JAY: I use them, I don't take them.
LISA: Please draw the cover of THE FUTURE OF US . . .
JAY:
LISA: Well done, Jay Asher, well done!
LISA: You've been on a nine day, nine city tour with you co-author, Printz winner Carolyn Mackler. Tell us a secret about her and/or your ATM pin number.
JAY: I'll tell you about her. She likes to sing karaoke and I think I am better at it than she is. But she tries hard.
LISA: Would you rather be a monk seal, a wooly mammoth, or a small possum?
JAY: Wooly mammoth. I've always liked Snuffleupagus and I think they are in the same family.
LISA: What superpower would you like to have?
JAY: Flying, but only at night because if anyone saw me they'd want to control me.
LISA: What superpower do you currently have?
JAY: Invisibility.
LISA: What? I'm sorry, where are you?
LISA: Oh! There you are. I thought you disappeared for a moment. Hey, are you ready for the final question? Here it is . . . do you like soup?
JAY: Yes.
After the searing interview, it was time for Jay to meet up with Carolyn and head to that marvelous indie bookstore in Montrose, CA, Once Upon a Time . . .
(I asked Carolyn for a secret about Jay, and she said, "One time when Jay and I were writing the book we got so stressed out, we started crying on the phone.")
Jay and Carolyn spoke to a packed house. However, all eyes were really on Peepy . . .
After, the two authors got in a wild fight over my Peep and traumatized her . . .
So we retreated to the restaurant next door and had cupcakes . . .
Later, of course, all was well and everyone made up . . .
(That's Jay in the bunny suit. I've got lots of photos of him in various fancy outfits.)
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This month, I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference and I'll also be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
This time around, it was a different famous NY TIMES bestselling guy author with one vowel in his first name. This mystery author was criss-crossing the country on a book tour, so Peepy and I waited in the hotel lobby for him . . .
Can you guess who it is? Here's a hint . . .
Yes! It's Jay Asher, author of the mega-hit 13 REASONS WHY, and the new mega-hit, co-written with Carolyn Mackler, THE FUTURE OF US!!!
Jay and I have been friends for a long time, hence the pink wig, so I knew that I could ask him the sort of personal, in-depth, top secret questions that not just anyone could ask. Are you ready? Okay, here we go . . .
LISA: What's your favorite salty snack?
JAY: Really? Um . . . er, Chili Cheese Fritos?
LISA: I thought you'd say that, so I prepared these for you!!!
LISA: Okay, I'm thinking of a number between 1 - 47. What is it?
JAY: 23.
LISA: Nope.
LISA: How many cities are you visiting on this book tour?
JAY: Nine.
LISA: Correct!
LISA: Do you ever take the small soaps and little bottle of lotion from the hotel room?
JAY: I use them, I don't take them.
LISA: Please draw the cover of THE FUTURE OF US . . .
JAY:
LISA: Well done, Jay Asher, well done!
LISA: You've been on a nine day, nine city tour with you co-author, Printz winner Carolyn Mackler. Tell us a secret about her and/or your ATM pin number.
JAY: I'll tell you about her. She likes to sing karaoke and I think I am better at it than she is. But she tries hard.
LISA: Would you rather be a monk seal, a wooly mammoth, or a small possum?
JAY: Wooly mammoth. I've always liked Snuffleupagus and I think they are in the same family.
LISA: What superpower would you like to have?
JAY: Flying, but only at night because if anyone saw me they'd want to control me.
LISA: What superpower do you currently have?
JAY: Invisibility.
LISA: What? I'm sorry, where are you?
LISA: Oh! There you are. I thought you disappeared for a moment. Hey, are you ready for the final question? Here it is . . . do you like soup?
JAY: Yes.
After the searing interview, it was time for Jay to meet up with Carolyn and head to that marvelous indie bookstore in Montrose, CA, Once Upon a Time . . .
(I asked Carolyn for a secret about Jay, and she said, "One time when Jay and I were writing the book we got so stressed out, we started crying on the phone.")
Jay and Carolyn spoke to a packed house. However, all eyes were really on Peepy . . .
After, the two authors got in a wild fight over my Peep and traumatized her . . .
So we retreated to the restaurant next door and had cupcakes . . .
Later, of course, all was well and everyone made up . . .
(That's Jay in the bunny suit. I've got lots of photos of him in various fancy outfits.)
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This month, I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference and I'll also be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
In March, I'll be at LitFest Pasadena, and in April, you can find me here . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 2, 2012
D'oh! Literary Dining + Look Who Was On THE SIMPSONS
Guess who made a cameo on The Simpsons? Why, that would be Ivy Ling, an American Girl character I wrote about in GOOD LUCK, IVY!!!
Here's the Ivy doll and Ivy on the TV show. Can you spot her?
Ivy was also on television when she first debuted. Only, she wasn't with any of the Simpsons, instead Ivy was with Oprah! . . .
But enough about television, let's talk food. My agent, Jodi Reamer, was in town recently. We didn't have time to go to Disneyland, however she did take Dan Santat and I out to dinner. However, just like the last time the three of dined together, he did not wear pants.
Dan was being a prima donna and insisted that we feed him . . .
Things were going well, until he he insisted that Jodi try to grilled fish and she developed an immediate aversion to it, claiming it looked like chicken . . .
And if that weren't enough drama, Dan then passed out. Yes, right there on the table . . .
As you might have guessed, I like to eat. Although not stuff like this . . .
My favorite meal of the day, other than dinner, is lunch. (I love breakfast, but an never up in time for it.) Being an author, lunch is an important part of the writing process. Why? Because.
Not too long ago, I had lunch (smoked salmon on sour dough with onions and cream cheese) with YA author/poet/race track bettor, Ron Koertge. He had soup.
On another day, I had lunch with animators/illustrators/writers James Burks and Bob Boyle . . .
They had pizza. I had a salad with avocado, mushrooms, onions, sunflower seeds and feta cheese . . .
Then, there was another time when Dan and I decided to do this new thing, where we try new places. In the past, we usually went to Pho 79 for lunch . . .
Our first new place was Chico's in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles . . .
Look who else was there! Greg Pincus, author/poet/social media expert . . .
Greg had the fish stew and it was delicious. I know. I made him give me some. I had the verde pork and hominy soup. It was scrumptious . . .
Dan had the carnitas platter . . .
The most awesome soda store was nearby. Galco's.
Dan had never been there before, and we both had TONS of work that needed to be done. So, naturally, we had to stop and shop . . .
Here's what I bought!!!
So hey, grab a soda and check out this cool new kidlit blog written by a college student and former big publishing house intern. You can read LOREMAI IPSUMUS by CLICKING HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This month, I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference and I'll also be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
Then in March, you can find me here</a> . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Here's the Ivy doll and Ivy on the TV show. Can you spot her?
Ivy was also on television when she first debuted. Only, she wasn't with any of the Simpsons, instead Ivy was with Oprah! . . .
But enough about television, let's talk food. My agent, Jodi Reamer, was in town recently. We didn't have time to go to Disneyland, however she did take Dan Santat and I out to dinner. However, just like the last time the three of dined together, he did not wear pants.
Dan was being a prima donna and insisted that we feed him . . .
Things were going well, until he he insisted that Jodi try to grilled fish and she developed an immediate aversion to it, claiming it looked like chicken . . .
And if that weren't enough drama, Dan then passed out. Yes, right there on the table . . .
As you might have guessed, I like to eat. Although not stuff like this . . .
My favorite meal of the day, other than dinner, is lunch. (I love breakfast, but an never up in time for it.) Being an author, lunch is an important part of the writing process. Why? Because.
Not too long ago, I had lunch (smoked salmon on sour dough with onions and cream cheese) with YA author/poet/race track bettor, Ron Koertge. He had soup.
On another day, I had lunch with animators/illustrators/writers James Burks and Bob Boyle . . .
They had pizza. I had a salad with avocado, mushrooms, onions, sunflower seeds and feta cheese . . .
Then, there was another time when Dan and I decided to do this new thing, where we try new places. In the past, we usually went to Pho 79 for lunch . . .
Our first new place was Chico's in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles . . .
Look who else was there! Greg Pincus, author/poet/social media expert . . .
Greg had the fish stew and it was delicious. I know. I made him give me some. I had the verde pork and hominy soup. It was scrumptious . . .
Dan had the carnitas platter . . .
The most awesome soda store was nearby. Galco's.
Dan had never been there before, and we both had TONS of work that needed to be done. So, naturally, we had to stop and shop . . .
Here's what I bought!!!
So hey, grab a soda and check out this cool new kidlit blog written by a college student and former big publishing house intern. You can read LOREMAI IPSUMUS by CLICKING HERE.
----------------------
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? SImply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Upcoming Events . . .
This month, I'll be in Austin, TX for the SCBWI Regional Conference and I'll also be in Vancouver for the Serendipity Conference . . .
Then in March, you can find me here</a> . . .
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
