Beth Kephart's Blog, page 240

The children of the show: a suite of portraits

Four Young Riders and an Even Younger Buck

Scenes from the Devon Horse Show.

You know how I talk about the beauty of my students?

Well, you see?  I never lie.  Here is Kim, glorious Kim, walking the Devon Horse Show grounds with me.



Thank you, Gareth, for sharing her this afternoon.

The Beauty Shot: One Horse, One Show

From last night, at the Devon Horse Show. The competition had begun. The crowds were beyond. It was just this horse and me and a wide angle lens.

My video conversation with blogger Florinda

I'm off to teach at Agnes Irwin today, while back in New York City, the book bloggers have gathered in force. A few days ago, as those of you who followed the Armchair BEA know, I had the chance to talk to Florinda while Elizabeth Law of Egmont USA videotaped our conversation. I re-post the video here, in celebration of the book bloggers I have come to know and love.

My friend and comedienne extraordinaire Anna Lefler has a book deal

It may be true (I'm talking to you, Florinda, you) that I've never actually met Anna Lefler in person. But I have talked to this west-coaster countless times and for innumerable hours on the phone, shattered my fragile bones over her genius blog funnies, watched her perform on You Tube for the most sensational crowds (my own sensational snickering husband at my side), and been on this awed and grateful side of her steadying wisdom and stupendous generosity. I've interviewed Anna, and I've read her books in progress, kept her cards and icons and treasures on my sill and near my heart.



It wasn't long ago that my friend called with some news that she can now make public: Anna Lefler has her first book deal! She was sought out, thanks to her riveting blog. She said yes.  She plunged in with the professionalism, discipline, and completely lovably twisted eye she brings to all things under the tilted sun and orbed-out moon. And you will not have to wait long for your copy of a book every woman will soon have.



From Publishers Marketplace:

Comedian and "Life Just Keeps Getting Weirder" blogger Anna Lefler's CHICKTIONARY: FROM A-LINE TO Z-SNAP, THE WORDS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW, a humorous lexicon of the terms women use and what they're really saying when they use them, to Diane Garcia at Adams Media, for publication in October 2011, by Betsy Amster at Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises (World).

I'll admit: I've seen a few early entries. I'll admit again: I was sitting at the hair salon when Anna's most recent entry flew in over my phone. I read the final line to the ladies I was with. Here is what they, in unison, said:



Oh my gosh, that's going to be a bestseller!!!

Congratulations, Anna Lefler! I know I've never had a chance to give you a real-live hug. But I did see you floating down the street one day, high above the crowds. I took the picture here, so that I might someday say: I knew her when. I was in her audience.

My new iPad2 carrying case—handmade, with love

It was my husband who insisted on getting me an iPad2 for my birthday. He was responding to my talk about wanting to make new kinds of books. He was thinking of my shelf space, or lack thereof. I was terrified of the machine, however. I am strongly committed to paper and ink (though I also love trees, clearly muddying my religions). And I had no idea how I would properly use it.



A few days ago I wrote here about my second month with the iPad2—the books I'd read, the experiences I'd had. I still hadn't taken the machine out into the world with me, however—hadn't had the courage to take it so far as, say, the dance studio, where I often sit on my own, waiting for lessons to begin.  I didn't want to scratch or ding it.  I didn't trust it to just sit there.



I remedied the problem by buying this absolutely beautiful, well-made, professionally delivered iPad2 case from a seamstress known as Ani Balan.  Please take a look at her work, which is imaginative and exacting, full of color and joy.  Please believe me when I tell you that her dealings with me with extraordinarily professional and prompt.  My iPad2 fits perfectly into this bright and happy padded sleeve, and I even got an adorable change purse as part of my purchase.



Few things make me happier than supporting artists who do fine work. So thank you, Ani, for this.

The You Are My Only Giveaway/Armchair BEA

Yesterday, as I wrote below, I had the great privilege of video interviewing Florinda for the Armchair BEA event that is going on all this week long. My great thanks to Chris, Tif, The 1st Daughter, Chrisbookrama, Michelle, Amy, Pam, Emily, and Florinda herself, the organizers of this runaway-hit of a program, for also making room for You Are My Only, which is due out in October, and for facilitating a giveaway of a signed book and poster. There will not be many such giveaways with this book, and so I encourage those who might be interested to head on over and listen to what Florinda has to say about being a book blogger (and what I have to say about my love of and great appreciation for bloggers).



Please note that I donned my Undercover stance with this interview, hiding, for the most part, behind my humidity unstraightened hair.  This was not intentional, but I'm going to pretend that it is.  I write fiction, after all.  Or I do, at least some of the time, when I'm not teaching students how best to tell the truth.



Thanks to Elizabeth Law of Egmont USA for the great camera work.

As the crowds gather at the BEA: a video tour

I wanted to find a way to share the essence of the BEA with you kind readers, and so I turned on the video mode of my Sony camera. Here, in order, are the early-morning lines of those just waiting to get in through the doors, the quiet of the exhibit booths before the official opening, and the crowd surge minutes after the doors opened.



I was filming all of that for you and was just finishing my crowd-surge footage when Julie of Booking Mama surfaced on my little screen. She's like that, my friend, Julie. Always there when you need her. You can catch her right at the tail end of the last video. Beside her but out of view (in the crush of the crowd) is Kathy of BermudaOnion.



Thanks again to Egmont USA for bringing me to the 2011 Book Expo America.

A photo (and link-rich) tour of my morning at the BEA

I left the house at 5 AM yesterday, and walked, in the breaking dark, toward the train. The carnival lights from the Devon Horse Show grounds were shining just for me.



I arrived early to the Javits Center and took a walk first within the silence, then among the onslaught of crowds. Soon I was at the Egmont USA booth, interviewing the wonderful Rob Guzman, part of the Egmont USA marketing team. (Later in the day I had the privilege of interviewing Egmont USA's Alison Weiss.)



In impromptu fashion (under Rob's raised eyebrow) I began signing books right there at the Egmont booth, flashing my spanking-new bookmarks whenever I could.  It wasn't long before I was in the presence of Florinda, a beautiful book blogger and a member of the Armchair BEA team. We had a conversation, Florinda and I, and, thanks to Elizabeth Law, our dialogue was captured for all of time on film.  Check the Armchair BEA blog later today to see what Florinda and I had to say.



Elizabeth Law of Egmont USA was my guide throughout the morning; in the rush of my signing, Florinda of The 3Rs took our photograph. Soon, were we joined by some beautiful people—librarians, teachers, readers, parents, and blogger friends. There I am with Kathy of BermudaOnion (I finally met her and she's as lovely as I knew she would be) and Julie of Booking Mama (isn't she gorgeous?). Later, I had the privilege of seeing (among so many others) the uber-smart editor/blogger behind Beth Fish Reads, the design whiz Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, and the incredibly gracious writer and blogger Melissa Sarno of This Too. I was signing at the very last table and beyond me were authors of huge celebrity and appeal. I cannot sufficiently express my appreciation for those who stood in my line and gave me the chance to meet them.



Just before I left the premises to walk across town to Grand Central to take a (strictly un-airconditioned) bus on a (bumper-to-bumper expressway) to JFK Airport to see my son just ahead of his departure for London, I had a few near encounters with famous people, including Olivia the Pig and Michael Moore, pictured above. I also finally got to meet my last editor at HarperCollins, Ruta Rimas, who helped usher The Heart Is Not a Size into the world. She's cuter and sweeter than I can say. I picked up a single galley at the show, from Grove: Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind, which is enjoying a whole lot of early buzz.



I will miss my son enormously. But he is on an adventure all his own, and I could not be happier for him.