Jo Knowles's Blog, page 40

The discussion grows!

I am so excited! Liz Burns, blogger for School Library Journal, posts today about the word "clean." And she mentions my two posts about the subject! :-)

Here is the link: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/teacozy/2010/09/21/clean-books-please/

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the conversation yesterday.

xo

What is the Opposite of "Clean"? Part II

You've probably heard that Laurie Halse Anderson's groundbreaking, life-saving book SPEAK is under attack again by a man who claims the content is pornographic because apparently all sex, even if its rape, is.

And you've probably read lots of blog entries defending Laurie's book and all books that deal with rape and other realities Mr. Wesley Scroggins would like us to pretend don't exist.

These entries have all been incredibly moving. But the one that is pressing most against my heart is Saund...

Happiness is...

1.A good book.

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I'm reading WHITE CAT by blackholly for the second time and it is INCREDIBLE.

2.Writing with friends.

Sometimes before I teach my class on Thursday, the stars align and I can meet up with friends for lunch and a writing date at a wonderful cafe. The past two Thursdays I've been lucky enough to do this and I must say, it is soooooooo good for the soul. I'm not sure when we'll all be able to swing it again, but Jeannine, Ellen, Michelle, Peg, Kelly, Cassie, Hol...

Just a little reminder...

JoNoWriMo+1.5 begins today over here: jonowrimo :-)

Happy Thursday!

I am feeling ZIPPY

Usually I am a tea drinker but if there's coffee around, I will drink it as a treat. Or, if I am getting the oil changed in my car, I will stop at the Dunkin Doughnuts down the street and get a cup to sip while I wait. Today I made the mistake of not putting my own sugar in and woah! My brain. It buzzes. That was a LOT of sugar and caffeine.

*like*

OK, so quickly, since I want to use all this crazy energy on my revision, this is just a reminder that...

jonowrimo starts TOMORROW!

So if you woul...

Channeling my inner Rocky and cheering for brave librarians

Do you ever feel, sitting in the quiet, facing a mountain of work, the need for some theme music to get you pumped up?

That is me this morning. I need the Rocky song.

Some of you know I have been feeling kind of odd and uncomfortable about having my book, Lessons From A Dead Girl on the official American Library Association's "banned books list".

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Well, recently, I have been feeling better about it. Because suddenly I am getting all of these Google alerts for the book. And t...

Best day ever!!

Yesterday was simply amazing. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to wish me a happy birthday. 40 is AWESOME! :-)

Every time I checked my e-mail I had more Facebook messages to remind me that it was "my" day and I have to admit, it felt swell. THANK YOU!

Yesterday afternoon, I met up with Peter and E at Blue Mountain guitar and I got to pick out my own present:


It was sad to give back my funky red rental, but this one felt a bit more my style. :-)

Thanks again for making a day I was dreading on...

It's better than the hills, I guess :-)

Yesterday morning when I dropped my son off at school there was this enormous banner on the front. It said the school was celebrating its 40th year. My son piped right up excitedly:

"WOW, Mom. You're as old as the school!!!"

Gee. How exciting.

:-)

Well. I admit I've been dreading this day. But as suspected, I don't feel any different. So even though I sometimes wish I could go back to the day of reading Paddington to my tiny plastic deer...



Mostly I'm OK with now.* :-)

I woke up to over 40 sweet me...

Going back

Today is my son's first day of school!

6:15
*knock knock knock*
E: What is there for breakfast?
Me: Wuh?

6:25
(bounding into room wearing shirt two sizes too small)
E: I'm all ready!
Me: That shirt doesn't fit.
E: What do you mean?
Me: (gestures to mirror)
E: Oh.

6:27
(bounding into room wearing shirt that is actually pajama top)
E: I'm all ready now!
Me: Um. That's a pajama top.
E: No it's not!
Me: Feel it.
E: (touches scary flame-resistant cloth) Oh.

6:30
(bounding into room wearing faded old t-shirt from las...

can't read my, can't read my...can't read my poker face

The other day my son called to me from his bedroom saying I needed to run upstairs quickly and bring the camera.

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know this could turn out... um... interesting.

Here's what I discovered:



I'm not sure if it's my son who sometimes forgets that Fred is not human, or Fred himself. Either way, apparently they invented some new form of poker and had quite a good time.


In other news...

About 50 people have signed up for jonowrimo so far. Looks like...