Jonathan Stroud's Blog, page 81
June 27, 2011
Signing at ALA yesterday.
Signing at ALA yesterday.
June 25, 2011
It's been a busy 24 hours in New Orleans, beginning with an excellent panel event last night,...
It's been a busy 24 hours in New Orleans, beginning with an excellent panel event last night, in which three other writers and I discussed the challenges and joys of making series. It was amazing how rarely any of our series were planned at the beginning - usually the concept evolved with time. Bart, for instance, began just as an idea - it was only after about 60 pages or so that it became obvious the story was too big for one book.
This morning I went to a Hyperion breakfast, where authors such as Rick Riordan and Mo Willems read extracts from their forthcoming titles. Then I wandered the ALA conference floor, buying too many books before going for a quick ferry ride across the Mississippi, just so I could say I'd crossed it. Into the French Quarter for dinner this evening, down lantern-lit streets laced with urgent, pleasure-seeking crowds.
With David Levithan, Lauren Myracle and Dan Gutman after our...
With David Levithan, Lauren Myracle and Dan Gutman after our panel event.
On the Mississippi Ferry.
On the Mississippi Ferry.
New Orleans from across the river.
New Orleans from across the river.
June 24, 2011
ALA New Orleans
I flew out yesterday to the USA, changing planes in Washington, and arriving in New Orleans mid-afternoon. Took a stroll in the French Quarter, which is a little reminiscent of a dry Venice - full of lovely decaying buildings, hidden back-streets, garden courtyards. The air is hot and thick with flavours: petrol, cooking, horses, and twisting through it all the pungent salty vegetable tang of the great Mississippi, winding just beyond the levees.
Off to the Convention Center tonight, to take part in a forum on Series in YA Fiction. Better go iron a shirt…
Steamboat on the Mississippi…
Steamboat on the Mississippi…
Have arrived in New Orleans for the American Library Association...
Have arrived in New Orleans for the American Library Association conference. Have been exploring the old French Quarter - beautiful, evocative, dilapidated.
