Jane Yolen's Blog, page 26

June 12-15, 2010:

This past four days has been a time of contrasts. A couple of days of rain, then a few of sun, then wind, then. . .well, you get the picture. Plus errands to do with laundry and garden stuff, rescuing a young blackbird who'd gotten in the house and was desperately trying to get out through the mullioned windows of the Great Hall. Paying bills, balancing a check book and a cheque book.

And as well, I have had times of utter aloneness, then dinner with Bob and Debby, dinner with Claire and...

June 9-11, 2010:

Writing:

Two rejections, not unexpected. At least we are moving on.

A first copy of Elsie's Bird, illustrated by the marvelous David Small (Caldecott winner) which arrived in the final box of stuff Heidi sent on. It looks fabulous.

And what a week of writing.

I sent off the (last, I hope) revision of  Curses Foiled Again. Within days got a lovely letter from the editor pronouncing it fine.

Wrote either the final or the next-to-final retelling of a story for Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts.

Sent off the...

June 5-8, 2010:

What a social butterfly I have been these four days: a day out in Edinburgh with a chum, riding the gondola up the ski hill, driving around the outskirts of the Old Toun, walking about three hours on the streets, a lovely dinner in the South Queensbury Inn where Davey Balfour set forth on his journeys. Sunshine all day long.

And Sunday a brunch with friends and some interesting conversations about giving speeches and birdsong. Then afterwards palling around with my friend Peter who drove up...

May 30-June 4, 2010:

Writing news:

A picture book sold, a picture book rejected. (Not the same one, of course.) Karmic balance. The sold one is A Bear Sat On My Porch Today to Handprint/Clarion. Happy dance!

Also I wrote about 6,000 words on the novel Snow in Summer, bringing me to chapter 6.

Heard that the revision on Curses Foiled Again was excellent and only a very few things left to do on it, which I shall get done by early next week.

There were more poems to write for Bug Off!  Done. Jason sent some more...

Interstitial Moment:

Yesterday I was sent a very interesting letter from a fan who gave me permission to post parts of it: "I wrote to you almost three years ago when I discovered your poem, "Fat Is Not A Fairy Tale". . . I wanted you to know that I loved it so much I wanted it printed on my body. Your words were such a part of me that I wanted them on me for the rest of my life. . .I have a few other tattoos, words of Socrates and Thornton Wilder, and now you. I feel so blessed to have read your poem and t...

A Word About Scotland:

I have been in Scotland since Saturday and this is Monday, on a Bank Holiday weekend. Meaning no mail, no banks, and lots of folks milling about the streets of St Andrews.

The weather has been predictably odd, meaning Scottish. I arrived in sunshine, but with the temps fast dropping. A cool night led into gales making the back garden pines in front of the low stone wall dance about like madcap hula girls. Then the sprinkle of rain began, not bad by Scottish standards, but occasionally icy...

May 28-29, 2010:

Traveling and settling. Or somewhat Unsettling.

I was up early, made sure everything was packed properly, unpacked it all and packed it again. I have two boxes of books already on the way, and a third will be popped into the mail this next week. Research stuff and books of mine. I carried little of that over.

Heidi drove me to the airport after I'd run through a bunch of alternatives and Glen was ready to go, but Heidi found a bit of extra time. As always, we had plenty to discuss!

The trip to N...

May 26-27, 2010:

Winding down, getting ready to travel to Scotland. This means packing (usually I don't carry many clothes, because I have a closet full over there. But having lost 40 pounds, I have little that fits. Shifting over US money to Scottish money. Getting my granddaughter and her boyfriend ready to completely take over the house. Sending off several boxes of books for research and to restock my JY shelves there.

Also a tooth filled, bank stuff done, visited friend Bob Marstall who has (alas...

May 8-May 25, 2010:

The sound you hear is me tugging my forelock and bowing submissively and begging with my eyes for absolution. But I have been massively busy. Here is a taste of it:

May 6: Lawyer for stuff, Austin Lounge Lizards for fun.

May 7-9: Maddison performing with Amherst Ballet. I attend three performances, talk to friends, hand a big check to the Ballet as a sponsor.

May 10-12: Spoke in Binghampton, New York, a five hour drive there and back, applause, book signings, exhaustion.

May 13-16: Flew to South ...

Interstitial Moment:

My friend Steve Sunderland sent on an essay about talent and hard work that resonated with me. It  is by David Shenk and is based on his upcoming book, The Genius in All of Us. Here are some excerpts:

"Baseball legend Ted Williams was widely considered the most gifted hitter of his time, endowed with spectacular eye-hand coordination, exquisite muscular grace and uncanny instincts. 'Ted just had that natural ability,' said Hall of Fame second baseman Bobby Doerr.

"But to Williams himself, all t...