ALA 2018

Whew! #ALA2018 was a one-day whirl. I got home yesterday afternoon, had a late lunch, and then fell asleep on the couch for more than 12 hours! I had to wake at or before dawn on both days, so I did lose a little sleep—but it was worth it. The CSK Awards breakfast, which started at 7am on Sunday, was full of moving speeches and moments of real fellowship. I had great conversations with Alia Jones, Miss Fabularian, and CSK Illustrator Award winner Ekua Holmes (pictured above with fellow winner Renee Watson) about problems in publishing and within our own Black kid lit community. Thanks to Edith Campbell we had a reserved #DiversityJedi table and so I got to meet new allies and connect with longtime friends.

Edi and I went to the exhibits hall afterward; I stopped by the Random House booth but didn’t find DRAGONS IN A BAG on display anywhere. It *was* on their postcard and I saw people with ARCs, so hopefully that means it was out at some point during the convention. We scooped up books and met more friends and colleagues before venturing into the humidity to find a place to eat. Then it was time for our panel! I think Edi said 25 people had registered but we had a FULL house with folks standing and sitting on the floor. Edi moderated an excellent conversation about brilliance, magic, and Black girls before we wrapped up and shared our accompanying book list.

I finally met my agent Jennifer Laughran later that evening (for yet another sumptuous meal) and then woke early the next day to catch my flight back to NYC. SO grateful to my dear friend Karen Ott who showed me the city in a way only a local can—and got me to and from the airport, which saved me a pretty penny (conferences can be SO expensive, especially when it’s too hot & humid to walk anywhere).

Working on clearing my inbox now and need to get to the park for a run. Then it’s back to work! Conferences—the good ones, at least—always leave my brain buzzing…