riding the rails

I’ve been on the road for the past week—on the rails, really, since I took the train from Philly to Providence and then back up to Boston. It feels good to be home but it always takes a while for me to settle back into my usual routine. Just got some groceries and went for a run yesterday morning; much as I love seeing cherry trees and even magnolias in bloom, it’s hard on my allergies and those awful sinus headaches have returned. But I am READY for spring and I’ve got more trips ahead, so I figured I’d better blog about my travel otherwise it’ll become a blur. Last weekend I went to Rhode Island for the first time and presented on a panel at KidLitCon–“Diverse Fantasy in the Real World.” My copanelists Rajani LaRocca and with them and talk about the distance we’ve traveled in our lives since meeting more than a decade ago. Jane and I met when we were visiting profs at Mt. Holyoke College and we’ve both since pursued the “alt-ac” life. Jane told me about Sophia Academy and I was able to visit the impressive young scholars there; I gave a book talk and then led two writing workshops where I was blown away by the scholars’ creativity and thoughtfulness as we talked about identity and who gets to define us… I got to hang out with some kid lit scholar friends in Providence, too, and look forward to seeing them again in Madison, WI when we gather next month to hear Debbie Reese deliver the Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. After Providence I had a day to relax before getting back on the train to head up to Boston. This was my second invitation from Wondermore and this year we ventured outside of the city; on Tuesday I presented for over two hundred first graders in Bedford and the next day I gave four more book talks at McCormack MS and Sumner Elementary School. I won’t lie—giving 8 book talks in 2 days is exhausting! But when I’m in the classroom and the room is quiet except for the sound of my voice…or when I see eyes opening wide…or when hands shoot up in the air during the Q&A…then I feel so energized by the young readers, especially when they rush up at the end and want to get their hands on my books or give me a hug. Wondermore generously donates books to schools in low-income communities, and I left a couple of copies of Say Her Name at the middle school. Their library is entirely funded by teachers and staffed by volunteers…

Next weekend I head back to NYC for Kweli and then it’s Wisconsin, Connecticut, NYC again, before I fly up to Canada for the Festival of Literary Diversity! I’m supposed to get back to Sweden, too, but will have to play that by ear. For now I’m just glad to be home for a whole week!