At the airport:
Vivian VandeVelde, me, Marsha Hayles, Mary Jane Auch, and Roxane
Chadwick.
The trip through Wonderland began right at the Rochester airport,
because authors Mary Jane Auch, Roxane Chadwick, Marsha Hayles,
and Vivian VandeVelde were on the same plane as me. We didn't
get to sit together, but it was still great to chat with them
at both ends of the flight. In Atlanta, my first 'event' was lunch
(spinach and goat cheese grits) at the Ritz with my genius editor
Dinah Stevenson. As many of you know, Dinah edited both A Single
Shard and David Wiesner's Caldecott Medal book, The Three
Pigs. She is only the sixth editor in the history of the awards
to have edited both Medal books in the same year -- so more than
anyone else, it was her weekend to shine!
Later that
afternoon, a group of online friends threw a corker of
a party at the Georgian Terrace, hosted by Susan Taylor Brown,
Ann Mannheimer, and Patricia McMahon in their huge and incredibly
elegant suite.
Two of the
hostesses--Patricia and Ann...
At the
Pod party, from left: Susan Taylor Brown, Elaine Marie Alphin,
andme.
More
partiers: Toni Buzzeo, Jennifer Jacobson, Franny Billingsley.
As if wine,
food, and friends weren't enough, the group then presented me
with the most amazing gift. I opened a beautifully wrapped box
to find another box inside (don't you just love that) -- a wooden
one, with a silver plate on top inscribed with the words, "Like
Jade Like Water," which is based on a line from A Single
Shard. Inside the box there was a little silk pouch (don't
you just LOVE that!??) containing a pendant on a silver chain.
And wonder
of wonders, the pendant is a single shard.
A shard of
Korean celadon, no less. The pendant had been brought from Korea
by Patricia years ago, on her return after living in Seoul. She
told me that it was waiting for me all that time-but I am still
in awe of her parting with it. I wish the photos could do it justice,
but you simply cannot get an idea of how beautiful it is unless
you see it in real life.
From the
party to dinner with The Posse, as they came to call themselves,
a la P. Diddy's entourage -- my critique partner Marsha Hayles,
and two friends I've known for years, Nancy Quade and Kathleen
Cotter. Kathleen is a librarian in Great Neck, NY, and Nancy used
to be one, but she isn't anymore -- she came to ALA just to be
with me. We ate at a restaurant called Mumbo Jumbo, which I booked
because of the name -- it sounded very Wonderlandish. (It was
good, too. I had grits again. I like grits.)
Afterwards,
a dessert affair for Listening Library at the Four Seasons hotel,
where Tim Ditlow and Cheryl Herman took good care of me. I got
to meet one of my heroes, Virginia Euwer Wolff!
With Tim
Ditlow, Publisher of Listening Library. LL did the wonderful audiobook
of A Single Shard.
With
guest of honor Scott Turow, and star YA author Virginia Euwer
Wolff.
After the
party, Nancy and Kathleen forced me to have a drink with them
in the Four Seasons bar (What's that -- it was my idea?? Are you
sure? I don't rightly recall. . .), so the day ended on a very
merry note.
I was somewhat
less merry the next morning. . .
Saturday,
July 15
