2011 KidLitCon

In 2004, a year before I started this blog, I read The Hollow Kingdom, by Clare B. Dunkle. Soon after, I sent Dunkle an email in appreciation of the book. Dunkle replied, and we shared a correspondence for a time. My daughter was not yet one year old, I was exhausted all the time, and I relied heavily upon email correspondence for grownup conversation that didn't have to do with parenting. At one point, Dunkle mentioned her book-reviewer friend Sondy Ecklund (at the time, both were living in Germany), and said that she thought we'd enjoy getting to know each other. I can't remember who wrote first, but Sondy and I started what would be a years-long correspondence.

Last weekend, Sondy and I met for the first time at the 2011 KidLitCon children's and teen literature blogging conference, held here in Seattle, Washington. It was good to meet Sondy and talk in person. In addition to book-reviewing, writing, and being a librarian, Sondy is a self-described "math nut" (see her post on her prime factorization sweater).When I asked for advice on bringing math into the home, she recommended board games, and Monopoly Jr. in particular, as it encourage multiplication. I've not yet played it, but I ordered a copy of the board game for Lucia's benefit. Sony blogs and reviews at Sonderbooks. "Sonder" is a German prefix that means "special," which is an apt description for the lively, passionate Sondy Ecklund.

At KidLitCon 2011, I got to talk with a number of bloggers, including Sarah Stevenson, co-author of the blog Finding Wonderland,, Els Kushner, who currently blogs for Tor, Pam Coughlan of MotherReader, Anne Levy of the Cybils Awards, Holly Cupala, Shiraz Cupala,, and Lee Wind. I finally got to meet Martha Brockenbrough (who also writes SPOGG). I'd been a fan of her writing for years. but only recently realized that we were also neighbors. It was a pleasure to meet "science-journalist by day/kidlit blogger by night" Lisa Song of Reads for Keeps. I ended up talking with co-conference organizer Colleen Mondor of Chasing Ray for just a few minutes (about bacon jam, of all things), but there were a number of people with whom I wished I could have gotten to know better. There's only so much time, and the day was filled with a variety of sessions. I stayed up late after the Friday meet-and-greet, but on Saturday, ended up leaving soon after the dinner was done.

The session highlights of the day for me were Scott Westerfeld's keynote, which was a presentation on the history of illustration in chapter-books, and the final panel on diversity in YA/Teen literature. I finally started reading Westerfeld's books this year, and have enjoyed in particular the alternative World War I steampunk historical fiction books in the Leviathan trilogy, particularly because of Keith Thompson's illustrations.

The link to the 2011 KidLitCon roundup is here. 

KidLitCon 5: this time in Seattle, WA

This year's gathering of children's and young adult/teen literature bloggers will be in Seattle, Washington. It's called KidLitCon, and it'll be held September 16-17, 2011, at the Monaco Hotel in Downtown Seattle. Information and registration is here.

Avid book blogger Jen Robinson, who has been to all of the KidLitCons (even when she had a 6 month old baby bookworm), writes about why going to KidLitCon is a good idea.

It's easy for me to say "Please come," because I live here. I'd like to see you, though, and show you my new octopus tee-shirt.

Kitlitosphere Conference Meme

MotherReader started a meme of questions for past attendees of the two Kidlitosphere conferences to encourage enthusiasm to sign up. Today is the last day to sign up for the conference to get the hotel group rate for the third annual conference in Washington D.C. on October 17.

Why did you decide to attend the KidLitosphere Conference?

The initial idea for the get-together was a fantasy potluck with blog friends discussed on Robin Brande’s blog. I decided to attend the first conference in Chicago, but then had to pull out due to financial restraints. When I found out that the second conference was going to be in Portland, Oregon (three hours away from Seattle) I decided that I could justify the expense of the train ticket. Since my freelance business is storytelling and I maintain a storytelling blog, at least part of the trip could be a business expense.

When I approached Adrienne of What Adrienne Thinks About That about sharing a hotel room, she replied that she had thought about asking me as well. We ended up meeting in Seattle a month before KidlitCon ‘08, as Adrienne had a work-related conference in Seattle. We were both glad that we got along well in person! We both arranged to head out to Portland a little early so that we could explore the city a bit.

I’ll say upfront that I am not a big fan of conferences. I find them overwhelming. I hate taking notes. I went to the seminars where I listened, doodled and laughed when appropriate, but really, I was keen to socialize with other people. I had a cold that turned into laryngitis so I was pretty miserable that weekend, but I had a good time meeting people nonetheless.

Who was most like their blog? Who was least like their blog?

I felt a little shy meeting MotherReader as she could totally take me to the cleaners with her razor-wit, and was touched when she greeted me with a big hug. I’d met both Adrienne and Sarah of Finding Wonderland prior to the conference so I could imagine their actual voices when reading their blogs. I ended up meeting a lot more bloggers I didn’t know prior to the conference, so I can’t accurately answer who was least like his/her blog.


What surprised you at the conference?

The session I enjoyed most was Just One More Book co-host Mark Blevis’ podcast seminar. I have no plans to start a podcast (because of how I am allotting my time and energy, not because of lack of interest), but I was glad of a glimpse into a form of blogging that was largely unfamiliar to me.

I was also surprised to be a multi-winner at the dinner-raffle. I gave away one of my prizes (though I kept the chocolate as it was a gift for Bede in thanks for taking care of Lucia by himself for three days).


What will you always remember about the last conference?

One-on-one and small-group conversations.

Did you blog about the conference?

Yes.

Third Annual Kidlitosphere Conference

I thought I had already written about the Third Annual Kidlitosphere Conference, or "KidLitCon" as people are starting to call it. Then, I realized that I'd had it as part of a post in draft form that I never published. MotherReader is organizing it this year. The conference will be in Washington, D.C. on October 17.

I grew up in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area and also lived there for two years during library school. There are a number of good things about that area. Free admission to museums is at the top of the list. I remember the first time I ever visited the Air and Space Museum. I was thrilled. I was in love with outer space. The piece of moon-rock at the entrance is probably the closest I'll ever get to touching the moon, but there was a lot of "scope for the imagination" as Anne of Green Gables would say. I saw my first IMAX film there (To Fly) and was introduced to the short film The Powers of 10. As the years passed, I had the privilege of viewing a number of traveling exhibitions. The penultimate special exhibit I visited was the Vermeer exhibit with my grandmother in 1998. We had free advance tickets and then stood two hours in the snow before admittance to the gallery. I wore two pairs of woolen socks and was still frozen through. It was worth it! The following year, I almost had my first date with Bede when he invited me to go the Pre-Raphaelite exhibit. I wasn't able to go when he asked me, as I was working*, but I went later, and kept the flyer. (Even though we wouldn't get together for another two years, I still thought of it as our "almost date.")

Unfortunately, I will not be in attendance this year. I would have liked to have met those of you who live in that area. I'll be heading East for a wedding the previous weekend and will have a chance to spend time with family a little further north.

*Why we didn't try to get together for another excursion probably had to do with each liking the other person but not knowing if the feeling was mutual. A few weeks later, Bede headed off to Seattle and I went to New York.

Kidlit '08 in Portland, Oregon, Part II

Here is Part One

SATURDAY
The conference started at 8:10 am. Here was the agenda.

I’ll admit that I had reservations about attending such a heavily structured gathering. Back when Robin Brande and friends were daydreaming about what it would be like to meet up, we had visualized a grand potluck and little more. However, I appreciated what different speakers had to say about blogging and book-reviewing. My favorite presentations were the pod-casting session by Mark Blevis of Just One More Book, Promoting Your Book and Yourself On Facebook/My Space and Other Social Networking Tools by Greg Pincus and the “Kick Your Blog Up a Notch” piece by Pam Coughlin, a.k.a. MotherReader.



Afterward, I enjoyed milling about and meeting people afterward during the social hour and dinner followed by the raffle. I won three times, and chose a set of Madeleine L’Engle books for myself, a bag of coffee and a bar of chocolate for my husband, and a copy of Ellen Emerson White’s Long May She Reign in reserve for anyone at the table who didn’t win--I already had a copy, and I didn’t want anyone at the table to go home without a prize.

Attending this conference reminded me again of what I’ve given up to pursue other ways of doing things. I obtained a library degree, and at one point, I thought I was going to retire as a librarian. I’ve been writing all my life, and at many points, thought I was going to earn my living as a writer. This conference was filled with writers and librarians who are going over and beyond expectations to do fantastic things with their careers. Sometimes I felt like the slightly socially-awkward person who blurted things out with enthusiasm, only to wish that she had just kept her mouth shut. There are times in my life when I wish I could have been cool. I’m 36, but high school is still in my head. Still, I was glad to be one of the people who could beckon others to the table who might have also felt a little shy or out-of-place. In the end, everyone had a place to sit and be welcome.

At the Readergirlz party afterward, I continued my Cat’s Cradle education with Adrienne, admired the Edward the Vampire sock-puppet donned by Betsy Bird/Fuse#8, and resisted the temptation to drink another hot toddy. I retired on the early side, as my voice had shrunk to a squeak, and hoped for the best for Sunday.

SUNDAY
We slept late, and barely made it to breakfast on time. After a visit to the Saturday Market (yes, it’s open on Sundays), Adrienne and I said our goodbyes and I walked to the train station. I was quite early, but it was good to have some time to sit and read before the train arrived. Since I got my seat-assignment early, I avoided the crush of a train filled to capacity. I read a good portion of The Omnibus of Science-Fiction (edited by Brian Aldiss) on the train ride back to Seattle. Here is one of its offerings that was a favorite from my teen years: Answer, by Fredric Brown. I appreciate the chill of these science-fiction stories far more than their graphic horror counterparts.

At 7 pm, I was glad to be home. I arrived just in time to put my daughter to bed after first giving her the puppet I had picked up for her in Portland. Bede got his coffee, chocolate, and Powell’s Fup Wars tee-shirt.

I’ve got two storytelling gigs for which to prepare this weekend, and possibly some new stories to tell from books I picked up at Powell’s. Life continues. Even if I don’t make it to the next Kidlitosphere gathering (to be headed up by MotherReader in Washington, D.C.) I will remember the people I met and the friends I made. Thank you.

I now return to my regularly scheduled blog themes of songs and stories.

This post has been edited since its publication.

Kidlit '08 in Portland, Oregon, Part I

Preamble...

You can find all sorts of in-depth coverage of the 2nd Annual Kidlitosphere Conference in Portland, Oregon here. You’ll see a lot of the micro-famous bloggers mentioned like MotherReader, Fuse#8, Jen Robinson, and others who write an abundance of in-depth posts, know a lot of people, and yet manage to find moments to talk with the newbies as well as the lesser-known participants. They’re micro-famous for a reason, and I salute them. However, I was particularly glad to meet people I hadn’t yet heard of, or knew existed but didn’t read their blogs (due to the overwhelming number of posts on my RSS reader, not because I was avoiding them). I know I’m not going to get everybody, but in no particular order, I was happy to meet and speak with: Mark Blevis of Just One More Book, Gregory Pincus of Gottabook, Nancy Arruda and Kim Baise of Bees Knees Read, young adult author (as yet unpublished) Bridget Zinn, Sarah Stevenson a.k.a. "Aquafortis" of Finding Wonderland, Maureen Kearney of Confessions of a Bibliovore, Lee Wind of I’m Here, I’m Queer, What the Hell Do I Read Next?, and authors Dia Calhoun, Holly Cupala (both Readergirlz), Deb Lund, Kirby Larson and Christine Fletcher.

Amidst all the bustle, there was a little time to touch base with the co-organizers of the event, Jone MacCulloch and Laini Taylor (hooray for them!). There were more people I met, but I’m having a hard time placing the faces with the cheat-sheet, so if you come to this blog and say, “Hey, where am I in the list?” please remind me of what we spoke about, and it’ll all become clear, I’m sure.

THURSDAY

The highlight of the Portland trip was rooming with Adrienne Furness of What Adrienne Thinks About That. A month ago, I wrote to her and said, “I don’t want this to be weird, and ’No’ is a perfectly reasonable answer, but if you’d like to split the costs of a hotel room, let me know.” Almost immediately, I got the response that she had been thinking the same thing. We got to meet a few weeks ago, so when I showed up Thursday evening in order to have a full-day in downtown Portland, we were already at ease around each other. We showed each other string games from Camille Gryski's books, and I played a few songs on my little travel guitar. I had a mild cold, and I noticed my voice begin to crack.

FRIDAY

Friday morning, I definitely had the onset of laryngitis. I was in denial, which ended up being unwise. I practiced a little guitar in the morning, and then Adrienne and I took MAX, the light-rail train, from the Portland Airport to downtown Portland. Adrienne had on her list two specific missions: eat a maple bacon doughnut at Voodoo Doughnut, and visit the studio of Queen Bee Creations, the maker of her favorite bag. Adrienne’s bacon-fiend friends wanted proof that she actually ate one of these artery-hardening doughnuts, so I obliged:



Then, we walked to the Queen Bee studio, where Adrienne deliberated among a number of choices, finally settling on a computer bag with a bicycle design. I hadn’t actively planned on following suit, but when I saw a limited run of a previously popular ginkgo leaf design, I caved. Aside from an embroidered hand-bag used for special occasions, this ginkgo leaf bag might very well be my first grown-up (i.e. functional and beautiful) purse:



After a stop at Powell's Books, we headed over to The Tea Zone. My favorite tea shop in Portland shut down 7 years ago, so I’d wanted to find a new afternoon tea place. I did the research, and The Tea Zone seemed to fit what I wanted: a variety of teas, a relaxed atmosphere, and cozy chairs. At this point, we glad to hang out for a few hours, drinking Assam and doing the cross-word puzzle, until it was time to meet up with the first batch of bloggers at Powell's. We gathered people together and headed toward the bar across the street. After dinner and drinks, Adrienne, Mark Blevis and I took the light rail train back to the hotel, and Mark told us about Andrea (whom he says is the driving force behind the Just One More Book podcasts) and the beauty of Ottawa. We arrived at the hotel to see that others were staying up for “just one more drink.” However, Adrienne and I were too tired, and went upstairs to sleep. Moments later, the alarm rang. Crivens! It was Saturday, and the conference was going to start in an hour.

I opened up my mouth to speak, but all I could do was squeak.

To be continued in Part II.

Second Annual Kidlitosphere Conference

Here it is, the preliminary R.S.V.P. list for the Portland Kidlit Conference. Last year, I really wanted to go to the First Annual Kidlosphere Conference and couldn't go. This year, I can go. I'll bring my guitar, too.

I love Portland, Oregon. It's three hours from Seattle, and I don't get there nearly enough. Portland is the home of Powells Books, Captain Bogg and Salty and a beautiful historic central library.

On My Way to Chicago

It's official! I've booked my passage for the First Annual Kidlitosphere Conference.* It'll be held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on October 6, 2007. Here's the RSVP list.

Just think: if you go too, then I'll get to meet you. You do want to add joy, merriment and glee to my life, don't you?



*For "conference," read "Food, drink and conversation extravaganza."