I’m at the airport in Richmond right now, getting ready to head out to Austin for the Texas Book Festival, which is huge and wonderful as always. I hadn’t been on the roster, but this year Burn Baby Burn is a finalist for the Kirkus Prize for Young People’s Literature. The ceremony where the winners are announced is tonight, so Kate Fletcher (my editor) and I are getting “gussied up” and heading over. Ay…I don’t know what to think about what’s going to happen; the whole idea makes me queasy. Whatever the result, though, I just want to say this: Thank you to everyone who has read my work and told others about it. You have so many good books to choose from on any given day, and I’m so grateful that you’ve given my work some space in your life and on your bookshelf.
If you’re at the festival, I hope I’ll see you at the literary gala where we’ll be guests of my friend Maya Smart, a woman who is still sorely missed here in Richmond. I can only imagine a fun night because not only is there Maya, but the whole thing is being emceed by Jon Scieszka! If not at the gala, then maybe we can see each other on Saturday during the Kirkus finalist panel, where each author will talk about their book.
After Election Day, I’ll head to NYC for so many wonderful things. (Hopefully, I’ll be in good spirits.) I’ll be visiting Mamaroneck Public Schools, having dinner with donors who gave to the I, Too, Collective campaign which established Langston Hughes’ home in Harlem as a poetry and arts center for young people. (Renee Watson, you are a hero!)
But also….I’ll be at Bank Street Street on Thursday, Nov 10 and Friday, Nov 11. On Thursday, my friend Raquel (R.J. Palacio) and I take the stage to talk about our friendship when we were little girls in Queens and how those experiences helped shape us into writers. We’ll be in the able hands of Jennifer Brown. On Friday, I lecture on my own work en español, a process that always makes me a little nervous. Public speaking is tricky enough, but in Spanish, I sometimes have to play hunt-and-peck for just the right words and phrases. In the big picture, though, it’s great to be able to talk about the books that are available in Spanish and to be introduced to the wonderful community at Bank Street.
The week wraps up with an event I’ve been looking forward to for a solid year: Book Riot Live! Check out the lineup and the panelists. I hope you are already signed up for their wonderful newsletters and podcasts. The folks at BR are funny, smart, and edgy in the best sense of the word. You can count on meaty conversation, no matter what session you sit in on.
Ok, time to board. (And no, I will NOT give you my suitcase with the fancy dress and perfect shoes, madam…)
