Jul 14th 2009
ALA 2009! Woot!
So ALA was this past weekend (though technically it is still going on right now today, but all the stuff I was scheduled for was over the weekend). Had an absolute blast, as per usual.
Nina (my editor) and me (with fangs)
I had two signings and a thingy at the YALSA Coffee Klatch (which is mostly where I got to talk to my fellow scribblers). The signings went well and were tons of fun. There were over 150 people at one of them, which was really cool. AND I got to meet the PageFlipper (Chelsea!) and The Story Siren (Kristi!) and Bookgoil (Kristen, who lives in my hometown!) plus more librarians than you can shake a stick at. Not that I would. Since, you know, I love love love librarians.
Me signing, Max wondering what I'm doing.
This time I got to meet a bunch of authors that I’ve corresponded with via email or Facebook over the years (like Sara Ryan and Sarah Dessen and Simone Eckles and Garrett Freymann-Weyr) PLUS some that I’ve read for years and had some fangrrrl type moments meeting (like Richard Peck, Margaret Weis [got to have dinner with her!] and Patricia Wrede) and some that I’ve met a few times but only get to see at author-y events (like Stephanie Kuehnert [and I totally just spelled that without looking it up, so hopefully I spelled it right], Pamela Todd and Kristina Springer) and some I just saw but didn’t really get to speak to (like John Green, David Levithan [I did get to say "hi" but it was during a crazy picture paparrazzi moment, so I don' t know that it really counted], Libba Bray [ditto], and Lisa McMann). Crazy times.
Me and Sarah Dessen
Me and Richard Peck (and his new book!)
Me and Patricia Wrede (!)
The Coffee Klatch was the utmost craziness. For one, I had no idea it was going to be so big. They told me it was like speed dating with librarians, so I thought it was a one-on-one kind of thing. I knew I’d have 5 minutes to talk and then I’d be switching tables. I just didn’t realize that the tables held anywhere from 4 to 10 people. So I didn’t bring nearly enough stuff (I had some STBM reading guides — which, incidentally, my publisher gave me a stack, so if you want one, let me know!) to give away. It was a lot of fun though. And then when it was all over, they got all the authors together for a big photo and I wound up sitting next to David Levithan and Libba Bray (who were both hilarious).
I took a bunch more pictures, including some of The Max (the poor guy got a bug bite on his eyelid on Friday and it was all swollen and red, so he looked like he got in a boxing match and lost). You can check ‘em all out in my Facebook ALA album (you don’t have to be a member of Facebook to see ‘em).
I can’t wait for next year! (And hopefully I get to go) Especially since it’ll be right before Still Sucks to Be Me will come out! Not to mention getting to hang out with the folks from my publisher (Nina, Shelly, Kate, Laura, etc….they’re all awesome!)
Sucks To Be Me
Still Sucks To Be Me
Categories
This sounds like so much fun! I definiteley have to go to an event like this soon. Glad you had such an awesome time, and you got to meet so many cool people!
It’s always tons of fun. Last year was great too. I hope I can do the Coffee Klatch again; next time I’ll be prepared!
I wished I was near the ALA! I would have so gone!
I wish, wish, wish I could go to ALA! Everyone’s posts about ALA and BEA every year make me so jealous. Maybe someday…
I wish I lived near the ALA. It would be so much fun to go to something like that, but my town isn’t very known.
Hey Alyssa and Alissa
It’s in a different location every year, so you never know. Last year was Anaheim, CA. Next year is (I think) Washington. There’s also other ALA meetings, like the Midwinter one, but I’ve never been to that one. I’ve only been to the annual one, so I’m not sure what it is like. BEA sounds cool too!
I really wish I could have went
It is a lot of fun.