rhcrayon: The Blog! - SCBWI-LA: PHOTOS!! And Confession #1

11:02 pm - SCBWI-LA: PHOTOS!! And Confession #1

My Friends! Do you know what today is?

It's the two-week anniversary of the SCBWI-LA Conference! All has been restored to order in my computer universe, and I think it's time we took a nostalgic look back on the good times we shared, the friends we made, the costumes we wore, the inspiration gathered!

Click here to view pictures from the SCBWI 2007 Summer Conference in LA!

(No sign-in required, as usual. But I'd love it if you left comments in my blog, so I know you saw them!)

Play happy music when you view these! Nothing too sentimental; I don't want you to cry. Play whatever gets your toes tappin'. I want you to feel dancey, the way looking at these pictures makes me feel!

(I did get a pedicure, by the way, for anyone really following this blog. I ran out of the house the second I posted that last entry, "Pre-SCBWI-LA.")

I've been listening to George Michael's dance tunes. In fact, for the "Silvery Moon" dance pictures, in lieu of writing captions, I just wrote lyrics to George Michael's "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."

"Wake me up! Before you Go-Go!

Take me dancing tonight . . . !"


     

Oh, oops.

(Hi, Eve! The Disco Mermaids looked great this year!)

In this album you will find photos of the "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" gala, some of our dazzling speakers, and you just might see yourself!

Most of my conference recaps are in the captions. There's been tons of great write-ups all around the web, too, so I'll just add a few personal items here. (Before I'm through, I will have made three dangerous confessions.)

1) I met Linda Sue Park.

Man. What is in the air this month??

Within a span of five weeks, I have suddenly 1) seen Joss Whedon unexpectedly (twice!), 2) met Peter S. Beagle (also by surprise!), and now 3) met Linda Sue Park.

Am I dreaming??

After I met Linda Sue Park, it hit me: If Zilpha Keatley Snyder were to walk around the corner next, I could basically die happy. My life would be done.

Of course, upon hard reflection, I realize my current joy is blinding me to the fact there are still plenty of other superheroes left on my list. (Louis Sachar, anyone? Diana Wynne-Jones??) But man, it is hard to think clearly in the presence of greatness. It took me days to remember that. Even as I'm blogging this, I'm having trouble remembering it again.

(I know I am going to eat these words when I actually do meet these other heroes. How much did I anguish when I saw Katherine Paterson was giving a keynote at the SCBWI Winter Conference this year—and that I couldn't go?? I love her!!)

(Then I found out Linda Sue Park spoke as a surprise there, and that doubly knocked me out.)

Of course, I knew Linda Sue Park was going to speak at this conference, and I'd been no end of excited about it. I've been reading her blog for ages, cribbing reading recommendations, eating up articles on writing advice, and getting all "Ohhhhh!!" every time I'd heard she'd spoken someplace else. Many a time I had drafted comments to her blog (simple ones) but then backed down. Everyone kept saying she was so great in person. At last! She was going to speak at SCBWI-LA!

She walked right past me Friday afternoon. My head swiveled, and before I knew it, I'd involuntarily followed her five steps before catching myself.

But Friday night was a different story. We were hanging out at the "First Annual Kidlitosphere Drink Night" (as coined and organized by my fantastic carpool buddy, Gregory K. of GottaBook), and, suddenly, there she was, talking to Greg.

I leapt over a chair to introduce myself. I knew I was being ridiculous, but, for some reason, the idea this was a "Drink Night" gave me extra courage. I hadn't been drinking, but the idea I could have been made it okay. We were all here to be social!

In case there's any doubt, the reports are all true. Linda Sue park is the best, smartest, most centered. Plus, she made her silver outfit out of duct tape and ribbon—and danced the Charleston in it!—so now I have new heroics to aspire to.

It has oft been remarked that I am a strange mix of shyness (gets scared to comment on a blog) and boldness (leaps a chair). Remind me sometime to blog what happened the time I met Keanu Reeves. (Unlike with Peter S. Beagle, that time I went mute.)

So maybe you'll think this first confession was benign. Who isn't a fan of Linda Sue Park? But I consider it dangerous, because nothing is a faster conversation killer than going up to someone, grinning foolishly, and saying, "You're my hero." I could be jeopardizing all chances of future, intelligible conversation by posting this! Arthur Levine said the best thing is to think of such encounters as meetings between equals. (He was talking about manuscript consultations between authors and editors, but I'm applying this to the conference at large.) That's great advice. I get that. But, man. With certain authors, I have a tough, tough time.

Stay tuned for Dangerous Confessions Nos. 2 and 3. They get more dangerous as they go, I promise.

In the meantime,
I felt deeply engaged at the conference this year, loved meeting new friends and reuniting with old, and hope to see you all again soon!

Love,
Rita

P.S. Regarding the photos—
So much was not documented, alas. One does what one can. Let me know where everyone else put their photos! I've already found these and these at Jo Whittemore's blog (and have added some to the end of my album!). Thanks, Jo!!