Tuesday, August 17, 2010

SCBWI LA - So How Was It?

A few weeks ago I went to my first big national kidlit writers conference AND I LOVED IT! It was so amazing to be in a hotel full of people who totally 'got' everything you are going through. If you're a writer and have ever thought about going, you should. To get a taste of how things went, head over to the official SCBWI blog and Rita Crayon Huang's blog - she had a camera around her neck the entire time and took some awesome photos.

Robin Mellom, Gordon Korman and me!
Photo by Rita Crayon Huang



Lee Wind, Robin, Thalia Chaltas and guess who?
Photo by Rita Crayon Huang



The festive Eve Porinchak, me and Robin.
Photo by Rita Crayon Huang


Some highlights included dancing with M.T. Anderson at the gala. Okay, I didn't exactly dance with him so much as danced next to him, but whatever. Going to dinner with Lee Wind and feeling like I'd known him all my life. Meeting my new bestie Thalia Chaltas and hanging with roomie extrordinaire Robin Mellom and her bestie Eve Porinchak. Meeting so many people that I 'knew' from the Internet. Discovering that contrary to preconceptions, Shelli Johannes-Wells does not drink cosmos, but instead prefers dirty martinis.

The actual seminars and keynotes were great and inspirational, particularly the rousing speech by Ashley Bryan and getting to meet Gennifer Choldenko and Gordon Korman who are both my son's heroes. It was like a giant, four day slumber party with people you've always wanted to spend hours talking with. I highly recommend it!


Lindsey Leavitt, me, Guadalupe McCall, Kim Derting


With Greg Pincus


Jen Cervantes, Christina Gonzales, me


Me, Shelli Johannes-Wells, Robin

On this date: In 1958 Nabokov's LOLITA is published.

3 comments:

Lee Wind, M.Ed. said...

YAY!
I loved hanging out with you, too. I really think the SCBWI Summer Conference is magical - how we children's books writers and illustrators and industry folk all come together as a tribe and learn and share and bond...
It's a great time, every time!
Namaste,
Lee

Rita said...

Double Yay! Thanks for the shout-out. It was so great to meet the famous cynjay in person. I didn't realize this was your first summer conference. (Triple yay!) I look forward to hanging out more in the future!

(You danced next to M.T. Anderson?? Sigh.)

r

CJ Omololu said...

Hey Lee, Hey Rita! I can't wait until next year and do it all over again.

Rita, I may have danced next to him, but you got the uber-cool photo WITH him. Double sigh.