Events: Autograph Session, Wednesday, May 26, 2010 @ 11:00AM - 11:30AM
Lulu and the Brontosaurus A brand-new illustrated chapter book from two legends in the industry:
Judith Viorst, Author
and Lane Smith, Illustrator
Published By: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
I'm envisioning myself there right now, even though it is 11:05am in California, and hopefully by 2:05pm in NY the line has wound down so that Ms.Viorst can go to lunch! (Odd how I can't call her Judith. I feel the same way about Beverly Cleary. Calling them Judith or Beverly would feel like calling the Bard Will.
Anyway, back at Table 15...here is my imagined, highly fictitious, #armchairBEA meeting with the amazing Ms. Viorst.
Erin: Hi...um...Ms. Viorst...
(Starstruck, handing her a copy of LULU.. as well as well-loved copies of ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD DAY, ALEXANDER WHO'S NOT (DO YOU HEAR ME? I MEAN IT! GOING TO MOVE), IF I WERE IN CHARGE OF THE WORLD AND OTHER WORRIES, and I'LL FIX ANTHONY, all of which I've lugged from California--plus SUDDENLY SIXTY AND OTHER GOOD SHOCKS OF LATER LIFE...)
I'm a huge fan.
Ms. Viorst: Why thank you.
Erin: (as she signs SUDDENLY SIXTY AND OTHER GOOD SHOCKS OF LATER LIFE..) My sister can quote your HOW DID I GET TO BE FORTY? and FOREVER FIFTY so that's for her. She is the one you wrote about in "The Blissful Couple."
Ms. Viorst: My latest, EXCEEDLINGLY EIGHTY AND OTHER ADAPTATIONS, will be out in October.
Erin: Yeah, but she'd kill me if I got her that one.
(Ms Viorst starts to sign IF I WERE IN CHARGE OF THE WORLD AND OTHER WORRIES. . .)
Erin: As a teacher I want to thank you for all the years I've used IF I WERE IN CHARGE OF THE WORLD.. as a writing prompt for kids. These are for you:
(Handing her a few student poems that 2nd graders wrote recently.)
Brock: "If I were in charge of the world, I would make everybody into an adult, and people wouldn't be mean to other people...
Eryiann: "If I were in charge of the world, we could read a lot..."
Andrea: "If I were in charge of the world, we could eat a lot of ice cream..."
anonymous: "If I were in charge of the world, all kids would have parents..."
Ms. Viorst: The world would be a better place, if they were in charge of the world.
Erin: (as she starts to sign ALEXANDER WHO'S NOT (DO YOU HEAR ME? I MEAN IT! GOING TO MOVE) Sorry about the teeth-prints...I'm not sure if it was my daughter or our nephew who started teething on that one.
Ms. Viorst: (about to sign ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD DAY) Are these coffee stains?
Erin: Um...possibly...either that or wine...
Ms. Viorst: If your child has a terrible horrible no good very bad day, chances are you've had one too.
Erin: Yeah, moving to Australia has been a tempting concept from time to time in our family.
Ms. Viorst: (signing I'LL FIX ANTHONY, and noticing the line's growing agitation --at me for monopolizing Ms. Viorst's time...) Oh dear...
BEA: Excuse me, but Ms.Viorst needs to move on to the others waiting for autographs.
Ms. Viorst: (with "A reservoir of undiminished Z -- zeal --" ) No worries. (signing LULU) Good luck with your own writing, Erin.
Erin: How did you know I'm a writer?
Ms. Viorst: I'm following you on Twitter, my dear. @erindealey, right? And Facebook, and both blogs and gee, why don't I mentor you? You're fabulous!
Erin: Wow! Really? Are you serious?????
ArmchairBEA bouncer: NOT. This is your dream autograph, remember? Time to get back to your manuscript revisons. You know--the real world.
Erin: Right... : ) Thank you Ms. Viorst, for decades of reading enjoyment, from our entire family. It's been a wonderful, joyful, ArmchairBEA dream.
See you tomorrow!
I love the responses to
ReplyDeleteIf I were in charge of the world.....
That would be a fun assignment at school.