Writer's Salon and ASTAL

This past weekend I attended a wonderful Writers' Salon on managing your writing career.
It included talks by author/illustrator Nancy Poydar http://www.nancypoydar.com
and YA author Nancy Werlin http://www.nancywerlin.com/
The outcome of the discussion is that each of us has a unique career path and that all are equally valid.
Thanks to New England SCBWI http://www.nescbwi.org and Melissa Stewart http://www.melissa-stewart.com/for organizing these events. There will be another Writers' Salon in June. Don't miss it!

Next Saturday, I will be at the ASTAL Luncheon at RI College. Speakers will include Kim Fusco, Beatrice Gormley, Peter Johnson, and Padma Venkatraman. For more information and to register, go to http://www.astal-ric.org/2009-03-21.htm.

Newport Historical Society Signing

My illustrator, Cheryl Kirk Noll, and I will be signing copies of The Black Regiment of the American Revolution on Tuesday, April 14 from 1-3 at the Newport Historical Society Museum & Shop at Brick Market, which is located at 127 Thames St in downtown Newport (across the street from Banana Republic and next to Coldwater Creek). If you're in the neighborhood, we'd love to see you there!

Way of the Owl

I just finished reading an adult book, about "a girl and her owl." Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien really made me rethink the intelligence of our nonhuman neighbors and how we relate to them.
Humans might do better if they followed "The Way of the Owl."
Check out Stacey and Wesley's website at
http://wesleytheowl.com/

Afghan Dreams

At March Into Reading at Salve Regina University in Newport yesterday, I sat next to author/photographer Tony O'Brien. He is a photo-journalist and the head of Documentary Studies at the College of Santa Fe, so children's books aren't his normal stock in trade. But he traveled across Afghanistan, photographing children and asking them about their hopes and dreams. The result was the thought-provoking book, AFGHAN DREAMS.

March Into Reading

I'm participating in an exciting event next weekend, Aquidneck Island's March into Reading. Friday I'll be visiting three island schools and speaking about THE BLACK REGIMENT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. One of the major battles in the book takes place on the island, so this is local history!
Then Saturday I'll be joining other wonderful authors and illustrators at Salve Regina University for a celebration of reading. Here are the details:

Saturday, February 28, 2009

9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Presentations, Book Sales & Signings, Activities for all ages
O'Hare Academic Center, Ochre Point Ave., Salve Regina University
Free & Open to the Public

Meet the Authors & Illustrators!

• David Macaulay
• Michael Dooling
• Janet Taylor Lisle
• Mary Jane Begin
• Linda Crotta-Brennan
• Tony O'Brien
• Jeannine Atkins
• John Brennan
• Lucinda Landon

Saturday's Schedule of Events

Revolutionary War Reenactors with the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment
9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Presenters
10:00 a.m. - Mary Jane Begin, Jeannine Atkins
11:00 a.m. - David Macaulay, Janet Taylor Lisle
12:00 p.m. - Michael Dooling, Tony O'Brien

Guest Reader
John Brennan, "The Ghosts of Newport ": 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Reading Room for Young Children
9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - Enjoy a quiet break with a read aloud story.

Children's Discovery Rooms
9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. - Medieval Life, The Rainforest, Ancient Egypt

Family & Community Centers
9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. - Pick up a passport to "Aquidneck History 2009" free admission for children to local historical attractons.

Book Sales
9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Book Signings
10:00 a.m. - Michael Dooling, Tony O'Brien, Linda Crotta-Brennan
11:00 a.m. - Mary Jane Begin, Jeannine Atkins, John Brennan
12:00 p.m. - David Macaulay, Janet Taylor Lisle, Lucinda Landon

Perspective

I've been reading Elizabeth Lyon's insightful book, A Writer's Guide to Fiction. She talks about the difference between objective and subjective POV, something I'd never heard discussed before. But it makes so much sense. It's easy to slip into the objective POV, to describe a scene as a camera would, devoid of personality:
The snow still lay thick on one lawn, shaded by pines to the south. Two doors down a robin sang in the tree.
But to capture a character, use subjective POV, including that character's sensory experience and their emotions and reactions to what they see:
As Willow and I walked past Mr. Stickles' house, I shivered. The snow formed a thick crust across his yard, where Willow's friend Baron used to romp. I hurried past to Sasha's house, where a robin sang in the budding dogwood tree.

Barrington Books

The Kids Heart Books event on Valentine's Day was terrific. Barrington Books is a fabulous place, if you ever have a chance to stop in, do it. They just expanded into a new space--obviously Dana, the owner, is doing something right.
Mary Jane Begin, Chris and Anika Denise, and Liz Dubois joined me for the signing. It was quite the party. Liz convinced me to join facebook. And I'm just recovering from the barage of new friends...
A special thanks is in order to Matali Perkins, who took time away from her writing to organize the Kids Heart Books event!