Soupy Tour -- Gimme Writer's Cramp Any Time

Chicago -- after a Monday spot on the noon news, and a sandwich back at the hotel with George and General Petraeus (the latter on the tube) I decided to catch up on my Blog – which turned out to be a Big Mistake – because instead of resting up for the evening event, a book signing in Skokie, I tried to upload photos into just the right place in my post and kept getting everything wrong. (Where are you Meg Cabot when I need you? Meg's blog is my inspiration!) This can be very frustrating to a novice like me. Never mind time consuming. Two hours flew by and next thing I knew it was time to leave for an interview with B&N. I think it will be downloadable as a podcast from their website.

Judy, my author escort, reminded me that she’d met me way back in the mid-70's when she worked for Kroch’s (a bookstore) and I was on tour (probably for Wifey) and my marriage was falling apart and I cried my way through the city, trying to pull myself together for interviews, then falling apart again. I’d actually forgotten about that. Who’d want to remember? It was a hellish time in my life. I couldn’t wait to introduce her to George to prove I’d gotten it right this time. Lovely Elizabeth, from Random House, was also with us. She’d flown in to Detroit on Saturday to be with me at the signing and continued on to Chicago. By Monday evening we'd bonded -- that's how it is on the road. So, off we went to Skokie, in the rain, with Judy our author escort doing a fine job behind the wheel. Of course I was thinking, Rain!-- that means no one will show. (That old anxiety still cropping up.)

But it was a great crowd and a great mix of young kids, parents who grew up with my books, teachers, librarians, the curious, and those loyal 20-somethings who always choose Just As Long As We’re Together and Here’s To You, Rachel Robinson as their favorites. We did a Q&A, my favorite way to interact with an audience. After the 5th “Where did you get the idea for Fudge?” question we got down to the business of signing. Three hours later I was a zombie (stretching out my arm and fingers to avoid writer's cramp, which I've learned to do because I had it once, in Australia and I couldn't sign anything, let alone my name -- but George volunteered to sign for me, and you know what? -- no one minded at all. ) But in Skokie I signed everything, including one boy who went home with my autograph on his forehead – with his mom’s blessing. (Please don't ask -- I'm not doing that again!) I wonder if I was using a washable sharpie or the permanent kind? I guess he’ll find out.

Four year old Lev Mickey, who knows all the Fudge books by heart, and is on his way to knowing every word in Soupy Saturdays agreed to a photo with me. I told him, “You are really special!” And he answered, “I know.” Everyone around us broke up laughing. I’d like to meet him again in twenty years (okay, make it ten).

And here’s how an author spends her time following a three hour signing. (Actually, I signed stock earlier, and I'm thankful I did because at that point I could barely stand up, let alone sign more books). But, hey – I loved every minute of it! Thanks to all who came out to meet me. I know it was a long wait. I know you were hungry and tired by the time it was over. I got to eat a bowl of pasta at 10pm. It was SO good! Hope you went to bed with full tummys, too.

Special thanks to the team at B&N in Skokie, especially Mary Anne. It couldn’t have been better!
XX Judy

PS I read that Junot Diaz was reading from his new novel Monday night at the Chicago public library. I said to George, “Let’s go!” Then I remembered that I had a book signing at the same time. Sorry, Junot. He’ll be joining us in Key West in January at the Literary Seminar.

Sunday in the Park With Laura

Chicago: If you're lucky, every now and then you get to have a perfect day. That's how I feel about yesterday. The weather in Chicago, where we landed the night before, was perfect -- sunny and warm -- and I got to spend the day with Laura and her family. Laura has recorded several of my books , including Margaret. (I'll add a link to her recordings and the story about how we met on the new website). You might know her as the voice reading the Kevin Henke picture books. She's the perfect Lily. I'm a huge fan of Laura's and of Kevin's picture books.

I got to meet Laura's two young kids. We enjoyed Millenium Park together. Here we are with Camille in the "bean," one of the park's attraction. When her husband took the kids home, Laura and I sat down for a "girls' lunch," catching up on two years of everything!

Later Peter Sagal, the host of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR show (where I came up with the wrong answers to all the questions on the quizz) brought two of his girls to the park for ice cream. Peter gave me a copy of his soon to be published The Book of Vice, and just from peeking at the very beginning I can tell it's going to be very funny. Can't wait for the long plane trip to Seattle to read it through.

Still later, George decided he had to see Death at a Funeral. He can't stand it when something is playing at the Tropic Cinema in Key West (his baby) that he hasn't seen -- especially when it's a huge hit -- and this one has been pulling in the crowd for several weeks. So off we went to catch the 5 o'clock show. Definitely a fun movie!

Did I say that Sunday was a day off? I guess you can tell.
XX Judy

Losing Madeleine

Sad, sad news. Madeleine L'Engle died. She was another of my heroes. We served together on the Authors Guild Council. In the 80's when both our books came under fire -- hers for "teaching new age-ism" (if you can believe that!) we once went on a TV show together. I loved her for being so open, so honest, and so completely taken aback by these challenges to her work, written long before anyone ever heard of new age-ism. Of course her books will live on. A Wrinkle in Time will speak to kids of generations still to come. Madeleine had a great sense of humor about our predicament. At her 80th birthday I was seated next to someone who would become a dear friend. I like to think Madeleine knew this would happen. She'll be missed.

It's been a season of losing dear old friends. Barbara Hersey, also 88, died over the summer. Married early to Charles Addams, the cartoonist and creator of the Addams Family, it's said that she was the model for Morticia. She was beautiful, witty, charming, and was later married to the writer John Hersey, the great love of her life. They had a daughter together and at 84, Barbara became a first time grandmother. I never knew John. He died just before I met Barbara. She lived on the Vineyard and in Key West so I was lucky enough to spend time with her in both places. She was the toast of every dinner party. My grown children were so fond of her that last summer, when she wasn't strong enough to come to our house for a meal, Randy prepared a dinner and we took the party to her. Even though I knew how frail she was her death was a shock to me and my family. Key West won't be the same without her.

Grace Paley, the writer, also died this summer, at about the same age as Madeleine and Barbara. I only met her once but she was warm, funny, and generous. Her stories about women spoke to me, and I've no doubt they'll continue to speak to anyone interested in the most important relationships in life.

Three great women. Three times the loss.

Soupy Tour -- Pink Casts and Author Quilts

Detroit: Fun Q&A with my readers, followed by a signing. Yes, I also signed books!



You know those Author Quilts -- the kind where they send an author a square and ask for it to be signed or, better yet, illustrated? I've been signing squares for years but this is the first one I've ever seen put together in person. The illustraters sent in fabulous work -- most of the authors just signed their names. My square looked so bleak, so pallid, with just my name and a little heart, and the year, 1998. Even though Beverly Cleary had done exactly the same thing (and she's my hero!) now I had the chance to remedy the situation. I couldn't resist all those brightly colored markers. So 9 years later I added "Oh how I wish I could illustrate!" And then I added "Maybe I can learn. It's never too late, right?" And then I starting messing with the original heart and then --- they took away the markers before I messed up the whole thing.

Thanks to the team at Borders in Novi, especially Nicole. And thanks to all of you who came to this event. You gave me a great start to my book tour.

Soupy Tour -- Meeting Jason

Detroit: Dinner with Jason was wonderful! He corrected me -- he first wrote when he was 14 (1986) which makes him 35. The young teen has become a man (a very tall man -- I was on tiptoe in this pix). He and George and I yakked for 3 hours. He said he was nervous at first and wondered what we'd talk about. I was nervous, too, but we found we had plenty to say. Here we are after dinner in front of the fireplace in the lobby of the Townsend Hotel. So many roses around we started to sneeze.

More about Detroit later....Chicago coming up...

On the Road with Soupy Saturdays

Hello from Detroit, first stop on my book tour. I was tired before I began from pouring all my potions into 3 oz (or less) plastic bottles, then stuffing them into the quart size baggie so airport security wouldn't arrest me (or take away my absolute necessities). I swear, a quart of milk is way bigger than that baggie -- no way would a quart of milk not overflow. Or maybe it's a dry quart? Is there such a thing? Say, a quart container of strawberries? Since George doesn't need any beauty supplies, nor does he have any allergies (he doesn't believe in allergies -- don't get me started on that one!) I got to pack up his quart bag with my extras! After all that, security didn't even care about my perfectly organized 1 quart bag. They didn't ask to see anything! They didn't care about all the lipsticks (and lip balms) I'd stashed in secret places.

The driver who picked us up at the airport thought we were in town for the Big Wedding. He didn't know who was getting married but he knew a lot of guests were flying in from NY. He told us he'd once driven A-rod, and Cindy Crawford (but not at the same time).

Anyway, we're at the hotel now and in an hour we're meeting Jason for dinner. He starting writing to me when he was 12 and we've been in touch ever since. Now he's -- well, probably close to 30. We've never met. I asked him if he was sure he wanted to because meeting someone you only know through writing can really change the relationship. But he was up for it.
I'm already hungry. All I've had to eat today was my usual breakfast -- Total cereal and banana. And while waiting for the plane George surprised me with Rice Krispies to go -- and another banana (he couldn't find a bagel). I feel like Seinfeld.
More tomorrow --
XX Judy
PS Look what I just found on top of the mini bar!

The Last of Summer

It's the end of summer for George and me. We're packing up, getting ready to fly to New York tomorrow. And just when I was getting in the groove. If I had three more weeks and I could stay focused, I'd finish my book -- I'm sure of it! Easy to say, right? I feel this way around Labor Day every year. I'm sad to leave because it's the most beautiful time of year on the Vineyard. Yesterday I took out my kayak for the final row of the season.

We had a busy weekend. Our friend Alice was here. Bruce, Larry's oldest friend, came for the day with his family. I've known Bruce since he was a baby. And Randy had her friend, Jana, visiting with Kayla, her six year old. Randy made a yummy vegetable lasagne for dinner and invited everyone to stay. It was a lively group! The kids were great. They watched what Kayla calls the Blah Blah Blah movie (Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great) while the grownups ate.

Yesterday we learned that last week a neighbor's dog had eleven black lab puppies. So this morning we took Kayla to see them. Good thing they weren't ready to come home. Kayla already has two dogs and two cats. Randy is starting a new job tomorrow so this isn't the time to take on more responsibilities. And George would have -- let's just say a black lab puppy isn't in my immediate future. And I know he's right. But still, they were pretty hard to resist.

Our neighbors own both the mom and the dad, a chocolate lab. They say they're very mellow. For more info send an e-mail message to my guest book. Oh, there are 8 females and 3 males.

I probably won't get the chance to post on my blog again until I start my book tour for Soupy Saturdays on Friday, September 7. (My NY To Do list - between tomorrow afternoon and Friday morning - is so full it's looking impossible!) I hope I get to meet some of you on the road. And I hope you (and your kids) like the book.

If you're back at school, have a great school year! Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, check in with me again. I really like keeping in touch this way. And let me know if you're enjoying my Blog. I'm still a beginner at this -- as you can probably tell.
Love,
Judy