The Writing Life Too

Morning sky is silver and a bit of snow is predicted today—waiting to see what happens since I have a doctor’s appointment later. You know how these days writers are advised to build a platform and need to be heavily involved in promoting their books? I’m thinking we need to find out who Rod Blagojevich (called Governor F-bomb by some in the media) hired for his PR. Yesterday, instead of facing the Illinois legislators who were running his impeachment hearing, he appeared on the Today Show, CBS Early Show, The View and Larry King. Who is this magical booking agent? And if I were a betting woman I’d bet that a book deal is soon to follow….Speaking of betting, do you think Karl Rove is going to show up for his subpoena on Monday—or perhaps he’ll leave the country again.

A big congratulations to the winners announced by the American Library Association yesterday. When I was writing my book Bullies, Bad Guys, and Bitches I had a chance to read a lot of kids’ authors. What a revelation—the writing was so edgy and fun that it almost made me want to become a kid again.

Novelist and graphic novelist Neil Gaiman won the John Newbery Medal for The Graveyard Book, which was illustrated by Dave McKean. Called “A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.” Susan Marie Swanson and illustrator Beth Krommes won the Randolph Caldecott Medal for picture books for the book, The House in the Night. Described as “Richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Krommes' elegant line, illuminated with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home and family, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world.” Melina Marchetta won the Michael L. Printz Award (for young adult literature) for the book, Jellicoe Road. Kadir Nelson won the Coretta Scott King Award for a book written by an African American with We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.

And just for giggles you might want to read Heather Havrilesky’s Faster, pregnant lady, kill kill! piece at salon.com. In it she suggests that Obama needs a team of impatient, unforgiving, third-trimester pregnant women to whip the country into shape. Whenever my sense of humor is somewhere around my ankles, Heather is one of the writers I turn to.