I was reading an earlier draft of The Sweet Far Thing in my Orphans file when I came across a passage where Kartik explains to Gemma what’s going down with the Rakshana. He says, “They put a bounty on my head.” Except that I read it as, “They put a BONNET on my head.” And now, I can’t quite get the image of Kartik, all broody and steamy, with a lace doily on his head, out of my mind. Just. So. Wrong.
I had a grand time in Montreal last weekend at the Jewish Public Library. It was such a lovely event, and there was a lot of chcolate. Also, I met some really great people. That’s one of the best perks of my job–meeting new, very cool people. I don’t care how Hallmark Cards Sensitive Moments that sounds, it’s true. Canada cooperated very nicely with us by not dipping into the Holy Crap How Do You People Live Here in January???? cold zone. I also discovered that my limited college French is still very limited. The concierge asked me my name twice, and after smiling maniacally, I answered that I was fine, how was she? Sad, sad, sad. Did I mention that I drove my college French teacher to drink?
(There’s a guy on the couch across from me reading Raymond Carver’s CATHEDRAL. Amazing short stories. I’m not worthy. Go forth and read them.)
Tuesday night, still plane-bleary, I went to the Teen Video Book Awards. It’s such a cool idea: filmmakers do 15-second movie trailers for books. The three books in question were THE BOOK THIEF by Marcus Zusak (I’m not worthy, Part II), HOW I LIVE NOW (Printz winner and a must-read), and A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY. I thought all of the trailers were terrific. And I loved meeting Katie K. (sorry, she has a very long last name and I don’t have the spelling available…will correct later.) who directed BEAUTY. She was talented and terrific.
I was so, so happy to see my pal Cecil Castellucci in last Sunday’s NYTimes piece about DC Comics launch of a new line of comics aimed at teen girls. Whoohoo! ‘Bout freakin’ time. Cecil, the author of the fabulous Boy Proof and The Queen of Cool, has written a comic called P.L.A.I.N. JANES, and it is crazy good. So when it comes out, check it out. Support your local feminist comic book writer. Or we’ll put a bonnet on your heads. (Sorry. I just can’t stop.)
Okay, I have to go write some blood and gore to get the image of Kartik in Little Bo Peep gear out of my mind. And then I must watch my Dallas Cowboys annihilate the New York Giants. And then all will be well in the universe.