Reason number 7 to write: meet cool people

Okay, it’s probably optimistic on my part to even post a blog when I know the whole world is busy reading the next installment of Harry Potter. (What? You’ve already finished? You overachiever. I haven’t even started the book yet. I’m not going to let myself read about Harry until I’ve finished writing a short story which is due August 6th and which, coincidentally, I also haven’t started.)

Anyway, I thought I’d tell you about one of the perks of being a writer. Specifically that you get to meet all sorts of neat book people. Seriously, writers, librarians, and teachers are some of the nicest people you’ll ever come across.

I just spoke to Jim Blasingame’s YA novel class at ASU and it was lot of fun. I have said on occasion (generally cynical occasions) that sometimes I feel like I’m working very hard to become good at something that no one cares about anymore. So it’s nice to talk to people who are excited about books. Plus Jim said I looked young enough to be my daughter’s sister, which incidentally is why one day he’ll show up in one of my book dedications. You just don’t forget men who say those kinds of things.

Side note: Jim has the coolest office because it is filled with books. My office is also filled with books so I felt we were kindred spirits until someone pointed out that all of his books were alphabetized. My books—well, not so much.

We then went out to lunch with Don and Alleen Nilson, delightful people, who both teach at ASU and have been involved in the book world for some time. In fact Alleen founded ALAN. How cool is that? I would love to someday be able to say I helped found an organization so I have been thinking about appropriate ones . . . Hmmm. Maybe CCLA: Crazy Cat Lady Anonymous: a group for all of those people out there like me who’ve been accused of hoarding cats. Or maybe something along the lines of LA: Late Again: a group for people who have no concept of time and thus are habitually five minutes late for everything. Or I bet I could start a group for technology challenged people called INRMFTCJDLM: It’s Not Really My Fault—The Computer Just Doesn’t Like Me.

I also got to meet Laura Walsh who was involved in the Mesa Writing Project, which was a class about teaching teachers how to teach writing skills. A very necessary skill for kids to have. You can read more about that at: http://community.uui.asu.edu/features/mesa.asp

Anyway, I consider myself lucky to be able to rub shoulders with so many cool people—people who still care very much about reading and books.