New Gig + Upcoming Events
Hi! Ugh, I am terrible at updating the blog lately. So sorry! I started working recently at the DC Public Library as a part-time children’s associate. This means I’m spending twenty hours a week doing things like:
- finding books on spiders
- making scrolls for an upcoming ninja party
- becoming best friends with the Accu-Cut in order to cut out a Dr. Seuss quote (“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!”)
- cutting out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stickers for the ninja party
- signing kids in to use the computers
- helping adorable toddlers find books on princesses
- hanging streamers for the ninja party
- playing card games with the kids
- shelving books and taking pics of friends’ books I spy
- inventorying & receiving new books (it’s like Christmas!)
- feeding the worms in our worm farm (!)
It’s a pretty awesome job, to be honest. I really, really like it. But I didn’t realize being a children’s librarian would involve being quite so extroverted! I’ve been kind of exhausted. And I’ve only been at it for two weeks, so I’m still very much figuring out how to balance the new gig with my other jobs: writing MILBOURN FALLS, editing PETTICOATS & PISTOLS, teaching once a week for Writopia, and doing manuscript critiques for MCS.
Also, I have THREE bookish events coming up this week! They’re probably the last ones that I’ll do for a while, since I won’t have any new books coming out until 2016. (Though I do hope to volunteer at NoVA Teen Book Fest and go to NYC Teen Author Fest if I can!)
Wed, Nov 19 at 7pm
SHUT UP & WRITE: A PANEL DISCUSSION ON WORLD-BUILDING
Arlington Central Library; 1015 N Quincy St; Arlington, VA 22201
with Lisa Maxwell (Sweet Unrest) & Erica Cameron (Sing Sweet Nightingale)
moderated by Jon Skovron (Man Made Boy)
Fri, Nov 21 from 4-5pm
SIGNING AT THE NCTE (NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH) ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Gaylord Resort & Conference Center; 201 Waterfront St; National Harbor, MD 20745
I’ll be signing at the Penguin Young Readers Group’s Booth (booths 612-616)!
There are a ton of other amazing authors signing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including some of my favorites: Marie Rutkowski, Trish Doller, Miranda Kenneally, Caroline Richmond, and Stephanie Perkins. You can find out more here (author signing info begins on p.183).
Sat, Nov 22 at 1pm
THE PUBLISHING PROCESS: a talk on revision, finding an agent, & getting published with author Jessica Spotswood
Southwest Neighborhood Library; 900 Wesley Place SW; Washington, DC
I can totally picture you as a kid's librarian 🙂 I'm glad you're enjoying it!!
Wow, being a librarian sounds… energy-consuming. Seems fun though!
So glad to hear that although it is taking a toll on you, you're loving being a kid's librarian!
I'm gonna be very sad that there are no books by you coming out next year, but I'll be looking forward to 2016!!