New York, New York

I'm back from my New York trip. I had the best time ever. I saw Hairspray. It was lots of fun, but I was still on Seattle time. I went to the MoMa. Whoa. There is this black tunnel and you walk down it and at the end is this surreal red twilight room. I sketched Van Gogh's The Starry Night and the guard in the room said I had done the best job he'd ever seen anyone do. -- for an amateur, of course. BTW I only want a little bit of the Van Gogh mojo.

Museum Highlights -- I love Piet Mondrain. Here's my personal fav -- (Dutch, 1872-1944), Composition in Oval with Color Planes . I also love Georges-Pierre Seurat. Especially Port-en-Bessin, Entrance to the Harbor,1888, oil on canvas; this linked photograph doesn't even began to capture the ethereal light on this canvas. It's the world as it should be.

I met David Almond!!!! Rejection is Nowt! I'm holding that in my heart.

Cool chats with many great authors. Carol Snyder, thanks for the illuminating and nurturing conversation. You always bring me back to the heart and soul of children's books. Greg Fishbone has a book on the way. I was able catch a glimpse of Septina Nash -- very cool. A new bride, a new agent, a new book; he's having a very good year. Hello, to Sandy and Liz, Highlights 2005 alum. It was good to see you.

Thanks SCBWI for the best panel discussion I have ever heard. To pull in the publishers of Scholastic, Penguin and Randomhouse all at the same time, mucho illuminating. Brilliant.

I want to say more, but that will have to be later.