Working and playing in New York City, all in fast-forward

I'm back in the land of beautiful sunsets, hiking in the hills every evening with Tom and our dog Penny, the bay at our feet, turning shades of turquoise and aquamarine as the sun sets and the lights of the city sparkle in the darkness, laying out grids and curves.

NYC was a blast. I had five incredibly busy days as I met with my agent and several of my editors. Highlights were: working on layout for my upcoming book, Marching for Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don't You Get Weary with designer Jim Hoover and editor Catherine Frank, a party for Deborah Heiligman, celebrating her new book, Charles and Emma, which is truly spectacular (five stars, all well deserved), a wonderful visit with editor Jill Davis as she stretches in new ways, (interview with Jill on I.N.K. here) a visit to the New York Tenement Museum with my friend Allyson Feeney, and a brainstorming session with one of my beloved posse, Judy Blundell, (interviewed by Daniel Handler here) over breakfast at Balthazar.

I took my camera and shot lots of photos. Imagine my surprise when I arrived home and no. camera. in. my. bag. Somehow I lost it. The very last day. I keep looking in all the usual places -- did I take it out of my bag when I got home and lay it down somewhere? (It was 3 am, after all.) I called the airline and I called the hotel and I looked all over again at home. No camera. So I lost my great photo shoot. I wonder: is this like the fish that got away? But I know I had a great shot of fashion on the streets: a woman walking in high, high heels, with canary yellow soles. Photos of this wonderful store full of ribbons in satin and gross grain and velvet, and buttons! buttons! buttons! All in floor to ceiling displays. (I just found it on Google -- it's M and J Trimmings) and Anna, next time we go to NYC I'm taking you there.

Enough wallowing about my lost camera. Time to get to work. Heading to the library to rough out an upcoming article for Smithsonian Magazine.

Blaze of glory

Took a walk in the hills as the sun was setting in splendor just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Goodbye to the bay area and hello to New York City for a quick trip. Brrrr!

Virginia Euwer Wolff

There's a wonderful interview with Virginia Euwer Wolff (you know, Make Lemonade) on Publisher's Weekly Children's Bookshelf. A wonderful read. Check it out. Virginia is one of the few people who can leave me holding my aching sides laughing while she looks at me, all innocent-like. And she writes beautiful, intense, breathy novels. And plays the violin.

If you are really lucky some day you will hear her speak and you'll laugh so hard you have to gasp for breath. Except for the parts where she'll make you weep. And if you aren't going to cross paths with her soon, you can pick up her new novel, This Full House, which is the third (and I think final) book in the trilogy about Jolly and La Vaughn.