I haven’t been near the convention center, nor have I picked up my badge. I’ve been in my hotel room, good freelancer that I am.
Had tea today with Barry Lyga, and went over many details on the new book. I am delighted with his reaction to my prelims. The prelims for the book are complete, though there’s a handful I will redo for my own good. This book is not only going to be very entertaining for the reader, it is very entertaining for me. It’s such a great pleasure to work on. Not to devalue any other projects I am doing, but this one is not so research intensive as my last couple of projects. And I am not inventing a new style or drawing technique, as I often do.
I felt pretty good about the work before I got here, and feel even better now. There were important stylistic matters to pin down before I can go to final art. And that’s done, so all good.
I ate like a piglet at tea, so took a long walk around the Capitol and to the National Gardens. About two hours. Had killer migraine this morning, but I sweated it out in the 100 degree weather. I hoped to run into a nice lemonade stand, but no luck. I don’t know where the vendors were this evening, but I didn’t see a single one on Constitution Ave.
Our presentation is tomorrow morning, and we have an editorial meeting as well. I’m not staying for much after that except to shake a few hands. I want to get right back to work.
Here is the report from the farm, emailed by my beloveds who are watching my plant babies for me:
Flowers in front watered
Flowers in back watered – Thanx to Dad
Plants in hothouse watered – Thanx to Dad
Veggies watered
Potted plants on front porch watered
Front acreage mowed – Thanx to He and Me
Snap bean yield 1 pound, 14 ounces
Sugar pea yield, 8 peas – and they don’t taste so great, not to mention looking pretty ratty – but then so do I right now
4 cucumbers
Tomatoes looking very promising – Can hardly wait for that first BLT
Purple cabbage really looking good and heading up nicely – No worms, but some home-grown escargot
New beans are up-and-coming
Onions look really good – One in heavy bud
Squash beautiful
And back to Washington: I’m going to wash off the 100 degree weather, and then I will spend a quiet evening drawing.
The United States Botanic Garden is another one of DC’s hidden treasures (hidden in plain site).
An even bigger secret, the Bartholdi Fountain next door. (Yeah, the guy who sculpted the Statue of Liberty.)
Nice job at the presentation, your time in DC was well spent, as you managed to say quite a bit about a book you can’t talk about without really talking about the book.
OH! During the graphic novels for libraries panel (full house!), a librarian asked if publishers were publishing outside of the superhero genre, stuff like romance and horror and stuff kids like to read. Manga was the easy answer, but as the panel talked more, someone recommended A Distant Soil. So, at least the Good Comics For Kids reviewers at the School Library Journal love your stuff!
Hey, it was great to see you! Wish I could have stayed longer but I needed to get right back to work.
I got to see nada of the show except what I saw walking in, and what I saw sauntering out. So, I am very glad the GN panel was well received! So kind of you to let me know ADS got a mention!
Please do tell us about your adventures. Mine were primarily confined to my hotel room.