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newmoonstarGood heavens have things been busy lately. Where to begin? Well, on the disastrous side, the car finally died, and since putting in a new engine will cost more than the darn thing is worth, it looks like it's time to buy a new car. UGH! Luckily I met a lady who's selling her used 05 Toyota Scion, and even though you hate to buy the first car you see, you gotta have a car!
The good news is that I went to that Wisconsin Book Festival event and met Nancy Ekholm Burkert and Renee Graef! Renee signed my copy of Meet Kirsten, the first American Girl book I ever read, (and the beginning of my love of history, historical fiction and costuming!) and drew a little flower in it, and she was very nice. It was the first children's book she ever illustrated, so it was the beginning for her too!
Nancy Ekholm Burkert was very nice too; I don't own any of her books, even though I adore them, but she signed the little greeting card with one of her Snow White illustrations that my mom had saved since the 1970's. I talked to her about Valentine and Orson, which is one of my absolute favorites, and saw the original illustrations and pencil sketches for it in the art exhibit that accompanied the event, they're SO exquisite. I'm just in awe of her work on that book; not only did she illustrate it, she actually worked from an original Middle English text and translated it into modern English verse. Talking to someone who's accomplished such amazing work is so inspiring. (And I think I unofficially hold the rights to do a musical adaptation of Valentine and Orson now!)
So that was like the coolest day ever. Afterward I pulled out a little verse I wrote several years ago; I'd always wanted to make it into a chilren's book, and I think I'll finally get down to editing it now. Who knows what might come of it? Maybe I might end up going to one of these book festival events as an author someday!
Also my birthday was on Sunday, I'm 23, but it doesn't feel much different from 22. The best thing about it was that the weather was unusually warm and sunny, and I got a free Turtle Sundae from Culver's. And yes, believe me, a Culver's Turtle Sundae is worthy of being capitalized. Yum!
The good news is that I went to that Wisconsin Book Festival event and met Nancy Ekholm Burkert and Renee Graef! Renee signed my copy of Meet Kirsten, the first American Girl book I ever read, (and the beginning of my love of history, historical fiction and costuming!) and drew a little flower in it, and she was very nice. It was the first children's book she ever illustrated, so it was the beginning for her too!
Nancy Ekholm Burkert was very nice too; I don't own any of her books, even though I adore them, but she signed the little greeting card with one of her Snow White illustrations that my mom had saved since the 1970's. I talked to her about Valentine and Orson, which is one of my absolute favorites, and saw the original illustrations and pencil sketches for it in the art exhibit that accompanied the event, they're SO exquisite. I'm just in awe of her work on that book; not only did she illustrate it, she actually worked from an original Middle English text and translated it into modern English verse. Talking to someone who's accomplished such amazing work is so inspiring. (And I think I unofficially hold the rights to do a musical adaptation of Valentine and Orson now!)
So that was like the coolest day ever. Afterward I pulled out a little verse I wrote several years ago; I'd always wanted to make it into a chilren's book, and I think I'll finally get down to editing it now. Who knows what might come of it? Maybe I might end up going to one of these book festival events as an author someday!
Also my birthday was on Sunday, I'm 23, but it doesn't feel much different from 22. The best thing about it was that the weather was unusually warm and sunny, and I got a free Turtle Sundae from Culver's. And yes, believe me, a Culver's Turtle Sundae is worthy of being capitalized. Yum!
