Monday, October 24, 2011

Desserts, Speakers, and SCBWI's Southern Breeze

Recently, Peepy and I were in the Birmingham, Alabama area for the SCBWI Southern Breeze 20th Anniversary Conference . . .

Photobucket

We arrived early and were able to get some writing done in the hotel room. That is, until Peepy saw some presents and insisted on opening them . . .

Photobucket Photobucket

Soon it was time for a dinner, and oh man, do these people know how to put on a spread!!!

Photobucket Photobucket

The conference organizers, volunteers, agents, authors, and editors took part in a toast to everyone's favorite Peep . . .

Photobucket

After dinner, it was time for the Dessert Party . . .

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

The next morning I gave the conference opening keynote speech to these dessert-filled authors and illustrators . . .

Photobucket Photobucket

Then they were serenaded by agent Rubin Pfeffer, agent Linda Pratt, Penguin Young Readers executive art director Deborah Kaplan, Chronicle editor Melissa Manlove, and others . . .

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
(It's possible that they weren't singing, but rather talking about what they look for when reviewing manuscripts. However, I was still on a sugar high from the night before, and therefore easily befuddled.)

In addition to doing manuscript critiques, I taught three writing workshops . . .

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

Oh dear. Those were my "let's act weird" workshops. Here are my writing workshops . . .

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

I also got to meet Ashley Parsons.

Photobucket

It was fun talking with her, because we have this in common . . .

Photobucket

Oops. That's Agent 007. I meant to show this photo . . .

Photobucket

That's right. It's Jodi Reamer, literary agent extraordinaire, and Ashley just signed with her!

All too soon it was time for the closing keynote. It was given by 50% of the founders of the 22,000 member strong SCBWI. That would be Lin Oliver, whose Hank Zipzer books have sold millions . . .

Photobucket Photobucket

(Lin is wearing white gloves, because 1) she is very prim and proper, or 2) she presented the Crystal Kite award to Jo Kittinger and didn't want to smudge the award.)

Since Lin is the president, and I'm on the board of the SCBWI, we wore our official SCBWI uniforms -- brownish/eggplant-ish velvet . . .

Photobucket

After the conference, the speakers and organizers and volunteers were still full of pep, so we all gathered for a fabulous dinner and wild rumpus . . .

Photobucket

What a great conference!

NEXT BLOG: Spock, is that you?

Photobucket

UPCOMING APPEARANCE: November 9 at 6 pm, Vroman's Bookstore, group reading from DEAR BULLY: Seventy Author Tell Their Stories. CLICK HERE for more info.

Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.

Photobucket CLICK HERE to find out about Lisa's newest book, WARP SPEED!!!

Lisa Yee
Follow LisaYee1 on Twitter









Google Groups

Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!

Email:


Or you can click this for a RSS feed...http://www.wikio.com




Site Meter