Let's Start with Good Stuff

Hello 2014! Welcome, little year.

Trying to catch up today and write some on a shiny new project. I'm in that happy editing the first 50-75 pages stage, which is what I do once I've spit out most of act 1 of a draft and need to see if this is actually a book or just random monkeys typing. Looks like it's a BOOK! And I still love the idea! Because it is January 2nd. And all good things are possible.

Also need to sit and read the keynote aloud. I'm giving a keynote talk to a literacy conference for HISD teachers next week, sponsored by ABYDOS, which is the brainchild of  Dr. Joyce Carroll Armstrong of New Jersey Writing Project fame. It is one of those moments where my world comes full circle since when I was first teaching, we were trained in the New Jersey Writing Project and now someone whose scholarly articles I have pored over has asked me to open the conference with a talk! To 200 teachers! Yikes!

Also, a few days ago, there was this:
http://bumblesandfairytales.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-top-13-favorite-books-of-2013.html

Which makes me deliriously happy! Because it means THE SWEET DEAD LIFE was her favorite along with some other amazing books that I personally also adore! For those moments when I've asked myself, "Hey! Is anyone reading my words?"-- this is a nice answer.

Also yesterday there was this!
http://bumblesandfairytales.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-top-14-must-have-young-adult-books.html

Which means she's looking forward to THE A-WORD, too!

Well, so am I!!

Thank you, Bumbles and Fairy Tales for making my year both end and start well.

And in other news, I am also caught up with Blacklist. Started watching two days ago, and it's been a worthwhile TV binge! Oh James Spader. You never disappoint me even though you are now middle-aged and bald. You do conflicted snarky bad guy better than anyone else, probably because you were so good at non-conflicted snarky bad guy in the 80's. You know - James Spader in that white suit in Pretty in Pink, being horrid to poor Molly Ringwald? There is nothing better. If you haven't watched Blacklist, go forth and do so! It's not unpredictable and I'm not sure how many seasons they can carry out the over-arching secret, but for now it's a great time!