Another great day in schools,
4/14/10 -- Another great day in schools, this one at Eli Whitney Elementary in Enfield, CT. My host, librarian Denice Gartrell, had thought of absolutely everything to make my visit a stellar experience. Thanks, Denice!Then it was back to New York...
A fun day with great kids at
4/13/10 -- A fun day with great kids at the Yeshiva of Central Queens. Many thanks to Etta Presser-Anton for being a consummate host! From Queens I took the subway to Penn Station in the heart of Manhattan and caught the 5:40 Amtrak to Enfield, CT...
I'm in Jamaica. No, not of
4/12/10 -- I'm in Jamaica. No, not of Caribbean fame. Jamaica, New York, in the New York City borough of Queens. I flew in to La Guardia airport today, and do an author visit tomorrow at the Yeshiva of Central Queens. Looking forward to meeting th...
A hotel near the Portland, OR
4/11/10 -- A hotel near the Portland, OR airport is home tonight. I leave early tomorrow for New York and Connecticut for author visits and meetings with book folks. Got in a fun bouldering session with Kelsey this afternoon, though, at a great in...
A good writing day, with a
4/9/10 -- A good writing day, with a 9-mile run mixed in before lunch. Now both of our girls -- Kelsey and Amy -- are here, along with Amy's fiance, Alex. We're going to cook up a Middle Eastern dinner and watch slides of Debbie and my trip to Isr...
This morning I was running
4/7/10 -- This morning I was running behind schedule and caught myself thinking, "I've GOT to write!" As if this job of mine is a hassle and infringes on my life. I quickly corrected myself, and inserted a different vowel: "I GET to write!" It is ...
I'm just now back in Oregon
4/1/10 -- I'm just now back in Oregon after returning from Israel and then taking off immediately for an author visit in Connecticut. Twenty-six time zones in ten days. Whoosh! I don't know whether I'm coming or going, an appropriate state of mind...
Greetings from Israel! I'm
3/23/10 -- Greetings from Israel! I'm here giving author presentations at the American International School north of Tel Aviv. The flight over here was tough (24 hours travel time, 9,000 miles, ten time zones), but well worth it. The school is fan...
Packing this afternoon for
3/17/10 -- Packing this afternoon for the trip to Israel it occurred to me that my entire career -- and in some ways a hefty representation of my entire life -- is housed in my laptop: multiple writing projects, slide presentations for author visi...
A great and varied weekend:
3/15/10 -- A great and varied weekend: Ran a 5k with Kelsey Saturday morning in Eugene (that's us in light blue and red shirts going for the finish line), then skied that afternoon at Willamette Pass, and stopped back in Eugene on the way home for...
Those of you who teach know
3/12/10 -- Those of you who teach know that spring is the season when you can really start to see the gains kids have made over the course of the school year. Today I heard from a teacher in the midwest who tells me I had at least a little somethi...
I've known for a long time
3/10/10 -- I've known for a long time that visualizing my audience can be helpful when I'm working on a story. Since I'm writing REVENGE OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR for eight-to-twelve-year-olds, it made sense to visualize someone in that age bracket....
Last May I spoke at the
3/8/10 -- Last May I spoke at the International School of Curitiba in Brazil. It was a short trip -- only 48 hours in the country -- but a great experience. Now, ten months later, I've heard from one of the students there, Lucas. He wrote: "When y...
After a fun trip to South
3/4/10 -- After a fun trip to South Carolina (family reunion) and Alabama (school visit at South Shades Crest Elementary in Hoover), I'm back in Oregon until March 19, when I travel to Israel to speak at the International School in Tel Aviv. Shoul...
I'm at the Charleston, SC
2/28/10 -- I'm at the Charleston, SC airport. Spent the weekend at a family reunion. Really fun to reconnect with everyone, and squeeze in a nice hike in the low country woods -- Spanish moss and palmetto trees, so different than my Northwest fore...
The entire family kicked in
2/22/10 -- The entire family kicked in to help Kelsey move to a new apartment in Portland on Saturday, then Debbie and I hit the ski slopes with friends on Sunday. From the photo you can see that we've all been watching the Olympics, and are in ou...
It's always great to hear
2/19/10 -- It's always great to hear from readers. One, a Missouri fourth grader named Ryley, says I remind her of Henry Winkler of Happy Days fame. (For those who don't know, Happy Days was a very popular TV show from 1974 to 1984. Henry Winkler ...
A beautiful, sunny afternoon,
2/17/10 -- A beautiful, sunny afternoon, temperature approaching 60, daffodils and plum trees starting to bloom. Hmmm . . . Sometimes the best thing you can do for your writing is take a break, clear the cobwebs from the mind, refresh the spirit, ...
After a great weekend, I'm
2/15/10 -- After a great weekend, I'm back in the driver's seat:Regardless of where you write -- school, home office, at the kitchen table, in a coffee shop, or even under a bridge -- this is the place that we, as writers, create the universe know...
I'm off to the mountains for
2/12/10 -- I'm off to the mountains for the weekend with friends, and my wonderful wife, Debbie -- who has put up with me for 35 years, and I love dearly. Skiing, both downhill and cross country, is on the agenda, as is good times around the wood ...