I have just returned from a Boston area book tour + illustrator's conference. It was an "all my favorite things" trip! Highlights:
Serving as a judge in the excellent phenomenon known as Literary Death Match:
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| My dear friend and EVP of Literary Death Match Boston, Kirsten Sims, on left |
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| I'm the one sitting. |
Visiting the Cambridge Community Center (Photos by Kirsten Sims)
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| reading Percy and TumTum |
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| Group drawing! |
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| They were so game. |
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| New best friends. |
...had a fine time at very cool establishment
Tres Gatos in Jamaica Plain, MA.
and was honored to kick off the
Friday Morning Storytime series at Curious George Bookstore in Harvard Square!
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| photo courtesy of Kirsten Sims |
The Danforth Museum invited me to come and chat about an event for mid-July. This year I participated in
The Giving Tree Project, a unique exhibition in support of children’s literacy. I was overjoyed to see my artwork displayed in the entrance of the museum store. The Danforth is a gem of a place. They have a fantastic collection curated by very clever and warm staff members. A lovely time.
Isy Mekler, the genius behind the Giving Tree Project. My tree is the pink one on the left.
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| (Photo credit: Yoon S. Byun/globe staff ) |
The biggest event was ICON7, the illustrator's conference, in my old college home of Providence, RI. Eighty-four hours of illustration presentations, advice, discussion, inspiration in one of my absolute favorite places in the world. I loved every single minute of it. So much fantastic work!
And I'm psyched about all the cool new buddies I met.
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| The auditorium. Art by Chris Buzelli. |
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| Paul Sahre and Brian Rea discussing their recent collaboration, Malcolm Gladwell Collected. |
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| Bacon, pâté, Lingonberries, mesclun and cucumbers on brioche. |
Sleeping on couches and in guest rooms for 14 nights made me feel like some kind of touring musician, which is cool because there was a time when I really did want to be a rock star and actually played in a band which opened for the *brag alert* Arcade Fire before they were anybody. I forgot the lyrics mid-song and sang the same verse twice. Fortunately no chords were bungled. That would have been worse.
I have no photo documentation because cameras were not invented yet. It was that long ago.
I am so glad to be home. I am so glad to be glad. Seeya later!
