NYPL Reading

Two very cool things to report:

1) I just found out that I will be doing a reading at the Tompkins Square Branch of the New York Public Library on July 11, 2007. (Yes, yes, I know it's ages away. I promise I'll announce events again closer to their actual dates.) It will be part of a Teen Author Reading Night, hosted by Scholastic editor and YA author David Levithan.

David announced the roster for upcoming readings at last night's Teen Author Reading Night. I was so excited to hear my name mentioned that I kind of forgot to listen to the other names for that night. (Yeah, I'm a doofus.) I believe Sarah Mlynowski (author of Bras and Broomsticks) will be reading that night as well, and I think Robyn Schneider (author of Better Than Yesterday) too. I'll add all the names to my Appearances page once I'm certain.

These events are flush with MG/YA authors. At last night's event, there were 7-8 authors (including fellow 2k7er Cassandra Clare) reading -- all of whom were fabulous -- and at least that many of us in the audience. We filled up almost an entire row. (I'm happy to report that John Green is out of the hospital and says he's fine and that Maureen Johnson carries her FREE MONKEY with her everywhere.) Anyway, if you'd like to see MG/YA authors in their natural habitat (a.k.a. a library), I definitely recommend attending one of these.

2) The second cool thing to report is that someone somewhere makes caution cones that talk. I discovered this in Penn Station last night. I walked in the door, headed for the escalator, passed an ordinary-looking caution cone like the one pictured below.

I swear it talked to me.

And the caution cone said to me, "Warning! Floor may be wet! Proceed with caution!"

I thought this was very nice of it. I like it when inanimate objects look out for my safety. I proceeded with caution, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Oh, sidenote here: the company that makes the cones pictured above is called "Unicorn Chemicals." This name amuses me nearly as much as the talking caution cone itself. I keep picturing a laboratory filled with unicorns in lab coats...

Google Images has failed to supply me with a photo of a unicorn in a lab coat, so I'll have to leave you with my favorite insane unicorn picture.

Don't let this unicorn in your lab.