Boskone 2008 Trip Report

Sometimes I'm attacked by shyness. When this happens, I feel like I'm trapped inside a Meow Mix commercial. I look inside my brain for something witty, intelligent, or at least semi-articulate to say, and my brain supplies me with, "Meow-meow-meow meow, meow-meow-meow meow."

So not helpful.

But I've wanted to be a writer for so long that I'm determined not to let the shyness win at book events. I force myself to be brave enough to let the real Sarah out. The real Sarah loves people -- she loves meeting people, talking to people, hearing their stories. The real Sarah gets giddy over fantasy books and marine mammals and rosy sunsets and chocolate-covered raisins. The real Sarah sings silly songs off-pitch with little provocation and isn't afraid to talk in public about how much writing means to her.

The real Sarah was in attendance at Boskone this past weekend. Boskone is a Boston-area science fiction and fantasy convention, and it is one of my favorites because it's attended by three YA powerhouses: Bruce Coville, Tamora Pierce, and Jane Yolen. I adore this trio. They write life-shaping books, and they are all brilliant and funny and kind. And I was mildly petrified (and incredibly excited) because I was scheduled on programming with them!

Here's photographic proof:

Me, on a panel with amazing people

I loved every one of my authorly events this weekend. I was on a total of four panels. My favorite was "The Works of Bruce Coville" with Tamora Pierce, Jane Yolen, and Mary Ellen Wessels. We each had a microphone for this panel, and I commented that we could be a barbershop quartet. So naturally, we all picked up our microphones and started to sing. Jane took melody, "Bru-u-u-ce Coville, Brucey-baby." I did the do-wop. I think that was my favorite panel ever.

And after the panel, I got to chat with two terrific girls who had been sitting in the front row. And one of them was holding a copy of my book! Their mom was nice enough to take a picture of the three of us:


Sunday morning was also awesome because I was on the "YA Novel" panel with Tammy, Bruce, Jane, and Stephen Fisher. I was just so giddy to be on that panel that light nearly started beaming out of my curls.

Me, so excited that my brain nearly exploded

After the YA Novel panel (aka the Panel of Awesome Delight), I had my kaffeeklatsch. A kaffeeklatsch is a meet-the-author event where you can sign up to sit at a table and chat with an author for an hour. Maximum sign-up is ten. I'd been a bit worried that no one would sign up and I'd be sitting by myself talking to the tablecloth!

But I had ten. A completely full kaffeeklatsch!!!

I was so thrilled that I nearly hugged them all. (I admit it: I'm a hugger.) After the kaffeeklatsch, I did a reading from Out of the Wild, and that was super-fun. This is my new book, coming out in June, and I'd only read from it once before (at World Fantasy Convention). But everyone laughed at all the appropriate places, so that made me very happy.

I also had lots of great conversations with super-awesome people in between my authorly events (and also on the train ride home). I won't list them all here for fear I'll forget someone, but if you're one of those people... hello! I loved talking with you! Hope to see you again soon!