Hilarious Video and BEA 2009 Trip Report (part 3)

Click here to read part one and part two.

Before I get started with part three of my trip report, I absolutely must stop to share with you this youtube video. If you grew up in the 80s watching music videos, or even if you didn't, you are going to piss yourself laughing when you watch this. Via Keith DeCandido via Ellen Kushner, I present to you:

Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literal Video Version



Once you've picked yourself off the floor and composed yourself, please do read on...

Part Three: Friday Night at BEA

Loaded down with books, I waddled myself over to the shuttle buses in order to wend my way to the Brooklyn Marriott for the ABC (Association of Booksellers for Children) Not-A-Dinner and art auction. I love this event. I also loved this year's format for the event which eliminated the sit-down dinner and instead had lots more time for mingling. Sit-down dinners (at least those without assigned seating) stress me out because they're way too much like being in middle school at cafeteria time and wondering if there will be a seat left at the table with your friends. No one should ever have to relive middle school cafeteria. Or gym class on dodge ball days. Or chem class where the teacher thinks it would be "fun" for all of you to wear lab goggles and sing the Elements song by Tom Lehrer at assembly in front of the entire school... But I digress.

I rode in the bus with Betsy Mitchell and Maryrose Wood and had a great time talking with them. I then hung out at the hotel bar with Holly Black, Scott Westerfeld, Lucille Rettino, Bethany Buck, Anne Zafian, and others. After that, I joined Laini Taylor and Jim di Bartolo to watch the keynote speeches. Shannon Hale was witty and charming as the master of ceremonies, and Katherine Paterson and Mike Lupica also gave very entertaining speeches. I laughed; I cried; it was better than Cats.

Seriously, I did tear up during Shannon's speech. She talked about achieving the impossible dream of becoming a writer. As many of you know, I've wanted to be a writer since I was ten years old, so her speech really hit home.

After the talks, I had a lovely time touring the art show with Anne Zafian of Simon & Schuster. I also met Justin and Colleen Chanda, as well as Jon Scieszka. And I got my hair caught on Ally Carter's earring. It took, like, five minutes and three people to disentangle us.

I then made a beeline for the food because I am all about food. I define places by their food. NYC is good tomato soup. Boston is bread bowls. Las Vegas is shrimp cocktail. Orlando is buffalo steak. Texas, fried catfish. Cape Cod, lobster. Anyway, in addition to attacking the food, I also talked to lots of fabulous people, such as Gordon Korman, Kate Schafer Testerman, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Oliver, Lisa Greenwald, Elise Broach (who won the EB White Award that night -- congrats, Elise!), Greg Neri, Aprilynne Pike, and a slew of others.

Afterwards, Laini Taylor, Jim di Bartolo, and I shared the world's slowest cab ride back to Manhattan. (Not that I minded since I was in good company.) I stopped in on Betsy Bird and Cheryl Klein's Kidlit Drinks Night. Saw Betsy, Cheryl, MotherReader, Rebecca Stead, and Molly O'Neill, and then had to book it (no pun intended) out of there to catch the last train back to Long Island.

Coming soon: Part four of my BEA Trip Report: Saturday