I'm just back from visiting Smallwood Drive and Windermere Boulevard schools in Amherst, New York (think Buffalo). What dedicated teachers and wonderful children! It was a delightful four days with hostesses Freda Orosz and Nancy Kane, inspite of snow, wind, rain, sleet, cold, ice, and cloudy skies. Everyone made me feel so welcome and very much like a "star." As a bonus, I came home with a couple of mementos of Buffalo (a lovely tie and a crystal ornament) and a recipe for a delicious spinach/strawberry salad that I'm looking forward to trying out on my friends. Of course, I was there when the Spitzer affair made the news, and that was quite fun to talk about (with the teachers, people, not the students). And, of course, now there's Patterson and his wife. Politics is so salacious these days; it makes me happy I didn't follow my parents' advice to enter politics!

I knocked out some captions for the illustrations in my book about Booker T. Washington, due out in 2009. The book layout is fantastic and looks rich. My editor, Joyce Stanton, is a gem. If ever you have the opportunity to work with her, jump at it.

It is time to dig into the next major art piece, a book tentatively titled Birmingham Sunday. I've been researching like crazy, spending a lot of time in Birmingham. But all good things must come to an end--and the real work of writing must begin. (Especially if I'm going to meet my June 1 deadline.) It looks as if I'll be alternating between Sunday and a chapter book mystery for a while. We'll see where it all leads. Interestingly, after several weeks in Birmingham, y'all seems to have crept into my vocabulary.

Also, I finally raised my school visit fees. My Smallwood Drive librarian informed me that I was selling myself short by not charging what everyone else is charging. I give more; I charge less. There's something strange with that picture, but true to the Brimner investment strategy of buying high and selling low. So after thinking it over, I raised my school visit fees but will also continue to cover my own transportation and lodging when schools book me for four days or longer. That seems fair to me. The truth is that with airfares on the rise and hotels following suit, I was just barely covering my expenses. I've tried to keep my fees reasonable so that more schools and children would be able to experience an author visit, but it's time for a readjustment. The 2008-2009 fee schedule is posted on my "Programs" page.

Off to a South of the Gila Gang meeting of writers.