Yesterday Was National Treat Your Dog Day, so I Brought Karal to Play with Rico in Between Events & She Was Served a Treat.

Yesterday was rather productive, I suppose, if there is such a thing. I got much done by noon, wanted to walk the dog, headed to campus for the anniversary of working at Fairfield. They do them in fives and it was year 15 for me. Ate too much fried food and regretted it later. I also got the 10th Anniversary Dear Martin book by Nic Stone. I knew I signed permission to use the piece in the new release, but I only expected it to be a tiny little photo...not a whole page. I am truly honored as the art piece was a recreation of the cover with a collage with lines from my students' essays. They chose their favorite part of their essay, got a shape to trace on it, only to be cut out and put into a puzzle that recreated the cover. We late painted it with water color. 

True Story: Pam Kelly painted it for us, because she has the talent. 

We gifted it to Nic Stone during StoryFest the first year we ran it. 2018. Phew. Time. Now the artwork is in the New York Time's #1 Selling Book. Unbelievable...and aligned with Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and John Green's appreciation for its brilliance, too. Sort of Charlie-gets-a-Gobstopper moment for me. 

I also brought Karal to play with Rico because I had a book reading I needed to attend, but wanted to 'treat her well' out of the name of the national holiday. That was fun. Got a slice of pizza and the canine got a bowl of ice cream with a biscuit (and look, I showed Pam her artwork made a deluxe edition.

Later, I attended a local poetry reading sponsored by Lordship House held at Obodo Serendipity books. The poet was good and, it turned out, attended the San Diego Writing Project where she was inspired to write with her students. Now she's a book consultant and does readings across the nation. That's the power of the project (and I wasn't expecting it at a random, local reading). 

Today, I'm off to the New England Association of Teachers of English conference at Eastern Connecticut University. I'm going to support CWP teacher leaders presenting and to see a new campus in the nutmeg state. It's a blue-sky morning, so I look forward to the changing leaves on the drive there. Tomorrow, I present with other teachers. 

Here we go again.