Weekend Digest

It tracks with the state of the world that it felt like spring yesterday, but snowed today; an easy travel day was decidedly not; and I forgot to pack mandarins so we ate dry airport lounge oranges.

Billie and I have had a doozy of a travel day on our way to Arizona for the Tucson Festival of Books, the best place to be a book lover in the US (but don’t take my word for it). This year, I’ll be chatting with Tracy Clark, Craig Johnson (maybe you’ve seen Longmire?), and William Kent Krueger about their most recent books (Edge, Apostle’s Cove, and Return to Sender) and how great it feels to be in warm weather coming from colder climates. Billie is planning to track down R.L. Stine to chat all things Goosebumps and, likely some questions about why Jack Black plays him and he plays Jack Black in the movie and will be thrilled that there is a session dedicated to the Warriors graphic novels with the creators. We will eat Eegee’s, tamales, take a dip in an outdoor pool (because ninety degrees), and tote around a clear bag ala a sporting event or concert. Of course, we will hang with the many members of our extended family who make the annual pilgrimage and friends who are also authors (e.g., Jacob Soboroff and Firestorm).

If we were in NYC, Billie would be making corded phone calls to her tin can friends (and fielding them from family) and screenprinting band t-shirts at the Cooper Hewitt. We get back Sunday and will grab dinner at Shuka (our favorite Shukette’s older sister), maybe we will spot Harry Styles (better than Timothee Chalamet), and we have to book spring break as it’s creeping closer (Belize? Costa Rica? Italy? suggestions?).

Have a wonderful weekend.