Tomorrow night, I’m going to a CLN event with Allyn Johnston, who recently moved from Harcourt to Simon & Schuster. Well, OK, I’m not going with her. She is the event, rather. CLN is holding A Conversation With… event, where a special guest makes a few comments and then takes questions. This goes on for about an hour, and the audience is small, about 40 people. Then everyone eats dinner and circulates, and hopefully gets to exchange a few words with the guest of honor.
I heard Allyn Johnston speak at SCBWI L.A. in 2007 and was so impressed! Boy, would I like to work with her someday. Don’t get me wrong. I would be completely thrilled to have my extra-wonderful editor at Clarion, Jennifer Wingertzahn, accept and edit every one of my manuscripts. But that’s not the way it works, unfortunately. She has rejected one and I’m sure more will be rejected down the road. And in the way of the publishing world today, if you want to have a career as a children’s writer, you will most likely need to work with several editors at several publishers. So, um, can I put my name in the drawing for working with Allyn Johnston on some project? For instance, perhaps a recent project rejected by Clarion? Just an idea.
Anyway, today I’m picking up an armload of books edited by Johnston, and I’m trying to find more poetry books. I’ve got Hummingbird Nest, by Kristine O’Connell George, and severa Douglas Florian books that I think (but am not sure) she edited. Anybody know of any other poetry books she’s edited?
And now, off to work! I was up way too late last night at a Minnesota Twins game (we won!), and then watching back American Idol. I’ve got to go wake up…