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Yikes! How did February get here so fast? Guess I was too busy brainstorming new ideas for possible picture books and a novel. I hardly noticed the passing of time! I put it to good use, though. I finished one picture book poetry text, plus laid the foundation for a new novel-in-verse. Both are with a publisher, awaiting a decision. (Say yes! Say yes!). No sense in twiddling my thumbs while I wait, so I read and responded to tons of fan mail from Delaware and Oklahoma, and answered online questions about race issues in publishing for a class at St. Mary's College of California. The students offered some provocative questions, which kept me on my toes. A Skype visit had been planned, but my laptop was sick and wouldn't comply! Sigh. I discovered, through Facebook, that Abdo Publishing has released a new biography of me called (wait for it), Nikki Grimes. I posted a new blog titled "The Color of Character," which sparked more than a few interesting responses. Take a look. Received the catalog featuring Halfway to Perfect, my new Dyamonde Daniel Book, which will be out in July. Then, drum roll please: I celebrated Planet Middle School's nomination for the NAACP Image Award. Yay! The winner will be announced on February 17th. I won that award for my biography of Barack Obama two years ago. Don't know if I'll win again, but it is definitely an honor to be nominated! I spoke to the women of Soroptimist International, a local woman's group focused on programs that encourage young girls to be all they can be. What did I talk about? A few of the powerful female characters starring in my books, and the importance of offering strong literary models to young female readers. There's nothing like practicing living in the present, but I rarely have that luxury. January saw me scheduling school visits for February, as well as conferences for April and November. March is still a question mark, but we'll see! On the visual art side of things, I completed preliminary sketches of a work of art for an exhibit opening on Easter Sunday. Drawing is always scarier for me than writing because I don't do it as often, nor have I done it for as long. That's half the reason I do it. I like the challenge! Whether I'm penning poetry, bearing my heart in a blog, or delving into the wonderful world of drawing, there is never a dull moment in this life of mine! But then, why should any one of us be bored? We all have dreams to pursue, so let's get busy!
From Nikki's Journal Dreams follow me |
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