Ten Minutes in a Sound Studio

This is a picture of a vocal booth that I was in for all of ten minutes this morning. Was I recording some cabaret songs? Fly Me to the Moon perhaps? No - that dream has faded, although my torched alter-ego Venus de Velcro/Tallulah Trip is still deep in my sub-conscious. Writing a memoir perhaps? (Ms. Venus was content with the leopard print chair the sound studio provided.)

Instead I was recorded reading the introduction I wrote for Madeleine L'Engle's And Both Were Young.

I read through it twice: the first time, rushing through, trying to complete each sentence on a breath. Too fast. The second time, I slowed down and found a more suitable rhythm.

Rebecca Waugh and company were in the other room, sending good reading mojo.

Rebecca is the . . . how do you say? Acquisitor, Acquisitionist, ah, what the hey, the Editor at Random House's Listening Library (audio books). My fabulous agent, Edward Necarsulmer, had put EDGES into her hands at the kidlit conference in Bologna, where she pre-empted the audio rights and thus began our mutual affection for each other.

Rebecca had emailed this proposal to me:

First, in looking at the galley of AND BOTH WERE YOUNG, I realized that you wrote an introduction for it. We’d love to have you read it for the audio if you have the time! The producer says we need to record sometime before the end of August, so whenever you’re available in New York over the next two months, let me know and we’ll arrange it. I was also thinking this would be a perfect time for us to get together for pinkberry.

The answer was never going to be anything but yes, because:

1) I love my Gran and this book - it's an honor to do anything associated with her,

2) Rebecca is a kindred spirit, and

3) I LOVE Pinkberry!

The weather wasn't too sweltering, so we decided to walk uptown from 45th Street for our pilgrimage, only to be thwarted, finding the Pinkberry closed! And the Starbucks kitty corner was too crowded. So we did what any two sweet-tooth, lit loving gals in the city would do: we went to Dean and DeLuca's at Borders Books and shared a chocolate doughnut. Our beverage of choice was the very attractive GINGER gingerale.

"This is our special drink, Rebecca," I said.

"Yeah, GINGER is where it's at: Pinkberry can stuff it!"

After all, it's the company one keeps that's more important. What do you think Ms. Venus/Tallulah? (I know you're there somewhere!)

Waiting for Edges with Beth Potter

"It seems as if we have to wait forever for EDGES to come out," Beth said after a brief lull in conversation, over our afternoon "cocktail" of Pinkberry (frozen yogurt) and fruit. It was literally 100 degrees or more yesterday in NYC, and we were wilting.

I hadn't seen or talked to Beth in a while and had missed her. She had been assistant editor to Margaret Ferguson, my editor at Farrar, Straus, Giroux (FSG) and walked me through much of the "publishing" process. (Including changing the title, but I'll leave that story for another post!)

It was time to ask Beth out on a Pinkberry date. (As you would too, if you knew her!)

EDGES, although she has not made her debut in the world, has been "finished" for many months, waiting patiently for her corsage and introductions this coming December. (Beth admitted that EDGES was as ready as the books coming out in August are *but* everything has a time-line.)

We had been talking about our lives outside of EDGES and FSG. My moving, her apartment hunting, my writing projects, and Beth's new job. She was promoted to full-time editor a few months ago. Go, Beth!

". . . WE have to wait forever . . ."

I love how she says "we" - she's got my back. She believes in EDGES. Things will start to happen soon - ARCs will go out, EDGES will be reviewed and I'll start getting nervous, my baby will be out there in the world - will she be able to stand on her own two feet? Will she make friends?

At any rate, I'm so grateful to have Beth in my (and EDGES) corner! We'll just have to see about the rest . . . and keep reading and writing!

(Psssst. Another Pinkberry date tomorrow with someone special!)

(How do you like my abuse of parentheses tonight?)