Katrina's Aftermath

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Dear Friends:

It has been another eventful day watching the news and trying to get hold of friends and family.

The situation in New Orleans is dire. Today, efforts to repair a broken levee failed and water is once again spilling into the "bowl" we call New Orleans. Mayor Nagin says that he expects the water to rise perhaps another 15 feet. Massive rescue efforts are underway, scooping people off rooftops and freeing them from attic death traps. We received a report that the prisoners have taken over Orleans Parish Prison. There are now about 30,000 in the Superdome, all without life's basic necessities - food, water, power, sewerage. It's like a war zone. Alligators, snakes, and rats are a problem. There is no gasoline between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

My husband receives periodic updates on his Blackberry from his boss on conditions at his work. Antonio is head of parking at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. LSUHSC had 2 feet of water outside yesterday. This morning, there was 6 feet of water outside and it was rising. The water began flowing into the buildings, shutting off the emergency generators.

The problem New Orleans is having is that the pumps are not working (they are submerged) and they have no way of pumping the water out. In addition, they are having a difficult time keeping more water from spilling into the city because of breaches and breaks in the levee. 80% of New Orleans and surrounding areas is under water.

The police and rescue workers have to spray themselves with Deet to protect themselves from the ravaging mosquitoes. It will be weeks, maybe months before we can get back to our homes. Marshall law is in effect and no one is being allowed into the city right now. Mayor Nagin said that our children will not be able to return to school until December, at the earliest, and that is an optimistic estimate.

My children are having a difficult time dealing with this disaster. My five year old cries and "just wants to go home." My 15 year-old had a major breakdown yesterday - reality just hit her. She has been unable to get in touch with many of her friends and she is frantic.

Everytime we hear another report of bad news, we wonder if it can get any worse! This is the worst natural disaster to occur in the U.S.

I wonder if our fair city will ever return to its former glory...

BUT -

Out of terrible tragedy comes extraordinary acts of kindness. Personally, storytellers from all over the country have offered words of comfort and aid. The response has been overwhelming. I have been trying to answer each individual email and I apologize if I missed you. So, from the bottom of my heart -- THANK YOU!

Until next time...

The Wrath of Killer Katrina
Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Friends:

Hurricane Katrina barreled into the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, raging at 155 mph. This made her a strong Category 4 storm. A Category 5 is 156 mph+. Fortunately, Katrina slowed down from a catastrophic 175 mph and we were relieved that she weakened.

My family and I were glued to the TV the entire day. My mom and I woke up at 4 a.m. to watch Katrina’s landfall. She made her official touch down at 6:10 a.m. CDT. I was in awe of the sheer power of her wrath. She began her upward climb into Louisiana slightly west of Grand Isle, which is located in South East Louisiana, directly on the Gulf Coast. Grand Isle is a fishing community and everyone evacuated save 4 residents who thought they could “ride out the storm because they went through Camille and Betsy.”

Making a slight Easterly turn, Katrina continued to move inland, thrashing trees, mowing down power lines, and leaving a path of devastation. The eye wall passed just west of downtown New Orleans, sparing the city from the worst devastation. Her winds ripped a portion off the roof of the Superdome, which was the temporary home of 10,000 stranded residents. She was not as kind to surrounding areas. Her winds caused massive storm surges and water poured into other parts of Metropolitan New Orleans (Kenner, Metairie, New Orleans East, St. Bernard Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and the West Bank [where I live]). Half of New Orleans is drowning under water.

We have several family members who, because of their jobs or circumstances, had to stay behind. My husband's Aunt Fefe stayed at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office because her son is Sheriff Harry Lee's right hand man. The roof of the Sheriff's office blew off and she informed us that where we live, things are very bad. The street that leads to my house is a river. My neighborhood is completely flooded. We were told that we would not be able to return home for four to six weeks. There is no way into the city. More than a million homes are without power, water, and gas. The major roadways are closed. Although New Orleans avoided a direct hit, the damage is nonetheless devastating. We watched New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin urge people to stay out of New Orleans as damage assessment, relief efforts, clean-up and restoration begins.

My husband's Uncle Danny is with the New Orleans Police Department. He trains dogs and will be using them to search for bodies trapped in houses. East New Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes have severe flooding and we were told that bodies are floating and people who opted to stay had to bust through their roofs to escape rising waters. The National Guard is setting up temporary morgues to house the dead. The Twin Span, two bridges that connect New Orleans to Slidell (on I-10), is completely decimated.

Antonio's other uncle, Sherwin, is with the New Orleans Fire Department. He is busy rescuing stranded people. He has been asking residents with boats who stayed behind to lend their boats to the rescue cause. My brother's ex-wife (we have their four kids with us) has a house in St. Bernard Parish and it is likely that her house is submerged. In addition, we also have friends who live in on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. They received a direct hit from Katrina and have been devastated.

Experiencing a storm like this left me humbled. There is nothing more powerful than Mother Nature. No matter how strong your house is, all it takes is one natural disaster to bring it down.

A great challenge lies ahead. Because of the standing water, disease-carrying mosquitoes will be an issue. We also face a massive clean-up effort, the filing of insurance claims, and bringing our children back up to speed in school because of all the school they will miss. Hurricane Katrina is our Tsunami and I hope that communities will come together in the relief effort.

There is always beauty behind tragedy. Although I may have lost everything I own, I rejoice in the fact that I have my family with me. I have my computer and can restore my business. My Auntie Erlie and her husband are leaving for the Philippines for six months and have offered their house in Houston to us for as long as we need it. I have a community of storyteller friends who have offered to help us out in any way possible.

Don’t think that Katrina stomped on my spirit. I am more determined than ever to rise above the rising waters. May God continue to watch over us, fortify us, and provide for us in the days ahead.

Until next time…

Fleeing from Hurricane Katrina

Monday, August 29, 2005

Note from Dianne: I am having trouble uploading pictures at this time. I will try later.

Upon hearing the likelihood that Hurricane Katrina was headed for New Orleans and surrounding areas, my family and I made the decision to leave. Houston, Texas became our destination of choice. We poured over a U.S. Atlas, comparing the safety factor of several different cities. At first, we made reservations at a hotel in Memphis, Texas. But then, we saw the projected path and decided that Memphis was not the best choice as it was likely the storm would travel north to that area. So we called Hotels.com and cancelled our reservations and they helped us make reservations for four rooms at America’s Best Value Inn in Humble, Texas.

I scurried around the house, stuffing a week’s worth of clothes for my children and me into one suitcase. My in-laws were traveling with us and we had limited space. I gathered our vital records and important documents, and packed items of importance from my office. We parked our Nissan Sentra in the garage and after my in-laws arrived, crammed our belongings into my Plymouth Voyager. We were caravanning with my brother and his four children (he has a Crown Victoria) and my parents (they have an SUV). We left around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 27, 2005. My thought was that if we drove in the middle of the night, we would avoid the major traffic jams and congestion that was inevitable on Sunday, when people woke up realized that they really had to leave. It later turned out to be the wise decision.

We live on the West Bank in Jefferson Parish, which is located across the Mississippi from New Orleans. At that point, our parish president had called for a voluntary evacuation. We traveled across the Crescent City Connection with no problems. The tolls had been lifted. Slowing occurred as the vehicles approached the Contra Flow. All incoming lanes of traffic were converted into outgoing lanes to ease the congestion for a smoother evacuation. It took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to arrive in Baton Rouge (normally 1 hour and 30 minutes) so we were happy. Traffic continued to flow smoothly and we made it to Houston in less than 7 hours. Considering the amount of cars on the road and the few stops we made, 7 hours was good time. Because we traveled in the wee hours, the kids slept through most of the night so we didn’t have that “Are we there yet?” and backseat battles most families endure when they travel.

Last year, when we evacuated for Ivan, it took us 14 hours to arrive in Houston. My parents and brother left two hours behind us and it took them 20 hours to travel to Austin Texas (normally a 9 hour drive). Having learned the hard way, this time, we planned a more orderly family evacuation, keeping all of us together. Unfortunately, our hotel reservations were for Sunday night and we needed a place to rest. My mom called one of her best friends, Erlie, who lives in Sugarland, Texas, just outside of Houston. Auntie Erlie invited us to rest at her house. After getting lost due to Houston road construction, we finally made it to Auntie Erlie’s house, weary but relieved.

After arriving, Auntie Erlie (she and my mom went to high school together on a small island in the Philippines and are very close) insisted that we stay with her. There are 14 of us altogether and my mom did not want to impose. Auntie Erlie said that is what “family” is for and she extolled the virtues of her big house. She said she had a place for everyone to sleep. Being stubborn, my mom declined the invitation at first.

Then my mother-in-law received a call from her sister. A mandatory evacuation had been called for New Orleans for the first time in history. She and her family were traveling to Texas but had no hotel. It was our chance to help. My mom knew what she had to do. We accepted Auntie Erlie’s invitation and gave up our rooms for my husband’s family. We went to breakfast at Golden Corral and when we returned to Auntie Erlie’s house, we watched hurricane coverage on the weather channel and CNN, anxious to track the raging storm. Auntie Erlie and her husband, Jim, have high speed Internet. Through the Internet, we were also able to watch streaming video live coverage from our local news stations, WWL-TV and WDSU in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina went from a strong category 4 (sustained winds of 131 to 155) to an intense category 5 (sustained winds of 155+), thrashing angrily at 175 mph.

Auntie Erlie fortified us with a feast of home-cooked Filipino food – chicken adobo (chicken in a brown gravy made with garlic and vinegar), lechon (roasted pork), crabs boiled in coconut milk, roasted beef brisket, lumpia (Filipino eggroll), rice, and cassava cake (made with cassava, coconut, and jackfruit).

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, and President George W. Bush all urged people to consider their families and their lives and leave the New Orleans area. Nine parishes called for mandatory evacuations and we continued to pray for our friends and family who were still caught on the road or who decided to stay behind (out of sheer folly, in my opinion). Antonio’s stubborn uncle, disabled in a wheel chair, decided to stay behind and chained his doors so that the authorities could not remove him from his house. We are scared out of our minds for his safety.

We have been glued to the TV screen and watched thousands of people line up outside the Superdome, waiting to get in to escape the wrath of the hurricane. Authorities estimate loss of life in the several thousands because of a possible 30 ft. storm surge. New Orleans is a bowl and collects water faster than a bathtub. Experts also warn that this may be the most devastating natural event to have ever occurred in the United States. We have many friends and family with whom we cannot get in touch because all circuits are busy. Please pray for all the people who have been left behind.

Worse case scenario says that we may be under water for months. It seems Katrina is the big one we have all been fearing. My brother compared satellite imagery of our houses to the hurricane’s projected path and it appears that the eye wall will pass directly over our houses. The eye is 35 miles wide. Katrina is slated to hit early Monday morning and we wait with baited breath. If New Orleans gets hit, it is likely my website (http://www.storyconnection.net) will be down as my host is a New Orleans based company. I may also experience trouble with my email.

The pictures you see are of the front of my house and the inside of my office. If we lose our house (likely with a direct hit), we can always rebuild. What's important is that I have what matters most - my family. We also have the kindness of my aunt, who says that we can stay in her house as long as we need. It is good to be inside the comfort of a beautiful house surrounded by the laughter of five small children (my brother’s four children and my five-year-old, Eliana). Please continue to pray for us and all the people in our area who will be affected by this catastrophic storm.

I will keep you updated via my blog. Thank you for reading.

Until next time…

Exploring Monterrey/Carmel/Pacific Grove, California
August 13-14, 2005

Friends:

My friend, Jerry Lima, lives in Pacific Grove, California. Jerry and I went to high school together. I had not seen Jerry in several years – he visited me in New Orleans in 1996 on his way to Atlanta for the Olympics. I had never been to the Carmel area and I was so excited about this part of my trip.

Jerry and his girlfriend, Christine, live in a small cottage just a few blocks from the beach. Pacific Grove, Monterrey, and Carmel are clustered together. Pacific Grove, or “PG” as it is commonly referred to, merges right into Monterrey. Carmel is just five minutes away.

They whisked me to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and afterwards, we had drinks at the Mucky Duck in Monterrey and another bar on the marina (I can’t remember the name). I didn’t realize how chilly it was there! Thank goodness they have heaters in their outdoor spaces! We went back to the house and after a late night of talking and visiting, I faded away around 3:00 a.m.

The next morning, on Saturday, we went out for breakfast in Carmel. I visited Jerry’s office and from his balcony, you can see the ocean. We walked around in Carmel and I bought a polar fleece jacket because I was so cold. Their summer is my winter in New Orleans! Jerry and Christine took me to Carmel Beach. We walked down a tall sand dune to get to the ocean. It was fun walking on the beach – the sand was soo cool. Then I had the big shock. Dipping my toes in the ocean nearly caused me hypothermia! ;) It was soooo cold! As cold as the water was, there were people swimming and they weren’t in wet suits. Wow! When we walked back to the car, it was a long trek through the sand, up the dune. I was breathless when we reached the top. If I walked like that everyday, I would be the picture of physical fitness! After a lunch of gourmet burgers, Jerry took me to the beautiful Mission in Carmel, founded by Junipero Sera.

That afternoon, we went to an art show in Sand City. It was in an art district and we walked to various artists’ studios to view their work. There was some incredible work, including huge metal sculptures and glass pieces. There were bands and food. I bought gourmet olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and chocolate covered berries. The chocolate was mixed with wines like Pinot Grigiot. Mmmm!

We had dinner reservations at an Italian restaurant in Monterrey so we hurried home to get ready. Christine and I told Jerry that he had no choice – we were all going dancing after dinner. Dinner was absolutely delicious. I had bruschetta with the freshest tomatoes, tasty minestrone, and chicken piccatta. I was so full that I passed on dessert, even though there was a death by chocolate cake on the dessert tray. One of the waiters, Margarito, who was from Mexico and spoke little English, took a liking to me. I spoke with him (testing my Spanish) throughout dinner. I wanted to say goodbye to him but he was in the kitchen working when I left. As Jerry, Christine and I walked down the street, I heard a man yelling, “Diana, Diana, Diana!” It was Margarito waving like mad to say goodbye. I waved and told him “Gracias para todo!” (Thank you for everything.)

We went back to the Mucky Duck where we headed for their outdoor patio. On weekends, they play hip hop and dance music. We ordered drinks and I began talking to people around me, making new friends. As the night progressed, the patio became crowded and the music was jammin’. I headed for the dance floor. Later, Christine joined me and we had an awesome time. Everyone was so friendly. I haven’t had that much fun dancing in a long time! We stayed until the bar closed at 2:00 a.m. We headed back to the house where Jerry showed his prowess as a bartender and mixed me my own special drink. We went to bed at 4:00 a.m.

On Sunday, I woke up at 8:30 a.m. After Jerry and Christine woke up, we went to breakfast at a restaurant in California’s first outlet mall. Christine and I were so sore from all the dancing we did! Jerry decided to take us to Santa Cruz. After cruising around trying to find parking for 45 minutes, the perfect spot finally beckoned us. We walked around the carnival and of course, I had to dip my feet in the water at the Santa Cruz Beach. Jerry and I ate fried twinkies covered with chocolate syrup – it was interesting. It didn’t taste bad but I don’t think I will do it again. I mean, how much worse can you get? As if a twinkie by itself isn’t bad enough, you go and fry it!

After Santa Cruz, we headed back to Pacific Grove and went to the beach there. They took me to their bay and the water was so calm. A man was playing with his dog and throwing a tennis ball into the water. The dog would fetch it, swimming into the cold water. It was fun to watch and I marveled at how the dog withstood the temperature of the water.

After a full day on two different beaches, we headed for a Korean restaurant. I had the Woo-Dun, a hot soup with udon noodles. It was just what I needed to warm up.

Jerry and Christine were the most incredible hosts, packing my two days in Carmel with oodles of fun! In the two days I was with them, I was in Pacific Grove, Monterrey, Carmel, Sand City, Davenport, and Santa Cruz!

Unfortunately, I had to leave at 3:00 a.m. to head back to Los Angeles. I had to get back in time to return my rental car and catch my flight. I can’t wait for Jerry and Christine to visit New Orleans. It’ll be hard to match their hospitality but I sure will try. My guest room is ready…

Until next time…

Warmly,
Dianne de Las Casas

Visiting Lemoore, California & Driving the Pacific Coast Highway
August 12, 2005

I left Los Angeles early in the morning and made it out of L.A. with no traffic problems! I cruised through the mountains and took Interstate 5 to Lemoore, California, located off Highway 41. I made good time and rolled into Lemoore in 3 ½ hours. My reason for visiting Lemoore was two-fold. First and most importantly, I wanted to visit Karleen Good, my 7th and 8th grade English teacher. She is one of the most inspiring people in my life and one of the reasons I am a storyteller and author. I have a dedication to her in my first CD, Jambalaya. My second reason was to visit my old high school, Lemoore High.

I was scheduled to have lunch with Mrs. Good at 12:00 p.m. and I arrived in Lemoore at 10:30 a.m. Since I had time, I figured it would be good to visit my old high school. Driving up to the high school was eerie. The school has grown. It’s as beautiful as ever with Spanish style and a gorgeous red Spanish tile roof. I walked around and took a few pictures. I chatted with some students who were there for orientation. My favorite history teacher, Anthony Nunes, still teaches there. I said hello to Kathy Palermo, who was the drama teacher when I was there.

After reminiscing and touring Lemoore High School, I drove to Mrs. Good’s house, which was just a few blocks from the school. She loves cats and rescues strays, giving them shots and finding them homes when she can. She has such a kind heart. She lives in a beautiful house and drives the coolest yellow Mustang, which she had when she was teaching me!

We met her husband, Rick, at the Vineyard Inn and had lunch. It was so good to visit with them. We drove back to her house and I could only stay a few minutes more as I had to get back on the road. My goal was to make it to Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, with enough time to drive the windy road in daylight. Mrs. Good loaded me with a cold diet pepsi and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies for my trip. I really enjoyed my visit!

I made good time until I hit Paso Robles on Highway 46. There was such a bottleneck of traffic there. I really enjoyed driving through the mountains and past the vineyards. It’s too bad I didn’t have time to stop – there were so many wineries that offered tasting… I loved driving past the Arciero Vineyards. Their vineyard had metallic silver and red strips tied to the vines. They flapped in the breeze like thousands of diamonds shimmering across vast green fields. It was stunning.

At 5:00 p.m., I finally arrived at the Pacific Coast Highway. I was so excited. I had never taken this drive and was as giddy as a little girl at Christmastime. I drove past Hearst Castle and made it to the windy part of the drive. Hugging the mountainside, I drove carefully, gaping in awe at the views. I was so glad I was on the mountainside and not on the water side – I would have driven off the edge staring at the views! It is difficult to put into words how awesome and scary the drive is. There are sheer drop-offs and very small turn-outs. I drove by Big Sur. I stopped at Ragged Rock and had to pay $4/gallon for gas!

I experienced such a range of emotions during the three hours it took me to drive the coastal highway – awe, fear, peace, and exhilaration. It was breathtaking to see the ocean embracing the mountain’s craggy edge. I felt so close to God and to nature. I understand why so many people love coastal California.

I finally made it into Carmel three hours later and drove to my friend, Jerry Lima’s house. Jerry and I went to Lemoore High School together. His uncle is Anthony Nunes, my favorite history teacher. I was spending the weekend with Jerry and his girlfriend, Christine. More on that trip in my next blog.
Until next time…

Warmly,
Dianne de Las Casas

Fun in the Sun at Venice Beach & Malibu
August 10-11, 2005

Following the SCBWI conference, I hung out in L.A. driving all over the place. My friend, Michael D. McCarty (http://www.havemouthwillrunit.com) was performing at the Venice Beach library. Since I was already heading to Venice, it was perfect. I drove to Venice Beach and parked in a paid parking lot. I walked down to the beach and enjoyed dipping my feet in the water.

I have this “thing” for beaches. The beach is absolutely my favorite place in the world. My dream is to retire with a house on the beach, overlooking the water. Wherever I travel, if there is a beach, I have to dip my toes in the water. While in California, I dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean at six different beaches. I guess the beach is in my blood. I was born in the Philippines, a country of 7,000 islands. Nearly all my life, I lived near the beach – the Philippines, Hawaii, and the southern coast of Spain. When I lived in Spain, I used to ride my bicycle down to the beach and collect shark’s teeth. So now you understand my obsession with beaches. It’s just such a place of awe and beauty. The sound of the sea is so soothing to me.

Anyway, I digress. I explored the Venice Beach walk and saw the famous “Muscle Beach” compound. People were rollerblading, skateboarding, and riding bikes. Street vendors lined the walk selling everything from touristy merchandise to beachwear to art and music. I bought a children’s CD from recording artist Lionel Jean Baptiste, “Reggae for Kids.” I watched a gentleman use a magnifying glass to create art, burning a pattern onto wood. A couple danced to street musicians. It reminded me so much of the French Quarter in New Orleans.

After exploring Venice Beach, I headed to the library to see Michael perform. He is such a lively teller. He had the children and grown-ups from the moment he opened his mouth. He told several stories including “The Very Strange Creature,” a folktale from Zimbabwe. Afterwards, I took pictures of Michael by his car, which is covered all over with bumper stickers of every kind. You should see the people stop to read the bumper stickers!

Don’t laugh at me but I had to go to an Ikea store. In New Orleans, we don’t have Ikea and I just had to see what the store was all about. I drove to Carson and a couple hours eating in their bistro and exploring the store. Ikea, come to New Orleans!!

Later that night, I went to The Bridge, a theater complex on Center Drive in the Howard Hughes Center. It’s an incredible theater with theaters that have “Director’s Seating,” where you can make reservations and sit in leather seats. I watched Sky High, a fun movie about a boy and his super hero powers. Watching the movie made me miss my kids so much! Movies in L.A. aren’t cheap! I paid $11 to watch the movie.

The next day, I decided to explore Malibu. I drove up the Pacific Coast Highway and drove to Malibu. The gorgeous, huge houses are built right into the sides of the mountain! I stopped and dipped my toes in the water at the beach. I met a nice family from Dallas, Texas and watched the boys build a sand castle, challenging the water to wash it out.

That night, I had dinner with Michael and his friend, Ken Frawley. We ate at a Chinese restaurant. Afterwards, I was scheduled to tell stories at the Temple Beth Torah in West Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Community Storytellers. The event was organized by Kathleen Zundell. After 15 minutes of open swapping, I told stories for ½ hour. I performed some hula, told a Kamishibai tale “The Magic Pot,” and ended with “Rockin’ Three Billy Goats.” It was fun. After a short break, there was more open swapping and a West Virginia teller (her name escapes me) wowed me with a Maori story. She used mime and movement to tell her story and was unbelievable. The tellers were all so nice and welcoming. It was a great event.

Michael and I headed back to his house. I had to pack for my trip to Carmel the next day. I was visiting an old classmate and leaving early in the morning. I planned to visit my former 7th and 8th grade English teacher in central California and drive up the Pacific Coast Highway all the way to Carmel. I’ll share more about that trip later…

Until next time…

Warmly,
Dianne de Las Casas

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference August 4-8, 2005
Los Angeles, California

Friends:

Friday, August 5, 2005
I attended, for the first time, the SCBWI conference in L.A. at the Westin Century Plaza Hotel. The first item on my agenda was to meet my friend, author Verla Kay. She and I had been corresponding by email for years but had never actually met face to face. I found her at the bookstore serving as the greeter/checker at the entrance. It was such a joyful meeting. I felt like I had known her forever. She became my conference liaison and buddy! In addition, I met Linda Joy Singleton, the YA author of “The Seer” series. Linda and I had also met online. She is so pretty and personable. I also met their roommate, Connie Rico, who is so much fun and a joy to be around. The girls became my “crew” and guided me through the conference and made me an honorary roomie, allowing me to hang out in their room after hours. What fun! The only thing I am bummed about is that I didn’t take a picture with my “girls!” What was I thinking? Oh, I know. I was having too much fun to remember…

Lin Oliver, one of SCBWI’s founders, is the perfect emcee. She is funny and really runs a tight conference. Stephen Mooser, her fellow founder, is the epitome of a gentleman. I really enjoyed getting to know him. The first keynote of the day was Rosemary Wells. She shared her journey into publishing as well as her art techniques. She also challenged writers to join in the fight to get kids to read. Rosemary said, “The child who is read to regularly and often will develop a healthy imagination. That child is getting a big dose of love.”

Next was Graham Salisbury with his keynote, “Diamonds are a Writer’s Best Friend.” He said that “diamonds” are the lessons we learn in life. Graham said, “Diamonds can be found everywhere. It not the experience but your reaction to them.” He shared experiences from his life and others’ lives, which he channeled into his writing. Graham was funny and moving.

The workshop I chose to attend was Tim Travaglini’s “Self-Promotion for Published Authors.” Tim is the Senior Editor of G.P. Putnam & Sons. He is so off-the-cuff funny and charming. His big message was, “What you do can ensure the success and life of your books. The proactive authors are going to succeed and their books will stand the test of time.” He encouraged authors to begin a grassroots approach in winning interest in their books, which would create a “pond ripple effect.”

I stood in line for 45 minutes in the sandwich line for lunch. By the time I met Verla Kay at our designated place, she and her friends were already finished eating. Verla was kind enough to stay with me while I gulped down my lunch.

The next general session was “4 Editors, 4 Lists, 4 Views.” The editors were Julie Strauss-Gabel with Dutton, Krista Marino with Delacorte Press, Tim Travaglini with G.P. Putnam & Sons, and Bonnie Bader with Grossett & Dunlap. Each editor gave their background in publishing and discussed what types of books that comprised their lists and what they were looking for in new work. It was interesting to learn that each editor’s personal tastes directly affects what works they purchase for their lists.

The next workshop I attended was Sid Fleishman’s “Writing the Middle Grade Novel.” Sid had terrific advice including:

Make a professional habit of writing.
You must give up something to be a writer.
You must find the time to write
Leave the previous day's work in mid-sentence. It gets you back into the book.
Don't leave a big immediate problem. It makes a good excuse not to write. Solve it before you quit.
Don't keep track of how many pages you write per day as long as you are advancing the story every day.

My 15 year old daughter, Soleil, adores Carolyn Mackler! Soleil made me promise to hand-deliver a letter to Carolyn, who had the last keynote of the day, “Revenge of the Wallflower: Getting Published and Making a Career Out of Your Teen Years.” She talked about her foray into publishing and how she stays in touch with her teen readership. It was interesting to hear how she started. She is a delightful speaker and so personable. After her session, I felt like a stalker because I jumped up and was the first person to pounce on her after her speech. I delivered the letter and told her about my daughter. She promised to read it and write back to her. I asked her to take a picture with the letter, picture & jewelry Soleil sent and Carolyn did, saying that I was a “good mom.” Needless to say, Soleil was ecstatic when I showed her the picture… Score brownie points!

After Carolyn Mackler’s address, I rushed to change for the VIP Wine & Cheese Reception honoring published authors and illustrator attendees. I shared a table with Linda Joy Singleton and set up my promotional display materials, along with my CDs, Jambalalaya and World Fiesta, which have been reviewed in Booklist, School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and AudioFile Magazine. It was great to meet and greet. I made more new friends and invited people to see me perform at the preliminary round of the SCBWIdol competition. I was unable to stay for the duration of the reception as I had to report to my room for the competition.

Throughout the day, I had made many friends including Marilyn Scott-Waters, an illustrator whose website I have adored for years and Marci Hersel, another illustrator. I had a roomful of friends who all cheered for me when it was my turn to perform. In SCBWIdol, contestants were to perform three minutes of their school presentation. I performed my “Rockin’ Three Billy Goats.” I was the second one to perform and I had so much fun rockin’ the room with my highly participatory story. Lin Oliver, SCBWI founder, and Mark Waxman, a T.V. and film producer, were the judges. There were so many fantastic contestants. In the end, I was floored to find out I was one of the two finalists chosen to present on the main stage on the last day of the conference. It was really cool to see the variety of school presentations and I was so honored to be an “Idol” finalist.

I didn’t have time to eat dinner so I went to dinner with Marilyn Scott-Waters and Marci Hersel. We ate in the lounge and had a terrible dining experience but had so much fun chatting and laughing that it almost didn’t matter. Almost. Marilyn and I spoke with the manager and he apologized, offering us complimentary wine and dessert. Yum! I stayed up late talking into the wee hours with many new friends.

Saturday, August 6, 2005
The first session of the morning was “How’s the Weather? The Current Climate for Children’s Books.” Panelists were Steven Chudney, Literary Agent; Deborah Murphy, Sales Representative for Harper Collins; Christina A. Tugeau, Artist Agent; and Harold Underdown, Children’s Book Expert and Creator of The Purple Crayon website. In addition to discussing their observations about the children’s book market, they advised authors that:

Middle grade novels are core of publishing
Middle grade novel is a competitive genre
Editors are asking for more mysteries
Looking for talent and experiences about ethnicity and cultures
Editors are looking for more author-illustrator combos

Harold Underdown said, “This is the golden age of picture books. With digital technology, much more is possible.”

Christopher Paul Curtis delivered an outstanding keynote called, “The Journey: A Flintstone’s Love Affair with Writing.” The Newberry Award-winner of Bud, Not Buddy is charming and engaging. It was so encouraging to hear his story. He obviously loves his wife and children and spoke of how they inspired him in various ways. His wife recognized his writing talent and actually encouraged him to take a year off work to write. Imagine that! He wrote The Watsons Go to Birmingham and entered it in a contest. While it didn’t win, Random House decided to publish it. When he won the Newberry, he confessed that he lost his work ethic after taking off five years from writing. Christopher said, “Writing is like a physical activity - once you fall out of it, it's hard to get back into it.” His speech left everyone breathless and inspired.

I chose the “ABCs of School Visits” with Steve Swinburne, the author of many non-fiction titles including Safe, Warm & Snug and Unbeatable Beaks. He had so much great advice for authors wanting to do school visits. He demonstrated some of the techniques he uses in his assembly programs and passed around various props. His well-organized workshop gave advice on what to do before and during the school visit. I would say his top three pieces of advice were: 1) Maintain a website for self-promotion, 2) Master techniques to focus the kids and control the audience, and 3) Never lecture - entertain and educate.

After lunch with Marilyn Scott-Waters, I went to the general session, “Painting with Words,” featuring author and illustrator, Hudson Talbott. Hudson confessed that he was a slow reader as a child. After attending art school in Rome, he went to New York and fell into illustration. An editor saw his illustration work in a calendar featuring dinosaurs and encouraged him to try writing. Hudson said, “I had to figure out how to transfer art into words.” He believes the best books are the ones that have a respect for the art and text. His advised writers, “Don't get attached to your words - you need to let go. Tell the best story in the economy of space.”

The next session, “I Hated to Read Until I Found Your Book: How to Write Stories that Teens Looove,” featured a panel of teen authors: Julia DeVillers, Carolyn Mackler, Megan McCafferty, and Sonya Sones. They shared fan letters of reluctant readers, including those of teen male fans. It’s awe-inspiring to hear how an author’s words can really change lives. They advised:

What Not to Do When Writing for Teens:
Never call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
Never shoehorn morals in your books
Never linger too much on their parents and their parents' back story
Don't fake it
Don't dumb it down
Don't be preachy
Never let adult solve problem

What You Should Do When Writing for Teens:
Always get to the point
Recognize when something not working
Write from your own childhood
Don't forget to care about your reader - authors can be a teen's best advocate
Trust your instincts - let it flow
Don't forget to thank your teen self
Have fun!
Capture the feelings of being a teen in your books
Be honest
Temper your writing with humor
Leave readers with feeling of hope

For my afternoon workshop, I attended “The Business Side of Audio Books: How to Increase Sales of Your Book and Audio Book” with Bruce Coville, author and founder of Full Cast Audio and Tim Ditlow, Vice President and Publisher for Random House Listening Library. It was an incredible workshop with great advice. Tim explained the intricacies of digital distribution. They also discussed how to promote your audio books alongside your books. It was an educational peek behind yet another side to children’s book publishing. Audio books is an ever-growing medium and the Internet and digital downloading will make it even more relevant in the future.

Bruce Hale, author of the Chet Gecko series, gave the last session, “10 Secrets of Crafting a Successful Story.” I loved when he said, “Humans are storytelling animals. Storytelling is a marriage of craft and inspiration.” He began delineating his 10 secrets of story crafting. Unfortunately, I left early because a friend wasn’t feeling well and needed to some food in her belly. I only heard up to number three. Bruce Hale is so comfortable on stage and a wonderful speaker. I later found out he has a Fulbright scholarship in storytelling. He is so impressive.

Early evening treated attendees to the art portfolio display and reception. The art portfolios were nothing short of breathtaking. They were being judged. I know I wouldn’t want to be a judge – that must have been a difficult decision! My friend, Marilyn Scott-Waters, had a gorgeous portfolio entered. If you want to see more of Marilyn’s awesome work, visit http://www.thetoymaker.com and make some of her cool paper toys.

The Beach Bash Gala was incredible! The food was delicious and the band was wicked! The band jammed for hours, playing cover tunes that everyone loved. They kept the entire crowd rockin’ on the dance floor. I finally had to give up wearing my heels so I could dance. I had a blast. There was a costume contest for the most creative beach hat and the most creative costume. My friends, Connie Rico and Marilyn Churchill, won a gift certificate to the bookstore for their forties style bathing beauties costume. They were so adorable. Top prize went to three mermaids (two girls and a guy dressed as mermaids) – they were so much fun. It was a fabulous end to the day. I danced until the band said goodnight. Afterwards, I hung out with Verla Kay and Linda Joy Singleton in their room. Needless to say, sleep was not high priority for me at this conference!

Sunday, August 7, 2005
I didn’t forget that it was my 12th wedding anniversary. I called my husband to let him know that I was thinking of him (and rushing to a workshop!). I missed the first sessions, “Developing and Evolving Your Marketing Voice” and “Fire Away: Questions for Editors That Can Only Be Answered Here,” choosing instead to take my time and have breakfast with a friend.

I attended the workshop “Marketing 202” with Melanie Hope Greenberg, an illustrator from New York. She is so on top of her marketing game and gave some great advice to authors. She went over what publishers do to promote books and what authors can do to promote their books. In addition, she gave some great resources including http://www.reviewerschecklist.com and http://www.bookwire.com.

Next was the Golden Kite Luncheon. I sat with my “crew” and some new friends including Stephanie Ruble, a talented illustrator, and Megan Atwood, an editor with Llewellyn Publishing. Lunch was good but the chocolate dessert was heavenly. I was putting my lipstick on and had my open makeup bag in my lap when they announced the winners of the portfolio contest. When Marilyn Scott-Water’s name was called as the winner of an illustrated cover, I yelled, “Woo hoo, Marilyn!” jumping up, startling everyone at my table, and spilling my entire makeup bag on the floor. When she won, I felt like I won! New Orleans, Louisiana illustrator, Jean Cassels, won a Golden Kite for her work in The Mysterious Collection of Dr. David Harleyson. Unfortunately, it became so cold in the room that I had to leave and stand outside the door to warm up. Several other people began streaming out of the room for the same reason.

After the luncheon, I attended Steven Chudney’s workshop “After the Contract, Then What? What You Can Expect from Sales and Marketing.” Steven is an agent and former editor with Simon & Schuster. It was an educational look at how publishers decide which books to promote and what goes into promotional efforts. He spoke about “Big Mouth” lists, marketing budgets, book conferences, advertising, reviews, sales, and subsidiary rights. He also gave authors advice about school visits and book signings. He advised authors to read It’s a Bunny Eat Bunny World by Olga Litowinsky.

The last session was “What You Need to Know About Audio Books” with Bruce Coville and Tim Ditlow. Though I love Bruce and Tim, by this point, I was feeling a little sensory overloaded. I opted, instead, to have dinner with friends. The rest of the night, I hung out with my friends and had a blast. What I really enjoyed about this conference is how I felt like part of a family. There was such a wonderful community atmosphere at this conference. Every night, my bedtime kept getting later and later and later…

Monday, August 8, 2005
I stayed out so late the night before that I opted to skip the first morning session with Connie Epstein “The Current Market for Children’s Books: A Complete Survey.” I caught only the very end of “Creating Books for Boys” with Arthur A. Levine and Mark McVeigh.

For the last workshop of the day, I attended the Q&A with Kevin Lewis, Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster. My favorite thing he said in his session was, “I publish books but I also publish people.” He gave “the editor” a very human face. He was so funny and sincere, immediately likeable. I listened intently as people around the room asked questions. He answered all the questions completely and honestly. Following the session, I felt like I really knew him as a person.

After the workshop, I browsed the bookstore and decided not to eat lunch because the SCBWIdol contest was after lunch. I didn’t want to perform with food sloshing around in my stomach. Along with the other contestants, I gathered in the ballroom for a debriefing by Lin Oliver. I chose to use a lapel mike. There were 11 contestants in all with fantastic performances. In three minutes, you can really get a picture of these school presentations. Tommie dePaola, Bruce Coville, and Bruce Hale were the judges. I had so much fun involving the audience in my “Rockin’ Three Billy Goats.” In the end, I didn’t place but I felt like I won anyway. I went to the conference unknown but afterwards, I made new friends and fans. Chamber Stevens was the afternoon’s big winner, winning a trip to New York to present his show at a school. Alexus Rhone was runner-up, winning a full-tuition scholarship to another SCBWI conference.

Lee Bennett Hopkins was the closing keynote, inspiring everyone with his “Just the FAQ’s: The Writer/Illustrator as a Human Bean.” He is such a kind man who exudes such warmth. After he came off stage, he told me he was my fan (referring to the Idol contest)! Imagine that!

The autograph party was lots of fun. It was the last chance to schmooze. I spoke and took pictures with Tomie dePaola, Bruce Coville, Stephen Mooser, and Kevin Lewis. I really enjoyed talking to Bruce Hale and Lee Bennett Hopkins. I loved the conference and can’t wait to return next year! (I’ll have to miss my anniversary again – how will I break it to my husband? Oh well, I still have a year to plan…)

I spent the rest of the evening hanging out with my friends in their room. I met and bonded with Ellen Hopkins, YA author of Crank. What a talented writer! I didn’t want the conference to end but Verla Kay had to leave at 4 a.m. to catch a flight out. So I had to say goodbye… I can’t wait until next year’s conference!

Until next time…

Warmly,
Dianne de Las Casas

Hangin’ in Hollywood and Santa Monica Beach August, 2005

Friends:

I flew into LAX yesterday and after getting my rental car, headed to my friend Michael McCarty’s house. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Inglewood. They have a gorgeous townhouse and made me feel so at home.

Today was a free day so I went exploring. After a delicious lunch of blue corn tacos made by Michael, I headed for Hollywood. I drove down LaBrea (the simplest way for me to get to Hollywood) and parked right behind Hollywood High School. Although I lived in California as a teen and my dad’s family is from California, I never had the opportunity to visit Hollywood. I walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame and visited Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the wax museum, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. At Ripley’s, I met two young ladies who were having fun posing as the largest man in the world.

After Hollywood, I drove to Santa Monica for a seaside visit. I love the beach. It’s my favorite place in the whole world. I parked right off Santa Monica Boulevard and walked to the bluffs, the cliffs that overlook the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) and the Santa Monica Beach and Pier. In a small park, I met a woman from Greece who spoke virtually no English. She was sitting in the crook of a twisted tree, knitting. Even though we did not speak the same language, we seemed to understand each other perfectly. We showed each other pictures of our family. She shared her plums with me and I took her picture with my digital camera. Her name was Eleni.

Afterwards, I met a family from France and offered to take their family’s picture with their digital camera. They were happy to have picture of all four of them together. They returned the favor by taking my picture as well.

I walked down the bluffs and crossed over the highway on a foot bridge. The journey to the water was quite a long trek through the sand. By this time, it was early evening and the weather was cool. The sand felt so good between my toes. When I reached the water, I wanted to dip my toes in the Pacific Ocean and when I did, I was shocked by how cold the water was. I decided to admire the Santa Monica Pier from afar and opted instead to eat at a small Thai restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard called Thai Dishes. The pad thai was delicious.

Tomorrow, I will be in Century City attending the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator’s Conference. I am excited – I can’t wait!

Until next time…

Warmly,
Dianne de Las Casas