7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #35: Featuring Eric Powell
(and Tom Sniegoski, too!)

h1 November 4th, 2007 by Eisha and Jules

{Note: Please see the post below this one for today’s Robert’s Snow schedule and an ’04 snowflake that will take your breath away}

Jules: So, a while ago I read this intermediate-aged book called Billy Hooten: Owlboy (Yearling; released in July of ’07). Have you read it yet? It’s good stuff, the first book in a fantasy-comedy series for children, all about a misfit kid who becomes an unlikely superhero. Billy Hooten is what most people would call a nerd and gets picked on a lot at school. But after he tries to help someone in need in the cemetery bordering his back yard, he stumbles upon bizarro, creature-ridden Monstros City, which lies underneath Billy’s hometown of Bradbury, Massachusetts. When he finds out that, indeed, the residents of Monstros City believe him to be the next Owlboy — their revered superhero and the protagonist in a beloved, old-skool comic book series — he has to determine for himself if he can live up to the name.

I thought it was a great read: very funny, action-packed (giant talking fireflies and Rot-toothed Hopping Monkey Demons, anyone?), and quite empowering for the one-picked-on-by-bullies in us all. Power to the nerds and all that (there’s even DODGEBALL in this one. Gasp. We all know how that goes when you’re a nerd). This series, I think, will attract budding comic book fans like a magnet. And anyone who likes a good story. And it has one of my favorite lines from children’s lit this year: “That’s the smell of evil . . . {m}ixed with a hint of grape.” And I’m not gonna explain. You’ve got to go read it to decipher that one.

It was written by novelist, comic book writer, and pop culture journalist Thomas E. Sniegoski and illustrated by comic book writer and artist Eric Powell (probably best known for his original, critically-acclaimed dark comedy series, The Goon). I thought it’d be great to feature some of the first book’s illustrations by Eric Powell at one of our 7 Kicks lists. That’s the way we roll at our Sunday lists: We email and kindly harrass the illustrators with whom we are currently enamored (there’s been one exception to that, but I won’t get into it). I also thought it’d be great to feature a Monstros City inhabitant around Halloween (hence, Eric’s drawing below — mwahahahahahahaha!). But Eric, apparently, is slammed with work, which we can understand (and, hey, according to this Wikipedia link, he is practically my neighbor, as he lives in Lebanon, Tennessee. Who knew? I could have stopped by in person to ask him to share some illustrations, if I were so bold). Since Eric had so many deadlines, according to Owlboy’s author, he — Tom, the author, that is — stepped up to the plate to tell us a bit about Eric’s great illustrations from the series. Here’s what Tom had to say:

“I am not Eric Powell.

My name is Tom Sniegoski and I’m the writer of the Owlboy books, Billy Hooten: Owlboy and Billy Hooten: Owlboy — The Girl With the Destructo Touch, which Eric Powell just so happens to be the illustrator for.

Typically, this site has illustrators pop by and say a few things about their work, but in this instance you’ve been blessed with me instead.

You see, Eric is busy.

I know that probably sounds like a big, fat, lame excuse, but trust me, Eric is really busy.

I first met Eric around a hundred years ago . . . well, it seems that long. But anyway, I first met our busy illustrator — who at the time wasn’t all that busy — when I was doing a comic book store signing in Tennessee. He appeared to be one of the crowd that wanted to have their comic book signed, but instead, plopped a portfolio down in front of me and asked . . . ‘Do you think I have a chance?’

Since that day Eric has worked for just about every major comic book publisher (Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics), bringing his unique art style to such characters as Batman, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy — and has just recently finished a stint on DC’s Action Comics drawing the comic book icon, Superman. And while doing all this, still found the time to create his own Eisner-Award-winning (kind of like the comic book Oscar) character The Goon, which he continues to write and draw for Dark Horse Comics in his copious amounts of free time.

See, I told you he was busy.

And then there’s Billy Hooten: Owlboy.

Anybody can see that Eric has brought his love of comic books, monster movies, comedy and good old fashioned nostalgia to the illustrations for these books, and has managed to get it all down on paper. He has taken the craziness percolating inside my brain and has managed to put it to paper, which is no easy task.

I really want to tell him to take a break, spend some time with his kids, catch a movie or two, or maybe catch up on his sleep. Yep, I’ll probably do this real soon.

But not until he finishes the illustrations for Billy Hooten: Owlboy-Tremble at the Terror of Zis-Boom-Bah.

Did I mention that Eric is busy?”

Thanks to Eric, who is probably being reallyverybusy some where and not reading this. But extra thanks to Tom for saying a few words in his stead — and for an intrepid, new misfit hero of children’s lit. We really appreciate Tom stopping by. And many thanks to Little Willow for help in contacting Tom!

*******

By way of explanation for any new folks (who we hope will leave their lists), our weekly 7 Kicks list is the meeting ground for listing Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week (whether book-related or not) that happened to you.

*******Jules’ kicks*******

1). I saw author Ann Patchett speak at the Nashville Public Library on Saturday. She is the obscenely talented author of Bel Canto (and many other beautifully-crafted books), and an excerpt of that fine novel has always graced the top of our “About Our Blog” page. To boot, I purchased a copy of Ann’s new novel, Run (HarperCollins; September ’07), and could I possibly try to convey how excited I am to crack open this novel? I think not. And you want to know the lovely inscription she put in my book when I got it autographed? At the last minute, I decided to have her autograph it to my daughters — and not myself — in the hopes that when they get older, they will read beautiful fiction such as hers, if they’re so inclined. And all she had to do was write their names, but she added, “From your mother, who loves you. Have beautiful lives. Ann Patchett.” That made my whole flippin’ day.

2). Taking a walk with my girls in this gorgeous weather. At first, my 3.5 year old said, after walking a while, “I reeeeeeeeeeally like the car” (we actually had a destination, so she was pointing out how cars are faster). But then we talked about why walks are better (yes, I’m an Enviro-Snob), while I simultaneously and inwardly berated myself for not walking more often with her, and now she gets it (that you can go slow enough to actually hear the birds sing and wave at neighbors and other little joys like that, which are impossible in a zoomy fast, stinky ‘ol car).

3). The very talented illustrator Sean Qualls has a new blog.

4). I saw this amazing performance (above) on Letterman one night this week when I happened to be awake late in the evening. Oh my. I wasn’t so sure at first, what with her rather forced-flirty posturing which took some getting used to, as well as the fact that the song opens slowly, but I hung in there and boy howdy and howdy boy was I rewarded. It’s someone named Nicole Atkins. I found her web site the next day. I think I’ll be getting a new CD soon. She’s kind of like Dusty Springfield meets, I dunno, Morrissey. And then they stumble into Roy Orbison in a bar. Absolutely perfect, unblemished pop (and I admit to liking pop — the good kind, not the Britney kind) and a voice that will knock. you. down. flat. (For anyone who actually watches that, sorry the audio’s a bit slurry in spots, but it’s not too bad. And it’s really not over six minutes long; for some reason, there’s just a bunch of blank air time at the end).

5). Other bloggers. All the great Robert’s Snow posts. All the beautiful snowflakes (did you SEE Linda’s this week?). Tricia’s great news: Her blog, The Miss Rumphius Effect, made the finals for Best Education Blog at the 2007 Weblog Awards. And Jone and her husband on Halloween (pictured here, with Jone’s permission)!

6). All the goodness at the brookeshelf. Have you ever wondered how lives are like retractable pencils? Brooke is now doing Video Sunday, just like Fuse, and last Sunday she featured this video from Flight of the Conchords, “formerly New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo” (according to them), and I laughed out loud. Brooke put it well when she wrote, it’s “the best song about office supplies and world peace ever written.”

Hey, Eisha, do you remember the time that seagull . . .

(She also had this great post this past week. Go see all the fascinating Hansel-and-Gretel inspired art, including some kickin’ Ana Juan witch illustrations).

7). DVD-watching with my husband this week, including “Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” on Halloween night; the bad-hair-’80s-camp that is “Killer Clowns from Outer Space”; and “300,” the very stylized film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller. Do you think if I yelled like King Leonidas, though I’m not half as gruff or imposing or well-cut as he is, my girls would always behave? “Spartans! I mean, ahem, Girls! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty . . . For tonight, we dine in hell! Prepare for GLORY!” Nah? Well, it was an interesting film anyway.

I know I reached #7 already, but I have to add this kick, a great line from Haven Kimmel’s most recent novel, which Eisha and I co-reviewed this week:

“Rebekah never would have guessed — it didn’t occur to her until she was fully grown — that not everyone shared her belief that God had spared humanity its relentless fate in a single way: by making a good portion of every day hilarious.”

*******eisha’s kicks*******

Ha! That Flight of the Conchords song is awesome! I love the the whole emotional “people-people-paper-paper-pencil-pencil” bit at the end.

And it’s funny what you said about 300 – ever since we saw it, B. and I keep shouting out every so often something like “SPARTANS! We’re out of peanut butter! To Wegmans!” or “SPARTANS! Exit here, for the next rest stop is in 37 miles!”

Hoo-boy. Okay, here’s my kicks for the week:

1* Well, remember Zombie Prom? It was cool. There were some very impressive costumes – our hosts told us that a lot of the guests were MFA art students from Cornell, so that might explain. The elected “king” of the prom came as an amazing Edward Scissorhands.

2* I saw so many adorable kids in costumes on Halloween night. None of them came up to the 2nd floor of my building, though, so I just ate the candy myself and watched through the window like it was a parade. Not a bad way to spend Halloween, really.

Miles the Cow, with proud mama3* My nephew was a cow for Halloween. Can you stand it? Can you? Don’t you just want to cuddle that boy?

4* Speaking of boys, my sister’s best friend (pretty much a second sister to me, they’ve been BFFs since they were like 12) had her very first child this week: Ellis Matthew. How excellent is that name? And he and mom and dad are all doing just fine.

5* This “article” in The Onion: “Third-Person Limited Omniscient Narrator Blown Away By Surprise Ending,” which was linked on Educating Alice. Cracked. Me. Up. Thanks, Monica.

fullmonty.jpg6* I saw Ithaca College’s production of The Full Monty (the musical based on the movie). It was pretty good – I’m not really a musical fan, usually, but it had some funny songs, and some poignant moments. Of course, the big finish is what it’s all about, and they totally delivered.

7* It turns out our radiators in this apartment are almost totally silent. I’m amazed – our last apartment was the first one I’d ever lived in that had radiators, and I assumed they all made obnoxiously loud clanking-hissing-gurgling noises like that. Huh.

One more thing that is more of a general Yee-hah! than a kick: Next week is the Winter Blog Blast Tour, as organized by Colleen Mondor, and we at 7-Imp will be featuring 4 interviews with a mini-Who’s Who list of authors: Phyllis Root on Monday, Jon Scieszka on Tuesday, Jack Gantos on Thursday, and Gabrielle Zevin on Friday. Seriously, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? So much talent concentrated here over one little week. But we’re just one small part of it: click here for the full schedule on Chasing Ray.

So, that’s all I’ve got. What are your kicks this week? I mean,

SPARTANS! LIST YOUR KICKS! A THOUSAND KICKS WILL DESCEND UPON YOU! OUR KICKS WILL BLOT OUT THE SUN! WHAT IS OUR PROFESSION? BLOGGERS! HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!





24 comments to “7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #35: Featuring Eric Powell
(and Tom Sniegoski, too!)”

  1. It’s not even Sunday here in CA yet, but I’m still at the computer, so I figured I’d sneak in my kicks early. Eisha, love your nephew’s cow costume! And Jules, your daughter’s ““I reeeeeeeeeeally like the car” is priceless. Let’s see:

    1. My brother Steve is visiting me for a long weekend, and we are having a great time. We went wine-tasting in the Santa Cruz mountains yesterday, and today we spent much of the afternoon reading in the back yard. It’s great catching up with him, and having low-pressure time (since we live 3000 miles apart, and my trips to Boston are usually very hectic).

    2. It’s still a fun time to be a New England sports fan. Manny Ramirez was on Leno, and Big Papi was on Conan O’Brien this weekend. And we’re looking forward to the Patriots / Colts game tomorrow.

    3. I’ve been doing better with writing reviews immediately after I finish reading books, and got two reviews done this weekend (which I wasn’t expecting, since I had company).

    4. I sent out my first issue of my Growing Bookworms email newsletter this week, and I continue to be very excited about that. It’s really helping me to focus on what I want to do with the blog, writing things on a more regular schedule, etc.

    5. The WBBT is going to be very cool!

    6. The Robert’s Snow blogging event continues to unearth gorgeous snowflakes.

    7. I got the program for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference in the mail today. I’ll be on a panel with Mary Lee Hahn, Liz Burns, and Susan Thomsen about the Kidlitosphere (sadly, Kelly Herold had to drop out, and will be missed). The program shows that there is a ton of other amazing stuff at the conference, which I’ll be attending for the first time.

    Happy Sunday, everyone!


  2. Jen, congrats on the NCTE gig! Wish I could see and hear that discussion with such great minds leading it all.

    And congrats on your email newsletter success. And spending time with your brother. With wine. Mmmm.


  3. Thanks for the Nicole Atkins link. She reminded me of Edith Piaf, only not French. The slurriness of the music was actually pretty cool.

    Seven Kicks:

    1. I’ve got an interview with David Lubar this Wednesday. Huzzah!

    2. Chris Crutcher sent me a lovely email about my tandem review of his latest book, Deadline, and Jenny Downham’s Before I Die. What a lovely, gracious man.

    3. I got not one, but two, new scarves in NYC yesterday while shepherding my kids and one of their friends around.

    4. Brotherhood 2.0 made me terribly happy this week. Between excerpts from John’s childhood authorship (including video footage on Friday of 8-year old John becoming an author) and Hank’s rap song on Wednesday, it has been a truly happy place for me.

    5. I ordered a pattern to make an 18th-century shift, which will be arriving this week. Once it’s made, I’m going to make a corset. And then, a Regency gown. Yes, really. Camille at BookMoot is at least partially responsible for my decision to just do it. (And it dovetails nicely with my Jane Austen project.)

    6. My proposal to do a poetry workshop at the New England SCBWI conference in the spring was accepted. I loved doing it this past spring, and come next spring, I’m doing a double session. Oh the squeeness of it all!

    7. It’s really and truly autumn here now, complete with pretty leaf colors and wood-smoke tinged chill air. I talked about it a bit during Poetry Friday in my post about Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” but I really, truly love autumn.


  4. Kelly, yes, Nicole is a throwback for sure. Maybe she’s Dusty-Springfield-meets-Morrisey-and-then-they-stumble-into-Roy-Orbison-in-a-bar-and-then-have-a-gin-and-tonic-with-Edith-Piaf. I love a good melodramatic, torchy pop song like that. And that voice! . . . yet she doesn’t feel as if she has to pummel her chest repeatedly like, say, Christina Aguilera or Celine Dion do.

    That was a great Poetry Friday post. I love the poetry lessons I get at your blog.

    Congrats on the SCBWI gig. We squee with you.

    Sara Holmes linked this week to that video of John’s muse entering him for the first time when he was wee, and I LOVED IT.


  5. I’m so glad that 7-Imp had a fun playdate with Owlboy. I love it when my friends become friends. In person, Tom makes me laugh so hard that my eyes tear up. Hmm. I have never asked him his opinion on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

    >

    Jules: What a sweet inscription, and what a treasure for your daughters.

    Hurrah for saving the environment! Hurrah for walking! I walk a few miles every day. Actually, probably not today, because I have a day off from everything, and I have to catch up on online things and prep for WBBT. But typically, at least one or two miles a day.

    Listening/watching Neptune City by Nicole Atkins now.

    >

    eisha: I saw two kids dressed as the main boy and girl from 300. I haven’t read nor watched 300. I associate Spartans with Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and, due to the name, Spartukus and the Sun Beneath the Sea. This is fitting because you later said, “OUR KICKS WILL BLOT OUT THE SUN!”

    >

    My 7 Kicks from this past week:

    I didn’t know what on Earth to do with myself last Sunday, since it was my first true Sunday off since August 28th. (Yes, that precise date.) (I have today off too. THIS IS WEIRD.) That being said, I realized that I have been actively acting again since the beginning of July, and, as I am booked up through the end of the year, that means I’ll have spent six months – half a year – in pursuit and performance. Now that is a kick.

    This next item is not a kick. Far from it. It is sad. It is a number association.* Since this is 7-Kicks at 7-Imp, I have to note that, as of November 1st, it has been seven months since I lost Holly.

    * In case you didn’t know this already: I associate everything with numbers, letters, and words. Everything. There are patterns and connections everywhere, to everything and everyone. I do not think I have any form of synesthesia, but I am fascinated by that, too.

    As I type this, a Rhapsody commercial is airing on television. It closes with the tagline, “Think it. Hear it.” I already do that. Thanks.

    I have to list six more kicks, don’t I? This week went by so quickly. Work was busy but good, and that filled my days, while rehearsals filled my nights. Let’s see.

    – Someone I know via the internet made it through a operation, had good results, and is recovering at home with her family.
    – Rehearsals are going well. We’ve blocked half of the show. A few days ago, one of the other cast members did up her hair to match mine, and we’ve decided to play our characters as twins. That same night, I saw another cast member in a national commercial less than an hour after rehearsal ended. This is how my life works.
    – Some of my favorite customers dropped by my workplace on Halloween just to show off their costumes. That was sweet. On that day, I wore my Gunne Sax dress, which I’ve always referred to as my Anne of Green Gables dress. Multiple customers asked me if it was my Martha dress.
    – I discovered that someone else knew of The Hush Sound and we immediately broke into song (Wine Red) at work.
    – 31 Flavorites was a success from start to finish. I was so flattered and happy to be a part of it. I wish I had been able to attend more of the chats.
    – My writing was accepted and complimented. I look forward to seeing the end result.

    I’ll be quiet now!


  6. I don’t know that I’ve got 7 Kicks again this week, sadly, but let’s see:

    1 – It’s my birthday this week and I have received on present early – the brand new soundtrack CD for Doctor Who Season 3 ! I’d jump up and down and cheer but for the chest infection that’d make me cough if I was that energetic !

    2 – I managed to finish two DW stories AND write a brand new third one during the weekend (and that’s despite working today, which I don’t normally do !)

    3 – I have lots of Doctor Who/David Tennant goodies heading my way for my birthday – I’m practically sick with excitement !

    4 – David Tennant and Freema Agyeman were impossibly cute and lovely together at the National Telelvision Awards on Wednesday night, and he dedicated his Best Actor award to his late mother and nearly cried. Bless !

    I think that’s it from me – it’s been a far from restful Sunday/weekend so I’m going to curl up with “The Man in the Brown Suit” for the rest of the evening.


  7. Jen, that NCTE conference panel sounds fabulous. Congrats! I’m not a teacher, but I might have to try to sneak in just to see you guys.

    Kelly, I’m impressed. Not only that you plan to sew yourself a corset, but I’m guessing that then you plan to wear it. Damn. My breathing gets shallow just thinking about it.

    Little Willow, congrats on your flourishing theatre career, as well as the much-needed time off.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHELE!!! Here’s my present for you: a link to an original comic strip, Torchwood Babiez, that I found on my friend Adrienne’s blog.


  8. Hello All! It’s so good to read everyone’s kicks, and especially nice to hear from folks we haven’t heard from recently. Here are my kicks for the week.
    1. Yes, unbeknown to me, I was nominated for the 2007 weblog awards for best education blog. I haven’t got a snowball’s chance in h*ll of winning, but I’m so honored to be included.
    2. William dressed as a spider for Halloween, his choice influenced by the fact that he’s been studying them in school.
    3. William reading NONSTOP! It’s so much fun to watch.
    4. My parents braved the long trip to VA and are spending a few days. It’s wonderful to see them. All this work with Robert’s Snow just makes me even more grateful for her current state of health, however temporary.
    5. Can I include snowflakes again this week? They’re simply amazing. I need to win the lottery to purchase the ones I really love.
    6. This week’s poetry stretch produced some lovely found poems.
    7. My dog turned 10 yesterday. She’s getting old, but still acts, at times, like a puppy.
    That’s it. Have a great week.


  9. Happy birthday, Michele!

    Happy birthday, Tricia’s puppy!

    Congrats to Tricia on her well-deserved nomination.

    eisha: Thank you. I think I already told you and jules this (as I seem to tell you two a lot about all of these goings-on though I don’t post about it regularly at my own blog) – my character is named Holly. That makes me smile.


  10. Sorry I missed posting last week guys – I still read all the lovely lists though! (I wasn’t going to write comments about the lists as I have to go call my mum but Eisha your nephew has grown so much since we started these lists!)

    1. I’m going to cheat and include a lovely day in London last week just hanging out in Covent Garden and the British Museum
    2. The reason I ran out of time to post last Sunday was my belated realisation of my online tax lodgement being due. Fortunately if the estimate was right I’ll only owe half of what I expected and had set aside!
    3. I splurged on some lovely new skincare this week (justified by all the money I save by not wearing makeup…it’s amazing how many different things I can fit into that justification! In an alternate world I must have been wearing top range makeup)
    4. Some cute kids came around for treats on Halloween – we don’t celebrate this way in Australia so it was doubly cool. Plus there was lots of left over chocolates ☺
    5. We’ve booked a holiday in Rome for a pre-Christmas break!
    6. The online DVD service we’ve joined has proven to be lots of fun as I’ve got to catch up with lots of movies and TV shows (and is especially useful given that our antenna still isn’t hooked up here)
    7. Today I bought cute red and white spotted slipper sock things with pom poms on the back.


  11. This is such a rich and rewarding post today. I’m going to have to come back and savor it when I haven’t been standing up for 12 hours. Yesterday and today, I’ve been volunteering at a fundraiser for my son’s crew team. We provided all the food and drink for a huge regatta on the Occoquan River. It was totally gorgeous weather both days, and we hope that we made a ton of money. We’ll know soon. In any case, as tiring as it was, I got to spend time with good people outdoors doing a good thing. So I’m happy.

    Glad you found the John Green link, jules. Kelly Fineman linked to it also. I just love it. I wonder if he remembers that moment that way?

    eisha, your nephew is adorable.


  12. Just wanted to add HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Michele!


  13. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHELE!

    Little Willow, so glad you’re back. We’ve missed your kicks lately. Congrats on your ongoing acting — and your writing being accepted.

    Tricia, congrats again on the nomination, and, yes, the snowflakes rock.

    Emmaco, left-over chocolates. Yum. We have lots of those. Rome? Even better.

    Sara, get some rest! Thanks for stopping by anyway.


  14. The nice thing about posting my seven things late is I get to read everyone else’s first, which helps put me in the right mood for thinking up my seven.

    Eisha, You kind of scare me when you shout like that, but, Jules, I *do* think your daughters would become more attentive if you carried on that way.

    My seven:

    1. I have found The Best Apple Cider in the Whole Wide World.
    2. On Friday, I got to hang out with a friend I haven’t seen enough of the last few months.
    3. Yesterday was Lucas’s eighth birthday. Woo hoo party!
    4. I didn’t realize I was supposed to set my clocks back, so I got to the Y an hour early for my yoga class this morning, which I took as a good excuse to spend an hour drinking coffee and doing a crossword puzzle in the coffee shop conveniently located next to the Y.
    5. We’ve had nice, sunny days the last few days, and I’ve been raking leaves. I love raking leaves.
    6. I also did some Chores that Involve Ladders, such as cleaning out gutters and trimming bushes. I need props, like, every time I do that.
    7. While I was doing the aforementioned Chores that Involve Ladders, I was catching up on Just One More Book on my iPod. When you’re, like, having a panic attack because you’re afraid of heights and doing chores on a ladder, listening to Mark and Andrea talk children’s books is very soothing. It also made me think, “WHY am I on this ladder? I should be in a coffee shop talking about books!” Which is exactly what I did when I was done with my chores.


  15. Good Evening, Wow what great kicks this week. Jules, thank you for the shout out. And Owlboy, put that on my list. Eisha. the cow is way too precious. I wish I could interview Jack Gantos, love his books.
    My kicks:
    1. I just found out I won the Matt Phelan print from A Year of REading. Wow, wow, wow.
    2. Halloween night. What a blast to go trick or treating with the grand babies.
    3. I found out I mught have a chance at a scholarship to pay for the NBPTS (national boards).
    4. Finished Stumptown by Carol Gorman. Can’t wait to share that with fourth and fifth grade.
    5. My Thursday Poetry group. They really are fun. I love being able to talk about poetry with interested kids.
    6. The cold crisp days. It brings the fog in and I love the mornings as I go to work.
    7. Oregon Ducks beat ASU in football. I am not a big footballfan but I like that the Ducks are doing well.
    Have a great week.


  16. I love coming in late, too–congratulations, happy birthday, best of luck, etc., to all above! (Sorry, lazy…)

    Hmm, my seven this week:

    1. Movie weekend w/my daughter (husband & son off camping)
    2. Of course, the movies were bad, but it was still fun.
    3. Seeing the Lake District in Miss Potter (which was otherwise a pretty wretched movie, if you ask me)
    4. Roasted vegetable soup! Cornbread! Muffins! Cake! Yes, it’s fall and I’m using the oven. A lot.
    5. Fun with knitting. Projects in progress, so no pictures, but I’m having lots of fun.
    6. I think I have a thesis for my conference paper. This is a good thing since I’m delivering it in less than two weeks.
    7. I think we can take a day off to go pick apples this week!

    and an extra bonus kick, some friends who were in a terrible car accident two weeks ago are making amazing progress.


  17. Three cheers for Sara and all involved in that event.

    Happy birthday, Lucas! 🙂

    Thanks, jules. It’s non-fiction. I’ll say more when I can.


  18. Adrienne, you should see our emails to one another (me and Eisha, that is). She wrapped up this post last night, and I emailed her and asked her if she could add the Winter Blog Blast Tour note, and she typed, “SPARTAN! I WILL ADD THE LINK!” and then, well, we just kept yelling war-like demands at one another for a while — just for fun.

    And, yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LUCAS!

    Jone, congrats on the potential scholarship! And the Matt Phelan drawing. WAHOO! Love his art work.

    Libby, I wanna see “Miss Potter.” I’ll be prepared for it to be lame, though. Congrats on the thesis, too.


  19. Tricia, you are too modest. Your blog kicks ass and deserves to win as much as anybody’s.

    Emmaco, I know! He’s huge! It kind of breaks my heart that he’s growing so fast so far away from me, but at least I get frequent pics to chart the progress. Anyway, I’m so glad you’re finally in a place that celebrates Halloween properly. And have pom-pom socks.

    Sara – is “rich and rewarding” a euphemism for freaky-long? Cause, yeah, we know, but we couldn’t help it – it’s just been an extra-kicky week. Glad you had such a “rich and rewarding” day, but I hope you’re sitting somewhere with your feet up sipping a hot beverage right now.

    adrienne – actually, I ripped a lot of those 300-type-lines from Jules when we were emailing, so, you know… I’m not the scary one. And SPARTAN, I give you MAD PROPS for doing CHORES THAT INVOLVE LADDERS! IMMORTAL CHAMPION! GODDESS AMONG WOMEN! And so on.

    Jone – Woo-hoo! Congrats on winning the Matt Phelan print. You are kind of charmed, aren’t you? You walked away from the Chicago Kidlit conference with an awful lot of prizes, too, as I recall.

    Libby, roasted vegetable soup sounds outstanding. I’m a big soup enthusiast.


  20. Thank you, everyone for your birthday wishes in advance of Thursday…

    Eisha, I’ve seen Torchwood Babiez and laughed out loud at its impossible cuteness ! I even have a Torchwood Baby Martha icon for use on my LJ ! Isn’t it fab ?!


  21. Eisha, “rich and rewarding” was code for “you guys blow me away and I’m just too tired to think of a creative way to say it.” Really. And Spartan speak? Best thing since Poop on a Stick.

    Oh, and Adrienne: I bow before you, ladder queen. I stand on mine only when I need to change the batteries in my smoke detector and that’s only because I don’t want to die in a fire.


  22. Oy. No time even for kicks. Why? I have to review the Owlboy books. In fairness I haven’t read this post to avoid it coloring my opinion, but things aren’t looking good…


  23. A young reader just sent in a picture of him dressed up for Halloween as Billy Hooten, Owlboy! It’s perfect. I had to share this with someone who would appreciate it, so I thought of the Imps. 🙂 I just posted at the Owlboy site, if you want to see it. 🙂


  24. […] to the gals at 7-Imp, I now know that illustrator Sean Qualls has a new […]


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