Laurel Snyder

Wow, what a weekend…  you’ll have to forgive the name droppage, but I will only have my very first week as a children’s author once, and it was pretty exciting, so I cannot help but share!

But before the author stuff even began, there was festivity– in the form of a BAR MITZVAH!  On Friday morning I flew to West Palm, for the single largest gathering of Snyders I have ever attended, my cousin David’s Bar Mitzvah (Yasher Koach, David!).  I took Lew, and he was a doll, though a plane ride with a wiggle-worm is never a vacation. But it didn’t matter a bit.  It was wonderful to see everyone, and there is always something astounding about circle-dancing and kosher wine.

30 hours later I flew back home, to attend the Saturday night party at the Decatur Book Festival. Man, what a night!  I got to see Sarah Prineas, and ZZ Packer (it had been a decade, and we mostly swapped baby pictures) and the DBF guys, and Jamie Allen. I met fabulous folks like Rob Scotton and his lovely wife Liz (Scotton? Not sure…) and Adam Rex and Cheryl Klein .

I drank in moderation, but should have eaten more.

In any case I was tipsy enough to rant (like I do), and tipsy enough that when ZZ and Amber Dermont walked over to the Brick Store, I joined them, and so ended up ranting further, with/at some McSweeney’s guys.  I stayed out way too late and ate a soft pretzel, and it all felt very summery   very free,  and…

very tired this morning.

But that wore off when I got to have brunch with Da Chen, and Julie Bloemeke and other members of the Atlanta Writers’ Club, at Sage.  YUMMMMMMM!  Da did a lovely calligraphy inscription in my very own copy of Scratchy Mountains. He wrote, “Gold Pen.”  I will keep it FOREVER.  It was really a delight, and the members of the club were all so smart and interesting.  I need to get more involved!

After that I was off to my panel with Brandon Sanderson and Adam Rex, who are both old pros, funny and witty and comfortable on stage.  Then I stammered at Deborah Wiles, signed some books, and ate a big gyro, before I  came home on Marta.

After that I  I fell asleep on the couch until Lew hit me in the face with a toy car.  But even that was okay.  Because  I’m so so so so so satisfied right now, with everything.  I’m on a little desert island of happy.

Please don’t come and rescue me.