Not much time for blogging these days, because I have a book to finish work on - it's my second YA novel, due horrifyingly soon to Scholastic. Luckily it's spring break right now, and I have all day, every day to myself. I like the way time disappears when I'm writing. I like writing, actually, which is just as well.
Last weekend was the Tennessee Williams Festival, and I appeared on a very lively panel in the Cabildo called "New Angles in New Orleans Writing." The other writers on the panel were interesting and funny: Bill Loehfelm (Bloodroot), Rick Barton (Rowing to Sweden), and Andrea Boll (The Parade Goes on Without You). We had a great moderator, too - Ted O'Brien of Garden District Books, who insisted that the term "media escort" has no saucy connotations.
Everyone else on the panel remembered to bring a copy of their most recent book along. I forgot, needless to say, distracted by Saturday-morning English football and various serious fashion issues (i.e. drying my hair and deciding what to wear). Luckily, a very cute eleven-year-old ("nearly twelve") reader named Isabelle was sitting in the second row, and she lent me her copy to flash about.
Although I'm working on a novel right now, early Sunday mornings are devoted, as ever, to the crossword in the NYT Magazine. The clue this week to 18-down was "Like universal blood donors." The answer was "OTYPE." After I wrote this in, I made the mistake of asking T. Middy about his blood type. This was the conversation that ensued.
TM: My blood type is O. That's the best.
PM: Why is it the best?
TM: Because either I can give blood to anyone or get blood from anyone.
PM: (showing him crossword) You can GIVE blood to anyone. You're a universal donor.
TM: (says nothing but looks smug)
PM: I'm A plus.
TM: It's A Positive, not A Plus. Please don't go around saying these things in public.
PM: Whatever - it's the best. Hence the plus sign.
TM: A Positive's can't be universal donors.
PM: We don't want to be.
TM: Typical. Even your blood is selfish.
Love the discussion about blood. Made me laugh out loud!
Spring Break in the US means our grand-daughter from NYC is able to visit us here in NZ. Yay! Loving that.
Posted by: Bookman Beattie | March 31, 2010 at 12:55 AM
Oh, T. Middy. How we miss you.
Posted by: TLB | April 01, 2010 at 12:51 AM
A Pluses unite!
O is so common.
Posted by: Vanda Symon | April 06, 2010 at 05:23 AM
TM definitely needs his own blog. His comments always crack me up.
Posted by: Adriane | April 08, 2010 at 07:05 PM