Saturday, September 26, 2009

tragedy of the books

what to do? every since i first saw the schedule for the national book festival, maybe a month ago, i knew there was going to be a problem. a big, big problem.

mo willems and azar nafisi were speaking at the same time.

i know, you're horrified for me as well.

for over a month i've pondered this dilemma, wondering who i should see.

the national book festival is like christmas to me. i mean, i think we should have parties celebrating the night before. 'book fest-eve' celebrations. i love this day.

and here, on this beautiful, celebrated day, were two of the authors, two of my favorite authors, speaking at the same time.

i kept thinking the schedule would change. maybe they'd move one of them to later or earlier in the day. they'd have to, right? this couldn't be how the story would end, me having to choose.

but they didn't, and this morning i was facing the choice: mo or azar. silly children's books, or inspiring grown up literature?

i've heard both of them at previous book festivals so i couldn't pick one on account of having heard one before.

azar nafisi is one of the most inspiring speakers i've ever heard. i could read passages from reading lolita in tehran over and over again. she brings nabokov's quote "readers are born free" to life.

i subscribe to mo willem's blog. i have knuffle bunny memorized. seriously. i could probably act it out for you if you would really like me to. i read the pigeon books weekly if not more. i am still trying to convince mr. lipstick that we need to have a dining room like mo's (which is painted with chalkboard paint so they can have family drawing nights)

who would win out? the grown-up, thoughtful, literary side? or my love of kid-lit and my strong desire to hear mo read one of his books out loud?

what was a teacher to do?

at 2:50 i still did not have an answer to this and their 3 o'clock talks were about to start.

and then... i realized the fiction and fantasy tent was really, really far away. it was raining. and crowded. and i was two steps away from the children's tent.

i am a lazy woman, but a lazy woman who heard two children's stories read aloud and one acted out by the real life trixie.

lazy, but happy

3 comments:

Sneaker Teacher said...

There is something for you at my blog

Katie
www.sneakerteacher.blogspot.com

Kelly said...

wow that sounds really cool
I definitely would've gone for the close one too, how else are you supposed to decide?

Anonymous said...

I'm with you! Mo Willems rocks!