I'm coming to you from my brand new and very fancy MacBook. I was all excited to create a video blog post to talk about our recent trip to New Orleans for the ALA's annual conference, but then I couldn't make the video thing work. I can, however, post photos, which will allow me to show you the progression:

First, I was working hard on figuring it out. Then I became slightly frustrated. And then I got depressed, quit, and inexplicably turned black and white.






Clearly, I am not cut out for video blogging, or vodcasting, or whatever they call it. I'll just have to make do with words. Stupid words.

I will soon post pictures of the Printz Award reception, and I can guarantee you that they will be absolutely hilarious, because I had the flu and looked a pale shade of green the entire evening. So anyway, I had to give my speech seated so as to prevent fainting, and I missed the first minute of Betsy Partridge's speech on account of how I was puking. But it was by far the best bout of stomach flu I've ever experienced in my life, and I honestly don't think I could have enjoyed the event any more than I did. Plus everyone got two standing ovations, which was really fun. Margo Lanagan and Betsy Partridge both gave great speeches; you should go bug Margo and ask her to post hers online. (I will post mine if and when the ALA and I can agree it is legal for me to do so; Margo, residing as she does in a foreign nation, is presumably exempt from such rules and regulations.) Markus Zusak, whom I--like all god-fearing Americans--adore, wasn't able to attend because he has recently acquired an infant. But he gave perhaps the best videotaped remarks I've ever seen in my life.

Aside from all the librarians you get to meet and/or see again, the highlight of these conferences is seeing authors. On this trip, I had a particular blast meeting Sarah Dessen, who aside from being an excellent writer and a fine gambler bears a faint resemblance to my wife. Anyway, I realize that namedropping is disgusting and vulgar but: David Lubar Brent Hartinger Lisa Yee Adrienne Vrettos M. T. Anderson Scott Westerfeld Justine Larbalestier David Levithan Coe Booth and on and on.

As for New Orleans: It was great. Great! The ALA was the first major conference in New Orleans since Katrina, and I can report that they were great hosts. There were signs everywhere welcoming us and thanking us, and although obviously the city itself has been devastated, bringing conventions and tourists back is an important part of the rebuilding process. (I did my part to restore the economy by losing money playing roulette.)

So listen up, car insurance sales professionals and auto parts manufacturers and biotech analysts: New Orleans is open for business, and it's a hell of a fun place to have your next convention. After all, 18,000 librarians can't be wrong.