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People ask me all the time where I get the ideas for my books, and I don’t have a good answer. A good idea isn’t something that can be conjured up at a moment’s notice. It has to be stumbled upon.

Here’s an example: Last week I woke up in my hotel in Corning, NY, half asleep, one eye pinned shut by the pillow, and noticed this unusual knob on middle of the wall. It was old, no doubt left over from a previous incarnation of the hotel, and it was labeled the McQuay Seasonmaker. What a beautiful name! And what possibilities it suggested!

Needless to say, I didn’t turn the knob, or you, and the entire east coast, would have noticed. But what if I had?

Now there’s a good idea for a story.

I was in Corning to visit two schools, H. Gregg Elementary and Kent Phillips Elementary. It was a great trip, and my two hosts, Mrs. Robarge and Mrs. Wukovitz, took terrific care of me while I was there. The kids were amazing, well-prepared and full of good questions, and the walls of the school were lined with really fun artwork. There were digital paintings, a line of pinch-pots each containing precisely thirteen miniature beans, and drawings and paintings inspired by Andy Warhol and Wayne Thiebaud.

It was an absolute treat from beginning to end, and I thank everyone, especially Mrs. Robarge and Mrs. Wukovitz, for all the hard work they put in to make it happen.

One of the fun things about this author job is that sometimes I get to try out other jobs. Today, I went to the recording studio to record some audio for the upcoming Lion’s Share DVD.

The studio had pictures of Janis Joplin, Frank Zappa, and Duke Ellington on the walls. Technically, these musicians never actually recorded there, but the idea is that they could have, if they had been in town and the studio had been around when they were alive. So there were lots of good vibes in the room.

The engineer, Jason, was really cool and patient with all my stupid questions. For some reason, though, he didn’t ask me for a photo for the wall, even though there was a big empty spot right next to Jimi Hendrix. I’m sure it was just an oversight. I’ll send him one.

I’ll be giving two free talks at libraries in the upstate New York area this month. If you’re free, swing by and say hello!

Aug 13, 2pm
The Canajoharie Library
2 Erie Blvd. , Canajoharie NY

Aug 18, 7pm
The Easton Library
1074 State Route 40, Greenwich, NY

Blodgett Elementary is certainly one of the smaller schools I’ve visited in a while. It’s a new school, formed in a hurry when a large charter school in Schenectady closed recently. As a consequence, everyone at the school is brand new, and it doesn’t even show up on my GPS.

I found it anyway (although the big cross on the side of the building, left over from its days as a parochial school, threw me for a moment). I’m glad I did. They’re clearly having a lot of fun at Blodgett. For example, check out this cool Uncle Frank’s Pit construction built around Frank, the custodian’s room.

Blodgett was filled with great artwork and writing projects, all capped off with something I have never, ever seen or heard before: A live performance of a Backbeard rap by members of the sixth grade class. Click the link below to check it out.

Backbeard Owns The ‘Hood

Here’s something I didn’t know: In Texas, schoolkids say the pledge to both the U.S. and the Texas flag, one of only six states to do so. (It’s an urban legend that Texas is the only state that can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. flag, though. They all can, if they follow the rules.)

I spent the week visiting schools in Allen Texas, and it was great fun. Read on for just a few of the highlights…

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