Ready to light this candle

I am not actually lighting any candles today. Maybe I should, out of gratitude. A book launch is a lot like a rocket launch, maybe: Everyone sees the guy sitting on top in the funny suit, but it took a whole bunch of hard-working, smart and friendly people to get him there.

Anyhow, here's a series of internet thingees that convey today's mood. (Also, if you are reading this on Friday, and you live in Dallas, come on by the book launch at Barnes & Noble on Northwest Highway at 7 p.m.) 

 

The launch of Apollo 11 - This is the CBS coverage with Walter Cronkite.

Sometimes the launch tube can seem really long.

Spock allows Lt. Saavik to pilot Enterprise out of spacedock much to the dismay of Kirk and McCoy. This is one of my favorite scenes from The Wrath of Khan.

Michael Merschel
Strange discovery made on notecard

A terrific editor named Kelly did a lot to transmorgify Revenge of the Star Survivors from a rather poorly formatted Word document into the lovely book you will see in stores next week. 

I knew she was good with words. But it turns out, she is also an excellent doodler. Here is a detail from a card she sent me. The red parts are the company's logo, which has a wonderful history that involves dragons. The blue bits are Kelly's. 

 

doodle.jpg

I just hope she does not get in trouble for defacing Holiday House company letterhead that way. 

The doodle arrived with a box of books. Which look like this: 

 

I realize that most people will not find a box of books to be all that exciting. Especially when they are all the same book. I mean, if you were stranded on a distant planet, it could get kind of boring, reading the same book over and over again. 

But I was somewhat pleased to see this box anyway.

(And if anybody reading this would like to order their own box of book, that can be arranged.)

Michael Merschel
A scouting report from the North Texas Teen Book Festival

As a landing party of one, I descended upon the North Texas Teen Book Festival on Saturday. I was told that it was a potentially habitable place for intelligent life forms, but I had no idea. 


 

 

Luckily, the inhabitants of the planet were also quite friendly. And fashion-conscious. 

 

 

I started off my day with a session on Star Wars books, with two actual Star Wars authors: Ben Acker and Adam Gidwitz. How major are these guys? They have written books that are actually officially part of the Star Wars canon. Which means, as I understand it: There is like this nerd college of cardinals at Skywalker Ranch whose job it is to approve everything in every official Star Wars product, and these guys passed. 

Adam used the occasion to show off his Yoda-like Jedi-training skills:

 

 

 

I've met Adam before, and he very kindly let me tag along afterward to the green room, which is not green but is the place where authors hang out before their event. Do you want to know what your favorite authors are like when they are introduced to a new guy who is mumbling something about his new book, which he is promoting by handing out some fliers that he very hastily printed out the night before when he realized he maybe should be ready to hand people ... something if they asked for details? Here is a secret from inside that exclusive and highly secure chamber of elite and powerful people: 

They are, to a person, incredibly friendly, generous with their time and welcoming to newcomers. (One even had me sign my first autograph, on one of those cheap fliers.) 

Although there were some weird rituals that I do not quite understand. 

 

(Seriously, I have NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS ABOUT. But it apparently is a thing. I will report more on the trend in the future, if I am lucky.) 


Anyhow, after that, I saw a couple of great panels. Here's me at the end of one. 
 

(That's me in the back.) 

I also splurged on some swaggy swag.
 

And best of all, I saw a whole bunch of people enjoying books. 

 

Report summary: What a great event. I look forward to conducting future explorations in the future. 

 

Michael MerschelNorth Texas Teen Book Festival