Saturday, May 21, 2011

IRA and Research Trip to the Big Kahuna



International Reading Assoc. meeting was wonderful, as always. Our panel was a great range -- from Loreen Leedy's process to the hilarity of Jon Scieszka, with his underlying serious message about reading and computer literacy.

The URL's I referred to in my talk are up on my Facebook page for anyone who wants to check them out. I couldn't get them to upload here.

Then I went on to Washington DC to do some research on the newest nonfiction book I have in the works.... You want to know how much of a nerd I am? Here's the bedroom where I slept. I was very, very happy.

I managed to make it to the National Archives I (records) and II (photos), the Archives of American Art, and the Library of Congress. Going to research in Washington DC is like going to Mecca. I did figure out, however, that I need to really buff up my research skills. These places have so much material it is amazing.


There are an incredible number of rules, as well. Once you jettison all your stuff except a few items (computer, camera) you sit at a table and can only write on your computer or on specially identified paper with a pencil. Makes for a clean desk!