Betty Birney’s Blog

As Richard Peck said at the SCBWI conference week before last, “friend … is not a verb.” I agree. But I took the plunge anyway and put myself on Facebook as another way to communicate with friends and fans. So check me out, friend me – “friend” will be a verb in the dictionary very soon I predict. (But I only wish everyone could have heard Richard’s moving speech.)

The conference is behind me and right in front of me is a month-long trip to NY/UK/NY. Everything’s in place – a mixture of pleasure and book promotion (which is pleasure) and time with the wonderful people at my UK publisher, Faber & Faber. If you haven’t checked out their Humphrey website, please go to http://funwithhumphrey.com/. There’s a brand new Humphrey story in the Hamster Zone.

We’ll have two different chances to see our faraway son Walshe in NY, nephew/niece Michael and Claire in Glen Ridge, NJ, great-nieces Rita and Josie, my agent, Nancy Gallt and her new agent Marietta Zacker whom I met at SCBWI, Humphrey editor Susan Kochan, Humphrey paperback editor Jen Bonnell, wonderful friends Betty and Alex, and cousin Reed Birney in a play – he works all the time in NY and it will be treat to see him onstage at Playwrights Horizon in Circle Mirror Transformation.

Oh, and I also have a bit o’writing to do!

I had a very relaxing day on Sunday (unusual for me=relaxing). Granddaughter Remy and her parents Rebecca and Gary came over and we pulled the table out under the trees, had a Mediterranean feast (Greek food is my favorite) and talked ourselves silly.

Remy pulled out her usual collection of toys, including Humphrey and Og puppets,  and also did a LOT of drawing. I particularly like her drawing of – well you can guess who it is (above). There are books about him. He has a cage with a lock-that-doesn’t-lock. He lives in Room 26 of Longfellow School. Okay, enough with the hints.

I’ll put up my schedule for London, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Bath very soon. We’re also looking forward to time in Surrey with friends Min (and Johnny and Suzy), and Wendy and Roger. But I must say a month-long trip takes a lot of planning as far as clothes.

(Take a deep breath, Betty.)