I've Got The Torch... And Here We Go!

Lee Wind, mid-air

I am honored and thrilled to be the new official SCBWI blogger and Captain of Team Blog!

Look for updates here on things going on in our kid lit industry and inside looks at the many SCBWI offerings of information, networking, publications, grants & awards, being a collective voice for authors and illustrators, and of course our amazing SCBWI Annual Conferences!

Your SCBWI Team Bloggers will be diving into pre-conference interviews to give you the scoop on what you can look forward to at our upcoming Lucky 13th Annual Winter Conference in New York City, Jan 27-29, 2012.  I mean, have you checked out the lineup of speakers?  The break-out workshops?  The number of agents and editors on faculty?  The gala dinner, a new mingling and networking event for Saturday night?  The portfolio showcase?  And the Friday day of intensive sessions on marketing for writers, marketing for illustrators, and writers roundtables?  There's so much great stuff!

But the conference blogging by Team Blog couldn't happen without our amazing team:

Martha Brockenbrough, one of the funniest people I've ever met.  And she can write funny, too.  Her book on grammar  had me laughing out loud (yes, grammar and laughing) and I can't wait to read her upcoming titles from Arthur A. Levine books ("Devine Intervention" sounds amazing!) Martha is deep and insightful and snort-milk-out-of-your-nose funny.  She's also a wonderful blogger, both at her own blog, and for our SCBWI Team!

Jolie Stekley is awesome. A YA writer bursting with creativity and energy, she imbues everything she does with heart and insight.  I love re-reading her conference posts (like this one), because they are personal and universal at the same time - and with all the photos and quotes the whole feel of the conference comes back to me in a wonderful rush!  She's a great blogger at her own blog, Cuppa Jolie (check out her fabulous weekly writing prompts!) and for our SCBWI Team!

Jaime Temairik, our resident illustrator on the team, changes things up for all of us by stretching the form and having fun with it all.  Like her commercial breaks and zombie sock puppet sketches, Jaime is wacky in the most wonderful of ways!  When I first met her, I thought she was Yoda-like, as in still-waters-run-deep.  What I discovered is that Jaime is deep - and she's quieter than me because she's busy planning all this amazing stuff while I'm chattering away!  She's a treasure of a blogger at her own blog, Cocoastomp, and for our SCBWI Team!

Suzanne Young is zany, charming, and prolific - with three YA titles out (her latest is the supernatural romance,"A Need So Beautiful!)" and more books coming soon...  Suzanne is also really innovative in her marketing efforts, and I recently saw her speak with Novel Novice's Sara Gundell about their super-fun and well-received do-it-yourself campaigns for her books.  Suzanne is a bright light and a super blogger, both at her own blog and for our SCBWI Team!

What all these amazing bloggers share is a huge sense of heart and passion.  (And twitter accounts:  follow them at
 @mbrockenbrough
 @cuppajolie
 @jaimetem
 @suzanne_young)
I'm beyond grateful for their friendship and support - and so glad to continue Team Blogging the SCBWI Annual Conferences with them!

And I have to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks to Alice Pope, who not only had the vision to create Team Blog with Aaron Hartzler (and bring me on board) but for believing in me and now passing me the torch.  Thank you, Alice! 

So I'll raise the flame high and run with you all, as we explore the grandeur and endorphin-rush of our passion - writing and illustrating and editing and agenting and art-directing and publishing and blogging and bookselling and teaching and librarian-ing (!)  and marketing and innovating...  as we create and celebrate creative content for children and teens.

Run with me!
Lee

ps: You're welcome to follow me on my home blog, "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?" and on twitter at @leewind
pps: My photo above was taken by the wonderful writer and photographer Rita Crayon Huang.