What a tremendous, fun experience to share with West Genesee High School sage, Keith Newvine - a gathering of trivia knowledge, Friday night fun warm-fuzzies, and humorous chin-scratching trivia. We didn't win the Gold - we aren't independent book sellers - but we did hold our own. I think we ended with a silver or bronze, or maybe even honorable mention. Believe it or not, it was the CNY writer trivia that got us in the end. Our ties are to Syracuse University, not Cornell (although we did know the glorious Laurie Halse Anderson as an answer in a different category; of course she's the author of Speak.
More, now than ever before, it is important to offer locations for colleagues, readers, educators, and writers to simply gather in digital spaces to have fun. To laugh. To have a drink. Keith Newvine was a master at the ceremony - the Caeser Flickerman of CNY (by the way, we were close with that one...I think we said Cesar Flame-Thrower...but we may have chiseled it down to Flickman). Keith's humor, dedication to the profession, knowledge, and willingness to lead was exactly what so many us in K-12 schools, higher education, and bookstores needed right now. Kudos to him and the CNY Reading Council for hosting the event, and proving that a 3-hour space away from the ordinary to celebrate book nerds in the region was a good way to go. Okay, I admit, I am more kin to my Brooklyn ladies than Syracuse, but we represented!
Funniest to me was to be in a space with my mentors as a teammate, rather than a co-author (or student). I think we could make a sitcom out of the four of us figuring out a way to come up with some sort of answer. At times we guessed right or very near the correct answer. Then there were the times we talked ourselves out of the correct one and got it wrong. And then there were those we totally botched and made up a response.
This is all to say, "I love my CNY reading mentors and all they do for the community." Go Reading and Language Arts at Syracuse University.
And go, go, go Keith Newvine. These are complicated time, but you are taking the helm and finding a way to make everyone unite. This does not go unnoticed.
When we all chose to gather to enter a team, we laughed, "Phew. Here's where our Ph.Ds will make us look foolish." Ah, but we held our own. The Boogie Down Booksters!
Hip Hip Hooray for Kelly Chandler Olcott and Kathy Hinchman. Your influence on so many of us cannot be measured. Hip Hip Hooray for Liz Lewis (I'm still waiting to have lunch with you on Marshall Street).
Now, for the real debate. How is 1984 young adult literature? It's taught in high schools, yes...but YA? Sounds like a conference presentation. I look forward to reading your dissertation, Keith.
Thank you so much for these amazingly kind words. I was taught by some amazing people in my life: my grandparents, my parents, my family, my friends, my students, by the people the Boogie-Down Booksters, by everyone in the Zoom last night, and by everyone I am lucky enough to meet virtually or in person. Oh, and you can guarantee that my dissertation will “explore” why 1984 is taught in high schools and considered YA lit by some. Careful, Crandall—you just might have signed up to be an outside reader...which would be my honor.
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