Cleaning Up (Temporarily)

That right there is my new vegetable garden. You can’t tell yet, but this corner is home to the spinach, the lettuce, the rhubarb (see the two lonely plants?) and the asparagus. It’s been cold and wettish here in New England this spring, which means the work is slow. Also, it means that I’ve been a muddy mess for weeks. But today I’m spiffing up and getting myself ready for something more civilized: a literary road trip.

First: school visits. I’m looking forward to stops in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Wallkill, New York in the coming days. It’s fun to meet the parents and teachers and library specialists who help coordinate these visits, and I’m thrilled that my days of talking science with these particular students, long planned, are finally here.

I’ve got a couple public events to tell you about, too …

On Saturday, April 27, I’ll give a family-friendly presentation on citizen science at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. This event is free to Museum members and $5 for non-members; if you are in the area, please join us.

The very next weekend– Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4–I’ll be in New York City for the PEN World Voices Literary Festival.  I’ll be reading as part of the A Literary Safari and speaking alongside authors Eliot Schrefer and Padma Venkatramen on a children’s literature panel called Braving our Endangered World. (Venue locations and ticket pricing can be found at the links.) This Festival promises to be magnificent: talented authors, incredible venues, endless creativity throughout the city, throughout the week; do check out the website for details.

After that? Back to the mud, I suspect.

ps. One of the best parts of a road trip? Audio books, of course. I’m bringing this one and this one.