The way I figure it, I can't just walk up and talk to a person if I don't have an "in".  Jonah Winter would have been an AWESOME person to converse with, what with his crazy cool jacket and all.  As it was, I just slunk about him as he spoke to Anne Schwartz.  I sorta kinda know Sean Qualls who illustrated his book Dizzy but I didn't feel confident that it was enough to start a conversation with.  Richard Peck was everywhere, but what do you friggin' say to Richard Peck?  And as for Nikki Grimes, I think I was on an airplane with her and Raul Colon once.  No guts then, no guts now.  After the fact I learned that Robie H. Harris was in attendance.  Had I but known I would have certainly spoken to her.  Ah well.

At 8:40 p.m. I high-tailed it out of there to the bar Local where my post VIP SCBWI Cocktail Party was to be held.  As with every big party I throw, I failed to inspect the place before I went.  If you were to make a rundown of my Kidlit Drink Night Cocktail Party record it would go a little something like this:

- Kidlit Drink Night Harry Potter release party: Failed to check with bar and had to relocate across the street at the last minute.  Friendly bouncer saved my butt.

- Kidlit Drink Night Book Expo: Did not reserve room. Everyone stood in the bar instead.

- Kidlit Drink Night SCBWI 2007: Got a good sized room in a VERY loud bar.

And that brings us to Kidlit Drink Night SCBWI 2008 in which instead of a room we had a slightly raised platform capable of comfortably seating 40 people if they all sat down and didn't talk above whispers.  In the end there were easily more than 40 present and if they were talking it certainly wasn't in hush-hush tones.

I don't remember people well, but here's a brief recap of a few.  I met Melanie Hope Greenberg and discovered all too late that she had illustrated Down in the Subway, which is a book I really enjoy. I also met Bill Cochran (who would fit the profile for any of you hoping to start a Hot Men of Children's Literature blog), Tamara Minks-Regan, Barbara Johansen, Robin Brickman, Kristen Bannister, David Diaz (can someone confirm this?), Sara Lewis Holmes, Meghan McCarthy, G. Neri, Jesse Joshua Watson, Eric Luper, Ruth McNally Barshaw (who, in spite of my pleas and tears would NOT give me the ARC in her hand of her latest book, it being her only copy), Cheryl Klein, my crew of SCBWIers from Seattle, and Heather Scott, my husband, and so many other people.  If I've not mentioned you it is because I have the worst memory on the planet.  Leave me a comment here and I'll make amends.

Oh. And people with shiny medals to their names.  They came too.  I am forever grateful to Linda Sue Park because, amongst other reasons, she makes me look cool.  Look at this picture right here:

Do you know why I am sitting between a one-time Newbery Medalist and a THREE time Caldecott Medalist?  It is not because I am cool.  It is because Linda is cool and out of the goodness of her kind and glorious heart she has taken it upon herself to come to my parties.  I do look as though I'm holding a gun to David's back, but he's clearly being a good sport about it.

Taking photographs requires that a person step out of the action around them.  I don't like doing that unless I'm uncomfortable with the situation I'm in.  So I'm not one for photos, but here are a couple I managed to convince myself to take on the sly

So let  us see what we have here.  Here is the Drink Night before it got too crowded:

Others have written of this event as well.  You can see my prom photo with Eric Luper here.  He has his own very nice recap, including pictures from the first party of the night.  You may also wish to check out KT Literary's take.  I was particularly fond of the Sara Lewis Holmes take, since she came to my library and then was too polite to sign her own book.  Awwww.  Darcy Pattison rounds up many of the SCBWI reports if you'd like to see more.

Though for the MOST complete recap of the entire SCBWI experience, no one comes even close to beating Leeza Hernandez.  Nobody.  Go check it out.