Countdown to the Summer SCBWI Conference... 4 weeks to go until the 4 day "Kidbookapalooza!"

Okay, 24 days until the big 38th Annual Summer Conference on Writing and Illustrating for Children, August 7-10, 2009, in Los Angeles, CA!

The conference will be AMAZING, with opportunities to learn and schmooze and grow with writers and editors and agents and illustrators and art directors and other industry professionals!

And, to help us all get excited about the veritable candy-store of good stuff that the four day conference will present, as part of SCBWI TEAM BLOG,

I know, I know, perhaps it's a bit too much "branding,"
but I like having the logo!

I'll be sharing some exclusive interviews with some incredible people over the next 23 days...

I'd tell you who now, but then, where would the surprise be?

Here's what's NOT a surprise - this list of jaw-droppingly talented people speaking at the conference!

Can you believe we'll get to hear luminaries like these???

Holly Black (Tithe! Spiderwick Chronicles!) New York Times Bestseller and Andre Norton Award Winner!

Ellen Hopkins (Crank! Impulse!) New York Times Bestseller!

Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian!) National Book Award Winner!

David Wiesner (Flotsam! Tuesday!) All those amazing no-word picturebooks! Multiple Caldecott Award Winner!

Kathleen Duey (Skin Hunger!) National Book Award Finalist!

And all these Golden Kite Award Winners!

Honestly, it's going to be amazing. You can still register!

And stay tuned here at "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?" for some GREAT early Conference SCOOPS!

All right, can you tell I'm excited about this? Or have I been too subtle, having used 19 exclamation points in, um... (wait, I'm counting...) 16 sentences?

Hey, let me know in comments if you're planning to be there! (argh! 20! oh no, that makes 22, I can't control it...)

Namaste,
Lee