This morning, the beautiful and talented Jean Gralley posted an old poster of the Lena Horne and Bill Robinson movie Stormy Weather, which I loved when I first saw it as a little girl. So in honor of Jean, Lena and Hurricane Sandy, here's my Stormy Weather playlist that I'll have plenty of time to listen to as work's been cancelled today with a possible closure tomorrow as well.
"Stormy Weather" by Lena Horne
"Lightning Crashes" by Live
"It Blew a Living Gale" by David Baumgarten
"Rainy Day Women" by Bob Dylan
"A Little Fall of Rain" by Les Miserables Cast
"Downpour" by Brandi Carlile
"Come Rain Or Come Shine" by Billie Holiday
"Butterflies & Hurricanes" by Muse
"Drops of Rain" by Carbon Leaf
"Don't Rain On My Parade" by Glee Cast
"Ill Wind" by Billie Holiday
"She Gathers Rain" by Collective Soul
"Blow the Man Down" by Stan Hugill
"Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan
"Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind" by Spring Awakenings Cast
"Us Amazonians" by Kirsty MacColl (from Tropical Brainstorm)
"Darkshines" by Muse
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Ella Fitzgerald
Stay safe, stay dry and stay inside!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Dear Teen Me: Embrase Every Opportunity
Dear 14-Year-Old Kathryn,
What amazing adventures you are about to have! From this side of high school, that might be difficult to believe. You've had the worst summer of your life (trust me, the next 17 summers will truly be a vacation in comparison), and you don't feel particularly intelligent, beautiful or friendly enough to make any kind of difference. You won't be valedictorian, voted homecoming queen or give the commencement address, but you are about to meet some of your best friends, discover your biggest supporters and figure out who you are.
Freshman year will start off better than you expect. You'll be cast as Patty in a local production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and you'll enjoy singing, dancing and acting with a group of people who will continue to be a part of your life for years to come. Enjoy every minute of your time in the spotlight.
As you begin your sophomore year, you'll be asked to take on a bigger role in the high school band. Let's face it, you won't be an amazing clarinetist, but you'll do just fine as the second-clarinet section leader in marching band, and you'll get to play percussion—chimes, xylophone, glockenspiel, cymbals and even timpani. At the end of the year, when you're asked to switch to the bassoon, be brave! It will lead to a college scholarship.
You've always been pretty good at math and science, so junior year, when you're invited to participate in Saturday Morning Physics at FERMILab, don't hesitate to say yes. You'll learn from Nobel Prize-winning physicists and get a peek inside the particle accelerator where the down quark was discovered. You'll also have a conversation with Leon Lederman that will change the way you look at the universe and your place in it.
Your senior year will be incredibly challenging, but you are up to the task. How many 17-year-old students can say they've worked in the governor's press office? You will. And you'll watch as he becomes the first governor since the Kennedy Administration to go to Cuba, you'll be a part of a moratorium on executions, reform of handgun laws, implementation of children's health insurance, review of zero-tolerance policies in schools, and yes, even be there when an old scandal resurfaces. The governor will later go to jail for his crimes, but you will continue to make politics a huge part of your career.
Not everything that happens during the next four years will be exciting and fun. You'll experience death and illness on a very personal level, and your faith and abilities will be put to the test. But the thing about opportunity is that it makes you better, stronger, more equipped to handle trials.
Right now, you look at yourself as an awkward girl in thick glasses and too much fat who doesn't know how to dress or do her hair. Your family's not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, and you can't imagine being able to afford to go to college. Well, those things won't really change, but your perception of yourself will. You'll soon realize that it's the experiences you have that define who you are.
So grab every opportunity that comes your way and live a life well lived. I promise, you won't regret a thing.
With Love,
30-Year-Old Kathryn
This post is a stop along the Dear Teen Me Blog Tour. The Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves anthology by editors E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally will be available from Zest Books on October 30. Don't miss this amazing book that features insights from some of my favorite YA authors, including Tom Angleberger, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Carrie Jones, Kekla Magoon, Jenny Moss, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Sara Zarr and more.
What amazing adventures you are about to have! From this side of high school, that might be difficult to believe. You've had the worst summer of your life (trust me, the next 17 summers will truly be a vacation in comparison), and you don't feel particularly intelligent, beautiful or friendly enough to make any kind of difference. You won't be valedictorian, voted homecoming queen or give the commencement address, but you are about to meet some of your best friends, discover your biggest supporters and figure out who you are.
Freshman year will start off better than you expect. You'll be cast as Patty in a local production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and you'll enjoy singing, dancing and acting with a group of people who will continue to be a part of your life for years to come. Enjoy every minute of your time in the spotlight.
 |
| 14-year-old Kathryn sings "The Book Report" in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. |
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| 15-year-old Kathryn marches in the West Aurora High School homecoming parade. |
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| 16-year-old Kathryn walks through the particle accelerator at FIRMILab. |
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| 17-year-old Kathryn meets with other internes on the steps of the Old Capitol Building. |
Right now, you look at yourself as an awkward girl in thick glasses and too much fat who doesn't know how to dress or do her hair. Your family's not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, and you can't imagine being able to afford to go to college. Well, those things won't really change, but your perception of yourself will. You'll soon realize that it's the experiences you have that define who you are.
So grab every opportunity that comes your way and live a life well lived. I promise, you won't regret a thing.
With Love,
30-Year-Old Kathryn
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Welcome to My House
Yes, I saw all 13 pitches of Jayson Werth's walk-off homer live at National Park this evening. This is a game I will not soon forget and a team worth remembering.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Annual Fall Conference: Children's Publishing in 2012
There are only a few more days to register for the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Annual Fall Conference on October 19-20, in Sterling, Virginia. The keynote speaker is Karen Cushman, author of Will Sparrow’s Road and the Newbery Award-winner The Midwife’s Apprentice. Other faculty includes Tracey Adams, Kwame Alexander, Mary Amato, Ellen R. Braaf, Cynthia Cotten, Kelley Cunningham, Lezlie Evans, Amanda Luedeke, Emily Meehan, Daniel Nayeri, Anne Marie Pace, Valerie O. Patterson, Mary Quattlebaum, Candice Ransom, Joan Waites, Tina Wexler and Carolyn P. Yoder.
Visit www.regonline.com/scbwimidatlanticconf for more information and to register.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Don't Forget to Vote
Please forgive the following political post. I'll try to keep it as non-partisan as possible.
I am one of those people who is going into these elections totally undecided. While I don't like watching the debate and pretty much hate all campaign commercials, what is said and how the campaigns are handled will make a huge difference in how I vote next month. And as a voter in a pivotal swing state, I understand how much my vote matters.
If you live in Virginia and have not registered to vote, you must do so by October 15 to be able to cast your ballot in November. To register or change your address, download the Virginia voter registration application here.
If you aren't sure if you're registered or think you might be registered in the incorrect district, check your record here. You can also use this link to find the polling place where you are assigned to go.
If you live in another state, check with your State Board of Elections to find out how and when your registration must be completed. Everyone over 18 has the right to vote in the United States, and we should never take that for granted.
I am one of those people who is going into these elections totally undecided. While I don't like watching the debate and pretty much hate all campaign commercials, what is said and how the campaigns are handled will make a huge difference in how I vote next month. And as a voter in a pivotal swing state, I understand how much my vote matters.
If you live in Virginia and have not registered to vote, you must do so by October 15 to be able to cast your ballot in November. To register or change your address, download the Virginia voter registration application here.
If you aren't sure if you're registered or think you might be registered in the incorrect district, check your record here. You can also use this link to find the polling place where you are assigned to go.
If you live in another state, check with your State Board of Elections to find out how and when your registration must be completed. Everyone over 18 has the right to vote in the United States, and we should never take that for granted.
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