Kidlitosphere Conference Meme

MotherReader (aka Pam Coughlan) has spoken. In recognition of the fact that there is only one week left to register for next month's Kidlitosphere conference (and lock in the excellent hotel rate), she started a meme. I don't usually do memes, but for Pam, and because I am a huge, huge fan of the Kidlitosphere conference, I'm going to participate.

Pam says: "If you’re wondering whether it will be worth it, I can only assure you that I haven’t talked to anybody after the two other conferences I attended who left without feeling that it was a fantastic experience. And in that vein, I’m going to introduce a meme to make the rounds of previous KidLitosphere Conference attendees. Please pass it on." So, here's the meme:

Why did you decide to attend the KidLitosphere Conference?

As Pam said, the first conference was started by Robin Brande, who suggested that it would be fun to get together face to face, after commenting back and forth on blogs. Somehow, even though I was completely burned out on travel, I couldn't resist (and was, in fact, the first person to commit to traveling for what was going to be just dinner in Chicago). And that first conference exceeded all of my expectations. It was amazing to have the chance to meet people I'd only know virtually up to that point. It was also hugely validating to be surrounded by a room full of people who shared the same interests. Like Pam, I was sold after that, and wouldn't have missed the second one for anything.

Who was most like their blog? Who was least like their blog?

Pam is just as warm and funny in person as she is at MotherReader. Greg Pincus is just as entertaining and community minded as he is at The Happy Accident and Gotta Book. Liz B. has the same ability to laugh one minute and then cut right to the heart of an important issue the next that she displays at Tea Cozy. Tasha Saecker, who has been blogging longer than just about anyone in the Kidlitosphere, struck me as more ... informal than I expected. Not that Kids Lit isn't fun - but I somehow expected Tasha to be some sort of elder stateman of the community, and found instead someone with a ready laugh, who was easy to hang out with.

What surprised you at the conference?

I think the thing that surprised me most was how quickly I made the transition from "these are my blog friends" to just "these are my friends". To paraphrase one of my favorite authors (D. E. Stevenson), it was like building a house with the foundation already laid. All of our commenting and emailing back and forth makes connecting easy when we meet face to face.  

What will you always remember about the last conference?

What tends to stand out for me are those moments of connection. Sitting in the bar at the hotel after the dinner, talking for ages with first Sarah Stevenson and then Laini Taylor. Meeting Anastasia Suen across the dinner table the night before the conference. Things like that. Thinking back to the first conference, here's something I will always remember. I got there quite late, missing the first session. When I arrived, everyone was sitting at tables arranged in a huge, open square, with Mark Blevis presenting in the middle. As I slunk around the room to find an open seat, people recognized me. People I'd never met face-to-face before. Those people were welcoming me, waving and mouthing their names. And I felt like I had come home.

Did you blog about the conference?

I blogged about the first conference here. I don't seem to have blogged about the second one, but it was equally excellent.

Even more than I resist doing memes, I generally resist tagging other people. But, since I do want to do my part in encouraging more people to attend the Third Annual Kidlitosphere Conference, I will make the attempt. I tag Liz B. from Tea Cozy, Susan Kusel from Booklights, Sarah Stevenson from Finding Wonderland, Adrienne from What Adrienne Thinks About That, and Andrea and Mark from Just One More Book. But if anyone else who has attended one of the other conferences would like to participate, I'd love to read your comments.

Hope to see some of you in Washington next month. It's going to be great. I promise! Much more than worth the time and money.

Comments

[aquafortis]

Ooh, I'll definitely be doing this meme! And I'll be full of aargh the whole time, since I can't make it this year.

[MotherReader]

Jen, what a great post! Thanks so much to breaking your meme AND tagging rule for me. ;^)

Sarah, I'm going to be using the phrase "full of aargh" every chance I get from now on.

[Jenny Schwartzberg]

Sigh. I wish I could come but I'll be busy that weekend...

[Zoe]

Hello,
Just found you via BBAW and wanted to drop you a line to say how much I like your site. Best of luck with the nomination - and I hope that if you head over to my blog you'll find a book to excite you like I have here!
Thanks,
Zoe
http://www.kuvik.net/ztoft/playingbythebook/

[Jen Robinson]

Anything for you, Pam.

Sarah, I SO wish you were coming this year. Talking with you last year was one of the high points for me. Thanks for doing the meme anyway - full of aargh and all.

Jenny, I'll miss having you there, too. We are such kindred spirits in our childhood favorite books - people like you are exactly who I was thinking about when I talked about the conference being validating. Perhaps next year!

And Zoe! Your blog is lovely. Thanks so much for taking the time to introduce yourself. Helping people with like blogging interests is exactly what BBAW is all about. I've added you to my reader.

[Jennifer, Snapshot]

ARGH! I'd love to go, but I just can't swing it. . . . The kidlit folks seem like such a warm and welcoming group. I think that some people might not go if they feel like they aren't in the "in crowd," but the best way to get there is to mix and mingle and put yourself out there!!

[Jen Robinson]

I'm sorry you can't make it, Jennifer. I think that you would enjoy it. As far as being in the "in crowd" or not goes, all I can say is that I've always found everyone to be welcoming. And, since it's a fairly small conference, it remains easy to meet people. (I hate that lost feeling of being at a big conference and not knowing anyone). I don't think it's so much that there's an in crowd - just that there are, at this point, people who've known each other for several years, and are going to be excited to see each other again. But personally, I'm really looking forward to meeting many of the bloggers who I "know" but haven't met yet in person. And hopefully new people, too! Thanks for this reminder to keep things welcoming.

[adrienne]

I'm glad to get the tag. I'll work on this later today. I'm bumming that I'm going to miss this year's conference, especially more the closer it gets. Sigh, sigh to not being able to do it all. It is always so much fun to see everyone.

[Jen Robinson]

So sorry you won't be there this year, Adrienne. Thanks for doing the meme
anyway, though. I'm sure you'll encourage some new people to come, and
hopefully you'll get to meet them next year. We'll miss you!

[Tasha]

Dang! It's the laugh isn't it. I've got to work on my elder statesman persona and the laugh has to be the first to go!

I won't make it this year, though I was at the legendary first conference. I hope you all have a wonderful time!

[Jen Robinson]

We're going to miss you, Tasha (darn it, the outcome of this meme is mostly
be being reminded about all the people who, alas, are not coming this year).
But I guess it gives you an extra year to work on that elder statesman
persona. Yes, I'm afraid that the laugh is going to have to go (grin!).

[Book Chook]

One year I will get there...

[Jen Robinson]

I hope so, Susan. I really do.