SI SI!

Societies are fun. Recently there's been a bit of brou and a touch of ha-ha involving the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. But what about the other societies out there? Take, for example, the Society of Illustrators.

Well, first of all the deadline for the 49th Annual Exhibition sponsored by the Society of Illustrators has been extended. The deadline is now October 20, 2006. And I quote:

Artwork selected by 6 juries, judging on graphic excellence, will be shown at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63rd Street, New York City, NY from January 31st to April 28th, 2007. The entire exhibition will be reproduced in full color in ILLUSTRATORS 49, “America’s Original Annual of Illustration."

So youse illustrator folks should note that.

And for the less than artistically inclined among us (always including myself) the fall lecture series has one particular item of great interest on November 1st. It will include the following biggies in the kidbook biz:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS - A DRESS REHEARSAL FOR LIFE
Moderator: Dilys Evans

Leonard Marcus is one of the world’s leading Children’s Book historians and critics. His many books include Dear Genius, A Caldecott Celebration, Storied City and The Wand in the Word.

David Wiesner is a master of the imagination. He is the author/illustrator of Tuesday and The Three Pigs, both Caldecott Gold medal winners, and of Free Fall and Sector 7, both Caldecott Honor titles. His new book Flotsam will be published this Fall 2006 and has already received three starred reviews.

Bryan Collier is an author/illustrator who received the first Ezra Jack Keats award in 2001 for Uptown, which he both wrote and illustrated. Uptown went on to win the Coretta Scott King Award. He has also received two Caldecott honors for Martins’ Big Words, written by Doreen Rappaport in 2002 and Rosa written by Nikki Giovanni in 2006.

I'm in. Mr. Marcus is in my library every other week, but I've never actually seen him talk. Wiesner and Collier would also be well worth checking out. Then again, it costs $20 to attend. And you people are aware of how cheap I am. Anyone wanna spot me?