Travel Day to Winstitute 6 in DC

Winter Institute began today with some workshops and visits to elected officials. Jason and I came in this morning, having stayed behind to host Johnny Weir. Nice event, nice author, nice crew. Wish it had been bigger. Stacie did a bunch of extra contacting of local news and sports crews, but it was hard to get pickup. He signed some skates. Here's a picture of Mr. W. with Stacie and me.

We're supposed to be reading ahead to talk up books at the trade show. Jason's reading Mary Doria Russell's Doc, which he's enjoying. I'm of course reading an event book, Anchee Min's Pearl of China*. We have so many paperback reprint events this spring that I'm spending my time reading books already out. I'm not complaining; I'm just saying that the event books take priority for me over the next buzz galley. I'm hoping to read at least one of the galleys of the authors at the organized dinners, but I'm concerned about time.

Of course we got a little lost getting to the hotel. Jefferson Davis Highway or Old Jefferson Davis Highway? And we both instinctually went to the hotel we were last at for Book Expo, instead of looking it up. This is the textbook definition of "winging it."

Things will be busy for the next couple of days. I should have pre-written some posts (I did this last year) but who can keep up?

*Right now, Willow has just moved to Nanking to edit the daily newspaper. Pearl is teaching. Her marriage is not going well. Well, neither is Willow's because she was effectively sold off by her first husband, an opium addict. Willow was hot on Sun Yat-Sen, but is suspicious of Chiang Kai Shek. We'll see what happens next.