Shameless NY-centric promotion time! Do

Do you live in New York and think you can write children's books? Everyone thinks they can write children's books! A panel of experts is giving it up for all you out there, so come support a good cause and then write a kid's book real quick and make some money and rake in the fame. It's a win win situation.

What: Writing and publishing children's books, a panel discussion and seminar

When: Thursday, December 16th 6:30-9:30pm

Where: 826NYC, Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company

Who: Panelists will include:

Jon Scieszka (author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales)
Mo Willems (author of Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus)
Bruce Brooks (Dolores, Throwing Smoke, and Vanishing)
Brett Helquist (illustrator for the Lemony Snicket books)
Alessandra Balzer (executive editor of Hyperion Books for Children)
Barry Goldblatt (Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency)

Space is limited, folks. If you're interested, call (718) 499-9884 or stop by the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company at 372 5th Avenue, Park Slope. $50 donation--all proceeds go directly to student programming at 826NYC.

Envy and Heartache

I also got an email from the very talented Starlee Kine, of "This American Life" fame. She and her friend Blue Chevigny are putting together a series of audio stories that will take listeners on an a "tour" of New York. Instead of your standard sighteseeing venture, they're calling it the "Heartbreak and Envy Walking Tour," under the belief that heartbreak and envy are at the core of what makes this city tick.

They are looking for stories of heartbreak and envy from New Yorkers who can pinpoint their tale at a specific New York location (not just the city as a backdrop). After collecting as many stories as they can, they'll pick some ones they like and hold interviews with those people, which will then be turned into the audio series. If you're interested or need more details, email Starlee or Blue.

In other news...Ivana calls Jen and Sandy "cheap hookers" and then drops trou for $20, thus getting herself fired for prostituting herself. Alanis, are you listening? THIS is what you should have written your song about.

Also...the hell?? Who did this?

As if I'm not dealing with toffee and snowball cookies and sweet sweet Swiss Colony.