Had a first-rate time at the Austin SCBWI conference this weekend at the Pecan Street Cafe (only whine: very lukewarm lunch).

Learned that Candlewick is every bit as magical as I’d imagined it was (as was editor Sarah Ketchersid, who recited Greg‘s favorite speech from Shakespeare), that Charlesbridge is growing in exciting new directions (transitional and middle grade fiction under editor Judy O’Malley), and that Roaring Brook–love, love, love the house; needs a Web site–has thrown its hat into the graphic novels trend by going for literary quality under Mark Seigel (illustrator of Sea Dogs by Lisa Wheeler and Long Night Moon by Cynthia Rylant). Also mucho impressed with the speech by oh-so-charming Rosemary Stimola, which among other things, made me curious about sub agents.

Best news of the day: Chris Barton sold a first book to Charlesbridge! Yahoo!

Carried on with Stephanie to Musashino’s, then to the Driskill where we ran into the whole Austin Film Fest, including Page who joined us afterward at Katz’s.

Key Question: when on earth did fish-net stockings come back in?

I’m so out of touch. Sigh.