Wednesday, September 30, 2009

FAME - I'm Gonna Live Forever

On Tuesday I arrived in Orlando for the Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) conference. Over the next two days, I'll be giving a presentation to a room full of educators, sitting on a panel with several amazing authors, and most exciting of all...accepting an award!

Thirteen Reasons Why won the 2009 Florida Teens Read Award. This is an exceptionally cool award because it was voted on by teens. (In case you didn't know, teens are pretty much who I wrote the book for.) Unfortunately, I was in Peru when my book was given a similar award in Kentucky. But I'll be in Kansas in a couple of weeks to accept their award.

Here's how I see things shaping up: In three more years, many of the teen voters mentioned above will be eligible to vote for President. By then, I'll also be old enough to run for President. If I can keep those three states happy, I've already got myself 41 electoral college votes.

Only 229 to go!!!

Of course, you need to be 35 to run for President. Well, today I got another step closer to that requirement. Today is my 34th birthday!


I blew out my first b-day candle a few hours early last night, but I was with a bunch of authors who'd been flying all day, and one of them flew in from London where it actually was September 30th already...so I think it counts.


That's me with my very entertaining dinner buddies: Leslie Helakoski, Marie Smith, Roland Smith, Peg Kehret, and Stephanie Tolan.

And no, I will not tell you what I wished for!

12 comments:

Caprica-Lex said...

Whatever you wished for, I hope you'll get it. Happy birthday!

And of course congratulations for the award. Awards voted by the audience are so much cooler than those given away by a jury (I'm looking at you, frakin' Emmys!).

And about that presidency... I'd vote for you! (Easy to say, I live in germany and are not allowed to vote in America, but still!)

Kat Heckenbach said...

Congratulations and Happy Birthday!

Jennie Englund said...

Happy Birthday! Congratulations!

All that!

Hey, what did you think of "Fame?"

I blogged about it. Check jennieenglund.blogspot.com.

Tell me. Dying to know.

Donna Gambale said...

Happy birthday! And congrats. I'd vote for you for President.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Jay!

Suzanne Young said...

Happy Birthday!

AmandaHewer said...

Aw! Happy Birthday!

And do you know how I could go about voting for you/nominating you for an award in Michigan?

Wild About Words said...

Happy Birthday! And welcome to the Sunshine State.

Candace said...

Congratulations, and a very Happy Birthday!! I hope it was magical :)

Paige Keiser said...

Happy Birthday Jay! I'm turning 34 too this November. How does it feel? I need to know in advance...I'm scared... lol :-D

Many thanks for the link, I'm honored! You've got one coming right back atchya!

Lauren Oliver said...

ah, man...missed your bday by a day! Happy belated. Hope you had a great time in peru. And congrats on the award! You continue to rock the party that rocks the party.

Rita said...

Jay for President. It makes sense.

Happy bday. :)