The blog of author Matthew J. Kirby

Category: Life

  • NYC – Part 4

    Part 1, here.  Part 2, here.  Part 3, here. So, after a long day of filming and a good night’s sleep, the next morning we rode the subway down to a recording studio.  There I met Mary Gruetzke, the audiobook editor for The Clockwork Three, and Cheryl Smith, the audiobook producer.  Both women were very…

  • NYC – Part 2 of… maybe 4?

    For part 1, click here. On the first day of sightseeing, we decided to ride the ferry out to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.  As a history buff, I was most excited about Ellis Island.  The problem was, there were a lot of other people who had the same idea.  The line to get tickets…

  • NYC – Part 1 of… not sure yet

    Last week, I went to New York City.  I did a lot and saw a lot, so it’ll likely take a few posts to share it all with you.  As I mentioned, my publisher flew me in for business, but I tacked on a couple of extra days to do some sightseeing.  It was the…

  • Best Friends

    My wife and I have a yearly Christmas tradition of donating to a charity.  We usually pick a cause or an organization that we are passionate about, or has a special meaning to us that year.  This year, we are donating to the Best Friends Animal Society.  If you aren’t familiar with them, they are…

  • The Green Spy

    As I arrived at work the other day, my principal came into my office and asked me if I wanted to do something fun with him. “Sure thing,” I said. “Thanks.  I need to you be the Green Spy,” he said. “The what?” “The Green Spy.” “Okay,” I said.  “What’s the Green Spy?” “You go…

  • SCBWI 2009

    Over the weekend, I was in LA for the annual summer conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and can I just say that I had an absolute blast!  Seriously, I love writers.  And I believe that as solitary an activity as writing is, writers need other writers.  We learn from each…

  • "The Wilderness of Childhood"

    I really enjoyed this essay by Michael Chabon.  I mean, I love his fiction (and you may remember that The Yiddish Policemen’s Union was one of my favorite books that I read last year) but he’s a great essayist as well.  I plan to read the collection from which this essay comes when it’s released…

  • A book update, sort of, and a funny video just for the heck of it.

    But the book news is more of a tease than a real update.  My editor sent me the “concept” that they’re working on for my book cover (awesome!) as well as the artist they’d like to work with.  They don’t know yet if he’ll be available when they need him, but I really hope he…

  • Who Can Write?

    A little while ago, a friend of mine emailed me with this question about  the ability to write stories: Don’t you think one is born with it, or not born with it?  It probably wouldn’t appear magically at the age of 45, right? I actually think the capacity to tell stories is there in everybody. …

  • I'm published

    I have sold my first book.  Scholastic plans to publish it in the Fall of 2010.  I’m still walking around as though I’ve stumbled into some alternate reality, where everything looks the same, but at the same time kind of doesn’t. So, a little background on the deal. Back in January, I posted about signing…