Miscellany

Sometimes our most notable accomplishments don’t quite fit on our resumes. For example:

I was a listener contestant on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, the NPR news quiz (Bluff the Listener segment, December 12, 2009). Listen here, or read my blog post. (Why yes, I won!)

I was the co-champion (with Bobbi Newman) of Battledecks at ALA Midwinter 2010. You can watch my (glorious? dubious?) impromptu talk. We won fabulous prizes. I lost the title to (the eminently worthy) Jason Griffey at ALA Annual 2010, but had a blast competing. Videos of all of us here.

On a serious (just dated) note, I won a Scholastic Art & Writing Award: a gold medal in the personal essay category in 1994. I got to read an excerpt of my essay in the Library of Congress (the experience of a lifetime, and a tremendous honor). You are free to infer that I can write as well as fellow writing award alumni Joyce Carol Oates and Truman Capote (you would be wrong, but don’t let me stop you).