Dear friends:

SUCH a senior moment, and one very much of our times, just now. I wandered into the kitchen for coffee (black, cold, neat) where Richard was seated at the table in front of his laptop, which was talking. This is the usual way of things lately — earlier this week Richard attended Yom Kippur services via Zoom, and quite often he’s listening to the bedroom-voiced Michael Albano, husband to eternal Friend of the Horn Book Eden Edwards, who does prerecorded video lectures Realtors (do not forget that capital) watch as part of renewing their licenses. (Also, go like Richard’s real estate page on Facebook.) This morning’s voice was not Michael’s, alas, so I was oblivious to it as I sashayed by and started babbling away to Ricky about how I wanted him to look up stuff for me about hypoallergenic linens and pillows, because MAYBE that’s why I’m getting congested at night, and — “Uh, I’m on mute now but they heard everything you just said.” Oops, a Realtors’ meeting! It could have been MUCH worse, for sure, like recently when I spontaneously popped a sign of the cross in a video recording announcing our month-long celebration of the 2020 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards. But one reason Seniors get Moments is because we have less regard for social consequences and thus proceed obliviously. It’s kind of nice.

BGHB coverage starts on Monday with the video edition of the opening remarks — here adapted for the circumstances — which I give at the beginning of every BGHB Award Ceremony. If I’m counting on my fingers right, this will be the twenty-fifth time I’ve done this. Glad I had some silver on hand! But this morning you can go look at @nanerias post on Calling Caldecott about Pete Oswald’s Hike, a book I adore. It’s one of those picture books that makes you want to live in it.

I’m already missing the luxuries of summer reading, although how I make the distinction is not something I’m clear on. But I’m enjoying Louise Penny’s Still Life. My friend Lori told me about it ages ago, and Kindle tells me I gave it a less than valiant try some years back, but then Gregory Maguire was raving about it on Facebook and I became curious for another look and now I’m hooked. This is why it’s so hard to give unread books away — sometimes their moment hasn’t yet arrived for you, but it still might!

Love,

Roger