Three dates to heed:

First Second is holding a conference about comics tomorrow, focusing on the creation of same. Speakers include Gene Yuen Lang and Lisa Brown, both of whose new books (Dragon Hoops and The Phantom Twin, respectively) are star-reviewed in the forthcoming May issue (Lisa also has therein a comic strip about a time she broke the rules to our eventual benefit, and Gene's comic offers a tip from childhood kids today should know). The conference runs from eight until two tomorrow and it's free. Register for Comics Relief here.

SLJ's Day of Dialog[ue] will be held on May 27th but you can register now (and I would). It's virtual, it's free, and it's where I'll be announcing the winners of the 2020 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards.

The Associates of the Boston Public Library have opened the floodgates to applications for their Writer-in-Residence program for unpublished writers of books for young people. $20,000 dollars and an office at BPL. You have until May 29th to submit your proposal and writing sample -- so go put your time-out to good use.