Tea with the Creator of Earthsea and Other Wonderous Places

I am very appreciative when I receive the occasional invitation to meet an author here in New York City, but tend to leave the reporting of these events to others.  Besides, being a classroom teacher I can only attend such events when my schedule allows and/or my administrators say yes and others cover for me.  Then there was yesterday. I’m still starry-eyed about it and so feel I just must mention it here  —  tea with the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin.  I first came across this icon  in college when I read The Left-Hand of Darkness. Later I fell hard for the Earthsea books and more recently have enjoyed many others by her.  While I think of her as a writer of science fiction for older people, when I mentioned that I’d be having tea with her some of my fourth graders’ faces lit up as they were fans of her Catwings books.  I went thinking I’d just watch her from afar, certain she’d be too imperious to approach, but not so — I was encouraged to sit with her and she was a pleasure to meet.  One thing I pass on— she loves to receive letters from students — check out her website for her address and encourage them to write her!  My great thanks to those who made it possible for me to attend this special affair.