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.
educating alice 
Sick with jealousy! That’s very cool, Monica!
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I met her at ALA a few years ago. Her books changed my life and my thinking. I was staring at this tiny, elegant woman, telling my editor at Kirkus how much she had meant to me and how I could not possibly speak to her. My editor marched me over to Ursula K. Le Guin, introduced us, and told her what I had just said.
We had a lovely conversation about books and writing and stories. I told her my son became a writer at least in part because of the Earthsea books. I admired a ring she was wearing, and she admired my jacket. We talked about feminism and women and growing older. All this in the space of about five minutes.
It was awesome.
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Wow! *shameful look* I’ve never read anything by her. What would you recommend I start with?
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That’s very cool, Monica!
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Lucky, lucky, LUCKY you!
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