Michael Northrop

So I was walking back from Lincoln Center last night, still a little dazed from seeing Ashley Bouder in a blue sun dress, when I wandered by the window of Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle.

That is Gentlemen in the lower left there, catty-corner from the new Robert B. Parker. Holy guacamole, right? This was also the first store where I saw my book on the shelves, lo these many months ago. OK, lo these several weeks ago. Whatever the case, that place is all right in my book.

So I’m not copy editing at the dance magazines at all this week.

Why is Ashley smiling? Doesn’t she realize I’m out of the office?

Instead, I am doing the authorial equivalent of putting myself on the stroll. Herewith:

* I did a guest blog on my agent’s site yesterday (another cartoon—a Crowe’s Nest exclusive!).

* I did a “Toe to Toe” interview for the Longstockings’ blog, which is up today. The Longstockings are a group of fantastic YA authors, including Daphne Grab (who interviewed me), Siobhan Vivian (isn’t Siobhan a great name?), Coe Booth (if you haven’t read Tyrell yet, I mean, really, what the hell?), and others. They are like an elite strikeforce of awesomeness, prowling the YA landscape with paramilitary precision.

The Longstockings sometimes allow the A-Team to ride on their tank, but make no mistake: They are the ones at the wheel and pointing the cannon.

* And this weekend, I am going to the first annual Hudson (NY) Children’s Book Festival. I will be signing books, speaking on a panel, and sitting at a little table in a middle school. Suh-weet! Hudson is about 30 miles from my hometown and once had a reputation as the place to go if you were looking for a good time. Remember when I was talking about being “put on the stroll” before? That kind of good time. That was a long time ago—like, not within my lifetime—so I probably won’t bring it up when I’m speaking on the panel. Probably.

The HCBF Whale: “Spouting Literacy!”

So, if any of you are in the Hudson area (for any reason; I don’t judge) on Saturday, it would be great to see you. Otherwise, you know, feel free to check out those blogs . . .

So living in New York, you get to go to a lot of cool events and performances. You just don’t always get such good seats. So what’s a guy to do? Say hello to my little friend: opera glasses!

The UPS guy just delivered ‘em. These bad boys magnify my vision by 300 percent and my coolness by at least that. Admittedly, they aren’t great for baseball, since I am always wearing a glove and carrying a [beverage] at those. And yes, I’d get my ass kicked if I busted them out in the nosebleed seats at a Rangers game. But say you’re in the fourth ring at New York City Ballet and you want to see Ashley Bouder clearly. (Trust me, guys: You want to see Ashley Bouder clearly.) Well who you gonna call? First name: Opera; last name: Glasses.