A Rotten Acknowledgement and a Short Story Long

Just got word from editor Liz that Something Rotten has been named one of the New York Public Library's 2008 Books for the Teen Age! Samurai Shortstop was given the same honor last year by the NYPL. Thanks, guys! It's the second year in a row I've had to miss the author reception in New York too--and this year the featured speaker was Robert Lipsyte! Dang.

In other news, I've just finished the first draft of a new short story called "Field Day" for the Locker Room Tales anthology coming out next year from Dutton. I really like the story--but it's 40 pages long. At a certain page count short stories cease to be "short" stories, at least to my mind, and this one can barely see "short story" in the rear view mirror. Time to get out the red pencil . . .