From: BalkinBuddies at aol.com <BalkinBuddies>
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:48:44 EDT

  As I believe most you know, the first Young Adult Literature Symposium, to be held biannually, will be on the topic "How We Read Now," and will take place November 7?9, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. Details can be found at
_http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalitsymposium/symposium.cfm_ (http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalitsymposium/symposium.cfm) . The Young Adult Literature Symposium is funded in part by the William Morris Endowment, and I've been on the organizing committee. For those of you who don?t know me, I worked with Bill for nearly 15 years. I?d like to take this opportunity to not only tell you about the symposium but to share a story about Bill. When he was made a vice president at HarperCollins (I think it as around 1992), we celebrated with a party at Bill?s favorite restaurant and everyone gave him a vice president?s gift. My gift was rewriting the picture book, Tommy at the Grocery, by Bill Grossman, into one I called Billy?s Rise to Power. I did a lot of cutting and pasting, trying to match my story to Victoria Chess?s illustrations and using inside jokes only people who knew Bill would understand. I think Bill liked the story. He took it home and I never saw it again. Then one day, five years after Bill?s death, Billy?s Rise to Power resurfaced on the internet
(_http://collectingchildrensbooks.blogspot.com/2008/01/one-of-kind.html_
(http://collectingchildrensbooks.blogspot.com/2008/01/one-of-kind.html) ). It seems Peter Sieruta, who is a book collector, had purchased many of Bill?s books, among them Billy?s Rise to Power. When I saw it on his website (M.E. Kerr brought the website to my attention), I contacted Peter to ask him for a photocopy of the manuscript, which he sent me. Tommy at the Grocery Store is sadly out of print, but Bill Grossman, the author, kindly provided me with a couple of copies. I am now in the middle of using one of them to recreate Billy?s Rise to Power, once again cutting and pasting as I did years ago. When I?m done, I plan to bring it with me to the Young Adult Literature Symposium that Bill made possible. Due to its length, I?ve decided against reading it at the Symposium. But I thought I?d share it with you. I wish I could share the illustrations too, but if you happen to have a copy of the original book, you?ll know how wonderfully clever Victoria Chess?s illustrations are. If you come to the Symposium, I?ll be glad to show it to you. Billy?s Rise to Power is for people who really knew Bill, his idiosyncrasies, his military background, his old difficulties in getting the Accounting department to cut checks in a timely manner, his love for sweet potato pie, vanilla ice cream, Vodka Collins, tomato and cheese dream feasts, and librarians, especially librarians. Please forgive the length. And thank you in advance, to the listserv moderators for allowing me to post this, and to those of you reading this for giving me the opportunity to relive a happy memory. Billy?s Rose to Power A Parody Celebrating William Morris?s History at Harper By Catherine Balkin Billy?s mommy left poor Billy Sitting with a bunch of toys. A passing general, who thought him silly, And much messier than most boys and girls, Said: ?Son, what you need is a military career To get your stuff all in order.? Whereupon Billy rose up in fear And fled out the door in absolute horror. He found himself finally in a grocery store, Which brought more than one tear to his eye, For wherever he looked, he saw goodies galore, Except what he wanted: a sweet potato pie. Resolving at last that he should leave this place, He paused as a woman rushed in. Demanding her money, all red in the face, She was much more unhappy than him.
?Look,? said the grocer to the farmer?s wife.
?The tomatoes you sold me were tasty. All of my customers bought them at once, But my check-makers aren?t quite as hasty.? Shaking her head, the farmer?s wife said,
?That?s a poor excuse, I?m afraid. If I can?t have my check, then I say, what the heck, I?ll take what you owe me in trade.? And grabbing up our poor hero, Much to Billy?s surprise, She stuffed him into her bag, In front of the grocer?s eyes.
?But he?s not an item for purchase,? The grocer protested in vain.
?Then cut me a check, and I promise you this: I?ll bring him back again.? With that, the farmer?s wife hugged Her collateral safe and secure, And with a smile, satisfied, She headed for the door.
?Now, Billy,? said the farmer?s wife, When she got him home that day,
?If you want a check cut quickly, This is the only way.? And she showed him how to sharpen All the scissors and all the knives And how to count up numbers, Starting with ones, and tens, and fives. By the time the grocer paid her,
(Second-day service, Federal Express), Poor Billy thought his brain was in A sharp numeric mess. Returned to the store, as promised, Still in a daze, Billy counted the fruit, While the now contented grocer Began regarding him as loot. Pretty soon a far-sighted doctor Came to collect his patient?s Bill. And the pretty shrewd grocer Gave him a higher value still. In this way did Billy?s Education and knowledge increase. Until the grocer exchanged him again For a tomato and cheese dream feast, As well as a bottle of the very best Vodka & Collins mix
(As mentioned before, Billy?s value Wasn?t a ?prix fixe.?) One day, a construction worker Repaired the grocer?s clocks And bartered Billy back again For a sturdy luncheon box, A lifetime subscription to HOGUE And PEN HOUSE Magazine, A roll of film and batteries And a ton of vanilla ice cream. Soon the grocer was carrying Billy Like a purse wherever he went. Better than checks, better than credit cards, Billy cleared wherever he was spent. One day Billy came into possession Of a librarian for some overdue books, And once she heard his story, Concluded all grocers must be crooks. She turned poor Billy free, But the grocer soon found him again And bartered him back and forth for awhile For some rulers and pencils and pens. Some teacher soon found this offensive And demanded the grocer to stop Using poor Billy to pay off his debts Or she?d beat him up with a mop. So the grocer hid poor Billy Among some corncobs, tall and green, Where he sat forlorn and lonely, Until a postman came on the scene. He had some letters to deliver But they had some postage due, So the grocer gave him Billy, And an ear of corn or two. But that proud civil servant Didn?t think Billy really equaled a stamp And besides, he was getting heavy And giving the postman?s arm a cramp.
?I?m afraid this just won?t do,? The postman told the grocer. When he returned to the store and lifted his bag And brought Billy up to his shoulder.
?You?ll have to pay like everyone else In regular legal tender.? And thus was Billy back again, And marked ?Returned to sender.? Billy thought it might be time, then, To retire from the store And he said so to the grocer, While he sat upon the floor.
?Nonsense,? said the grocer.
?You?re much too valuable to me. I guess I?ll have to put you to work. I know! I?ll make you a V.P.?
?Now I?ll never get out of here,? Billy happened to be heard to say By a lady examining some lettuce In an aisle not far away.
?But Billy,? she said, hugging the boy
?We like having you around. The grocery store wouldn?t be the same Without a little barter around.? And turning to the grocer, She said to him, ?Oh, sir, by the way, You forgot to pay for some overdue books That you borrowed the other day.? The grocer replied with a grin, Stretching from ear to ear,
?Well, why don?t you take in exchange My little vice president here.?
?Well, at least I escaped the military,? Billy said, taking the librarian?s hand.
?Yes, you?re a good little soldier,? she told him. And they left, making their exit grand.




**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home.
(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
Received on Tue 01 Apr 2008 03:48:44 PM CDT