I’ve got an interview up at the WIRED GeekDad blog today.  This is a big deal for me, as I’ve been a gigiantic fan of the blog ever since they taught me about this dot-matrix printer made from Legos and Crayola markers:

I was interviewed by Jonathan Liu, who also happens to be a virtuoso Etch-a-Sketch artist.  Check it out:

You can see more of his wizardry at Rainy Bay Art.  (He also does commissions … don’t think I’m not tempted!)

And while you’re at it, check out our interview.  Mr Liu and I covered a ton of great topics — including the importance of men modeling reading, the impact of nonsense on children’s literature, the writing process, Laurence Sterne, yo-yos, etc.  Also, I finally talk about the single work of children’s literature that influenced me more than any other!  (Hint: it’s NOT Peter Pan!)  Wanna know what book it was?  Find out here.

Today is the birthday of America!  Also my wife!  Last year I found an old bicycle and re-painted it for her.  As everyone knows, bicycles need names.  Mine is “Danny the Champion of the World”.  I named Mary’s after one of her favorite Dickens’ characters:  ”Little Dorrit“.

I leave you all with a patriotic quote from children’s author and all-round smartypants, EB White:¹

“Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.”

And while we’re at it, something from Mark Twain:

“God created war so that Americans would learn geography.”

I might add that this is also why God created Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. Do it, Rockapella!

Mary is an insane crafter.  I turn my back for ten seconds, and the next thing I know she’s making a quilt, or painting a chair, or re-wiring an old chandelier.  As you can imagine, a number of the crafts in our house are book-related.  I thought I’d start sharing some of our more bookish creations on The Scop.  First up, a series of shadowboxes we made for our bookshelves: