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Jane, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 
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Jul
2
Keep those snakes a-coming
Filed Under Miscellaneous | Leave a Comment
Thanks to the folks who’ve drawn me snakes, which you can find in my snake gallery. Recent additions come from terrific authors like Saundra Mitchell and Laurel Snyder, and world-class agent (I’m a bit biased) Tina Wexler. Follow the link and click “Send Me Your Snakes” for instructions. Also thanks to excellent individuals who are spreading the word via their blogs, facebooks, twitters, etc.
The theme of snake drawings and their time-honored roll in human culture is celebrated in a lovely poem in the New Yorker by a local poet.
Jun
26
The corner joints
Filed Under Travel & Adventure | 3 Comments
Since 2001 I’ve lived in the nicest part of probably the most maligned part of Minneapolis, “North Minneapolis,” really a composite of two communities–”Near North” and “Camden.” More information than you need, probably, but “NoMi” as it has recently come to call itself is in a time of tumult. It was the hardest hit in the state, by far, during the foreclosure crisis. It’s hard to find a street without a “for sale” sign and boarded up windows. At the same time, I’m pretty impressed at how hard the locals are working to reinvent ourselves. “Get to NoMi!” the signs say.
Feeling now that my wife and I will likely ride out the recession without calamity, I’m focusing on local businesses. I’m using the new barbershop down the street, going to plays at the newish theater just across the street going the other way. And I’m happy to patronize the two corner joints, and not just with a sense of charity. It’s because I love having them there and don’t want to find out one day they’re gone, the way the only bookstore remotely near us went earlier this month despite me spending loads of money there.
First of all, there’s the friendly, family-owned coffee shop on the corner — Steamworks. Their coffee is better than it is at any of the chain coffee shops. It’s seriously my favorite coffee in Minneapolis, and the fact that all I have to do to get it is stumble out the back door is just dumb luck. I’m also a big fan of their cinnamon twists.
The coffee shop used to be owned by a couple of retirees. The guy was always Santa at Christmas Time and kids would have their pictures taken with him. When they decided to sell, they screened buyers pretty carefully to make sure the new owners kept up the same standards and the same commitment to the neighborhood. The new owners have done just fine. They didn’t even tamper with the coffee or the cinnamon twists. If I lost this coffee shop, it would be like losing a friend.
The restaurant next door to the coffee shop has been more turbulent. When I first moved here, it was a burger joint with a stunningly good gallery of baseball memorabilia on the walls. I always chose the booth where I could gaze at Yogi Berra’s childhood catcher’s uniform. The food was unremarkable, and the menu rivaled that of the one in the SNL sketch where all you could get was a cheeseburger, chips, and Pepsi.It later became Rix, an upscale burger joint that was solid but not especially memorable (I just remember that the meatloaf sandwich was good but always came back to haunt me.) Following Rix was Sauced, a nice enough restaurant that had good food but was a little too big for its britches–it was the kind of place where soups came in triads in little cups and the bread pudding had mushrooms in it. We’re just not that kind of neighborhood, if you ask me.
I think the newest place is firing on all cylinders. Victory-44 (it’s in the Victory neighborhood, on 44th Ave) is more of an upscale burger joint, again, with chef-imagined burgers, fish and chips, etc. The food is outstanding, and now that the service has caught up (it took a few weeks), I honestly can’t think of a single reason not to go there.
If you live in the Twin Cities, give it a shot. It’s the perfect place to eat before catching a show at The Warren. Try the pork belly and have the banana thing for dessert. You won’t regret it.
Jun
26
Ben (RIP, Michael)
Filed Under Music | 2 Comments
I was never a big Michael Jackson fan, but this song is a personal favorite. A love song for a rat… what could be sweeter?
Jun
24
Black Mamba vs. King Cobra
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I asked some kids to draw snakes today, and will soon be posting them to my ever-growing snake gallery. Sam’s comic particularly struck me as being packed with awesomeness on many levels and I wanted to share it here, as I am sure you will agree.
BLACK MAMBA VS. KING COBRA
Jun
21
There’s really nothing easier than drawing a snake. As Linus Tuttle, the hero of my forthcoming novel Mamba Point observes, a snake is just a squiggle with fangs.
So why not join in the fun? Draw me a snake, send it to me, and I’ll post it to my snake gallery.
Entries received before July 1, 2010 are eligible for prizes!
Thanks to Terry for the first entry to the gallery (more are coming soon!) and to One Million Giraffes for the inspiration.
Jun
19
Brookdale Library and Book Clubs
Filed Under News & Events | 2 Comments
I had fun at the Brookdale library in Brooklyn Center, MN, where a couple dozen people ignored tornado warnings to see me read, make baseball cards, play Wii baseball, etc.
One kid asked me the best question yet: “What was your first haircut like?” It was on the theme of baseball night, completely out of left field! He won a Twins cap for “best question,” and later asked me to sign it. “I am not a Twin,” I wrote on the cap.
I don’t have any more events planned except for some virtual book club visits. If you’d like to set up a virtual book club visit of your own (or any other event), just let me know. 
Jun
15
Summer Library Fun!
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Two libraryish things I want to put front and center…
Baseball, Books and Banter With Kurtis Scaletta
Thursday, June 18, 7–9 p.m.
For kids and their families. Minnesota children’s author and huge baseball fan Scaletta will be discussing his new book, “Mudville.” Play Twins trivia, Wii baseball and create your own baseball card. Come in your favorite baseball jersey or team hat!
Brookdale Library (6125 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Brooklyn Center, MN 55430)
Guys Read Book Club
For boys entering grades 4-6, living in the vicinity of Crystal, Robbinsdale, New Hope, please sign up for this terrific summer reading club moderated by yours truly and/or the excellent Jamie K. If you know boys in that area, let them know about it.
Jun
12
My Favorite Joke
Filed Under Miscellaneous | Comments Off
Michael posted his favorite joke, which inspired me to do the same thing (and by “inspired,” I mean, “I stole his idea.”)
Jun
12
Goin’ Mobile
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Kurtis, I love your site, but I need to check in with it more easily when I am on the bus, hot air ballooning, or running in a marathon. If I’ve heard that once, I’ve heard it a thousand times! (Well, actually, since I have not heard it once, this statement is logically clean, if misleading…)
Anyway, I now have a slick new mobile interface which I think you see automatically when using a Blackberry or iPhone or some other handheld device that distracts you from looking where you are going no matter what your favored mode of transportation. For those of you enjoying the new mobile interface now, LOOK OUT!
Jun
11
Kurtis Scaletta Takes the Dare
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I’d like to direct people to the extremely nice and amazing Cynthea Liu, author of The Great Call of China, which is part of the S.A.S.S. series, and Paris Pan Takes the Dare, which was released today. Anyone who writes for kids knows Cynthea through her Writing for Children and Teens website and new authors know her for Authors Now site, which she somehow manages to do on top of her prolific writing. She gives much of the credit to her webmaster and confidante, Snoop.
Anyway, Cynthea’s launch party for Paris Pan Takes the Dare includes an amazing commitment on her part — to donate all the royalties from day one sales to a school in Oklahoma. Click through to her website to find out more about her book, purchase it, and/or join in the virtual launch party. She also rounded up a bunch of writers to “take the dare” and show we care to raise even more money, and I took the dare (I’m just glad she didn’t dare me to take a belly flop off the high dive; I’m a sucker for a good dare.) Find out more about that here.