"Let the Wild Rumpus Start!"

That's a quote from Maurice Sendak's book Where the Wild Things Are.  But I have always thought that "Let the wild rumpus begin!" has a more natural sound.  And while I'm at it, don't you think that "Call me Ishy, or call me whatever, just so long as you call me," would be a more powerful opening for Moby Dick?  And don't you think the whale should be lemon yellow, not white?  And don't you think....

Easy, Pete--calm down.  Okay.  Now, where was I?  

Oh yeah, Wild Rumpus.  Last Monday I was at Wild Rumpus talking

about my books and meeting readers.  For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, Wild Rumpus is a fantastical bookstore in the Linden Hills area of Minneapolis with a huge selection of children's books, a knowledgeable and dedicated staff of former children (adults), and a free-ranging menagerie of chickens, cats, and assorted other beasts.*  A wild rumpus indeed.  You should check it out next time you're in Minneapolis, unless you are allergic to fur and feathers.

Here's as pic of me scrawling something on a copy of Godless.

*Including rats, at least one iguana, and probably a unicorn (though he's tough to spot).