Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Drag Queen Cleo is NOT Happy...


"You DARE forget me???"
See, it seems I have been forgetting to bring ‘her manliness’ with me on various jaunts. Even telling her that Cleopatra’s Moon, the story of her daughter, Selene, won a Crystal Kite award from our awesome Southern-Breeze SCBWI region did nothing to lift the cold steel of her rage.

I mean, look at that face. Seriously, she is not happy.

“But it’s the Crystal Kite!” I told her. “Recognition from writers and artists whom I deeply respect! Isn’t it wonderful? Isn’t it fabulous?! Aren’t you as excited and honored as I am?”

“It matters not at all,” she uttered through clenched teeth, “if the attention is not on ME!”

Ah.

So I reminded her that I had, indeed, brought her with me to the Georgia Junior Classical League convention where I gave several workshops related to her life and to ancient Rome. This mollified her a bit, especially when I showed her the photo of her legion of admirers bowing and uploading pictures of her magnificence to their friends.

The queen liked being worshipped at JCL.
But when I inadvertently mentioned the writer’s retreat I recently attended—whereupon I had forgotten her at home—her rage returned.

And so, with her expressive man-hands, she read aloud a new law she had written calling for my death should I ever forget her again.

“Geez, isn’t that a little harsh?” I asked, rubbing my throat.

“Not at all,” the great queen said.  “I will not be ignored.”

And with that, our little queen turned on the heel of her painted-over combat boots/sensible shoes, and sashayed out of the room. I may have been wrong, but I’m pretty sure she called me “an unwashed, uneducated, plebeian unfit to even shave her back.”

"It's right here in black and papyrus: ignore me again and you die!"
Which I gotta say, really, really hurt. Because I thought I was getting pretty good at that job.

In all seriousness, I’m “over the moon,” about the Crystal Kite award. We have a tremendous amount of talent in our Southern-Breeze region and I’m really humbled and grateful to see Cleopatra’s Moon get recognized. Thank you to all my SCBWI friends!

You rock and rule!

8 comments:

Amalia T said...

Congratulations!!! It's wonderful to hear how well Cleopatra's Moon is still doing!

Jen said...

Congratulations!! I'm thrilled at the announcement. Maybe I'll see you at an upcoming SCBWI event, and then I can gush in person.

The queen will be mollified, don't worry.

Cathy C. Hall said...

You know you can't mess with the pint-size (pics or dolls). SUCH egos they have!

Unlike you, humble even in the face of HUGENESS. (The Crystal Kite Award, I mean, not me.) :-)

Elizabeth O Dulemba said...

Cleopatra? Naw... VICKY RULES!!!!
SO, SO very happy for you chickadee!!!!

Vicky Alvear Shecter said...

Thanks you guys! And remind me to bring DQC everywhere I go! ;-)

Karen Strong said...

Congrats on the Crystal Kite Award. :)

DQC looks freshly shaven in the pic. Baby smooth face. LOL.

Vicky Alvear Shecter said...

Thanks Karen--yeah, no five o'clock shadow!

Stephanie Thornton said...

Haha! I had to laugh because I have that Cleo action figure too. Or I did, until my daughter stole it and put it in her Playmobil pyramid.

Congratulations on the award!