bright sunny skies, cool, temps 55
Storm has passed. Sarah has arrived. Am having a blast in Providence. Went to the New England Independent Booksellers association author cocktail last night. Huge event. All sorts of booksellers there - wine flowing, terrific finger foods. People meandering between booths. And about a dozen invited authors at tables at one end, with a daunting stack of books.
I sat down - Sarah got me some water. And I waited. Trying not to look lonely or pathetic...
And then one person wandered by. I chatted with her, signed a book, chatted, chatted. It's a sort of literary hostage-taking. Can't let her go or I'll be exposed. And then I noticed there were more people lined up behind her. And more. And before long a long line had formed. They were either the Bookseller's Swat Squad (formed to rescue a colleague from a desperate author) - or they genuinely wanted a signed copy of Bury Your Dead.
They wanted the book!!! I released the now quite exhausted bookseller and started signing. Finished more than 2 hours later.
Sigh. I feel I've been holding my breath for a decade. And now, finally, with Bury Your Dead it's safe to exhale.
Went off to another cocktail at a Providence bookstore last night then back to the hotel. Hotel Providence. Odd place. They call it a boutique hotel, and I'm not sure why. Feels like every slightly stuffy old hotel I've ever stayed at. But it's clean and my room had two lovely windows. The phones don't work, though. Can't call out, for some reason. And the concierge, in making a hair appointment for me yesterday, described me as an 'older woman' - so that bit of truth-telling didn't exactly endear me.
I wonder how, and when, that happened? But in my mid-fifties I am definitely 'older'. I guess I just don't feel it.
though, I suppose it could have been worse. She could have described me as an 'older man'. Or said, Ernest Borgnine's on his way over for a blow dry. That would have been hard to recover from!
Off to a book signing in Mystic, CT at about noon....then to Madison, CT and a 7pm event at RJ Julia bookseller tonight.
For those of you in southern vermont, I'll be at the Brattleboro Literary Festival for an event at about 3 tomorrow afternoon. Sarah's driving, thank heaven. And the weather looks great.
Such fun to be traveling around, meeting people. Supporting this book. thank you all for your wonderful words about Bury Your Dead. It means so much.
Michael and I keep in close touch. His son's going to be dropping by this afternoon and staying the night. Michael wrote to say he headed into the village this morning....had to stop to let a family of a dozen wild turkeys cross the road. Described the mist clinging to the hills. And the leaves turning. He stopped at the farmers market - and was apparently attacked by a cranberry/orange loaf, that followed him home. Poor boy.
I miss him. Miss home. But thank heaven this tour has been so successful. I've been on tours that are just so hard - and disheartening. And then, being away from home is torture. This just feels like a quiet ache.
Hope to see you at an event soon!
Showing posts with label NEIBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NEIBA. Show all posts
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Stuart Robertson
overcast, teeming rain just now, muggy, mild, temps 24
Way above seasonalbe temps today. Rain held off until just now.
About two minutes ago we received the sad news that a friend and former colleague at the CBC, Stuart Robertson, has died. He was 65 and had battled lymphoma for 15 years. He was known as the gardening guy...and beloved for his humour and passion. He had a couple books out and would lecture about gardening...and he had a column in the Montreal Gazette for years.
But he was more than that. He was a journalist who chased hard news stories, though his heart was really more in the happy stories. he loved it when he could uncover good news, and tell people. He was tall and slim and spoke, for reasons that baffled perhaps even him, with a slight British accent. He was married to Donna and has a son, Jeremy.
I realize most of you don;t know who I'm talking about, and to be honest, while Stuart and Donna were at our wedding, we didn't stay close. But it was hard not to have alot of affection for Stuart. He was a delightful man. To everything there is, as Stuart knew, a season. But I can't help think the frost came a little too early.
On another note, after much agonizing, I've decided to cannot leave Michael after his eye operation. So I spoke to the people at my publishers, Minotaur, and they were great. Without hesitation they said they'd look after it, and to not worry.
'It' meant cancelling two important tour events! The talk at the New Canaan library - which I'm VERY disappointed about. There were so many people I was looking forward to meeting, some for the first time, some who have become friend. I am sorry.
It also meant having to bow out of a very important publishing event...the New England Independent Booksellers Association annual gathering. I was among 12 authors voted to join them for their cocktail...to sign books and chat. It was going to be a fabulous chance to meet these important and influential people, and thank them for being so supportive.
I really did agonize over this...going back and forth. It was such an important engagement, for this the biggest book of my career.
But Michael's eye operation was just the day before, and could not be changed even if we wanted to. At first I thought at least I'd be there for the operation, go away early the next morning, then return by noon the next day...away 30 hours.
You can see - I'm good at rationalizing. But I wasn't happy. it wasn't sitting right. And finally I knew it just wasn't right. I could never, and should never, put my career ahead of my husband. If it was a hangnail, yes. But this was his eyesight...and while there is every reason to be optomistic, it is still stressful.
So I called, and bless them, Minotaur and andy martin the publisher could not have been nicer about what was clearly a blow to their marketing strategy. Andy basically said, 'Don't worry. Do what you have to do for Michael.'
And now, today, to hear about Stuart. And I knew even more I'd made the right decision. We have to put the people we love first.
Besides, what are the books about, if not that? How could I write about love and loyalty, then not be there for Michael?
As soon as I decided, I knew.
Off to Kingston tomorrow for the writer's festival. A 6:30 to 8pm panel, then driving back to Montreal by midnight.
Be well.
Way above seasonalbe temps today. Rain held off until just now.
About two minutes ago we received the sad news that a friend and former colleague at the CBC, Stuart Robertson, has died. He was 65 and had battled lymphoma for 15 years. He was known as the gardening guy...and beloved for his humour and passion. He had a couple books out and would lecture about gardening...and he had a column in the Montreal Gazette for years.
But he was more than that. He was a journalist who chased hard news stories, though his heart was really more in the happy stories. he loved it when he could uncover good news, and tell people. He was tall and slim and spoke, for reasons that baffled perhaps even him, with a slight British accent. He was married to Donna and has a son, Jeremy.
I realize most of you don;t know who I'm talking about, and to be honest, while Stuart and Donna were at our wedding, we didn't stay close. But it was hard not to have alot of affection for Stuart. He was a delightful man. To everything there is, as Stuart knew, a season. But I can't help think the frost came a little too early.
On another note, after much agonizing, I've decided to cannot leave Michael after his eye operation. So I spoke to the people at my publishers, Minotaur, and they were great. Without hesitation they said they'd look after it, and to not worry.
'It' meant cancelling two important tour events! The talk at the New Canaan library - which I'm VERY disappointed about. There were so many people I was looking forward to meeting, some for the first time, some who have become friend. I am sorry.
It also meant having to bow out of a very important publishing event...the New England Independent Booksellers Association annual gathering. I was among 12 authors voted to join them for their cocktail...to sign books and chat. It was going to be a fabulous chance to meet these important and influential people, and thank them for being so supportive.
I really did agonize over this...going back and forth. It was such an important engagement, for this the biggest book of my career.
But Michael's eye operation was just the day before, and could not be changed even if we wanted to. At first I thought at least I'd be there for the operation, go away early the next morning, then return by noon the next day...away 30 hours.
You can see - I'm good at rationalizing. But I wasn't happy. it wasn't sitting right. And finally I knew it just wasn't right. I could never, and should never, put my career ahead of my husband. If it was a hangnail, yes. But this was his eyesight...and while there is every reason to be optomistic, it is still stressful.
So I called, and bless them, Minotaur and andy martin the publisher could not have been nicer about what was clearly a blow to their marketing strategy. Andy basically said, 'Don't worry. Do what you have to do for Michael.'
And now, today, to hear about Stuart. And I knew even more I'd made the right decision. We have to put the people we love first.
Besides, what are the books about, if not that? How could I write about love and loyalty, then not be there for Michael?
As soon as I decided, I knew.
Off to Kingston tomorrow for the writer's festival. A 6:30 to 8pm panel, then driving back to Montreal by midnight.
Be well.
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