Reading in Floyd

Well, my reading at Floyd was fantastic. The library helped to publicize the event, provided refreshments, and had already set up the room when we got there a half-hour early. Very organized, they were. We had about 30 people attend (my mom did a lot of advance promotion, god bless her), which wasn't bad considering it was Floyd Fest weekend. I read my two shortest stories, then answered questions, then signed books. I got to hang with some great peeps from my high school years (see photo), and so many wonderful surprise guests, too. Two of my HS English teachers came (Clara Martin and Joyce Hall)! Clara brought copies of the school magazine from 1982 and 1983 that had work of mine in it! What a gift--she had to dig around in her basement in boxes to find those and bring them to me. I was thrilled and very touched. So many people I hadn't seen in years showed up--really just to support me. It was truly a wonderful afternoon. A big thank you to all who attended.

Almost heaven, Floyd, Virginia

I leave tomorrow, to head to my favorite spot on the planet. I'll be at Floyd Fest on Friday, reading at the Floyd Library on Saturday (please come by at 2PM if you're in the area!), catching up with old friends, and soaking up enough Floyd vibes to last until my next visit, which can't come soon enough.

In the meantime, I've been meaning to mention that you can friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter--neither of which I will be doing much with over the next few weeks (after Floyd, I'll be on my glorious annual backpacking trip with my hubby), but you can follow just the same. :)

Oh, and will be doing a live interview on Blog Talk Radio's Garden of the Soul at 1PM today (6PM UK time) with my co-author about our book The Greatest Gift. Tune in if you get the chance!

Blast from the Past, courtesy of the world wide web

I was just following a link to a post about writing and clicked on a blog with this picture:



And I knew it, instantly and instinctively. It's a closeup shot of the inside of the Bookbindery in Colonial Williamsburg. I am absolutely certain of it in the most visceral of ways. (I worked there as an historical interpreter for four years, so I wielded some of those tools, sat at that worktable, drank from that mug, stared out that window. I also worked as a potter at Historic Jamestown which made the salt-glazed stoneware in the photo, so if I didn't drink out of that mug, I might have made it.) It was a little freaky and startling to come upon that mini-tableau, out of the blue, after so many years of not thinking about that time in my life.

Do you have a story about stumbling across something on the web that gave you pause or resurfaced a memory?

A Declaration of Independents (bookstores, that is)

The Short Review

I'm honored and thrilled to have my short story collection Women Up On Blocks reviewed at an excellent website devoted exclusively to the literary short form. The Short Review

Rethink the Shark