« Day Three: Portland | Main | Imitating Greatness »
January 24, 2008
Look at the fancy set up I found when I arrived at Powell's, Beaverton, tonight. Is that podium cool or what? Renee James, events coordinator, praised Powell's equipment shop for their creativity in designing this very fitting lectern.
Don't tell Mr. Random House, but I was a real slacker today. I woke up at 7:30 but couldn't come up with one good reason for getting up so closed my eyes again. I won't tell you what time I got up (my Puritan forefathers would spin in their graves) but I did thoroughly enjoy the press pot coffee I made up in my room. Then I suited up to brave the 30 degree weather and took a looong walk around downtown Portland, over to the Pearl District and back. I did find my way to Cupcake Jones where I enjoyed a Chocolate Marshmallow cupcake, topped with a homemade marshmallow. I didn't do it for myself, you understand, but for my cupcake-crazed friend, Jaime Temairik. The sacrifices I make for my friends!
I did work this afternoon, including a looong phone call with my partner in crime, Mary Nethery (don't forget our Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival is coming out in August). Then I got myself organized for my Powell's event.
And what a night! I arrived to find old friends awaiting me: including a dear friend from high school days, Eric Stolz, who was there despite the fact that his daughter had gone to the hospital just hours before, in labor with his very first grandchild. That is true friendship!
Other friends -- Susan Fletcher (winner of the Oregon Book Award for her amazing Alphabet of Dreams); Rosanne Parry (watch for her Heart of a Shepherd in spring 09); Suz Blackaby (Rembrandt's Hat); Carolyn Conahan (Cricket illustrator, as well as for her own book, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas) and (again!) my favorite librarian, Marian Creamer, who asked if there was going to be a sequel to Hattie (I'm sure my editor put her up to it) -- showed up in full force to support me. They were so darned cute (see photo above) that I had to send a copy of our poses to Publisher's Weekly; let's see if we get picked for photo of the week. We should!
Also in the audience were students from Portland Community College who asked terrific questions and two women who both had Montana connections.
So, dear readers, we end paperback book tour, Act 1, on a wonderful note. No catastrophes, no cliff hangers. Hmmm -- not a good place to end, all things considered, from a writing point of view.
But from a Kirby point of view: what a delightful end to a wonderful week.
The curtains will be drawn here while Kirby has a whole weekend to herself (with her darling husband) but check back in when Act II: Seattle/Wisconsin opens.
In the meantime, I hope you are writing your brains out!
Posted by kirby at January 24, 2008 10:38 PM