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Ah to go back to my roots, and what a reception! The Reading Grounds provides a beautiful space for the GLBT community. A much needed place in the heart of the Midwest. This was the first time I felt truly at home in my old stomping grounds. My former classmate (and bowling partner) Judy even stopped in to support me and the book. My family and friends were there and Cindy, the bookstore owner, encouraged a lot of the bookstore regulars to stop by as well. It was a great way to kick off a book tour! |
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Photo: Some of my
family joined me for a photo at The Reading Grounds. L to R, back row: Bob (brother), Joe (brother), Jean (sister), Kally (niece), Jim (my favorite brother-in-law). Second row: Laura (niece), Kathy (sister), me, Joan (my mom), Ansley (niece). Front: Heather (niece). |
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Women and Children First
is a fantastic feminist bookstore in the Andersonville neighborhood. I was
fortunate to have family and friends in the audience for this reading... plus a
few of the wonderful locals!
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 Photo: I'm the forced matriarch in the chair... behind me, from left to right, are Danny, Jacque (my niece!), Marian (my partner!), Sergio, and Marina. Thanks Stacy, for taking the picture!
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| If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere...that kept going through my head during my reading at Bluestockings. Back in 1985, I was a nanny for Gwyneth Paltrow and failed miserably at cooking (sorry Blythe!). I returned to Nebraska feeling too small for New York. Just more than 20 years later, I stood in a bookstore in lower Manhattan and realized how far I'd come. Nope, I'm still not a great cook, but I can dish out a good story! What I loved most about New York was that people felt free to walk in off the streets, sit down for 5 minutes or so, and get up and leave. Now, this may sound disconcerting, but I felt like a street performer and I loved it that people felt like they could just come in and listen for a few minutes. I had my base audience plus a revolving crowd of about 3 people at a time. If only all readings were like this... and my editor was in the audience to boot! |
| Now I didn't actually have a reading in Philly, but Giovanni's Room was a great help while I tried to promote during the Pride Festival there. My friend Terri went on this adventure with me and we met some great people along the way. We thought about going on the Dyke March but the timing wasn't quite right. The energy at the gathering spot for the march was charged and the Radical Faeries were handing out refreshments. We met some new people the day of the parade and ate brunch outside with them while the parade went by. (Ari and friends... I'm waiting to hear from you!) |
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Technically this wasn't on tour, but it was on the road! Unfortunately, there are no photos because my friends were marching with me. But, this is a photo of the conjoined twin puppet my friends Jenny, Terri, and Alice helped make at a Heart of the Beast Puppet Theatre workshop. It was a big hit! And I had great friends who showed their talents as jugglers, unicyclists, and stilters. Well, let's not forget the wonderful banner my friend Terri made. And the calliope wagon that the Altbaum family made. Amazon Bookstore has been a great supporter of me in these past months and they came through again by letting me sit at their booth in Loring Park for an hour to meet some new people and some old friends. |
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Atasha and Anna in puppet form |
| Bailey/Coy and Elliot Bay Book
Company are both great stores in Seattle and I stopped in to sign a few books
at both stores. I'm impressed at how great the
independents are doing in the northwest. I also had brunch with my friend Terri's mom, Yvonne. Yvonne and her friend Vonda (see photo) invited me and my partner Marian to a July 4 celebration on Lake Union. It was great fun with their Women Over 40 group! I enjoyed talking to some of the great women of Seattle! |
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| Left to Right: Yvonne, Me, Vonda |
.jpg) Reading at In Other Words |
Portland, you were kind to us. Sue at In Other Words was a wonderful host and is doing a great job creating an inviting space at the store in the new location. I loved Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge and Cannon Beach. The Pearl District, Chinatown, Old Towne Pizza, the riverfront, the cultural district, the Columbia outlet store... all great places to visit while I was there. My partner and I felt right at home and loved every minute of our visit in Portland! |
 Marian and Patti at Multnomah Falls on the Columbia River Gorge. |
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The Loft has been good to me... they helped me launch my writing career. They supported me in a teaching career. And they continue to support me with a Career Initiative Grant. So, it was great to have my final Minneapolis reading in their wonderful performance hall! |
| Signing books at The Loft |
| The Tattered Cover! Need I say
more? With the help of the Tattered Cover Bookstore and my sister Robin, I had a good-sized audience in Denver and was warmly welcomed. I was at the new Tattered Cover store located in the Historic Lowenstein Theatre. It was a beautiful space and the Tattered Cover completely spoiled me. I thank them for their kindness. My sister and nieces were there, along with my youngest fan... Bram! (He's also my great nephew.)
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 Bram with Cirkus t-shirt |
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Tattered Cover Employee |
| While I've spent
time in Keokuk and Cedar Rapids, I'd never actually been to Iowa City
for a stay. The folks at Prairie Lights Bookstore were very welcoming.
This reading was part of "Live from Prairie Lights" on WSUI radio in
Iowa City. Host Julie Englander led me through my first hour-long
broadcast of this kind and asked some thought-provoking questions. There
were about 25 college students in attendance and they made for a great
audience. Also in attendance were my mother and my Aunt Pat. It was like
coming home!
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Listen to the "Live from Prairie
Lights" Broadcast |
