September is here and a familiar giddiness has overcome me. It has been many years since I was either a student or a teacher or a member of the PTA. Yet the excitement that always accompanied the beginning of the school year is still with me. Shopping for new shoes and pleated skirts, zipper notebooks and ballpoint pens, was always part of the allure. Equally important was the calendar – the certainty of knowing where I’d be and what I’d be doing. I guess I have always been a sucker for a schedule. Upon reflection, the years of my life begin not with my birthday, not in January, but always in September.
Right now I am developing my fall book event calendar and setting up some fun events. Mimi and I will bring our book reading and art demonstration to Browser’s Book Shop on October 15th at 2:00. That’s a Saturday afternoon and if you live in the area and haven’t checked out Browser’s since Andrea Griffith took over the ownership and management of the store, plan to be there. Browser’s now has a light and expansive feel to it, with new floors and freshly painted walls. There is a newly expanded children’s section in the middle of the store and the loft, where Mimi and I will be presenting, is open and airy.
On Thursday, October 20th, I will be the guest of a book club, started by Karen Armstrong and Evie Sauls about ten years ago. They meet monthly for dinner and a discussion of what they have read. Food and books – a perfect menu. As a writer, there is no better audience than a book club with members who like to read, ask questions and discuss what they have read. I’ve participated in several of these small gatherings in the past year and enjoyed every one. I often find folks who want to write but struggle with getting started. I can empathize. I’ve managed to get started. Right now my struggle is keeping going.
I am working on my third book and intend to bring it out next year. I find I work in starts and fits – DISCIPLINE, a necessary partner on this journey – has been playing hide and seek with me. I am counting on the October events to galvanize me and get me on track.
Despite my creative hiatus, I continue to be encouraged and humbled when I meet folks who tell me how much they have identified with the stories in my books and have shared them with others. There will be a drawing with door prizes on October 15th at Browser’s so mark it on your calendar. Go to the Calendar tab on this website for full details of fall events.