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Home Field Advantage 2/17/2011 1:23:36 PM
Some insights from the book tour I thought that setting a novel in Athens, Georgia was a stroke of genius. I really did. The evocative location was a surefire lure, a place filled with question and promise. A day into my “book tour” and here’s the real truth about the setting: When you leave Boston and a thermometer that reads 4-degrees to arrive in Athens where it’s 51-degrees, you are vindicated. Not only was Athens a brilliant choice, it’s downright balmy!
With three Southern signings in my day-planner, Athens, Atlanta, and Concord, North Carolina, I thought I’d paraphrase the journey via blogs. Naturally, Athens is the most sentimental. It’s not every day that you arrive on your novel’s home turf. In fact, for this author, I’m willing to bet the chance is singular. So here we are, in the classic city, having completed stop number one: the University of Georgia Bookstore. Whether I had a line of readers or a single visitor, it didn’t matter. This book signing brought BEAUTIFUL DISASTER full circle. When you set out with nothing more than a shaky draft and find yourself, not too many years’ later, signing copies of your novel on the hallowed grounds of your story—well, I don’t know how you surpass that for mission accomplished. I suspect the need for a second printing would do it for Penguin, but this blog is about personal goals, so I am there.
We had a nice turnout, perhaps, in part, due to the Athens Banner Herald. The paper stunned us all with a bigger than life—bigger than the actual book cover—announcement in Monday’s edition. I had vowed no scrapbooks, no doomed to yellow keepsakes of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER’S debut. However, this may call for a review of that rule. My bookstore hosts were also exceptionally gracious. The practice of playing host to Division I football events made this a breeze for them. I went in feeling honored that UGA would host a signing. I left feeling the same, but also thrilled to learn just how much event coordinator, Rebecca Primm, loved BEAUTIFUL DISASTER. A signing is doubly rewarding when the book means something more than a scheduled event. They made a grand effort, supplying a treat filled spread to visitors while the alumni association provided a stack of nifty giveaways. Diane Murray, Grady College Director of Alumni Outreach came by as did Cecil Bentley, Grady’s Director of External Relations. His name had been rolling around my head for years, though, admittedly, I could not place him in the moment. (I do that, squirrel names away, hearing character potential—his is striking and memorable) Eventually, we put the puzzle together. He was the managing editor of the Union-Recorder newspaper in Milledgeville, Georgia, the same place that I had lived and worked as a new college graduate.
Signing books is always fun, but the biggest delight turned out to be a non-event. A student came in, timidly approaching the table. She had seen a poster announcing the signing and came by to seek advice from a published author. After I sheepishly inquired who else was on campus, we established that she was indeed looking for me. I listened as she posed question after question. My answers surprised me, mostly because I had some. I’m not a teacher. I had enough trouble teaching my kids how to write their names; I could never teach anyone how to write a book or even a short story. It’s not what I do. But I discovered that along the way I’d earned an inside track, and I was happy to share the dedication that the choice of writer requires. A lot of the road to here is full of shit and potholes. Anybody who’s written or attempted to sell a manuscript can attest to that. Yay for me; I didn’t dwell on it, though I was obligated to point out the perseverance (less the curse word) involved. This UGA freshman listened earnestly, the two of us spending a solid fifteen minutes interacting on the subject of how to be a successful writer. During our chat, I sat with a copy of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER at the ready, my purple pen poised to inscribe something inspiring and profound. I even entertained a fantastic flash of the book becoming a memento of her foray into a career as a writer. A signed copy was the least I could do. After all, she did come all the way across campus to hear my advice. And she was grateful for it, thanking me, smiling broadly as our exchange concluded. Then she left, leaving me a bit chagrinned as I sat tapping the purple pen against the book she did not buy. Lesson learned—by me: advice is free, books are not. It isn’t often you get a touching, funny, and grounding moment in the course of one conversation.
Today takes me to Atlanta and the Borders on Peachtree Road in Buckhead. It’s my big city stop and the one that’s sure to be a test. It’s the venue that comes with the smallest personal cheering section, plus the automatic obstacle of a weeknight signing. So we’ll see. I’ll either be signing books from 7-9 p.m. or I’ll be mastering all those buttons on my phone that I’ve refused to learn. On other hand, the personal cheering section—the one I left in Massachusetts—called to say they had a fresh foot of snow last night. I’m suddenly thinking an evening in Atlanta sounds warm and enchanting.
