I recently did a book signing at a B&N in the Bronx. For those of you unfamiliar with the Bronx, it’s a Boro within New York, and the area I grew up in and still consider home (even though I haven’t lived there in over 30 years). It’s an urban and heavily populated and multi cultural area and perhaps one of the poorest of all the 5-Boro’s of New York.
Of course I was honored to come back to my old neighborhood and host a book signing event at the one and only B&N in the area and while the crowd was somewhat sparse, I noticed sitting in the first row a Hispanic gentleman speaking Spanish to is two young daughters.
I assumed as I read excerpts from JOURNEY that they to would at some point also move on, I was wrong. As l continued reading, I was reminded by the Events Manager that there were two young girls in the audience and that I should be mindful of what I was reading.
You see JOURNEY is an adult novel with adult words, not grown up words…but “adult words”. So I quickly tailored my reading to accommodate my young and impressionable audience.
The Hispanic gentleman would occasionally leave his seat, to take care of the needs of his youngest daughter, however as I peered over my glasses reading and looking out at the audience I noticed that the older daughter had not moved or leave her seat, not once. She sat listening intently to every word. The event lasted almost two hours and that little girl never moved.
When I had finished my presentation the Hispanic gentleman quickly came over to me picked up a copy of JOURNEY and asked me to sign it, I assumed it was for him and asked him his name, in broken English (that for a brief moment reminded me of my own dad) he said “no its not for me, it for my daughter Maria”, he continued that after she heard me read from my book she now also wanted to be a writer.
I’ve shared this story and I assume there are countless tales of writers influencing others with their “words” and while we would all love to have a “Best Seller” and make lots of money, its moments like these that make it all worthwhile.
Maria, her dad and I still stay in touch, she’s promised to send me her writings and I of course look forward to it.
The photo captures that incredible moment that still inspires me.
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