Tomorrow is the long-awaited first book-signing of Legendary Locals of the Long Beach Peninsula – at Adelaide’s, 1:00 to 3:00 o’clock! Little did I know when I made the date that it would be sandwiched in among personal appointments, necessary meetings and a funeral. But, come to think of it, those unrelated events are what make up the activities of this community, just as the book is about people who are at the center of it all.
I
’m excited about the book-signing in all the usual ways. It’s kind of like holding an open house. Will anyone come? What should I wear? Will there be familiar faces? I go through the same angst each time a new book comes out and I always wonder if other authors do, too.
This past year we’ve gone to two book-signings. One was at Murder by the Book in Portland where we met Craig Johnson, author of the “Walt Longmire” series; the other was at Time Enough Books in Ilwaco where we listened to our friend Bob Pyle tell about his latest book. I thoroughly enjoyed both occasions.
In each case, the authors were well-known, the events were standing-room-only, and their remarks were extensive and infinitely interesting. I should have taken notes! Not that any of the aforementioned circumstances will be similar, but I always feel a bit at a loss when it comes to the what-to-say part.
Maybe tomorrow will be different. It seems logical that many of the legendary locals, themselves, will be there and that will surely shift the focus away from me. And, in our small community – even in our greater community – everyone will know everyone. That will be the icing on this particular cake. I really can’t wait.
Yesterday I ran into Jimmy Kemmer in Ocean Park. “I hear I’m on a Wanted Poster at Jack’s!” he laughed. He was referring, of course, to his picture on the cover of my just-out book, Legendary Locals of the Long Beach Peninsula. The cover has been reproduced as a poster of various sizes and this end of the Peninsula seems to be papered with them! Hooray!!
Today, April 29th, is the day that Legendary Locals of the Long Beach Peninsula is available for sale. I know that our local bookstores, as well as a number of other local businesses, will be carrying the book and I encourage potential buyers to buy locally if at all possible.
Yesterday’s mail brought the unwelcome news that my book about Willard Espy “in its current form is not one that fits the current WSU Press publishing goals.” The letter, while disappointing in the extreme, contained good news as well as bad. Or at least it seemed so to me.
My intent (and the main reason for submitting the book to this particular publisher) was to write Willard’s biography in such a way that it would become a companion piece to Dear Medora: Child of Oysterville’s Forgotten Years. That book was published by WSU Press in 2007. Unfortunately, it has sold sparingly; it hasn’t flown off the shelves. It is definitely a “niche book” and, no doubt, was an unusual choice for an academic press. Perhaps the fact that they had a different editor then had bearing on that decision.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker at an awards ceremony honoring twenty-six students from our two local school districts – Ocean Beach and Naselle-Grays River Valley. The event is an annual one sponsored by the Masons. The students, two from each fourth through eighth grade class in our area, were chosen by their teachers and principals for consistently demonstrating “Excellence in Citizenship.”
The last guest had left and we had just settled down to catch a part of “Jeopardy” and perhaps an episode of “Downton Abbey” when the doorbell rang. It was too late for any of our usual Friday-nighters and, mysteriously, by the time I got to the door, no one was there. At my feet, though, was a small package from Arcadia Publishing… Books!
As I recall, I was a fairly compliant little girl. As an only child, I didn’t need to compete with siblings for attention and, though I can’t cite specific examples, I was probably spoiled – not in a material way because we never had any money. But I don’t remember very many times that I needed to argue with the authority figures in my life in order to get my way.
Tucked in an out-of-the-way corner on one of our library shelves are several very old and very well-used books of medical advice for home use. Occasionally, when I remember they are there, I enjoy thumbing through them just to see how far we have progressed… or not!
Since seeing the movie, “Lincoln,” we have been on a Civil War (Nyel) and Lincoln (me) reading marathon. I can’t help but wonder how many other people who saw the film were also prompted to learn more about our sixteenth president and/or the war that dominated his years in office.
My grandparents were avid Lincoln fans as were my parents. There is even a corner of our library devoted to Lincoln – not a shrine exactly, but close. It includes a copy of the deed to this property signed by Lincoln, a photograph of the Lincoln Memorial, a dozen or so books about him, and a plaster bust of his head. Ironically, the bust has been broken at the back – shades of the gunshot wound that killed him?
So often books about Lincoln explain the ‘why’ of his greatness, but the gentle force of his wit is harder to make clear. If I were awarding the Oscars, Lewis would win best actor for that aspect of his portrayal, alone. But… I digress.
Even though I’m fairly certain that our girls are non-readers and not even that much interested in the pictures, I have no intention of letting them get an accidental look at our newly acquired reading matter. It’s a book that will not leave the confines of the house. In fact, it will probably live in the kitchen, a safe and suitable distance from our hens.
“You have the most beautiful skin, pale and not one feather. I want to crisp every single inch of it.”