October 12th, 2006
Thank you so much, everyone, for all your posts on the progress of the Marshall Public Library situation. This is getting even more complex than the Michigan Womyn’s fest trans policy posts.
It sounds like the latest development is some kind of procedural stall, temporarily removing the books (Fun Home, and Craig Thompson’s Blankets) until the library develops a collections policy. Whatever.
But look! The Marshall Democrat-News is quoting folks from this blog in their coverage of the issue. Pretty sweet. Thanks to everyone who contributed.
October 12th, 2006
Worst airport experience to date: Toronto. I arrived there at 7:30am this morning, which seemed excessively early for a 10am flight. But when I got inside the terminal, the line for check-in was so long it spilled out of the staked-off corral for what seemed like hundreds of yards. Read the rest of this entry »
October 12th, 2006
I did a really fun event last night with Ivan Coyote in Toronto. This great indy bookstore Pages produces something called the “Not A Reading” series. I think the idea is, it’s not just people reading from books but doing some element of performance as well. Which I qualified for with my powerpoint show. It was held in the bar of a groovy hotel, and the audience was very hip and jaded. The place was packed, with people sitting on the floor and standing in the back and spilling beer. The brilliant comedian Elvira Kurt emceed. Ivan did not read from her just-out first novel Bow Grip, but performed three amazing stories. Then there was a break, then Elvira performed more—a very funny bit about now nice it would be if adults could get carried around in those baby slings—then I read.
I don’t know what it is about Toronto, but for some reason I’m like a rock star here. I mean, people like me well enough in the States, I’m not complaining. But in Toronto I get a subtly different response—there’s an actual thrill in the air. It’s great, but I never know quite what to do with it. Like, afterward, some of the people who came up to get their books signed were so flustered to meet me they couldn’t speak clearly. Rock star!
It was a great evening. But it sucked the last drop of life out of me, after a day spent traveling from Michigan and doing an intense interview with the editor of the magazine Exclaim! and going to bookstores and signing stuff. I got 5 hours of sleep before starting out on my journey home.
I’d show you pictures, but I left my camera in Toronto. I’ve been doing so well keeping track of all my electronic devices and chargers and batteries on my travels—I think forgetting the camera is a sign that I’m finally starting to unravel.
