Day: October 9, 2010

Frieda and I get closer all the time. She listens to me, and is very affectionate, often lying by my feet or putting her head in my lap. But essentially, she is a one person dog. She is strongly attached to Maria, watching her all the time, lying down next to her, protecting her. The one person dog is a special kind of dog. Rose is a one person dog. She is attached to Maria, but she watches me all the time, and moves into whatever room I am in. Rose doesn’t cuddle, but she is always nearby, the trait of a working dog, as Frieda is. Frieda has two powerful working strains in her – the Shepherd and the Rottweiler. But her eyes suggest character, and great affection and loyalty. Her job is to keep the farm safe.

The book tour continues this afternoon. Saratoga Springs Borders, on Broadway, 2 p.m. With Izzy. Monday, we continue the search for a reading place in Columbus, Ohio next Sunday, possibly the Book Loft, we’ll see. Wednesday night, Rita Mae Brown and I will be at Borders in Bailey’s Crossing Virginia, 7 p.m. Friday, at 7 p.m., at the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls, N.Y., sponsored by Red Fox Books. Saturday, the Half Moon Library in Clifton Park. Then we hit the road. Possibly in Columbus Sunday, but in Dayton, for sure, at Books & Co., next Monday night. Then Cincinnati and Lexington, Ky., both at Joseph Beth stores.

Rose is best known for her work ethic, but she always seems such a sweet, even vulnerable creature to me. She has spawned a bunch of books, including my new novel, which is making a nice splash in the world, and she is always watching me, waiting for work, watching my back. Rose is one of my better moves in life. The key to love, I am learning is surrounding oneself with some women, animals and human.

Several more days to figure out how to catch leaves. I am having fun trying to storm Columbus Ohio. I’m going out to Dayton, Cincinatti and Lexington, Ky. in a week or so and when Random House offered me to the Thurber House in Columbus, we were all startled to learn that dogs are banned from the former residence of James Thurber, one of the funniest and most perceptive dog chroniclers. It was he who suggested that few people would go to heaven, and all dogs would. I understand the Thurber House. People are always trying to bring their dogs to my readings, and  lots of times the dogs they bring are not as well behaved as they might like to think.

I’ve never quite grasped why dogs are necessary at a literary reading. Izzy only goes where he is invited.

And since he is invited to the homes of dying people and hospitals and bookstores and nursing homes, I would have expected him to get into the Thurber House, a place I really like going to. In our culture, lawyers always prevail.

In any case, it seemed a good opportunity to make some noise and mischief, so I reported this Thurber House policy on my Facebook page and a bit of an uproar has resulted. I said I wanted to go to Columbus next Sunday afternoon – we go right by there – and nuts to the Thurber House. We want to do an alternative reading. Random House wasn’t thrilled about the whole idea, but  they went along, and we started looking for other sites in Columbus. I Googled the place and found a neat bookstore called the Bookloft in German Village (also recommended by my Facebook comrades), a neighborhood in Columbus. Looks good. When I called, the store workers told me the owners were off till Monday, and I could call back then. My FB friend Barbara got on the case and made the bookstore pay some attention.

So we’ll see. If the Bookloft doesn’t come through, I’ll find a Dunkin Donuts and Izzy and I will give a talk in the parking lot. I’m betting on Barbara, though. She seems quite focused and determined. I’m pretty willful myself. I love the idea of taking over a piece of Columbus, and I believe James Thurber would be cheering me and Barbara on. In the meantime, Facebook is just growing on me, more all the time. This could be a hell of a book tour.

The sun bursts through and challenges me to grow, learn and change, to do my work, put it out there and fight for it. Okay by me. Going to spend the day with Maria, and I am so grateful for that.

The mist came steaming off the hills in the town of West Hebron this morning, and I ran around the farm chasing it. Getting ready to hit the road. Stuff to get ready. Still looking for a place to go in Columbus next Sunday (the Thurber House wouldn’t allow me to do a reading with Izzy – they don’t take dogs!). An off the grid reading, looking for a bookstore, home or good spot to do a guerrilla reading, to make a point and cause some trouble. It’s a beautiful day here. Just got the “Judy” notecards and am going to sign them. Signed notecards on Redux. Buy some and help out family farms. I will be selling them on the book tour. We sold a bunch at Northshire last night.