Day: November 3, 2011

I met a lot of amazing people on the book tour – Kathleen Dunn of Wisconsin Public Radio comes to mind – but few were as inspiring as Lisa Sullivan of Wilmington, Vt., former owner of the Book Cellar (Brattleboro, Vt.) which burned down last year, and Bartleby’s Books, which was destroyed by Hurricane Irene, along with the rest of the business district in this small tourist town.

If there was an award given for the most worthy bookstore owner in America, it ought to to go Lisa, because she is a remarkable human being, and I promise you her bookstore – set to re-open by Thanksgiving – will not be one of those that slips away because of Amazon. Lisa is not only working to rebuild her store, she is working to help other businesses in Wilmington re-open. She not only has a passion for books, she is enthusiastic, creative and forward looking. Her store’s website is selling a lot of books while she rebuilds, and she does not complain about fires, floods, Amazon, e-books or the many other challenges she faces as an independent bookstore owner. Quite the opposite. She is chock full of ideas for drawing in younger readers, using more video, personalizing her blog, expanding her digital sales,  drawing e-book readers into the orb of her store.

It was a pleasure just to meet and talk with her. Like Connie Brooks of Battenkill Books,(now taking Paypal) she is leading a new generation enthusiastically into the evolving world of bookstores. She, likes me, sees technology as opening up all kinds of new readers to books and story-telling, many of them young. She is impressive – agile,  open to the future, willing to change, and she is piling all of her energy into creativity, new ideas and her love of books and the people who buy them rather than into laments about the Kindle.  Maria and I just said “wow” when we left. Anybody running a bookstore would do well to talk to her.

I had a wonderful reading at the Deerfield Elementary School and we raised hundreds of dollars for Vermont Flood relief. Great crowd – nearly 50 – great questions, a great way to wrap up the main part of the book tour. I have some appearances to make around Christmas, and one in Saratoga next Saturday afternoon at Barnes & Noble, but I’m not traveling anywhere for a good while.

This was a memorable evening for me, affirming as a writer, (many blog followers) as a storyteller, as someone who loves bookstores. I was tired this week, but not tonight. Charged me right up and thanks to Random House and Ashley Gratz-Collier for supporting the Vermont leg of the book tour. I hope Bartleby’s invites me back. I’d be happy to come and I might just drive back down her to see the new store open at Thanksgiving.

It always fascinates me that Americans are so eager to help animals, but so reluctant now to help people. The very idea of rescuing animals has become a national phenomenon but the idea of helping people is becoming heresy, too expensive and unnecessary. Vermont is helping itself,but they aren’t getting all that much help. Seems a shame to me. More later.

I saw the videos of Wilmington, Vt., where a raging flood destroyed most of the businesses on Main Street, but it was a jolt to drive in today and see the extent of the damage. Vermonters do not much whine or complain or ask for help, and Lisa Sullivan, the owner of Bartleby’s Books, above, hesitated before even agreeing to let me come here. She was busy rebuilding Bartleby’s, hoping to open for Thanksgiving and helping other businesses. She lost her other store, the Book Cellar in Brattleboro, last year in a fire. I’ve been to her bookstore many times but we have never met. I’ll get to meet her in an hour at the Deerfield Elementary School in Wilmington, Rte. 100.

It is wrenching to see beautiful Vermont with all of its scars from the flood. The Southern part of the state is very hard hit, but also very busy rebuilding. The sound you hear is not one of lament, but of construction. They are putting it back together. Got to head out but I’ll report later on what is, for me, one of the highlights of the book tour. Occupy Vermont with tourists and visits. And maybe come to Bartleby’s for Thanksgiving.

I’m eager to get onto Wilmington, Vt. Lisa Sullivan is a brave and admired person who has lost two bookstores in the last year. The Book Cellar in Brattleboro burned down, and Bartleby’s in Wilmington was destroyed by the flooding after Irene, along with much of the town. She is rebuilding. I’m going to Wilmington tonight to talk about “Going Home” and there will be a collection for flood relief. The reading will be held at the Deerfield Elementary School in Wilmington, at 6 p.m. I’m dragging the camera and a tripod. I’m much looking forward to this.

Note: the reading at Barnes & Noble, Saratoga Springs will be next Saturday, November 12, not this Saturday. Just went and signed more books at Battenkill Books, which now has Paypal. Christmas shopping is beginning to heat up. We are shooting for 1,000. I’ll report from Wilmington. Didn’t bring my camera to NYC yesterday but couldn’t resist pulling out the I phone for some video of the wax museum, the street, the train.

Maria and I belong at the farm, we love the farm. This is our choice, to be here, and we always beam when we cross the border into Washington County.

It seems this question of light is a choice, at least for me.

Every day, I leave the darkness,and move into the light. My choice. Every day.