When the gleam in your eye starts to glow,
and the swallows grab their instruments
and begin the song,
and your heart quivers
like a starving beast,
and your dreams break out of their cells,
and ride the moonbeams
to the stars,
then life will start clapping for you, and
the chains of fear and sorrow
will break, and turn to dust,
and blow across the clear night sky.
Take a bow, then, bend from the waist,
soak up the thunderous applause
of a meaningful life,
you are in the dance
of life.
The first day of the radically different book tour for “Second Chance Dogs: A Love Story,” began and ended beyond my expectations. Connie Brooks has well over 600 pre-orders for the book, it is in it’s second printing, the reviews have been wonderful, and the blog has driven orders for the book prior to publication well over 2,500 copies, online and off (there are no figures yet for independent or chain bookstores). The book is already in it’s second printing.
I had a series of wonderful interviews all day long, from WAMC’s Joe Donahue (Northeast Public Radio) to Kathleen Dunn (Wisconsin Public Radio) and the day ended with a book launch at Battenkill Books (a standing room only crowd) and Frieda’s appearance. She was great, she lay down next to me and then to Maria and was still the entire evening, she could not have behaved better, she caused no trouble, was calm and quiet, and I was happy to see her get a bit of attention for a book in which she is so central.
At Battenkill, there were many good and thoughtful questions about my book, my writing, my new kind of book tour. Fromm Family Food has offered additional vouchers for free dog food to keep the Battenkill Bookstore experiment going, people who order the book from Battenkill Books will be eligible for vouchers for free dog food as well as other incentives to be named later.
Lots of people wish to support the book, the bookstore, the idea of buying local. I think many people are supporting Frieda as well, this is a great ratification for her. Let’s keep it going, I’m aiming for 1,000 books sold in the next week or so, we are only a few hundred away, the orders are still pouring in by phone and e-mail. The Post Office came today for it’s first truckload of books being shipped out, another huge order is arriving Friday, Maria and I will be signing books all weekend. Connie gave Maria her own colored pen and pencil set, of course, so she can do some art with her name. You can order the book through Battenkill’s website or by calling 518-677-2515.
It was a great first day, now the real challenge begins. How far can I take this book on the blog and through my social media? I’m not sure.
Flo and Minnie have a sparky relationship, Flo sometimes swats here when it’s time to eat, she protects her food I think. They are starting to hang out on the porch together when the sun is there (Maria moves the chairs around sometimes so they are in the sun longer). I had to bend a bit to get this shot of the two of them.
Every afternoon, Frieda finds her spot in the sun, and soaks it up. I imagine this is what she must have learned to do in her time in the Adirondacks, when there were surely many days without any sun at all.
This week is intense, it began with a Tedx Talk and moved to a radically different kind of book tour, one tailored to changing habits of readers and the reach of new technology. It is busy every minute, there is always something to do, there are hundreds of books to sign, interviews, blog posts, etc. I believe strongly in listening to animals, I work hard to communicate with them, to learn from them, and one thing I have learned that is important to me is the idea of centering. At a time like this, when I feel a bit like a neutron in a physics lab, I go out and watch the animals. All the animals I have known – dogs, cats, sheep, donkeys, even chickens – know how to center, to gather themselves and find a quiet space.
When I got back from Albany, and before checking my e-mail, phone calls and messages, I saw Zelda and two other ewes out in the sun, centering and gathering themselves there. I took a deep breath, came into the house, and did the same for a few minutes.
I have learned that when I stop telling animals what they are thinking, and learn to actively listen to them, I learn as much about myself as them. This week, centering will be a valuable thing to know.
