Mary Kellogg reads a poem at Gardenworks

  September 5, 3009 – Huge crowd hit Gardenworks for the “Art and Soul” art show, up until Tuesday. We ran out of seats early and nearly sold out of books. It was a great day for me, and for the other artists. Pastor Rob Rose blessed the spirits of creativity, Mary Kellogg read from her wonderful new book “Whistling Woman,” and artists Ray Smith and Christopher Smith showed their beautiful paintings. Photographer Corinna Aldrich showed her piercing photos of farmscapes and rural life. People bought pies, cider donuts, cheese, books and three paintings were sold and all of Maria’s potholders (which are flying out of the Studio Barn.)
  We had a great discussion – there were many questions – about animals and souls, and Maria had to storm down the aisle to get me to shut up. It’s wonderful to talk about a subject so many people are interested in, and I am really enjoying this book tour, the most intense and popular by far of the books I’ve written. Bigger crowds, more questions, more books to be signed. (The book is rising on the NYTimes Bestseller List.)
  People feel passionately about the subject. I don’t know if dogs or animals have souls or not, I just reflect on the spirits of my animals. I think animal minds and souls are very different from ours, and people really drink up stories of Rose and the animals on the farm. Much interest in the next book, the novel “Rose In A Storm,” told from the perspective of a border collie alone on a farm during an awful blizzard.

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  Next up: The Monson Free Library, the “best little library ever,” Thursday, 6:30 p.m. in Monson, Mass. (Wednesday, Izzy and I will be at the Barnes & Noble in Framingham, Mass.) We need libraries as well as banks. Come fight for one, or if you can’t, fight for the one nearest you. For information, call the Monson Free Library, 413 267-3866.