Tuesday’s orders for “Going Home” at Battenkill Books. The orders keep coming.
More than 50 orders for “Going Home” and another dozen for “Meet The Dogs Of Bedlam Farm” came into Battenkill Books Tuesday, by phone – 518 677-2515 – and by e-mail (www.battenkillbooks.com) Connie has PayPal now. I am a bit shocked. People love talking to Connie and Marilyn, but it is also very easy to use her website. It seems that we will top 800 this week, and more on Friday, when I will be in the store from 4 to 6 p.m., taking phone calls and signing books in advance of the Cambridge Christmas Celebration.
All of my books can be ordered from Battenkill and will be signed and personalized. More orders also came in for Jenna Woginrich’s “Barnheart,” out this week, and also available pre-signed and personalized at Battenkill. Jenna is another Washington County writer who followed her heart to her farm, Cold Antler Farm, where she is growing her own food, animal and vegetable. She’s a terrific writer. I have long maintained that I am a writer, not a farmer, and Jenna claims she is a farmer, not a writer. I am right. You will be hearing a lot about her in the future.
Clearly, something bigger than my books is happening here. I am very grateful for all of the support people are showing me and Connie, but we all sense that there is a deeper current. People do not want their entire lives turned over to corporations and online sales conglomerates. We need bookstores. We want bookstores. Communities are rallying all over the country to draw some lines in the sand and vote with their wallets and credit cards in favor of independence, individuality and creativity. If there is nothing left but corporate profits, those things will become rare and will be greatly missed. I sense this is a struggle for the meaning both of holiday and community. And many people are joining in.
It does not seem to be too late to preserve these things. We will definitely get to 1,000 and beyond, something I would not have imagined two months ago. This is taking on its own life. Connie is offering free “Going Home” videos and Bedlam Farm notecards to people who buy my books. I went to Battenkill to talk to Connie and Marilyn and recorded a video about their plans for the holiday season and the larger implications of this remarkable experience. It is incredibly exciting. My wrist is sore but happy. And she says there are already 50 more books for me to sign tomorrow. Come and see these two amazing women.
And listen: