I always said Rosie gets the job done, and she always did. And she is doing it again. We have somewhere between 100 and 200 books left to sell for Battenkill Books to make our goal of 1,000 copies of “Going Home” sold in support of me, Bedlam Farm, and the Battenkill Bookstore. More than I would have imagined, the bookstore has emerged as a symbol of what it means to deal with human beings in the era of the online store and the corporate phone tree. The bookstore has always been a safe haven for me, a place for a writer living in an isolated area to feel part of book publishing. Connie and Marilyn have charmed and touched so many people that this has been a life-altering experience for all of us. Battenkill is standing as a national symbol of the human need for the emotion and connection that comes from human contact. This independent bookstore is booming. We do not want to lose these places to a digital, discounted world.

Yesterday I was in the bookstore and someone was on the phone crying about Rose. Marilyn held the phone for several minutes until the caller was able to place her order. Try doing that online. The emotion of animal grieving, the drama of the independent bookstore, the challenge of contemporary publishing for the writer, the growing sense of disconnection and helplessness in the face of corporate power, and above all a love of books, all of these things came together in the “Going  Home” campaign for Battenkill.

That is enough. When we started, we hoped for 200 books sold. We are at 800 plus. Looks like Rosie might get us the rest of the way, and if she sets her mind to it, it will be.  The Battenkill campaign proves the adage that things that ought to happen will happen. Since Rose died, Battenkill has been nearly overwhelmed with orders for “Going Home” and “Rose In A Storm” and my other books to be purchased and signed in honor of Rose. I didn’t think of this, and would not have proposed it, yet it has touched me deeply, as here is Rose again, working for me and inspiring so many others with her ferociously resolute spirit. Connie called in reinforcements today, and the store is ready to handle orders. You can call by phone, 518 677-2515 or e-mail Connie – [email protected]. Connie has PayPal. She and Marilyn spoke to me this afternoon very poignantly about the good people calling in to honor Rose.  She wanted me to reassure people that I’m OK, so I did. Books ordered by Friday will make it for Christmas.

Come and see.