Yesterday, I was nattering on about
geology and maps and space — space as in the kind between a chair and a desk rather than galactic — so I thought today I'd write about something less geeky. Something less related to dystopia, natural science and bad waitresses. I'm going to write a bit about where I am actually at, though not emotionally. That I'll spare you.
Right now I am in NYC at Book Expo America promoting Zazen, just as many debut authors have done for years. Book Expo America is the largest book fair in the U.S. It looks like the floor of the stock market, but you can talk vendors out of things at Book Expo whereas it's very hard to talk stockbrokers out of money.
I am also quickly losing my ability to cognitively map my surroundings.
Image credit Novak, J. D. & A. J. Cañas
In terms of begging for free stuff, my best prize yesterday was a Leuchterm journal. I snagged a lovely little violet one. Rumor was Moleskin was unmoved by pleas for freebies. Dirty gatekeepers.
I think they might have given me one if I was Stephen King. But then a lot of things would be different if I was Stephen King. My glasses would be thicker.
Later, I went to a party where they gave everyone an ereader as a party favor. This is clearly a different world than the one I usually inhabit.
Over the course of the day I met 500 people, did an interview on the floor before realizing I should have pulled up my shirt a little more, and shouted over the din at sweltering parties on rooftops that looked like 1968 chic with lamps sheathed in delicate purple feathers.... Purple feathers?
Looking for a 10-dollar-an-hour job loading boxes is really going to feel like a come down after this. But next week is a million years away. (Psst... Any leads welcome.)