Happy Birthday, Books and Bones
I’ve celebrated my birthday in many ways over the years. The best one was my 40th, which my friend Mike ochestrated with guests, cake and food at a free concert of KC and the Sunshine Band at the Hatch Shell in Boston. The worst would have to be my 30th birthday, when I chose to have minor surgery to remove a small growth on the bone around my eye. Being a writer of nonfiction sometimes gets me in trouble like that. “I know! It would be a cool story to say I had eye surgery on my 30th birthday!” As I lay in the hospital bed that night listening to my roommate rasp through her recovering nose job, I realized that was one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever had. Any related story I can possibly get out of it blows by cool, spits on funny and settles into weirdly stupid. My only defense is that maybe the bony growth was pressing on my brain and cutting off oxygen flow.
But this year’s birthday was a close second to number 40. To promote my book, Jan’s Houseboat Hideaway http://sandradeden.com/janshouseboat.htm I decided to rent a table at the third Lynn Annual Festival of the Arts, which happened to fall on my birthday, and see what happened. It was a great, low-risk way to see what people would think of my book, without worrying about getting rotten fruit thrown at me. It was held in the city right next to mine, so I could make a quick getaway if need be, I would share the spotlight with like-minded creative types, and it would be a great way to see what about the book people were drawn to (or repelled by!) as they wandered by.
The birthday gods, probably pitying me for birthday number 30, smiled on me and not only gave me a sunny day, but my table was also in the shade. Being an arts festival neophyte, I didn’t have one of those handy, tent things that pop up with a couple of practiced flips. The shade was also handy in the 90 degree heat so that when I was handing out free birthday mini cupcakes, I wasn’t giving people a melted mass of frosting goop. Although a few people who passed by looked like they would have eaten them that way anyway, a newly published author likes to be remembered for her book and generosity, not as “that writer girl who made me sick.”
My 8-year-old son was a riot to watch, politely calling out the cost of the book and then going for the hard sell with a cute kid guilt trip, “My mom wrote that book!” We’ll need to work on his delivery though, because we didn’t start selling books until one friend starting chatting up passing people, then handing them over to me with a flourish, “And here’s the author!” Another friend brought beautiful wild flowers and much needed food, and yet another supplied all my table top materials, signs and business cards.
During the five-hour festival, I sold three books, gave away about 50 cupcakes and handed out 23 book marks that had my book info on them. I made two connections with other vendors that ay help future sales, and I got to visit with friends who I haven’t had a chance to see in a while. In between, I wanted to take a nap, smiled tolerantly at the overly chatty man who had way too much time on his hands, and at quiet moments wondered if I should be worried that even though I drank three bottles of water, I still didn’t have to pee.
So, no rotten fruit, no trips to the ER and no eye bone surgery. It was a very good birthday indeed.
Tune in to next month’s posting, “Birthday 2008 Extravanza! Gall bladder surgery!”
If you muse about gallbladder surgery for birthday 2008, I will sue you for plagiarism. I will win my case, and you will be forced to pay out veggies grilled in OIL, WINE, a pot of coffee in the BIG maroon mug, and more WINE, all of which I can now enjoy without that pesky little inner article. OhmiGAWD, other people can read this, can’t they?….Your site is awesome, your writing is awesome. If you’re reading this, don’t, go read her stuff instead. I’m a very good writer myself, but the first part of this is the Tylenol PM talking. OK, bye now.
Comment by Lin — August 14, 2007 @ 10:21 pm
I just read this! Tylenol PM or not I got a good laugh. Thanks for writing!
Comment by Anonymous — August 21, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
That IS progress. Your blogging skills are getting better and better. I had a great time reading this post.
Comment by MoGuns — April 3, 2008 @ 6:08 am
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!
Comment by Alex — August 17, 2008 @ 11:22 am