Dear, Decatur Book Fest attendees: Thanks for making my homecoming and birthday weekend a very special one! Nice turnout at the talk, sold some books and drank some beer and caught up with friends and family. Good times! Much love!
Results for Category: book festival
Decatur Book Fest II
This should be fun: 11:15 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3 (the day before my birthday) … in the auditorium of Decatur High School (my alma mater) … a solo talk focused on my latest book, My Week at the Blue Angel, and my adventures in off-the-beaten-path Vegas … with a book signing immediately afterward.
Hope to see some of my old friends and classmates there. Start spreading the word!
Decatur Book Fest
A quick heads up: I’ll be participating in the Decatur (Ga.) Book Festival (www.decaturbookfestival.com) this year. The festival takes place from Sept. 2-4, Labor Day Weekend, on and around the Decatur Square. Not yet sure of the exact date of my panel discussion and book signing, but I’ll most likely be talking about authors and activism (i.e., my books and community project Shine a Light).
Really looking forward to coming home and catching up with everyone. I’ll keep you updated on the details.
I survived another book festival
The Vegas Valley Book Festival went well, I thought. Interesting authors. Compelling readings and panel discussions. Good crowds. And yes, free food and drinks. Also, the volunteers were extremely helpful.
Geoff Schumacher, Kurt Borchard and I drew a nice crowd to our panel discussion on homelessness in Las Vegas. Brian “Paco” Alvarez, Gail Sacco, Amanda Haymond, Deanna Rilling, Josh Ellis, Elizabeth, Jonathan (sp?) from the Coffee Bean and a lot of people I didn’t recognize showed up … on a Friday morning … at the El Cortez. Thanks, y’all!
The book signing at First Friday also went well, I thought.
As of today, I only have one book signing left this year: 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. Nov. 17 at B. Dalton (in the Galleria Mall). I’ll post more about that as the date approaches.
Panel discussion on homelessness
If you’ve been waiting for something from me other than a book signing, it’s finally here. “Down and Out in Las Vegas: The Struggle to Survive in Sin City” is a panel discussion about homelessness, moderated by author and journalist Geoff Schumacher. Kurt Borchard (The Word on the Street) and I will read from and discuss our books and what we discovered roaming the city’s streets and exploring the storm drains. We will also talk about the unique challenges the homeless face amid the glitz, glamour and high-rolling of Las Vegas.
The panel discussion – which has been funded, in part, by an Artist Fellowship award from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency – will run from 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at the El Cortez Hotel (600 E. Fremont St.). I’ll sign books after the discussion and from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at First Friday (near the Funk House).
The panel discussion is part of the two-day Vegas Valley Book Festival. For more info on the festival, visit www.vegasvalleybookfest.org.
A Majestic trip
I just returned from the South – Decatur and Atlanta, Ga., specifically – where I walked in the footsteps of my youth. I shopped in Little Five Points, spending some time in A Cappella Books. And I ate an early morning, bad-for-your-heart-but-good-for-your-soul breakfast at the Majestic.
I was in the area for the Decatur Book Festival, which ran from Aug. 31-Sept. 2. The festival was cool. I met a lot of authors, bought a lot of books and drank a lot of beer, which was much needed after several months of near-sobriety. The panel discussion went well, I think. To recap: I rambled about myself and my book; Karen Abbott rambled (most eloquently, I should note) about herself and her book, Sin in the Second City; and then we took questions from the audience.
There were two disappointments: Several people weren’t allowed into the venue, because of limited space; and the bookseller was only able to scrounge up 15 copies of the book, two of which came from my mom. If you weren’t allowed into the venue, I apologize (except to that fool Ned, who would’ve heckled me mercilessly). If you weren’t able to get a signed copy of the book, we can take care of that: Simply e-mail sales@huntingtonpress.com, let them know how many copies you want and the full names of the people you want them signed to. I’ll drop by the office and sign the books. Then they will be mailed to you, with no sales tax or shipping and handling fees.
OK. That’s all for now. Back to reality: work, promoting the book and trying to avoid that mean Mojave sun. He’s out there waiting for me, glaring down like a prison guard in a watchtower, making me miss the soft dew and cloud cover of the South all the more.
See you soon, Atlanta!
The Decatur Book Festival schedule is posted at www.decaturbookfestival.com. From 1:15-2 p.m. Sept. 2 at the City Hall stage (next to Eddie’s Attic), I’ll participate in a panel discussion with Sin in the Second City author and Atlanta resident Karen Abbott. The discussion, titled Chicago and Las Vegas from Below, will be moderated by Southern playwright and novelist Joshilyn Jackson. I’ll sign copies of my book immediately afterward.
I fly into Atlanta the morning of Aug. 29 and leave the night of Sept. 2. A nice long stay, with lots of free time (and very much needed, though the temperatures in Atlanta are rivaling Las Vegas). I’d like to catch up with everyone. So call me at my parents’ house, on my cell phone or drop by the festival and say hello.
See you soon!