Imminent Upcoming Events – The East Coast Edition!

Chapel Hill, NYC, Washington DC, Richmond, Harrisburg

Boozhoo, indinawemaaganidog! Aaniin! That is to say hello, all of my relatives! Welcome to another edition of An Irritable Métis. I’m hours away from embarking on Phase Three of my tour for Becoming Little Shell, which encompasses a few dates in the vicinity of the East Coast. The Events page of my website remains largely up to date, even into October and beyond. There are many more events floating around that are just shy of confirmed; once they are, they will be added. Meanwhile, you may dig everything I’ve added by clicking HERE.

There continue to be many new followers lately¹ – welcome! I have an Instagram account that largely serves the same promotional purpose. You may follow me HERE if you’re into that kind of thing. I usually post event flyers and links to new reviews/articles/etc. there first. I’m undecided if I will share every review etc. because sometimes that seems like a lot, so if you as readers have anything to say for or against the practice feel free to let me know via the comments.

Finally, if you dig what you see here, or if you want to assist in keeping the Irritable roadshow on the road, please consider a paid subscription. It is very, very helpful.

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From the wide open and gorgeous sage-spotted hinterlands of Eastern Oregon

Since I left on Tuesday afternoon, September the 3rd, for the first of two events that day (first in Superior, MT, then that evening in Spokane), I’ve been home for less than 48 hours cumulative. I have a story related to how that weariness, for all the joy along the way, can drain the emotional bulwarks, and can also be turned around. But my flight for this next phase of book tour boards in less than eight hours so I think I will save it for next time, perhaps even from the road. It’s about an encounter I had in Columbus, MT, a little town just off I-90. It’s been living in my head ever since. I think you’ll dig it too.

So for now, this format seemed to work pretty well last time around², so here are some highlights from last week:

• I had kind of an informal goal to have 100 people cumulative show up for my PNW events; by my count, 235 of you did!³

• There are many Little Shell folks showing up for these events, including other La Tray relatives, and that is pretty tearfully spectacular.

• I was on TV in Seattle.

• Speaking of surprise attendees, my beloved AHP made an appearance in Bellingham!

• I’ll be talking more about this, but of all the methods of outreach, promotion, etc. it seems pretty clear to me on the ground that this newsletter has been the driving force and I can’t thank all of you enough.

• The North Cascades Highway is magnificent.

• I’m tired.

• The crush of humanity in big cities, in all the glory and sorrow, is often overwhelming.

• Driving around and craning my neck to see as much as I could of every stretch of moving water⁴ – and there are a lot of them! – I thought a lot about the poet Robert Sund and his lovely collection, Poems from Ish River Country, that my friend Heather Durham gifted me with some years ago. I’m going to dig it out and re-read it soon.⁵

• I’ve been spending a lot of time⁶ in some wonderful, wonderful bookstores. They’re everywhere!

• The I5 corridor still largely sucks.

• I’m not going to lie: seeing my name on the marquee at Powell’s made me a little verklempt.

• The Reggie with hashbrowns is still the best breakfast option anywhere.

• Speaking of bookstores, the best sign I saw on a shelf was this: “Spurl Editions (est. 2015) is an independent publisher of unusual literature and photography,

  specializing in works fitting for our current decrepit and apocalyptic world.”

• I really like riding the ferry.

Working on that 1000 yard, wind-in-the-face, hard-man-of-the-north stare aboard a Washington State ferry….

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BLS EAST COAST TOUR

Here’s the lowdown on everywhere I’ll be in the coming week, all times local, and I sure hope to see some of you. Your attendance of such events not only makes writers happy but keeps indie bookstores in the mix! We need them now more than ever….

• Tues, Sept. 17 – Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC – 5:30pm – Details

• Weds, Sept. 18 – Relative Arts, New York City, NY – 4:00pm (please note: this one was originally advertised here as 6pm but the flyer they made says 4pm … so I’m going with 4pm) – Details

• Thurs, Sept. 19 – Kramer Books, Washington, DC – 7:00pm – Details

• Fri, Sept. 20 – Shelf Life Books, Richmond, VA – 6:00pm – Details

• Sat, Sept. 21 – Midtown Scholar Bookshop, Harrisburg, PA, with Todd Davis – 6:00pm – Details

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Miigwech as ever, especially, for all of your support. You’re making my life pretty excellent right now and I don’t take it lightly….

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I like this weird shot my buddy Draplin snapped of me in a rare, non stoic moment at the end of a two-hour hang I had on his factory floor. I love that guy!

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1. And a few departures, frankly.

2. At risk of reading too much like my sentences posts. 😬

3. That’s over 7 events, which is around 33-34 people/event, which isn’t too shabby for book gigs in farflung towns.

4. I’m pretty sure I told Antonia one time that if I ever die in a fiery crash she’ll know it’s because I lost control of my car while crossing a bridge and trying to get one last look at a particularly beautiful stretch of river.

5. Also, please preorder Heather’s book. She’s the best kind of people and a wonderful writer.

6. And money.