Monday, October 28, 2013

New events listed on my website!

Just updated for fall and hopefully I'm coming to a bookstore or yarn shop near you!

Audible

I'm excited to be on the train to Newark (even though it meant getting up at 4:30, which meant I woke up at 3:30 afraid of oversleeping) to tape the Audible version of KNITTING YARNS! I have three more days scheduled for next week as well, since this takes a lot of time. But what a fun thing to do!

Hopefully there will be some time at the end of the day for a nap...

Sunday, October 27, 2013

On my way to Bestsellers Cafe in Medford, MA

Annabelle and I arrived home happy and a bit weary from our week on the road for The Treasure Chest series. Gogo had meatballs and sauce waiting and I cooked up the pasta I'd bought in Sicily. With the Sicilian wine Cousin Gina added to the dinner we were happier still. 

Stayed up until the bitter end watching the World Series...

Now a glorious day to drive to Medford and Bestsellers Cafe for 2 today. 

Hosting a dinner party tonight and in the mood for beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola sauce. Thinking of all the yummy fall vegetables I can roast up too. 

Started to knit the Avery hat from Loop Knits. It knits up fast! Even if you drop a stitch in row 1, knit an inch in seed stitch before you realize it, take the whole thing out and start again...

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

WRITING THROUGH GRIEF workshop, December 6-8

So many times when I teach non-fiction writing, people writing about grief get lost among the other topics of coming of age, travel tales, cooking stories, love stories, etc. 

and so many times people who haven't experienced grief don't know how to talk about it. 

In this workshop, we will work on just the topic of grief. No one will tell you to "get over it."  No one will not understand. You will work on how to write your grief story in a safe environment with people who get it. 

And: the food is great too!

Conference begins with cocktail hour at 5 on Friday, December 6. We will have our first session after dinner that night. 

Saturday morning we will have a session and then free time to write. Our next session will be Saturday late afternoon and our final one will be Sunday morning. 

Whispering Pines Conference Center is a gorgeous place in the woods on a lake. Great place to write, think, walk...

It's in Exeter, RI, accessible by Amtrak to Kingston, RI or Providence, RI. By plane to Providence. Or by car. We'll pick you up at the airport or train and get you back there on Sunday. 

I understand their is another group meeting there that weekend and for some reasons massages will be available!

I hope to see you there!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Sheep and Wool Festival

Happy to be heading home and going to the Sheep and Wool Festival in Millbrook, NY this weekend to sign copies of KNITTING YARNS! See you there, knitters and yarn lovers!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Hello Seattle

Sitting happily on an Alaska Airlines flight, Seattle bound. Hoping to hit Mario Batali's father's sandwich place, if there's time. 

Looking forward to reading tonight at 7 at Third Place Books. Hope you can join me, Seattle friends!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Goodbye SFO, Hello LAX!

Sitting at Perry's in SFO eating an omelet, remembering that Perry's (in the city) is where I'd go for those Ramos gin fizzes!

I'll be in Pasadena tonight at Vroman's at 7. Please come if you're in the area!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

SFO Bound!

On my bumpy way to JFK, heading for San Francisco and tonight's event at Book Passage in Corte Madera (a favorite bookstore of mine). Watching the sun rise reminded me of so many such early morning taxi rides to JFK, me in my Ralph Lauren TWA uniform, black pumps, lipsticked and scarf just so. I did the NY-SFO route often. Coming back once, so long ago, I met a guy in 47F who became my longtime boyfriend. He was moving to NYC that day, and much of my love for the city came from us exploring it together. Indian food on E. 6th Street. Wandering the Strand. Seeing True West with very young John Malkovitch and Gary Sinese. 
And memories of so many SFO layovers. Ramos gin fizzes on Union Street. Irish coffees at the Buena Vista with my buddy Matt. Crab Louis and Hunan food and Anchor Steam beer. Long foggy walks. Peet's coffee. Cucumber soap. Cody's bookstore. 
This is why I always feel excited heading to San Francisco. Memories wash over me and make me smile. Even at 6AM! Funny. I always imagined I'd live there I love it so much. Who knows? Maybe someday I will. Until then, happy to be heading west. 

Monday, October 14, 2013

Coming to the west coast for paperback of THE OBITUARY WRITER!

Please join me, West Coast Friends!

Tuesday, October 15
Book Passage
Corte Madera, CA
7PM

Wednesday, October 16
Vroman's 
Pasadena, CA
7PM

Thursday, October 17
Third Place Books
Seattle, WA
7 PM

Friday, October 11, 2013

Alice Munro wins Nobel Prize!

And I've been grinning since I heard. I read her way back in the late 70s and early 80s and never stopped. 

Since I'm talking about writers, have you read Mavis Gallant? Her short stories are wonderful! Even better, listen to them read on the New Yorker podcast. You will fall in love with her writing. 

I guess I have short stories on the mind because my next book is a collection of interconnected stories. Stay tuned for more on that. 

On my way home from Chicago and feel like doing the Fred Flintstone to get there faster. All kids home for the weekend, plus our fabulous former exchange student Willy here from Germany. 

Big name game planned for tomorrow night. Possible pumpkins will get carved. Lentil soup is happening. And hopefully pumpkin squares. Oh! And pumpkin pancakes. 

Hurry up car!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

News!

THE OBITUARY WRITER is just out in paperback! And it looks beautiful!

And KNITTING YARNS got a rave PW review! Yay! It hits stores on November 11. 

Had an incredible night at the ART in Boston last night. AliceHoffman's annual fundraiser for the Breast Center at Mt. Auburn Hospital with Alice, Jodi Picoult, Lee Woodruff, Ann Leary, Elinor Lipman, Gregory McGuire and me. Such a great event. And such an honor to be included. Alice's new book, a memoir about being a breast cancer survivor is just out. Buy it for all your girlfriends. 

I'm doing lots of promotion. For The Treasure Chest series. And the paperback. And the anthology. Racking up those frequent flyer points! But feeling a bit travel weary. Today in the line at Starbucks at Logan airport, 4:45am, a young woman told me she loved my dress. Perfect for traveling, she said. And I agreed. Do you know what make it is? I told her it was Eileen Fisher and she looked horrified. But my grandmother wears Eileen Fisher! I can't wear it! 
Sigh. 

Reading and loving Elena Ferrante's My Beautiful Friend. And knowing it's the first in a trilogy makes me happy, like the St. Albyn books did. 

Best find: The New Yorker podcasts of contemporary writers reading stories from the archives. My favorite so far is Margaret Atwood reading Mavis Gallant. Listening while I finish that second Mara shawl and wait for my yarn for the whitecaps cowl from Purl Soho and for twoAvery hats from Loop. Oh I miss Fresh Purls and Helen and Karen in Providence! But a party is in the works in December. 

Calling my flight! Onward!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

On Writing

Just reread Stephen King's ON WRITING and am feeling inspired. It's a terrific book. It's 5am and I'm already on a flight leaving EWR! 

Busy week in Oklahoma City for THE TREASURE CHEST. Cutest power point ever made. Can't wait to use it and see reactions. 

And can't wait to begin Elena Ferrante's MY BRILLIANT FRIEND, finish that second Mara shawl, and sleep! Hopefully will be tucked in by 8 tonight. Until then, bad United Airlines coffee while I zoom across the country...