Letters from Lorraine XVII
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It’s been quiet here; I’ve been hanging out with my dogs, going to town now and then, driving my little car to interesting places with my visiting Vineyard friends, but most importantly, studying the ancient Mexican Olmec culture that is the setting for my next book. And speaking of books, Miles to San Miguel is doing well and actually sold out at our beautiful San Miguel bookstore, Biblioteca. I delivered another batch yesterday and hope they also fly off the shelves! About three weeks ago, my neighbors and friends Debbie and Kevin, who came to SMA from Texas, threw a wonderful Q and A party for my book. A lot of people in and out of our Los Frailes neighborhood had read MTSM and came to ask questions, and I was more than happy to answer them. I could do this every day of the week; I love talking about writing and remembering the long days on the road with Pearl as we drove to Mexico. A big surprise at the book party came in the form of a guest from Martha’s Vineyard. Tim Wolfe, who I knew lived here part-time, and I had been trying to meet up with each other for over a year. He came via Carol, my San Miguel Canadian friend. She ran into Tim on one of the town’s many art walks and somehow put two and two together and secretly invited him to the party. It was a total surprise for me and made the evening even more special. Several weeks before the party, I had met a couple, John and Joanna, from West Falmouth, Massachusetts, in our local “Cronigs” grocery store. A few days later, I went to their gorgeous house in town for dinner and took along one of my books. A week later, I ran into them again at the grocery store. They had read and loved Miles to San Miguel, so I of course invited them to the book party. Having Tim, John, and Joanna from my old stomping grounds there made it feel like old home week, and it was wonderful. It’s fun, now that my book is finished, to talk about the process, the inspiration, and the joy of having the time and devotion to write it. Any author, especially those who do it for a living, I’m sure will tell you the same, including the relief you feel when it is completely, totally done. For twenty months, I spent a minimum of four days a week, four or more hours a day writing, and it was a pleasure, never a chore. Part of what made the experience so enjoyable for me was the fact that I didn’t have to think about deadlines or getting paid. I was the one who cracked the whip and had complete autonomy, which also meant I was the one who would take all the credit (along with Pat the editor) or suffer all the criticism. Fortunately, it has gone really well. Whew! My good Vineyard friend Deborah Medders arrives this Wednesday evening, and I cannot wait! We’re both excited, and it will be a treat to have someone visit who has never been here, even though she grew up on the Texas–Mexico border and knows way more about Mexico than I do. Even after two and a half years, I still feel like a newcomer to SMA. But regardless, it will be fun to show her around. There’s so much to explore and do, and I have barely even scratched the surface. I miss my old store, I miss all of you, and most of all, I miss our beautiful Martha’s Vineyard. I hope to come back for a book signing this summer, but it will all depend on my little wing-girl, Pearl the Magnificent, and her health. Stay healthy and safe in this crazy, weirder-than-shit world, folks. Keep positive, write postcards, and send money to our candidates, but most importantly—VOTE! Lorraine, Pearl, Ruby, and Mike and Molly |
