Once More, With Randomness

You know what? I don't particularly like how these travel entries are going. I'm not quite capturing what the coolest part of the whole thing was (meeting everyone, not only those pictured) or even the second coolest thing (the food! the drink! the private time with the baby daddy!).

So let's try it this way: Thanks for coming out and letting me meet you. I remember living in the Shenandoah Valley when Caleb was a new baby and feeling so desperately that My People had to be out there somewhere, but they weren't in my birthing class or even necessarily in the town where we lived. Stephanie was almost literally the only other new mother I knew, and she lived an hour away. There is such a thing as a limit on how many phone calls you can place to one person in a day. I was so giddy to find a community in Brain, Child, and I still am. Like I said before, next time, I want this thing to be a party.

So. Some pictures, and then we'll be back to the random anecdotes that are my milieu.

In Pasadena, I read with Brett Paesel--she read a piece from the book she's currently working on, and I cannot WAIT to read it.

Brandon and I were in Seattle for several days where we gorged ourselves on oysters and dim sum. I read with Theo Pauline Nestor at Third Place Books; she read something from her book that will out next March. Can I tell you that the people are going to eat it right up?

Next stop was Evanston, right outside of Chicago. I got to have lunch with Katy Read, then, after the reading, drinks with Katy, Joanne Brundage (the founder of Mothers & More), and Ellen Pinkham. I also met Carolyn Alessio and Sara Levine. I had no idea so much talent was packed in the Chicago area. (The picture is Joanne, Katy, me, Sara, Ellen.)

Weirdly, in Philadelphia, I dutifully carried around my camera, but didn't take any pictures, although I went to a great event at the local Mothers & More chapter (Lauren, the hostess with the mostest, is one of the founders, and blogger Lilian was there!) At the Border's in Springfield, I met Ellen Davies, whose essay was in BC's second issue.

My mom and I went to North Adams, MA, where I played the role of Nervous, Stammering Palate Cleanser between Catherine Newman and Jennifer Mattern. Here I play the role of photographer; pictured are my mom, Tina, The Mater, Jenn, Catherine, and Ali. Oh my Lordy, that was a fun night!

Random anecdotes to come.