Quite a week.
First up:
Salman Rushdie talking to 800 or so people who filled the lower and upper pews in Boston's Old South Church. He was introduced by Homi Bhabha and a discussion between the two old friends followed. Salman said a few things that stuck with me. Paraphrasing, he said:
books have no boundaries. That truth exploded inside me. It's still exploding inside me. He also cautioned against buying into a "security" point of view (my quotes for emphasis). This is basically a view that anticipates any and all disasters and catastrophes at all times. He said if you buy into that viewpoint you will give up your language of freedom. Again, this sung the truth to me. Basically, a security point of view is one of fear. If we live in fear, we imprison ourselves. Naturally, we have to be cautious and wise, but excessive fear leads to all kinds of shut downs: spiritual and emotional, physical, social. Finally, he read a gorgeous passage from his memoir,
Joseph Anton, and finished by answering a few audience questions.
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| Salman Rushdie |
Next up: all day Saturday in Copley Square celebrating books, readers, the power of story. Lots of book vendors, publishers, writer organizations, food, music & 200 authors, including too many author buddies to name here. Boston is a literary gold mine.I wonder if we have the highest author per square block concentration in the country? Someone needs to do a survey.
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| Day Crowds |
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| John Hancock building, sky and clouds mingling |
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| Weather was perfecto |
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| Late afternoon, closing time |
I shared a panel with novelists
Amity Gaige and
Miriam Karmel, moderated by
Ann Kingman (far r) of Books On the Nightstand.
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| This describes our panel |
Our panel took place inside the Boston Public Library, a truly gorgeous architectural creation.
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| Copley Sq. entrance to Library |
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| Library's inner courtyard. |
My week wrapped up with a day visit to Cape Cod and the
Dennis Memorial Library where I read from
Women In Bed and talked with a wonderful group of local folks. Special thanks to my host, J
ane McGinnis, Gordon McGinnis, and also
Titcomb Bookshop (Sandwich, MA).
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| Cape Cod Bay at high tide |
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| Cranberry au natural. Cranberries grow low to the ground. |
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| Here, with my lovely host: Jane McGinnis |
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| We talked about the difference between short stories & novels, the writing process, publishing, and more. |
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