Hi, everyone
Best wishes for the best ever fall season. For us in the Midwest, it’s most often a neat time of year. The temps here have been cooling a bit and a few trees near us are beginning to change. I’m guessing from the early reddish tinge that they are oaks or maples. (Confession: that’s not dazzling insight on my part – I’m looking at a “cheat sheet” that was in this morning’s newspaper.) Here’s a takeaway for you. The newspaper says “some leaves turn red from anthocyanins, a chemical manufactured from the sugars trapped in the leaf.” I’m pretty sure you were anxious to know that so you could include that information in casual conversations with friends. So … while these newsletters likely tell you almost nothing about writing, now you know practically everything there is to know (or that you care to know) about the effect of sugars trapped in leaves. I know, I know, I can visualize your thanks even as this is being typed.
Actually, starting today, for the first time in a long time, for the next few weeks there will be sort of a break in the action regarding writing activities. Taking Command was released to the world on September 2nd and far as I can tell it is off to a pretty good start. Publicity actions regarding The YouTube Candidate continue as a work in progress. On September 28, I enjoyed being part of an Authors Fair at Crete, Nebraska, (a modest sized town about 25 miles from here). The crowd was not large in size but very interested and there was excellent author representation – children’s books, kid-lit, rom-com, fiction, fantasy, politics, Nebraska sports, and others. I enjoyed the conversations and trading writing and publishing anecdotes back and forth during the course of the day. The fair was held at the Community Center, an attachment to the city library. The library staff, the arrangements, the set-up, and the obvious care and thoughtfulness that went into the preparation were the best that I have experienced. Marvelously done.
And the library itself – WOW! I have been to a few libraries around the world -- this one ranks at the top. The exterior walls on three sides are glass, so there is a marvelous light, airy feel to the building (single story). Multiple conference rooms, and reading areas, all excellently provisioned; an exceptional area for children -- really world class. Crete, Nebraska – who’d have thought? One neat feature that dazzled both Nita and me: a double reading room set against an exterior glass wall. The room is bisected by a floor to ceiling glass fire place; each of the areas has A-List quality sofas and padded chairs. I told Nita that maybe we should consider moving to Crete this winter so we can read by the fireplace and watch as the snow falls outside the glass wall. 😊
The facility adjoins a small circular park ringed with benches conducive –if a patron is so inclined – to reading outside. The building is five years old. The library was just getting launched when COVID hit. The initial worries about possibly having to shut down or lay off staff were resolved in a marvelous way – the staff launched a drive-up service. Readers phoned the library and identified the books or type of books they were interested in. The library staff met them at a convenient door or window and passed the books to them. Instead of having to shut down or lay people off, the place actually thrived during the epidemic. Oh, another neat thing is that they discontinued library cards. If you want a book, just check it out. It seems to be working well.
In the absence of the usual writing news, I really didn’t intend to turn this into an Architectural Digest piece, but it really was a special place – and the people that work there are extraordinary.
Anyway, unless surprises emerge, the next few weeks should be fairly quiet writing-wise. On November 19, my friend, fellow writer, and ofttimes editor, Jeanne Kern, and I are scheduled to handle a class for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Nebraska. It is scheduled as a 90-minute session, with each of us slated for half of that. My plan, though, (which I have not yet confided to Jeanne) is to let her do the whole thing while I sit quietly and smile sagely as she takes all the questions…
So, to wrap things up, the fall season in Nebraska is off to a good start. As I progress further into the sunset years, I have increasingly become a fan of sunrises. This time of year often brings special ones and over the past few days there have indeed been some beauties. The cat and I have enjoyed them immensely. A cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll make them even better. (The cat’s preference changes daily.)
And now, for that controversial and much maligned feature: TRULY AWFUL PUNS
A termite walks into a bar and asks “Is the bar tender here?”
I submitted ten puns to a contest, hoping that one would win the grand prize. No pun in ten did.
Best wishes,
TOM
Best wishes for the best ever fall season. For us in the Midwest, it’s most often a neat time of year. The temps here have been cooling a bit and a few trees near us are beginning to change. I’m guessing from the early reddish tinge that they are oaks or maples. (Confession: that’s not dazzling insight on my part – I’m looking at a “cheat sheet” that was in this morning’s newspaper.) Here’s a takeaway for you. The newspaper says “some leaves turn red from anthocyanins, a chemical manufactured from the sugars trapped in the leaf.” I’m pretty sure you were anxious to know that so you could include that information in casual conversations with friends. So … while these newsletters likely tell you almost nothing about writing, now you know practically everything there is to know (or that you care to know) about the effect of sugars trapped in leaves. I know, I know, I can visualize your thanks even as this is being typed.
Actually, starting today, for the first time in a long time, for the next few weeks there will be sort of a break in the action regarding writing activities. Taking Command was released to the world on September 2nd and far as I can tell it is off to a pretty good start. Publicity actions regarding The YouTube Candidate continue as a work in progress. On September 28, I enjoyed being part of an Authors Fair at Crete, Nebraska, (a modest sized town about 25 miles from here). The crowd was not large in size but very interested and there was excellent author representation – children’s books, kid-lit, rom-com, fiction, fantasy, politics, Nebraska sports, and others. I enjoyed the conversations and trading writing and publishing anecdotes back and forth during the course of the day. The fair was held at the Community Center, an attachment to the city library. The library staff, the arrangements, the set-up, and the obvious care and thoughtfulness that went into the preparation were the best that I have experienced. Marvelously done.
And the library itself – WOW! I have been to a few libraries around the world -- this one ranks at the top. The exterior walls on three sides are glass, so there is a marvelous light, airy feel to the building (single story). Multiple conference rooms, and reading areas, all excellently provisioned; an exceptional area for children -- really world class. Crete, Nebraska – who’d have thought? One neat feature that dazzled both Nita and me: a double reading room set against an exterior glass wall. The room is bisected by a floor to ceiling glass fire place; each of the areas has A-List quality sofas and padded chairs. I told Nita that maybe we should consider moving to Crete this winter so we can read by the fireplace and watch as the snow falls outside the glass wall. 😊
The facility adjoins a small circular park ringed with benches conducive –if a patron is so inclined – to reading outside. The building is five years old. The library was just getting launched when COVID hit. The initial worries about possibly having to shut down or lay off staff were resolved in a marvelous way – the staff launched a drive-up service. Readers phoned the library and identified the books or type of books they were interested in. The library staff met them at a convenient door or window and passed the books to them. Instead of having to shut down or lay people off, the place actually thrived during the epidemic. Oh, another neat thing is that they discontinued library cards. If you want a book, just check it out. It seems to be working well.
In the absence of the usual writing news, I really didn’t intend to turn this into an Architectural Digest piece, but it really was a special place – and the people that work there are extraordinary.
Anyway, unless surprises emerge, the next few weeks should be fairly quiet writing-wise. On November 19, my friend, fellow writer, and ofttimes editor, Jeanne Kern, and I are scheduled to handle a class for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Nebraska. It is scheduled as a 90-minute session, with each of us slated for half of that. My plan, though, (which I have not yet confided to Jeanne) is to let her do the whole thing while I sit quietly and smile sagely as she takes all the questions…
So, to wrap things up, the fall season in Nebraska is off to a good start. As I progress further into the sunset years, I have increasingly become a fan of sunrises. This time of year often brings special ones and over the past few days there have indeed been some beauties. The cat and I have enjoyed them immensely. A cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll make them even better. (The cat’s preference changes daily.)
And now, for that controversial and much maligned feature: TRULY AWFUL PUNS
A termite walks into a bar and asks “Is the bar tender here?”
I submitted ten puns to a contest, hoping that one would win the grand prize. No pun in ten did.
Best wishes,
TOM
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