My book's going on a grand New England book tour -- without me! Our friend Denny Clawson bought 15 copies of "Use All The Crayons!" to distribute in B&B reading rooms like the one in the posh Dockside Inn at Martha's Vineyard. Have any creative ways to help me sell books? I'm eager to hear 'em! Thank you, Denny!
New Blog Post!
Forget Happy Hour; Sleep-deprived Americans need a Nappy Hour
A friend asked if I ever tried napping. “Tried napping? I’m The Human Nap,” I said, “I spend my entire existence not fully awake, not fully asleep. I’m so sleep-deprived I make zombies seem quick-witted.”
(Full Story Here)
Today’s theme … Libraries
Colorful Living Tip of the Day (I) …
• Remind friends that people who want to appear more interesting get new tattoos and that people who want to become more interesting get library cards.
Related…
• Support your local library! Donate, spend time there and check out armloads of books from all genres. Try and imagine you’re having conversations about each book with all the previous readers.
• Realize that trying to explain the value of books to someone who does not read is like trying to explain the value of air to fish.
• Because fickle publishing industry insists it is looking for timeless books, my next novel is going to be about a broken clock.
• Develop the same confidential sort of relationship with a librarian or the owner of a small bookstore that you do with a trusted physician. A good doctor will keep your body fit. A familiar book dealer can do the same for your imagination and intellect.
• Tell sophisticates that Shakespeare succeeded without the services of a press agent. Go ahead and check the history books. There’s no such thing as Bard publicity.
Unrelated …
• On most days, happiness and sadness are not emotions. They're decisions. Now, being an asshole, that's different. It's a pre-existing condition.
• I admire vegans, but the chances of me giving up meat are about the same as me resuming my virginity.
• On this day in 1969, Fantasy Records released the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Proud Mary." She's been rollin' on the river ever since. This leads me to believe not only was Mary proud, she was also quite buoyant.
Zeitgust Word of the Week (a word I made up with the goal of getting it into a dictionary) …
Motorvator: A highly skilled mechanic capable of encouraging any poorly performing engine to get out there and get really running so it can be the best engine it can possibly be.
Related blog post, “The Joyful Need to Read”
Reading is maybe the one passion that’ll ensure you’ll never need friends while assuring you’ll always have as many friends as you wish. That’s one of the arguments I’ve holstered for the next time I engage our 12-year-old over the need for her to turn off the TV and pick up either a book or a nook. Our schools do a fine job of teaching our children to read. That means the rest of us need to do a better job of teaching them to love to read.
(Full story here)
Concluding words (& Tweet of the Week!) …
• Do you think cavemen and women were emotionally developed enough to mourn the passing of a mate or they just fired up the grill, sprinkled on some seasonings and started inviting cave neighbors to the picnic.