Hey hey!! What’s up y’all? Just poppin’ in to share a bit of good news I’ve been slackin’ on. I’ve got some treats up my sleeve and I’m finally feeling comfortable and able to speak on them…
I’ve been asked to attend an Eliezer Tristan Publishing event on May 17th at the Barnes & Noble in W. Hartford…how dope is that? I get to meet some of the recently-published authors, hang out a bit with them, read a little from 100 for those in attendance, and hopefully sell/sign a few copies. And it’s worth noting that I have a history with Connecticut…I had an aunt that lived there and would fly my brother and I down every summer to stay for a week at her condo, until she died of cancer in the early 90’s. Her brother moved down there too at some point, and bought a small but cute little house, but he passed a few years ago and it was up to my mom, my brother, and I to clean out the place and get it ready to be sold (I don’t wanna go into detail, but it was a gory scene). And then I lost that same brother about 2-1/2 years ago. My head turns into a roller coaster rethinking all of these memories and details.
The point is: I’m seeking to recapture good Connecticut memories.
I don’t think that sounds unreasonable! I was going through and dealing with a lot of my own physical and MH-related shit at the time of my uncle’s passing. And I have so so so many great memories of my aunt, grandmother, and great aunt on road trips to CT. This time, however, will be different, and I’m proud and humbled to have been asked to be on the bill.
Now, lemme tell you about some of the other authors that I know’ll be along for the show. I honestly don’t know who is responsible and deserving of the headlining spot…I know it’s not me, because there are a few native CT’ers that are reading. So besides me, in no particular order…
- Sarah Fader: She need no introduction. She’s the heart, soul, and CEO of Eliezer Tristan Publishing, as well as the organizer behind Stigma Fighters. She’s assembled us all together as the SuperFriends of MH awareness in all of its various forms.
- Tea Jay: She’s released the incredible book In The Grey Area Of Being Suicidal, which started as an essay that went viral and demands your respect.
- Stephanie Paige: Another CT local (along with Tea Jay, I believe) and required read with Rising From The Ashes and you need to get on board with that.
- Katherine Elizabeth Walsh: Katie’s book is a sweet mix of poems and essays, and I cannot wait to dig down into it. Her book already reminds me of one of my favorites from last year, Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre’s “A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry”. So many books I wanna push to the front of my TBR Pile and yet, how do I discriminate against all the other ETP books? Life’s hard like that.
- My man Aaron J. Smith, who designed my postcards (with a stellar knack for pull-quotes) and has a great book out looking at the cross-section of Mental Illness and Christianity, Cultural Savage.
That’s a lineup you can’t front on! I’m like the weakest link, the poetry guy who’s seen too much of the world’s ugliness and just bitches about it through free-verse…I don’t quite belong with these warriors (ok, maybe I’m selling myself a little bit short, having dealt with my own bullshit as far as MH goes). If you’re in the New England area, you should come! You’re gonna learn stuff, meet amazing people, and get signed copies of books that really mean something to you! May 17th, at the Blue Black Square B-to-the-and-to-the-mawfuggin’-N. Come get some!! 7-9pm!! Will we bring treats? I dunno. Maybe. Probably not, but that shouldn’t discourage you from coming anyway.
Speaking of which, what I need from a lot of all y’all is to buy some t-shirts and #NorbAF swag! Travelin’ ain’t cheap, and you know you’d look sweet-ass sweet in one of my t-shirts! When you’re done here, make sure you click on my shop so you can fill your Easter Baskets up with the incredibleness of signed books, t-shirts, pins & stickers, and more. Don’t be scared. It’s a shitty time to be alive in some respects, but there’s also been no better time in history to celebrate, stoke, and encourage the works of Creatives since we’ve (ok, most of us) have been alive and functioning.
Also, hey! I went to my local library today to pick up a book I reserved online and they were like “Hey, yeah, sorry we haven’t responded to you Facebook message yet, but we sent your book to our central processing location and they still have it, but we ordered another copy…are you still interested in having some event during April’s National Poetry Month?” Oh hell fucking yes, y’all! (I did not say that, as I am so much more publicly respectful.) Just waiting on the details.
And, speaking of appearances, my publisher is working on the B&N at the McKinley Mall for a reading or appearance of some sort. No details yet, but you know y’all will be the first to know! Can’t wait to have a sweet and proper homecoming where my mom can come by and my friends and family can get some signed books and we can hang out a little! Super excited about the possibility! Now I just need to set something up at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and I’ll feel all that much more legit. Let’s make something happen, BECPL!!
Ok, I think I’ve done what I set out to do. Let’s end this mumbo-jumbo with a playlist about talking and speaking and all that, so I can post this and take a nap, k?
- Geto Boys, “Talkin’ Loud Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin'”
- Wilco, “Speak Into The Rose”
- Oasis, “Talk Tonight”
- Beastie Boys, “Make Some Noise”
- Finch, “Letters To You”
- Jimmy Eat World, “What Would I Say To You Now”
- John Lennon, “Nobody Told Me”
- The Killers, “Somebody Told Me”
- Geto Boys, “And My Word”
- De La Soul, “Transmitting Live From Mars”
- The Dave Clark Five, “Catch Us If You Can”
Alright you fun-ass people…I’ve got dinner goin’ and it’s about time I paid attention to it. You know I love all y’all, so please don’t hesitate to share this with your people (I know some of my people will, or at least I hope they do). Respect!
