Cin City, volume 2

Thanks to everybody who came out last night to listen to me talk/read/meander. There were about 50 or 60 people in the audience, which is easily the largest group I've ever addressed, so thanks. It made me feel like a real writer or something (a disorienting sensation, but that's another story).

Thanks also to the unnervingly cheerful Jay Twomey, the guy who's organized this whole shebang. And a massive shout out to my uber-fan Susie, who is not affiliated with the U of Cin in any way but who drove all the way down from Dayton (Dayton!) just to hear me. That's like an hour's drive each way... there's some dedication in a big way, kids, let's all try to learn something from that. Susie's pal took a picture of the two of us which, hopefully, will find its way to my inbox and I will post.

So, what did I talk about? I started with the sometimes humorously negative responses to my stories from some critical quarters, which led me to some ideas of what people are looking for when they read, specifically, Biblical reinterpretations, and then a little but about how I went about writing the stories, and then I read some excerpts, and then I talked a little more and read more excerpts and then people asked questions and then some of us went and drank beer. It was all, generally speaking, great. Maybe at some future date I'll post the actual "lecture," or at least extracts from it, if people are interested.

Favorite question/answer from the evening:

Q: "I heard you like graphic novels, Dave... would you consider doing one as a Biblical story?"

A: "Yeah, definitely. But I can't draw to save my life."

Which is, sadly, true. I think Jonah has promise as a comic book aka graphic novel aka story wid pitchers. But I really can't draw a lick, so, I need a collaborator. Send samples to dmloveletters.

By the way, the next time you find yourself in Cincinnati, please consider staying at a great B&B called Clifton House. It's run by yet another cheerful Cincinnatian named Nancy, who keeps a terrific house and serves a breakfast that makes you fall to your knees and moan, "Yes! Yes!" So... I recommend it.

Later today, I go talk to a bunch of grad students who've read The Preservationist. Here's hoping I get a bunch of questions along the lines of, "Is your writing autobiographical?" I love being asked that and I always say, "Entirely."