4/30/2004
SEVEN A.M. IN SEATTLE
I pulled a muscle or popped a tendon in my foot, so I'm hobbling. But it can't slow me down now! When we last spoke, I was on my way to breakfast with movie folks, and I still can't say much about that. Sped to San Diego, where it was wall-to-wall bodies in Warwick's Books. People bought eveything in stock, even the employees' own copies. There were 20 or so folks left without books, and the staff broke open a box of bookplates and I signed those. It was amazing. Family and friends--the back of the room was a Clairemont High School reunion. In the morning, it was the Urrea Family blitz of an IHOP (and Bella Luna Bokks' Tony Delcavo, on an expedition from Colorado). Off again, speeding to the airport: Tucson, rental car, can't remember what we did. The reading was smaller than the apocalyptic bashes in Cali. Sunday was one of those futile book tour moments you dread: we got Brian Laird and drove to Phoenix. Three hours. The bookstore had put an ad in the papers saying my reading was the next day. Oops. Some friends had worried that the coyote gang working in Phoenix might come gunning for me, so they probably lurked around the store feeling dismayed on the wrong day! Five people showed up. We had a nice visit, then we drove three hours again. That night, it was my privilege to attend Humane Borders' fundraiser, and I was happy to be able to sell a big stack of books for Reverend Hoover.
Chicago on Monday. Cab to the house, jump in the car, drive back downtown at top speed for a radio interview at WBEZ. Airport Tuesday to NYC. I had a gig at NYU. Airport Wed., back to Chi. Radio interview. Reading at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum. Airport yesterday, to Seattle. Cell phone newspaper interviews. Airport today, to San Francisco. Ha! The whole time, I remember that I used to cook doughnuts in a late night shop!
It's my week of making believe I'm in Aerosmith.
Luis
I pulled a muscle or popped a tendon in my foot, so I'm hobbling. But it can't slow me down now! When we last spoke, I was on my way to breakfast with movie folks, and I still can't say much about that. Sped to San Diego, where it was wall-to-wall bodies in Warwick's Books. People bought eveything in stock, even the employees' own copies. There were 20 or so folks left without books, and the staff broke open a box of bookplates and I signed those. It was amazing. Family and friends--the back of the room was a Clairemont High School reunion. In the morning, it was the Urrea Family blitz of an IHOP (and Bella Luna Bokks' Tony Delcavo, on an expedition from Colorado). Off again, speeding to the airport: Tucson, rental car, can't remember what we did. The reading was smaller than the apocalyptic bashes in Cali. Sunday was one of those futile book tour moments you dread: we got Brian Laird and drove to Phoenix. Three hours. The bookstore had put an ad in the papers saying my reading was the next day. Oops. Some friends had worried that the coyote gang working in Phoenix might come gunning for me, so they probably lurked around the store feeling dismayed on the wrong day! Five people showed up. We had a nice visit, then we drove three hours again. That night, it was my privilege to attend Humane Borders' fundraiser, and I was happy to be able to sell a big stack of books for Reverend Hoover.
Chicago on Monday. Cab to the house, jump in the car, drive back downtown at top speed for a radio interview at WBEZ. Airport Tuesday to NYC. I had a gig at NYU. Airport Wed., back to Chi. Radio interview. Reading at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum. Airport yesterday, to Seattle. Cell phone newspaper interviews. Airport today, to San Francisco. Ha! The whole time, I remember that I used to cook doughnuts in a late night shop!
It's my week of making believe I'm in Aerosmith.
Luis
4/22/2004
Hollywood Dispatch
Greetings from Le Montrose Hotel in Hollywood!
Cindy and I are in the middle of phase one of the big book tour. So far, it has been amazing, surprising, and a little tiring. We left our home at 5 a.m. (it seems like five weeks ago) and flew into LAX. We rented a rolling bathroom garbage can of a car from Avis and hit LA! All four horsepower kickin' ...
Of course, one of my first stops had to be Tower Records on Sunset to buy obscure CDs. And then the next very important stop was Barney's Beanery on Old Route 66. But you don't care about Barney's Beanery, you want to know how the reading went. The first reading was at the Los Angeles Public Library downtown and I think it went pretty well. If the signing line is any evidence, we had about 50 yards of solid bodies. I signed so many books and was moving around so fast that my pants started to fall off. I consider THAT a successful reading -- when you end up in your underwear. I was happy to have family there. My cousins Paul and Javier and my friend from the Shawn Phillips world, White Eagle Rouleau. Cindy and I and Paul followed Rudy, our Mr.Movie, across town to an Italian restaurant for a late supper. There, I was delighted to hook up with the young actor Nicholas Gonzalez (Resurrection Blvd). A whole bunch of us stayed up too late eating and drinking too many toasts and overcharging on Rudy's credit cards. We were delighted to get back to our room, but unfortunately we were too tired to get the fireplace going and fell right asleep.
The next day, we went back to Barney's Beanery. I was happy to see some metal rock stars eating chili and immediately called our boy Eric on the cell phone and said, "Dude, that guy from --- with the flames tatooed on his arms is in the next booth!" The gig that night was a reading and reception at Dutton's Bookstore in Brentwood. We drove out there early and had a wonderful time sipping fancy coffee with my movie agent, Michael Cendejas. Can you believe I just said "my movie agent"? This reading went extremely well also. There were about 150 people there and I noticed a strange new thing at these readings: people are buying books in twos and threes and even fours now. I guess that happens when you've stuck around as long as I have; you suddenly have a lot of books for people to choose from. Though I am astounded that people are buying three or four copies of The Devil's Highway for themselves. Nicholas Gonzalez very rightly sensed that I'm the kind of guy who likes swag, so he kindly brought me the entire Resurrection Blvd. series on DVD. Once again, after the reading was over we ended up at a restaurant for yet another round of elaborate toasts and late-night supper. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were too tired to light the fireplace again ... sigh.
We got the day off today, so we slept late. Then we went down to Hollywood Blvd. and gawked at wierdos. We went to the Chinese Theater and looked at the footprints in cement and then we drove around Beverly Hills looking at mansions. Evil billionaires with bleached hair and Jaguars angrily revved their engines and honked their horns and the longer we are driving around their neighborhoods, the happier we are not to live here. But it certainly is a great place to be a tourist.
Tomorrow morning, I have a breakfast meeting that I am not at liberty to discuss. Doesn't that sound intriguing???
San Diego Friday night. See you there ....
Luis
Greetings from Le Montrose Hotel in Hollywood!
Cindy and I are in the middle of phase one of the big book tour. So far, it has been amazing, surprising, and a little tiring. We left our home at 5 a.m. (it seems like five weeks ago) and flew into LAX. We rented a rolling bathroom garbage can of a car from Avis and hit LA! All four horsepower kickin' ...
Of course, one of my first stops had to be Tower Records on Sunset to buy obscure CDs. And then the next very important stop was Barney's Beanery on Old Route 66. But you don't care about Barney's Beanery, you want to know how the reading went. The first reading was at the Los Angeles Public Library downtown and I think it went pretty well. If the signing line is any evidence, we had about 50 yards of solid bodies. I signed so many books and was moving around so fast that my pants started to fall off. I consider THAT a successful reading -- when you end up in your underwear. I was happy to have family there. My cousins Paul and Javier and my friend from the Shawn Phillips world, White Eagle Rouleau. Cindy and I and Paul followed Rudy, our Mr.Movie, across town to an Italian restaurant for a late supper. There, I was delighted to hook up with the young actor Nicholas Gonzalez (Resurrection Blvd). A whole bunch of us stayed up too late eating and drinking too many toasts and overcharging on Rudy's credit cards. We were delighted to get back to our room, but unfortunately we were too tired to get the fireplace going and fell right asleep.
The next day, we went back to Barney's Beanery. I was happy to see some metal rock stars eating chili and immediately called our boy Eric on the cell phone and said, "Dude, that guy from --- with the flames tatooed on his arms is in the next booth!" The gig that night was a reading and reception at Dutton's Bookstore in Brentwood. We drove out there early and had a wonderful time sipping fancy coffee with my movie agent, Michael Cendejas. Can you believe I just said "my movie agent"? This reading went extremely well also. There were about 150 people there and I noticed a strange new thing at these readings: people are buying books in twos and threes and even fours now. I guess that happens when you've stuck around as long as I have; you suddenly have a lot of books for people to choose from. Though I am astounded that people are buying three or four copies of The Devil's Highway for themselves. Nicholas Gonzalez very rightly sensed that I'm the kind of guy who likes swag, so he kindly brought me the entire Resurrection Blvd. series on DVD. Once again, after the reading was over we ended up at a restaurant for yet another round of elaborate toasts and late-night supper. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were too tired to light the fireplace again ... sigh.
We got the day off today, so we slept late. Then we went down to Hollywood Blvd. and gawked at wierdos. We went to the Chinese Theater and looked at the footprints in cement and then we drove around Beverly Hills looking at mansions. Evil billionaires with bleached hair and Jaguars angrily revved their engines and honked their horns and the longer we are driving around their neighborhoods, the happier we are not to live here. But it certainly is a great place to be a tourist.
Tomorrow morning, I have a breakfast meeting that I am not at liberty to discuss. Doesn't that sound intriguing???
San Diego Friday night. See you there ....
Luis
4/11/2004
Happy Easter, ya'll!
Started out this Easter morning doing warm radio interview with the gold folks in Louisville, KY. Yesterday, Cinderella and I had lunch with Tom Russell and his mind-shredding guitarist Andrew Hardin. We were at the house of our mutual friend, the mighty Jay Marvin (WLS-AM, Chicago). Tom and I are both in the middle of tours, so we were a little wall-eyed. Later that night, we all went to his show in Chicago. The mad punk Mass G. drove up from Indiana. I got a sense of what the life of a star like Tom must be like when he mentioned me and the book from stage ... later, a man in the lobby was pushing through the crowd calling my name. He had heard me on some radio show and couldn't believe that Tom knew me and I was there, etc. etc. I guess that's how the machine works ...
I wanted to share with you a very cool story that touched me. This week, I did my hometown reading in Naperville IL at the local Andersons. Those of you who are fans of The Devil's Highway might remember the border patrol agent identified as Warrior. He showed up to the reading. I suspected it was him because he was big. Really big. If it wasn't a BP agent, it had to be a cop. After the reading, Warrior came up to me and embraced me. And then, he took off his 75th anniversary Border Patrol service medallion and gave it to me. I almost started crying right on the spot.
There's a new tour note I'm very excited about. For those of you in the Santa Fe area, I've just signed up with Lannan Foundation to do their reading series Oct. 13. This is a wonderful reading series and, of course, we are in love with Santa Fe. BUT, more exciting to me is that part of the reading involves a conversation on stage with a writer who knows me and my work. And I am happy to say that Darrell Bourque from Louisiana will be with me. You may not know his work yet, but Darrell is a wonderful poet and I consider him the dean of Louisiana/Cajun literature. If you can make it, you're in for a treat when you meet Darrell. And I hope you'll be able to buy his books. See you in Santa Fe.
One last note, Cindy has put up a new bulletin board/forum. Check it out, you can argue or share or discuss or rant about anything and everything. It's a place for readers and writers to come together. We didn't want it to get flooded with spam, so we put up a registration filter. It's a pain, but easy. You can even ask me something specifically and directly about me or my books or anything. I think we could have a lot of fun with it. Stop by and leave a note!
See you soon,
Luis
Started out this Easter morning doing warm radio interview with the gold folks in Louisville, KY. Yesterday, Cinderella and I had lunch with Tom Russell and his mind-shredding guitarist Andrew Hardin. We were at the house of our mutual friend, the mighty Jay Marvin (WLS-AM, Chicago). Tom and I are both in the middle of tours, so we were a little wall-eyed. Later that night, we all went to his show in Chicago. The mad punk Mass G. drove up from Indiana. I got a sense of what the life of a star like Tom must be like when he mentioned me and the book from stage ... later, a man in the lobby was pushing through the crowd calling my name. He had heard me on some radio show and couldn't believe that Tom knew me and I was there, etc. etc. I guess that's how the machine works ...
I wanted to share with you a very cool story that touched me. This week, I did my hometown reading in Naperville IL at the local Andersons. Those of you who are fans of The Devil's Highway might remember the border patrol agent identified as Warrior. He showed up to the reading. I suspected it was him because he was big. Really big. If it wasn't a BP agent, it had to be a cop. After the reading, Warrior came up to me and embraced me. And then, he took off his 75th anniversary Border Patrol service medallion and gave it to me. I almost started crying right on the spot.
There's a new tour note I'm very excited about. For those of you in the Santa Fe area, I've just signed up with Lannan Foundation to do their reading series Oct. 13. This is a wonderful reading series and, of course, we are in love with Santa Fe. BUT, more exciting to me is that part of the reading involves a conversation on stage with a writer who knows me and my work. And I am happy to say that Darrell Bourque from Louisiana will be with me. You may not know his work yet, but Darrell is a wonderful poet and I consider him the dean of Louisiana/Cajun literature. If you can make it, you're in for a treat when you meet Darrell. And I hope you'll be able to buy his books. See you in Santa Fe.
One last note, Cindy has put up a new bulletin board/forum. Check it out, you can argue or share or discuss or rant about anything and everything. It's a place for readers and writers to come together. We didn't want it to get flooded with spam, so we put up a registration filter. It's a pain, but easy. You can even ask me something specifically and directly about me or my books or anything. I think we could have a lot of fun with it. Stop by and leave a note!
See you soon,
Luis
4/08/2004
A New York Minute ...
I got back from New York City yesterday tired and happy. The guy at Voice of America told me that I look just like Michael Moore and sadly, I couldn't convince him that I really look like Steve McQueen. I did a reading at the KGB Bar feeling very Manhattan. Everybody was very warm and receptive. It was especially cool to meet book collectors who came in with bags full of various first editions. Note to Collectors: The Devil's Highway is going into second and third printings already. So if you're getting firsts, get 'em now because they will disappear.
I got to meet Manuel Munoz face-to-face. If you haven't read him, his book of stories is called Zigzagger and it's great. And one of the nicest surprises of the trip was hooking up with one of my old students from the Harvard days, Jud Weaver. It was funny to realize that even though I was teaching him back then, we were really both just kids. And now, here we were, all grown up in a New York bar.
I had a rare treat (a cheap thrill?) when I was walking through LaGuardia airport. They had copies of the book in the airport bookshop! This is a first for me. For years, I've walked through those bookstores, seeing the books of all my pals and feeling sorry for myself. And then suddenly, there I was! In the airport!
So home again. I have some more interviews around here. Another reading. And some frantic work on Teresita (The Hummingbird's Daughter) before I head for the West Coast. Hope to see you in LA, San Diego, Tucson, or Phoenix in the next couple of weeks. If you like the book, drop me a line (or feel free to post a review on amazon.com). If you don't like the book, you don't need to be invited. You'll find a way to let me know you hate it.
Luis
I got back from New York City yesterday tired and happy. The guy at Voice of America told me that I look just like Michael Moore and sadly, I couldn't convince him that I really look like Steve McQueen. I did a reading at the KGB Bar feeling very Manhattan. Everybody was very warm and receptive. It was especially cool to meet book collectors who came in with bags full of various first editions. Note to Collectors: The Devil's Highway is going into second and third printings already. So if you're getting firsts, get 'em now because they will disappear.
I got to meet Manuel Munoz face-to-face. If you haven't read him, his book of stories is called Zigzagger and it's great. And one of the nicest surprises of the trip was hooking up with one of my old students from the Harvard days, Jud Weaver. It was funny to realize that even though I was teaching him back then, we were really both just kids. And now, here we were, all grown up in a New York bar.
I had a rare treat (a cheap thrill?) when I was walking through LaGuardia airport. They had copies of the book in the airport bookshop! This is a first for me. For years, I've walked through those bookstores, seeing the books of all my pals and feeling sorry for myself. And then suddenly, there I was! In the airport!
So home again. I have some more interviews around here. Another reading. And some frantic work on Teresita (The Hummingbird's Daughter) before I head for the West Coast. Hope to see you in LA, San Diego, Tucson, or Phoenix in the next couple of weeks. If you like the book, drop me a line (or feel free to post a review on amazon.com). If you don't like the book, you don't need to be invited. You'll find a way to let me know you hate it.
Luis
4/05/2004
Wow, what a week!
I want to thank whoever has been buying the book. The Devil's Highway came out Friday and it's already going into a third printing. Those sly dealers who sell first editions are already jacking the price up $5 and $10 a copy. It seems that I am entering uncharted territory, so we'll have to explore it together. When I got back from Arizona, I did my first of three Chicago-area readings. Punk rock fans will be happy to know that crazy Mass Giorgini and Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel/Squirtgun were in the house. Then I went to Las Cruces NM to attend the Border Book Festival.
I was deeply thrilled to read with Li-Young Lee and to see a bunch of good old friends like Denise Chavez, Ofelia Zepeda, Bobby Byrd, Ben Saenz, Cherie Moraga, et al. I was also touched to receive the Premio Fronterizo award for my writing. Perhaps the coolest thing of the whole trip was my writing workshop at the men's prison. I came away deeply moved by the inmates and I feel honored to have worked with them for a couple of hours.
Somewhere along the way, I have started doing media for the book. Unexpectedly, I had a really great time with Ken "The Black Avenger" Hamblin. I think my message that regardless of politics, race, ethnicity or religion, we can meet each other as human beings and care for each other might just be getting through with this book. I hope so.
Tomorrow morning at 7 a.m., I'm on a plane for NYC. I'll be doing more radio shows and a reading and I'll be back in Chicago by Wednesday afternoon. I'm a little tired, but when you sign up for the big game, you gotta play the big game. See you out there soon.
I want to thank whoever has been buying the book. The Devil's Highway came out Friday and it's already going into a third printing. Those sly dealers who sell first editions are already jacking the price up $5 and $10 a copy. It seems that I am entering uncharted territory, so we'll have to explore it together. When I got back from Arizona, I did my first of three Chicago-area readings. Punk rock fans will be happy to know that crazy Mass Giorgini and Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel/Squirtgun were in the house. Then I went to Las Cruces NM to attend the Border Book Festival.
I was deeply thrilled to read with Li-Young Lee and to see a bunch of good old friends like Denise Chavez, Ofelia Zepeda, Bobby Byrd, Ben Saenz, Cherie Moraga, et al. I was also touched to receive the Premio Fronterizo award for my writing. Perhaps the coolest thing of the whole trip was my writing workshop at the men's prison. I came away deeply moved by the inmates and I feel honored to have worked with them for a couple of hours.
Somewhere along the way, I have started doing media for the book. Unexpectedly, I had a really great time with Ken "The Black Avenger" Hamblin. I think my message that regardless of politics, race, ethnicity or religion, we can meet each other as human beings and care for each other might just be getting through with this book. I hope so.
Tomorrow morning at 7 a.m., I'm on a plane for NYC. I'll be doing more radio shows and a reading and I'll be back in Chicago by Wednesday afternoon. I'm a little tired, but when you sign up for the big game, you gotta play the big game. See you out there soon.
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