Madison

November 9: Reading with Kazim Ali and Matthew Guenette at Avols Books, 315 W. Gorham Street, Madison, WI.

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Things are starting to get pretty overwhelming. I gave a talk to Christine Hume’s lyric essay class last night (Novemeber 12, here in Ypsilanti, MI). Carla Harryman, who is one of my idols, was in the class, but I didn’t recognize her and assumed she was a (very smart!) student. I didn’t realize my mistake until later at the bar. Here is a picture of Carla looking a bit devilish; may it forever admonish me. (Then again, who can blame me for getting confused after having seen so many old friends and faces (and met so many new ones!)):



More on Carla et al later, first… catching up with Madison. At the end of the last episode, Kazim and I were careening down the interstate trying to make a 2PM reading at Avols Books. The good news is that we made it; the bad is that we felt pretty terrible. Here is Kazim feeling terrible:



Here he is doing a little yoga and trying to regroup:



It was kind of too bad we were both so tired for the Avols reading, because it was a really welcoming venue and a really great crowd. Here is Matthew Guenette, who was our third (local) reader:



Here is the Avols owner introducing:



Kazim reading:



Here is an old friend Jordan, who is both a math professor at Wisconsin and also a novelist. We had lunch with him after the reading:



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The next morning, I stopped by Wisconsin public radio to discuss my book with To The Best of Our Knowledge. I am not sure the interview will air—this stuff is never for sure…. In the meantime, I am hopeful, though. Here are a couple more pictures:





During the interview I found myself saying the economy was truly collapsing, which I suppose it is... This week being the worst yet. I had hoped the election—the end of a period of uncertainty, at least in one area, about the future—would improve things...