The Calvin Haul

You can't attend the Calvin Festival without taking home some books. After declaring that I never stand in line for an autograph, I stood in line to have Michael Chabon sign my copy of The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Stacy Barton is an author I published in Relief #2, so it was a pleasure to pick up her excellent collection of short stories (which my friend Anthony bought at Calvin two years ago). I read Danny Gospel in manuscript and loved it all over again when I heard David read. Lisa Samson gave me a copy of Embrace Me after we had dinner together with Claudia Burney and Chip MacGregor -- she even wrote some nice things inside. After hearing Scott Cairns read, I went straight to the Eighth Day Books booth and bought all four of the books he'd read from: Short Trip to the Edge, Love's Immensity, Recovered Body, and Compass of Affection. I could have come home with many more, but a man has to know his limitations.

Comments

[Jacob]

I just thought of a topic for you to address in a post:

What are the benefits of attending a conference like the one at Calvin's for those of us who are not authors (and in my personal case, embarrassingly under-read in literature)?

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Well, Jacob, the Calvin Festival actually bills itself as a conference for readers first and foremost. There are readings, interviews, films, musical performances, and a number of academic presentations aimed at the general reader more than the author. So it's a great place to discover good writing. I think you'd quite enjoy it. Both times I've attended, I've run into former Worldview Academy staff, too.

[Nathan Knapp]

I went to Calvin with this stupid idea that I wasn't going to buy any books. Silly me. My stack wasn't quite as tall as yours, but it was close.

And how could you have not got Chabon's autograph after that talk?

[Gina]

Danny Gospel was awesome. I really wish I would have attended that event. Mair and Lisa couldn't write a bad book if they tried. I'm really looking forward to reading your novel too. From what I've seen, the sky's the limit to what you're capable of!