Now There is Light!

Our part of St. Louis lost power on Friday evening, a little before nine. Tonight (Monday), a few minutes after nine, we regained power. Many people had a great deal of property damage; thankfully, I don't think a life was lost because of these tornadoes that dropped in for a visit. I figure, houses and cars can be replaced; loved ones can't.

 

On Thursday I went to see Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and now his most recent novel, And the Mountains Echoed.  His second book, Suns, is one of my all-time favorite books.

 

 

This is Khaled Hosseini signing his book.

This is the cover of his newest novel. Before the story begins, Hosseini includes a 13th century
quote from Jelaluddin Rumi. It could have been written yesterday. It is, "Out beyond ideas of
wrongdoing and rightdoing,there is a field. I'll meet you there." Brilliant! 

     He gave the audience some helpful hints. If you want to be a three-time best-selling author like he is, do this:

• become a political refugee
• come to a country where you don't know anyone
• learn a foreign language
• get into a profession (like medicine) that takes 10 years of school (Hosseini is a doctor and has lived in the U.S. since 1980) and then work on writing a book

     When asked what his writing day was like, he offered this golden nugget:

"I take my kids to school, I sit at my computer and hope something happens." (That's what all writers do...we hope something magical happens...)

       The woman who interviewed him asked a few silly questions. One of them was, "Why don't your stories have happy endings?" He responded as kindly as he could. (This ain't a Disney movie. These are stories about real life.)

      I finished the book this morning. (I read it by flashlight for the past couple of nights.) It did not disappoint...

A Winner...and a Reason to Squeal

        First of all, it's been a tough week, work-wise, so I am behind in posting this...Jennifer Brown Banks, of Pen and Prosper, won the book of poetry Gemini/Scorpio/Capricorn by Shay Simmons, Kelli Simpson and Joy Ann Jones.
It is phenomenal poetry--you won't regret purchasing it. (Jennifer, send me your address and I'll put it in the mail sometime this week.)

             Also, one of my favorite authors, Khaled Hosseini, has a new book out this month. I've been holding my breath (I'm Smurf blue, baby), waiting not very patiently, until I can get my paws on a copy and devour it like a jackal tearing apart a zebra.

         I meandered around the internet and discovered he's doing a book tour and is coming to Chaminade, in St. Louis, on May 30. (The cost of a ticket includes a copy of his new book.)

          I'm sorry if my squealing is irritating to your ears. I can't help it. I can't.