I publish most of my books in the Fall, and that means NPR station fund drives, rooms stuffed with volunteers, pleading anchors and journalists, in America the best news programs have the least money and the worst ones the most. We did two fund drive shows today, the first WAMC (Northeast Public Radio) out of Albany, the second, a wonderful hour-long phoner with Kathleen Dun of Wisconsin Public Radio, one of the best interviewers I ever encounter anywhere. Public radio stations have to beg, borrow and steal enough money to survive.

Random House generously devoted some “Saving Simon” books to both radio programs, and I appreciate the quality of the interviews and conversations. It was a good first day, my books is climbing onto the bestseller lists on Amazon, I don’t know about elsewhere, this is pub day and it should be available everywhere.

Tonight, another treasured book tour ritual, my pub day appearance and reading at Battenkill Books in Cambridge at 7 p.m..

Red is a sensation on the book tour, this morning, he worked the volunteer phone line room at WAMC, I am always a bit taken aback by how easily he adapts to strange environments – Red had never lived in a house until he came to me a couple of years ago – and touches the hearts of strangers. People love him, and he loves the attention. He’s coming to Battenkill tonight. A good solid first day for the book tour. Normally I would be getting on a plane tomorrow and heading out into the country, not this book tour. I will be heading for my blog. Fair enough, the role of the contemporary writer is to go where his or her readers go, and so I am.