Tomorrow, a landmark journey for me to New York City, to meet with my editor at Simon and Shuster to talk about my 30th book, Lessons From Bedlam Farm, which I start work on this week. I am excited to be doing this book, it is a chronicle of the lessons learned on the farm from September 2016 to September 2017.
I was planning to see my granddaughter Robin, but I had a bad cold this week and Maria has it now, so we have all decided it’s best to stay away from the baby this trip. We might go meet Emma and Robin for lunch in Brooklyn. No bonding tomorrow.
The trip to New York is important for me, I am excited to be starting on my 30th book, I have a good feeling about it. The book has already started with a lot of strong material – Red’s impending retirement and therapy work, the birth of my granddaughter, the rescue and arrival of the Gang of Four, Maria’s decision to go to Calcutta in February, the battle for the Round House Cafe.
Lots of lessons right there. People tell me Robin is cute, but I have no perspective on it, she surely has a piercing gaze and intent stare.
Maria and I will be taking an early train from Albany and will come back in the early evening Friday. For some time, I thought my book writing career was over, but I realized I love writing books, it is a huge part of me – as is the blog – and so I started writing proposals again.
Older mid-list writers like me are being abandoned by publishers all over the place, like small family farms, we are not considered efficient in the new big corporate global economy. But I set to writing proposals again, have a strong agent to help me, and it turns out I am not over after all.
I have a good publisher and a strong editor to help me, and I intend to make this my best book yet. The farm is the greatest teacher I have ever known, here I have given rebirth to myself. I had hoped to spend a day with Robin, my third visit since she was born, but life happens and I accept life.
My whole adult life, I have been going to New York City on behalf of my writing career, and so much has changed since that first trip to meet an editor more than 30 years ago. All I ever wanted to be in my life was a writer, and I am blessed to have spent my life doing what I love, and will do what I love for a good while longer.
The blog has become central in my writing life, it has stabilized me, grounded me, allowed my writing and creativity to grow. I’m grateful to be sharing this experience with you. More later.