This weekend I attend the Norman Maclean Literary Festival in Missoula, Montana. This isn't a traveling bookstore event for me. Rather it is an opportunity to hear from some remarkable writers including Bill McKibben, Gretel Ehrlich, Rick Bass, Rosalyn LaPier, and Marcelo Gleiser among others. This is a wonderful example of how we can attach the arts to other aspects of our lives including the environment, politics, law and education. Saturday will be a chock-a-block day of these impressive speakers along with insightful panel discussions. If you are anywhere near this part of Montana, I encourage you to attend. As a plus, Saturday's events are free although registration is encouraged to track attendance. Hope to see you there.
And then there is the traveling bookstore which finishes up the 2024 summer season at The Farmers Market at Libby on Thursday September 26 from 3:00 - 6:30pm. There are so many things about this market I appreciated over the years I've set up there. So many great vendors, terrific organization and market managers, and customers taking the time to peruse books and visit a bit (having a few chairs for people to sit a spell also helped). And individuals who have given books to me while I was set up there with an especial shout out to Roger who lugged more boxes to me on Thursdays than I can count.
Then on October 15th, the bookstore heads east to its new base in Baltimore, Maryland. As it is a convoy - the bookstore and my Subaru going across with a couple friends helping to drive, we won't officially set up the bookstore on this trip, but no doubt there will be moments along the road when someone will ask, "What exactly is this traveling bookstore van?" and I will open the door to let them experience it. This has happened countless times over the last ten years - in Ovando (Montana), White Lake (South Dakota), Aurora (Colorado), Smiths Grove (Kentucky) and Boise (Idaho) to name a few I remember. I've no doubt it will happen again. I mean - who wouldn't be curious to discover a lovely traveling bookstore parked in their town?
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