End of the Line:
And that’s it. After 6 months of touring and events, it’s time for me to hang up my hustling hat, vacation, and begin work on another project. This site will be retired in a few months, folded into a redesigned kevinsmokler.com, which is in the works.
If you’d like to keep up with me in the meantime, I blog regularly at Where There’s Smoke.net and send out a once-in-a-while newsletter.
Thank you so much for your support this summer and fall. I couldn’t have done it otherwise.
Posted on December 6, 2005 at 9:21 am
Recommend Books
See that link to the right that says "Recommend Books?" I’m gonna tell you here what to do with it.
Posted on August 3, 2005 at 11:59 am
Hurry! Hurry!
Powells.com is having a contest where you can win 15 books recommended by the contributors of Bookmark Now as the books that changed their lives. I think the contest was supposed to stop yesterday but it’s still up on their website so hurry! hurry!. Enter here.
Posted on August 2, 2005 at 11:17 am
“Funny Mofo”:
That’s one of the best compliments I’ve received on this tour.
Posted on July 27, 2005 at 3:33 am
Crossing the Mountaintop:
Reflections on finishing the first big part of the tour:
Posted on July 23, 2005 at 3:43 pm
Grateful:
So yesterday I flew in from Seattle at 5:30, completely blew a lunch appointment, did a spot on Radio Open Source, a book signing at Powell’s Books, an essay published at Powells.com and dinner and drinks with Moorishgirl and the staff of Powell’s last night.
Now I’m sitting at WebVisions2005, on 3 hours sleep and still confused about whether I’m in Portland or Seattle. Nonetheless, when I think of the support I have been shown from booksellers, teachers, other authors and readers, when I think of how excited I get when talking about my book and reading, when I think of how thrilled I am to be starting another book, I come to one, inescapable conclusion.
I’m grateful. For all of it.
Posted on July 15, 2005 at 12:21 pm
USA Today and my Giant Visage:
Yes, that is my giant mug in USA Today this morning. It looks like I swallowed the LIFE section whole. But seeing myself there? Insane.
Posted on July 14, 2005 at 9:49 am
All Kinds of Bestsellers:
So this here book has gotten on three bestseller lists that you may have not heard of. We placed on the Southern California Independent Bookseller’s Association’s Paperback Non-Fiction list (#10 I believe), hit the top on Booksmith’s Bestseller list (our neighborhood shop) and, just announced this moring, #2 on the Harvard Bookstore’s list.
I couldn’t be happier. Something about small successes adding up gradually is way more satisfying than a tidal wave success followed by a lengthy bath in its aftermath. I feel like the trajectory of Bookmark Now is genuine and true and will keep it around for a while.
Big big that’s to everyone who got us here.
Posted on July 13, 2005 at 12:43 pm
News from Seattle
The tour so far: Reports from Boston and DC and a little something about litterboxes.
Posted on July 12, 2005 at 4:12 pm
Greetings Boston!
We’ve arrived here in Cambridge and my hotel is right across the street from the Harvard commons. Which is more han a little intimidating. That’s a lot of red brick.
Event is tonight, 6:30 PM at the Harvard Bookstore (NOT the CO-OP, the Booksore. Seems that mistake happens all the time). Paul Collins is reading with me, which I’m super excited about as a) I think Paul is a genius and b) I haven’t seen him since last October when we sat on a panel together at the Texas Book Festival.
So come for the reading and stay for the Thai food. My friend Susan Kaup has organized a "Dinner with the author" at Smile Thai Cafe which is right near the bookstore and is affordable and quite tasty. We’ll walk over right after the event.
If you want to get your Pad Thai on, make sure to RSVP, just so the restaurant knows the Literary Huns are coming.
Tomorrow, Washington D.C!
Posted on July 7, 2005 at 8:42 am
LA Times:
The LA Times has this to say (registration reqd.) on the back page of the Book Review today (June 26,2005).
"If you’re a writer, Bookmark is pure inspirational power juice. If you’re a reader (we know you’re out there), it provides lots of heartening evidence that literature isn’t dead, and that novelists can be just as entertaining as Dave Chappelle."
Wow.
Posted on June 26, 2005 at 9:36 am
Praise from the Hometown Paper:
The San Francisco Chronicle, my hometown paper, had a very nice review of Bookmark Now this morning. Yay!
Posted on June 19, 2005 at 2:07 pm
Booksmith Afterward:
Last night’s event at the Booksmith was quite fun. My friend Scott took some cool pictures and we had a few drinks afterward.
I’m doing a thing at events that’s been awesome all around. During the Q&A, we ask for suggestions from the crowd of "The Book that Changed Your Life." I write down all the suggestions. Then we draw a book at random and a name from the audience at random. I then buy that person that book.
What is the book that changed your life?
Posted on June 17, 2005 at 2:40 pm
Home to the Hood:
Just a reminder that I’m at the Booksmith tonight for my book in less than two hours. 7 PM to be exact. Better late than never…
Posted on June 16, 2005 at 4:26 pm
Taking the Day Off:
Interview at Pinky’s Paperhaus went awesome. Hostess Carolyn is a gem. I’m fast tracking her to new-friend status as of this morning.
Otherwise taking the day off. I’ve been on tour almost 2 weeks solid now and I need a day to no think Bookmark Now, to imagine Book #2, do a little writing and just be.
Posted on June 15, 2005 at 9:47 am
LA Day #3: In the ‘Soup’
Bury my heart on Sunset Blvd.
Posted on June 14, 2005 at 9:50 am
LA, Day #2:
So our hootnanny at Skylight Books last night kicked ass. A nice crowd, receptive, into it. My younger brother and my sister-in-law dropped by. I even got to meet Carolyn, who hosts Pinky’s Paperhaus, which was an unexpected treat.
The contributors brought a truckload of friends which helped. One of the big advantages of doing an anthology as your first book. Can you imagine if it were just me up there?
Book Soup is tonight, Sunset Blvd. location, 7PM. My friend Lynn Isenberg will be there and Mr. Toney, who had family biz last night, is reportedly going to be on hand as well.
I first heard about "The Soup" (As of 5 seconds ago, we’re on casual terms) years ago as a big celeb hangout. Maybe one will drift by. I’d love to give an autographed copy to Lauren Ambrose. I’d tell her I’ve loved her since Can’t Hardly Wait.
Posted on June 13, 2005 at 10:04 am
Waiting in LA:
Posting from a Starbucks in West L.A. Our event at Skylight Books starts in about 3 hours (on Vermont Ave. between Hollywood and Franklin in the Los Felizes neighborhood if you’re curious). Contributors Vivien Mejia, Meghan Daum, Pamela Ribon, and Glen David Gold will be in the house.
It’s Bookmark Now’s fifth bookstore event, our second week of touring and I still get scared 8 ways to silly before it happens. I wonder when I’ll get used to this? Christmas 2008 perhaps? I’ve seen concert films of bands that have been touring for 20 years and they still get the ole’ sithers in the stomach before they go on. Maybe the fear puts you in game mode.
Jason Toney, editor of LAist whom I met at South by Southwest Interactive last March, made Bookmark Now part of his 52 books in 52 weeks project and wrote this very nice review. That’s one of things I friggin love about web culture, about biblophilia and about conferences. People met for brief moments and yet display a loyalty afterword to each other’s work and project that remsembled that of family. Or at least old friends.
So thanks Jason. I hope to see you tonight. As well as any other friends and fellows in Los Angeles. We’ll all get a drink afterward.
Posted on June 12, 2005 at 1:35 pm
Update from Palm Springs:
Oy is it hot here!
Posted on June 11, 2005 at 10:46 pm
Lopate Wrap Up:
So our interview on the Leonard Lopate Show went great (first time guest host Kenji Jasper was a complete pro). My parents listened online from Israel and I got several super nice emails from friends and supporters at Readerville. Tom, Elizabeth and I went for burgers afterword and talked for another 2 hours. A wonderful, if blazing, New York afternoon.
I’m home now for about 48 hours before I split tomorrow for the Southern California Writers Conference in Palm Springs. I’m scheduled to give an after dinner speech which I feel not the least bit prepared for. The motto of the conference is "A writer is a writer before as well as after publication," which sounds like a good starting theme.
I’m in Los Angeles all of next week with 2 bookstore events, a guest DJ spot on Pinky’s Paperhaus and a panel discussion on literature and blogging, the details of which are still being worked out. Booksmith is on Thursday the 16th then I have a bit of a break.
If you’re in Los Angeles, friend do stop by and say hello. Event details are here.
Posted on June 10, 2005 at 11:01 am
Leonard Lopate Show
I’m on the Leonard Lopate Show in 2 hours (Live 1:30 PM EST, 93.9 in New York, online here). Wish me luck!
Posted on June 8, 2005 at 7:21 am
Now We Will Blog:
Whoooppeeeee!
Posted on June 8, 2005 at 7:18 am
