Saturday, July 17, 2010

Galley!

It arrived.  No.  They arrived.  Six galleys in my living room.  Wow, that suddenly sounded very Pirandello-esque six books come looking for the author.  They arrived just as I was running out the door to go down to Hanalei to meet a friend.  I grabbed one and ran out the door.

In Hanalei I met up with my friend David.  David has just finished writing his book and starting the dreaded agent search.  We sat in the last of the evening sun and then wandered over to Java Kai where we bumped into two other friends sitting at a table on the veranda.  One of them, Cris, is an established author and the other, Mark, a musician and rapacious reader.  Both were super helpful when I was writing Exit the Actress.  I took Nell out of my bag and she went out for her first walk in the wide world.  They were delighted.  They were thrilled.  Suddenly it had all happened.  Exit the Actress was no longer in the remote 'what if' of someday but it was that day, a Friday afternoon in Hanalei.  

Tina, another friend, is a voracious reader and owns Java Kai.  Recognizing immediately what was going on, she came over and joined us.  Then we were five: three writers and two readers.  Just then I heard my name called and my wonderful, recently graduated, about to go off to college student Wyatt and his wonderful, already in college, brother Max appeared on the veranda.  It was one of those Sesame Street summer evenings where everyone stops by Gordon and Susan's porch.  Now we were readers and writers and students.  The conversation flowed around words expressed on a page.  Unusual on such a small, remote island.  The how of it, the surprise of it, the trickiness of it, the rhythm of it, the home of it, the who of it.

Group endeavor.  It is so much more rewarding than solo endeavor.  Sounds like the name of a space shuttle.  This blog, where you have all been so supportive and kind, the world I where I studied and researched where everyone encouraged me to risk it and write, the happy communicative world where I concentrated and wrote: I have been so lucky to keep bumping into this conversation that flows around words.

17 comments:

  1. apropos of nothing but look at what wonderful lisa from bibliophiliac did! http://bibliophiliac-bibliophiliac.blogspot.com/! so sweet!

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  2. Congratulations. Missed your announcement post (was banned from blogging for a week while on vacation!!) but so happy for you. Guess I know what I am buying Feb 1, 2011!! Can't wait to quote you!!!

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  3. Bonjour Priya,
    Oh I think I missed your announcement as well, will head back to see your older posts. I believe congratulations are in order for your new book. Well done! All that hard work - now you can enjoy a little even as you plunge into your next novel!
    Bon week-end,
    Mimi

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  4. Just dropping by to say how delighted I am that your book is ready for release! :) Congrats and Hugs.

    Love your new photo btw. Very pretty!

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  5. Writing is definitely a process that is better learned and better done when others are involved. The way I've progressed since starting my MLitt course has been crazy - and it's all down to group workshops.

    Having the support of so many people is wonderful, and it's great to share success.

    So congratulations! I am so happy for you!

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  6. How exciting that they arrived and then you were able to celebrate with good friends.

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  7. Hello. I have to say it's a small, small world. I just discovered your blog via a Google key word search that gets sent to my email each morning ("Hanalei"), so very randomly. I clicked on yours and I love it! I am also a teacher and voracious reader! I LOVE your "Plum Bean" concept. Mind if I adopt the idea of it? I have a bit of it in me too. Anyway, my husband and I were married in Hanalei and go there as much as we can. That's not the small world part. I was reading your entry and could picture your surroundings perfectly at Java Kai, right down to one detail--Cris. I know exactly who you are talking about! She is responsible in many ways for my falling in love with and marrying my husband! In fact, she came to my wedding. We stayed with Cris and Dave during a couple of visits. I had a conversation with her during my first visit to Kauai with my then boyfriend (now husband) only two weeks into our relationship (very impromptu trip). Her words were key! If you see her again, please tell her Diane and Chris say hello from San Diego. Anyway, I find your blog refreshing and hope you don't mind if I stop by once in a while for a little inspiration! :-) Congratulations on your book! I hope it takes you places you could only dream of.

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  8. P.S. Wow! I just read about your book on Amazon and it looks great! I'm putting it on my Wish List and will definitely buy it when it comes out! It sounds like something that would eventually get made into a movie with important actors and actresses (think Kate Blanchett). Congratulations again.

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  9. kals, you are back! yay!

    bethany, it is more fun as a collective project. where is your mlitt course?

    lindy lou mac, thank you thank you!

    diane, so happy you want to adopt the plum bean! where were you married in hanalei? that is so funny that you are close to cris! do you know mark and tina at java kai as well? so glad exit the actress made it on to your wish list! i would love nell to make it to the movie realm...

    caroline starr rose, thank you!!!!!!!!!!

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  10. Priya, it sounds like you have gathered the perfect community around you, both actual and virtual. It can make the world of difference, though one suspects Nell would have found herself centre stage regardless.

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  11. doctordi, you could not be sweeter--thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

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  12. I was really touched to share that moment of the first arrival of your first book. Little did I know that our unplanned Kauai literary event would be immortalized in your blog. I'm happy I was there.

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  13. I am back to say, thanks for noticing my photo, and I did notice you also changed yours!! I did pre-order your book from B & N and I have officially placed it on my TBR list. So cool!!!

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