I am a bit wonderous about the Bright Lights Book Project. So far, with the exception of one person (who works at VCRS) no one has said no to any of my requests. It’s not often in life that this happens, to anyone.

I remember being a kid and selling flowers on a street corner. It was awful. A friend stopped by and she started really pitching the flower deal to the passersby. And they purchased them. What I remember most is the fact I felt so uncomfortable attempting to sell roses, which by the end of the day were wilted.

I had the same feeling when I began doing book distribution and making calls. The books, I said, were free. Business owners then began giving me the time of day. I then realized that because I wasn’t asking for payment, that this was going to be an easier venture than the one I took on as a child.

Today I went to a meeting of the Valley Arts Alliance, and gave a presentation to Palmer, Alaska’s artistic movers and shakers. They listened attentively as I talked, then immediately after, began talking with one another. Now and then one or two would talk with me about the project, offering one form of support or another.

Lots of book end ideas on the web

A big score, Pete and I will soon be meeting with a local grant writer, who though now retired, has for years been a professional grant writer. It was interesting, as I was giving my project overview, I every so often glanced at her and saw that she was very attentive. Then, finally, we talked one-on-one. I knew that she would back the project when she said that even though she’s retired, she has a lot of information to impart to others. And so, I think that she’s going to be an asset when it comes time to write more grants.

I also spoke with a fellow, a veteran, who has a shop – he said he’d make the bookends. And I spoke with the head board member who flies for Delta Airlines – she may have some information on who I might contact when it comes time to send books overseas.

Interesting, artists, for the most part, are right brained people. They can’t organize themselves to save their lives. This group of individuals couldn’t contain themselves – they wanted to, and did spend most of the time, talking one-on-one.

After, I went to town in order to check out the distribution sites. We have created a book motherlode at Vagabond Blues Café. Readers are leaving books and taking books. My fear was that the shelves would fill with returned books – but so far this fear has been unfounded. There remains plenty of space for the books that we have salvaged.

Of course, I would most like it if all I wanted to happen, for instance the public art bookend project, happened immediately. Alas, such things take time, particularly when one is dealing with other people who have their own time frames. I’m okay with this. I’m just glad that books, unlike ice cream, don’t melt.

Next: 64. 3/5/21: A Conversation with Ryder and Shadow