Dateline: above the garage in Portsmouth RI, 4 April 2005
I do seem to have a future as an author, as witnessed today by Neil Nyren's first-read response to the manuscript: "I like it a lot. Clear, thoughtful and, yes, both visionary and practical."
Big words indeed for Mark and I. One, it means the other checks will happen in the advance. Neil no like, Putnam no pay. Not too too worried about this, but--you know--it's like getting a degree in college or something. It's a big damn deal no matter what the odds were.
Speaking of just BFA:AFWC, I was fairly sure Neil would like it. But in the larger sense, what his approval means is that--as far as he's concerned--there is no sophomore slump here. And that means, on the same day our house in Portsmouth gets listed for sale, that I'm not insane to move my family to Indiana as part of my grand design for a writing life.
So yeah, it was a big deal to hear those words from Neil.
Better yet, he liked both the "heroes" conclusion and the "blogging the future" afterward, and he agreed with Mark that the blog posts belonged at the end of the piece and not at the beginning (something my brother-in-law Steve first raised a red flag on, as in, "Nice, but what am I supposed to do with this right off the bat?").
So getting listed, getting approved, getting the mulch all around the house (the last great preparatory act for showing): a big enough day.
Except now I gotta head to the airport.
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