Chris Bohjalian's Blog, page 29

The Sandcastle Girls Book Tour, Week One

So, the first week of the three-week tour is behind me.

I have had the pleasure of meeting nearly 1,200 of you at eight events in three time zones.

And, yes, it has been a delight, even when:

• I was the only sign of life at the Detroit airport at 2:28 on Friday morning. Literally: The ONLY sign of life.

• The fellow driving me to one particular airport remarked, “I’m a writer, too. An aspiring writer, that is. My problem? I can’t seem to figure out how to put words down on paper.”

• I had three flights cancel on me for one or reason or another at the illustrious Pellston airport, stranding me there. And so – after the airport itself had closed – I grabbed a sandwich at the airport restaurant. It was still open and hopping. Explained the waitress, “A lot of us locals eat here. There aren’t many restaurants in Pellston.” (Translation? There are none.)

* I savored a whopping eight hours of sleep over three nights.

Some new reviews came in Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Among them are these:

"Compelling. . .an eye-opening tale of longing and discovery. . .a bittersweet reflection on hope even in the darkest circumstances." -- Amy Driscoll, The Miami Herald

"Bohjalian defly widens a telescopic lens to encompass the 'Meds Yeghern,' or 'Great Calamity' of the Armenian Genocide. . .Bohjalian's writing style never rings a false note as it moves from present-day New York to the tragedy of World War I, his characters are as real as our own relatives. The well-researched history that forms the background informs, intrigues, and enchants -- even as recollections of horror mount." -- Brandy Hilboldt, Allport, The Florida Times-Union



"Remarkably supple. . .Bohjalian keeps his eyes on the personal, the little moments that illuminate broader social movements. . .Moment by moment, and passage by passage, the novel lights up a disturbing period of history." -- Margaret Quamme, The Columbus Dispatch


Still 14 events left on the book tour over the next two weeks. I hope to meet many of you on the road!

All the best,

Chris B.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Day four of the rock and roll book tour. I have been having way too much fun and so far.

The key numbers?

* Biggest crowd? 250 at the Universal Sheraton kickoff lunch in Los Angeles. (Big thanks to everyone at ANCA who made that happen.)

* Fewest hours of sleep in one night? 2 and 1/2, when I got back to my hotel in San Francisco at 12:30 in the morning and was picked up 3 and 1/2 hours later -- 4:00 in the morning -- to catch a flight.

* Shirts lost by hotels? Zero.

* Socks lost by hotels? One.

* Red Bulls consumed? I have already lost count. Sorry.

* Hours on airplanes? 19.

Some new reviews has come in this week. Among them are these:


"Stirring. . .A deeply moving story of survival and enduring love." -- Carol Memmott, USA Today


"Bohjalian deftly weaves the many threads of this story back and forth, from past to present, from abuse to humanity, from devastation to redemption. His ability to add irony and wit makes the contrasting horrors even more intense. . .Staggering. . .[and] utterly riveting." -- Eugenia Zukerman, The Washington Post


"Bohjalian succeeds in depicting the horror, without sentimentalizing it. . .He has fulfilled the duty of anyone seeking to document a genocide -- he ensures that we don't look away." -- Julie Wittes Schlack, The Boston Globe


Still 18 events left on the book tour. I hope to meet many of you on the road!

All the best,

Chris B.

The Sandcastle Girls -- the first reviews

I'm about to leave on "The Sandcastle Girls" rock and roll book tour. My fingers are crossed I meet many of you on the road.

Over the last few months, I have been candid about how important this novel is to me: I believe in my heart it's the most important book I will ever write.

So, I am grateful beyond words to all of you here on Goodreads who have read and reviewed the novel. Really, your reviews have meant the world to me.

And outside of Goodreads? Very gratifying as well. Some reviews are below.

See you on the tour. In the meantime, a thousand thanks. Truly.

All the best,

Chris B.

"Bohjalian (Midwives) -- the grandson of Armenian survivors -- pours passion, pride, and sadness into his tale of ethnic destruction and endurance." -- Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

A "Great read. . .an affecting tale set at the time of a lesser-known holocaust, 1915's Armenian genocide." -- People Magazine

"Dead-solid perfect. Bohjalian is a literary novelist unafraid to reference Proust's madeleine and expect readers to get it. But his books are also filled with artfully drawn characters and great, passionate storytelling. The Sandcastle Girls is all that, but different, more powerful." -- Curt Schleier, The Seattle Times

"Chris Bohjalian is at his very finest in this searing story of love and war. I was mesmerized from page one. Bravo!" -- Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife

"In his latest novel, master storyteller Chris Bohjalian explores the ways in which our ancestral past informs our contemporary lives — in ways we understand and ways that remain mysteriously out of reach. The Sandcastle Girls is deft, layered, eye-opening, and riveting. I was deeply moved." —Wally Lamb, author of The Hour I First Believed

"Bohjalian powerfully narrates an intricately nuanced romance with a complicated historical event at the forefront. With the centennial of the Armenian genocide fast approaching, this is not to be missed. Simply astounding." -- Julie Kane, Library Journal (starred review)

"Bohjalian's powerful novel . . .depicts the Armenian genocide and one contemporary novelist's quest to uncover her heritage. . .His storytelling makes this a beautiful, frightening, and unforgettable read." -- Publishers' Weekly

"An unforgettable exposition of the still too-little-known facts of the Armenian genocide and its multigenerational consequences." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A powerful and moving story based on real events seldom discussed. It will leave you reeling." -- Elizabeth Dickie, Booklist

"The scope of The Sandcastle Girls is almost epic. . .While there are the rich personal stories that his readers connect to, what he has achieved is much larger. Bohjalian has written a compelling and powerful novel that will bring the history of the genocide to a wide audience. The Sandcastle Girls will remain ingrained in your consciousness." -- Wendy Plotkin, The Armenian Weekly

"Sober, elegiac, and respectful. It's not for the Lauras to capture the agony of those who perished, but they can, in small ways, show how human dignity reasserted itself in the face of unthinkable breaches of the social contract. At the opening of the novel, Laura reflects that Americans could benefit from a book called The Armenian Genocide for Dummies. Indeed, many of us could -- but a fiction like Bohjalian's, with its power to reach legions of readers, may be far more valuable." -- Margot Harrison, Seven Days

One of Good Housekeeping's Best Books to Read on Vacation, a novel that will "carry you away"

One of Kirkus Reviews' Top Ten Books of Summer

An Indie Next Selection for August 2012

Details of "The Sandcastle Girls" Book Tour

Many of you have asked for the exact venues of "The Sandcastle Girls" Rock and Roll Book Tour.

Here is the full list.

And, yes, there will be rock and roll t-shirts.

The tour kicks off on July 16 in Los Angeles and winds up on August 7 in Montpelier, Vermont. Twenty-two venues and fourteen states.

Fingers crossed some of you can join me -- and my work never disappoints you.

July 16
Universal City, California
Universal Sheraton Hotel
333 Universal Hollywood Drive
Note: This is a ticketed lunch event. To reserve your seat, cal 1 (818) 500-1918 or visit this link.
Sponsored by the ANC Grassroots Film and the Arts Committee and The Genocide Education Project.
11:30 a.m.

Burbank, California
Woodbury University
Fletcher Jones Auditorium
7500 North Glenrocks Blvd.
Sponsored by the ANC Grassroots Film and The Arts Committee and the Genocide Education Project
7:30 p.m.
Questions? Call 1 (818) 500-1918.

July 17
San Francisco, California
Vasbouragan Hall
51 Commonwealth Avenue
Sponsored by the Bay Area Armenian National Committee and the Genocide Education Project
8:00 p.m.
For more information, call 1 (415) 387-3433 or mail@ancsf.org .

July 18
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Oconomowoc Arts Center
641 East Forest Street
Hosted by Books & Company
7:00 p.m.
Questions? Call (262) 567-0106.

July 19
Wayzata, Minnesota
Bookcase of Wayzata
Ticketed lunch event, venue to come.
Noon
Information? Call (952) 473-8341.

July 19
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Common Goods Books
38 Snelling Street
7:00 pm
Information? Call (651) 225-8989.

July 20
Petoskey, Michigan
Stafford's Pier Restaurant: A lunch event.
Hosted by McLean & Eakin Booksellers
Noon
Tickets and more information? Call (231) 347-1180.

July 21
Watertown, Massachusetts
Boston-Keremesse Armenian Street Festival
47 Nichols Avenue
2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Questions? Call (617) 926-6067.

July 23
Neptune Beach, Florida
The Bookmark
220 1st Street
7:00 p.m.
Call (904) 241-9026 to learn more.

July 24
Hilton Head, South Carolina
University of South Carolina Author Luncheon
Exact venue to come -- stay tuned!
Books by Barnes & Noble
Noon
For tickets, call (843) 521-4147.

July 25
South Hadley, Massachusetts
The Odyssey Bookshop
9 College Street
7:00 p.m.
Questions? Call (413) 534-7307

July 26
Chatham, Massachusetts (Cape Cod)
Wequassett Inn: A lunch event.
Hosted by Where the Sidewalk Ends Bookstore
11:30 a.m.
Tickets and more information? Call (508) 945-0499 or visit the store here.

July 26
Watertown, Massachusetts
Armenian Library and Museum of America
Sponsored by ALMA, NAASR, and the AGBU Young Professionals
65 Main Street
7:30 p.m.
Call (617) 926-2562 for information. Free and open to the public.

July 27
Warwick, Rhode Island
Barnes & Noble
1350B Bald Hill Road
7:00 p.m.
Sponsored by the Genocide Education Project, Rhode Island branch.
Call (401) 826-4261 for directions and details.

July 30
Decatur, Georgia
Georgia Center for the Book
215 Sycamore Street
7:15 p.m.
Call (404) 370-2225 for more information

July 31
Austin, Texas
Book People
603 N. Lamar
7:00 p.m.
Call (512) 472-5050 with questions.

August 1
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
Rayburn House Office Building
One Independence Avenue
Room B369
Organized by the Armenian National Committee of America.
6:00 p.m.
Call ANCA at (202) 775-1918 with questions.

August 2
New Milford, New Jersey
Hovnanian School
817 River Road
7:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the ANC of New Jersey.
Call (201) 233-0208 for more information.
August 3
New York, NY
Armenian General Benevolent Union
55 East 59th Street
7:00 p.m.
Call (212) 319-6383 for more information.

August 4
Manchester Center, Vermont
The Northshire Bookstore
4869 Main Street
7:00 p.m.
Questions hotline? (802) 362-2200.

August 6
South Burlington, Vermont
Barnes & Noble
102 Dorset Street
7:00 p.m.
For information, call (802) 864-8001.

August 7
Montpelier, Vermont
Bear Pond Books
77 Main Street
7:00 p.m.
To reserve your seat, call (802) 229-0774.

Indie Next and Everyday eBooks: Big thanks to paper and digital champions

This week "The Sandcastle Girls" was chosen as an Indie Next selection for August and Everyday eBook cited it as one of "8 Summer Books for Beach and Beyond."

Best part? Being on lists with the like of Hilary Mantel, Lauren Groff, and Nichole Bernier.

Big thanks -- truly.

Holy Holsteins, Senator! Is Batman a Vermonter?

It was almost five years ago that I first asked in this column, why has no one ever seen Sen. Patrick Leahy and Batman in the same room at the same time? Certainly the Senator has made no secret of his respect for the Caped Crusader, they are both broad-shouldered and tall, and there is that revealing coincidence to be found in the letters “DC.” Is it just a fluke that Sen. Leahy works in a city with that moniker and the Dark Knight is published by a comic book kingdom that uses those very same initials?

Next Sunday night at 7 p.m. at the Majestic 10 Cinemas in Williston, Vermont, we may learn a bit more. Warner Brothers will be showing a special screening that night of the final film in director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises.” The movie doesn’t open nationally until July 20, so for Batman geeks like me, this is a huge gift. And there in the audience will be Senator and Mrs. Leahy.

It’s interesting — perhaps even instructive — that the event is exactly the sort of charity fundraiser that Bruce Wayne hosts on a regular basis in Gotham City: Proceeds from the evening will be split between the Children’s Wing at the Kellogg Hubbard Library in Montpelier and the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington.

Moreover, Sen. Leahy will not merely be in the audience. He will also be on the screen. This is the fourth time that the Senator has appeared in a Batman film, always donating his fees and all royalties to the Kellogg Hubbard — where, as a boy, he had his very first library card. Most recently, he played a partygoer in the 2008 movie, “The Dark Knight.” When the Joker, brought to life by the late Heath Ledger, approaches him with a knife, the Senator responds, “We’re not intimidated by you thugs.”

Just for the record, this line of dialogue would look great on a t-shirt, especially if you happened to be playing rugby against Karl Rove. It has become a classic. “I was walking down the street and a well-dressed woman of a certain age recognized me and said, ‘I know you’re not intimidated,’” Sen. Leahy told me.

Warner Brothers won’t reveal much about the Senator’s role this time, but we do know he is in a scene with Lucius Fox, the man who essentially runs Wayne Enterprises, and. . .Batman. Of course, this proves nothing about the Caped Crusader’s true identity. Fox is played by Morgan Freeman and Batman by Christian Bale. They’re actors. Good Lord, even I’ve played Batman: When I was a little boy, I jumped out a second story window at a friend’s house because I had left my utility belt in the living room and Mr. Freeze — my friend, Lonnie — was hobbling up the stairs after me. He had a broken leg, but those crutches made great freeze guns.

Consequently, I decided to be straightforward and simply ask the senator why he and Batman — the real Batman, not an actor — have never been seen together in the same room.

“Highly classified,” Sen. Leahy said. “There’s a reason I can’t talk about that.”

We’ll see. In any case, next Sunday night will be terrific. We can watch a summer blockbuster nearly a week before the rest of world. We can be superheroes ourselves and raise money for two great Green Mountain institutions. And, just maybe, we’ll learn once and for all whether the man behind the cowl is a Gotham City playboy or a U. S. Senator from Vermont.

My money? It’s on the senator.

If you go

• WHERE: Majestic 10 Cinemas
• WHEN: Sunday, July 15, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
• TICKETS: $100 and can be purchased at the Kellogg Hubbard Library (223-3338) and at ECHO’s admission desk (864-1848 or online atwww.echovermont.org ).

* * *

This column originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press on July 8, 2012. Chris’s new novel, “The Sandcastle Girls,” arrives in a few days on July 17. You can add it to your Goodreads "To Read: cue by clicking here:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

"We are still the mountain." And interview with Chris about why he wrote "The Sandcastle Girls"

The following interview ran originally in "The Armenian Weekly" on July 5, 2012. It was conducted by journalist Tom Vartabedian.

* * *

Tom Vartabedian: What prompted you to write The Sandcastle Girls?

Chris Bohjalian: I’ve been contemplating a novel about the genocide for most of my adult life. I tried writing one in the early 1990’s between Water Witches and Midwives. But it was a train wreck of a book. If I’m going to be kind, I might simply call it “apprentice” work. But “amateurish” would be fitting, too. (Scholars and masochists can read the manuscript in my alma mater’s archives.)

A few years ago, my Armenian father grew ill. And as we visited, we poured over family photos together and I pressed him for details about his parents, who were survivors from Western Turkey. I also asked him for stories from his childhood. After all, he was the son of immigrants who spoke a language that can only be called exotic in Westchester County during the 1930s.

Finally, a good friend of mine who is a journalist and genocide scholar urged me to try once again to write a novel about what is, clearly, the most important part of my family’s history. So I did. And this time, it all came together.

TV: How long did it take you to write?

CB: I started the novel in the summer of 2010 and finished it in the fall of 2011.

TV: Was the story factual or fictional—or a cross between the two?

CB: Oh, it’s a novel. Absolutely. Nevertheless, my narrator Laura Petrosian is a fictional version of me. Her grandparents’ house was my grandparents’ house. But Elizabeth Endicott and Armen Petrosian were not my grandparents. I hope the history is authentic. I did my homework. I hope my characters’ stories are grounded in the particular ring of Dante’s Inferno that was the Armenian Genocide. I hope I have accurately rendered that moment in time.

TV: Any Turkish resistance to the book?

CB: Not yet.

TV: Any chance of this being promoted to television or Hollywood?

CB: One can always hope. If you know any producers, let me know.

TV: How has it been received by the Armenian reading public?

CB: Early reactions have been very encouraging. And here, I think, is the reason why.

A few years ago, I heard the incredibly inspiring Gerda Weissmann Klein speak at the University of Texas Hillel. Gerda is a Holocaust survivor and author of (among other books) All But My Life. Someone asked her, “What do you say to people who deny the Holocaust?”

She shrugged and said simply, “I tell them to ask Germany what happened. Germany doesn’t deny it.”

As Armenians, we have a genocide in which 1.5 million people were killed—fully three-quarters of the Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire—and yet it remains (to quote my narrator in The Sandcastle Girls) “the slaughter you know nothing about.” It is largely unrecognized.

And so when Armenians have read advance copies of the novel, they have been deeply appreciative of the story and the way it tells our people’s history.

My point? We are hungry for novels that tell our story, that tell the world what our ancestors endured a century ago.

TV: How has the book benefitted you in terms of promoting your own heritage and culture?

CB: It has helped me to understand more about who I am—the geography of my own soul.

TV: How does this relate to your other works?

CB: Pure and simple, the best book I will ever write—and the most important. I know this in my heart.

TV: During its conception, was there any connection made with notable Armenian historians and writers like Peter Balakian?

CB: The epigraph is from one of my favorite Balakian poems. And Khatchig Mouradian (The Armenian Weekly editor and genocide scholar) was more generous with his time than you can imagine. I learned so much from him. And I still do, even though the novel is finished.

TV: Who might your favorite Armenian writer be?

CB: I am deeply appreciative of the work rendered by Nancy Kricorian, Mark Mustian, Carol Edgarian, Peter Balakian, Micheline Aharonian, William Saroyan, and Eric Bogosian. Pick one? Not a chance!

TV: Whatever happened to the first genocide book you wrote 20 years ago?

CB: It exists only as a rough draft in the underground archives of my alma mater. It will never be published, even after my death. I spent over two years struggling mightily to complete a draft and I never shared it with my editor. The manuscript should either be buried or burned. I couldn’t bring myself to do either. But neither did I ever want the pages to see the light of day.

TV: Collectively, as a diaspora, what can be done to observe the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in 2015?

CB: Well, recognition by the Turkish government would certainly be nice. It would also be encouraging to see a sitting American president acknowledge what happened and use that dreaded “G-word.” Seriously, what does “realpolitik” get us with this issue? Regardless, I expect poignant and powerful observances around the world.

TV: Living in rural Vermont, do you feel isolated from the Armenian community? How has it impacted your heritage and that of your family?

CB: I love Vermont, I really do. But I think the fact I live in Vermont was one of the reasons why my visit to Beirut’s Armenian quarter and Yerevan was so meaningful this spring.

I try to remind myself of something I saw written as part of a Musa Dagh mural on a column in Anjar, Lebanon, where the survivors of Musa Dagh were resettled: “Let them come again. We are still the mountain.”

The reality of the Armenian Diaspora is that 70 percent of Armenians don’t live in our homeland. And yet, somehow, we have retained a national identity.

I think that whoever wrote, “We are still the mountain,” wanted the sentence to be interpreted two ways. Certainly, he meant Musa Dagh: Attack again if you want, we are still those warriors. But he also meant Ararat. Even here in Lebanon, we are still Armenians.

And so for me, even though I am in Vermont, I am still a part of that mountain.

TV: What are your impressions of Armenia?

CB: I was so happy there this spring. My hotel was on Abovyan Street and it intersected with Aram Street two blocks away. Well, Abovyan was the first modern Armenian novelist and Aram was my father’s name. He passed away last year and his death made my journey to Armenia all the more important to me. To see his name intersecting with a great Armenian novelist was a wondrous and unexpected blessing—a gift!

Obviously, like many post-Soviet nations, Armenia has a lot of monumental economic hurdles. And those hurdles are exacerbated by its place in the Caucasus region. But, my Lord, is it beautiful! I have never been better cared for and felt less like a stranger in a strange land.

TV: Will there be a sequel to The Sandcastle Girls or another work related to Armenian literature?

CB: I don’t know if there will be a sequel. I have never written a sequel. But there will be more Armenian or Armenian American-set fiction. That’s very, very likely.

Indie Next

Big thanks to the American Booksellers Association, independent bookstores, and Sunriver Books in Oregon.

"The Sandcastle Girls" is an August 2012 Indie Next selection.

Here is what Sunriver's Deon Stonehouse wrote in her review:

The Sandcastle Girls: A Novel, by Chris Bohjalian

(Doubleday, $25.95, 9780385534796)

“Evil thrives in dark and secret places, spots where the world has turned away and forgotten. In 1915, there are many distractions as a world war rages. While attention is focused elsewhere, the Turks unleashed horrific cruelty and death on the Armenians. A young American, Elizabeth Endicott, travels to Aleppo, Syria, to work with Armenian refugees. Her life will never be the same. Armen has lost everything a man holds dear, his family destroyed in the genocide. He befriends the young American and is moved by her zest for life and commitment to helping his people. These are characters you will root for, full of spirit and a desire to make a difference. Epic in scope, this is on my list of favorites for the year!” —Deon Stonehouse, Sunriver Books, Sunriver, OR

Really, I am very, very grateful.

To add the novel to your Goodreads "To Read" cue, click here:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

The Outhouse Races Might be a lu.lu! this 4th

It’s almost here: That day when all eyes turn to Bristol, Vermont for the 4th of July Outhouse Races – the annual running of the runs. Are the early morning wind sprints with outhouses in tow as elegant as the races at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby? No. Thank goodness. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our nation’s great experiment in legislative self-determination than with outhouse racing down Bristol’s main street.

Actually, this year I can: With ice cream.

Martha Mack, 27-year-old progeny of chef and restaurateurs Doug Mack and Linda Harmon (Mary’s at Baldwin Creek), opened a homemade ice cream parlor in Bristol last month, and the flavors have been eccentric and sublime. It’s called lu.lu! and I love everything about the name except for the fact the spell-check on my computer hates it. Among the flavors Martha has concocted already are curried peanut, orange cardamom, caramelized banana, and strawberry balsamic.

So, I challenged her – and my readers who follow me on facebook. Last week I asked the folks on facebook to come up with the perfect flavor for the 4th of July in Bristol. I would pick the contest winner and Martha promised to craft a special batch of ice cream that she would sell at lu.lu! on the big day. The winner would receive free scoops or cones for herself and up to three friends – or, if they lived far from Bristol, a copy of my new novel.

Many of the entries were brilliant. Others were gigantic red flag warning signs that the reader is likely to go Tom-Cruise-on-Oprah’s-couch-crazy. But I appreciated them all.

Before I announce the winner, I have to single out some of the entries that, for lack of a better term, were the runners-up. Their ice cream dreams might someday wind up at the top of a lu.lu! cone. One never knows. In no particular order, here they are.

Susan Garcia: “In honor of the Outhouse Races, my husband suggests pineapple ice cream with hot fudge swirls and brown chunks.”


Anne Hirsch: “Kitty litter: Sweet cream ice cream with Goldfish pretzels, mini malted milk balls, and a Dulce de leche swirl.”

Nicole Mongie Mongeon: “Maple plus sharp cheddar – my two favorite things from Vermont!”

Mitchell Solkowitz: “All-American – strawberry, vanilla, and blueberry ice creams!”

Hilary Casillas: “Heirloom tomatoes and blueberries.”
Alicia King: “Dark chocolate with hot chili pepper ribbon and salted toffee crunchies.”

Wendy Whaples Scully: “In honor of the outhouse: Vanilla bean ice cream with Tootsie Roll chunks, crushed Saltines, and fudge chocolate swirl.”

Betsy McDonough Brown: “Donut chunks in coffee ice cream.”

Suzan Castor: “In keeping with red, white, and blue for the 4th, I suggest watermelon, coconut, and blueberry gelatos.”

Danielle Libertucci Tucker: “Key lime with graham cracker crust bits.”

Tina Siart Boylan: “Remember those cinnamon hot balls from the penny candy store? Crushed hot balls, salty caramel swirl, and chocolate chunks with a hint of cayenne. Call it ‘Fireworks.’ Would that send you racin’ to the outhouse?”

And the winner? Well, to use Academy Award parlance, the free scoops of ice cream go to Karen Franklin-Valiquette. Here is what she suggested: “In keeping with July 4th, how about Earl Grey tea flavored ice cream with chunks of Boston Baked Beans candies?” Brilliant. It celebrates the American patriots who hurled crates of tea into Boston Harbor and a gaseous high-fiber food that has driven many a Bostonian to an outhouse.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered and to ice cream auteur Martha Mack. See you at the Outhouse Races this Wednesday – and, perhaps, at lu.lu!.

* * *

This column originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press on July 1, 2012. Chris’s new novel, “The Sandcastle Girls” arrives in 16 days. To add it to your Goodreads "To Read" cue, click here:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

The sun will set. Get in the sandbox.

Recently, someone asked me for my favorite childhood memory and the first one that came to me was this: I am an eight-year-old boy sitting alone on the metal milk box on the front steps of my family’s house in Connecticut as a summer thunderstorm is about to roll in. The air is electric. It’s late in the afternoon and I have four brand new packets of baseball cards in my hands, the cards and the wax paper packets still exuding the sweet aroma of thin, rock-hard slabs of chewing gum.

I was asked for a second childhood memory and immediately offered this: It is a summer afternoon, the sky cerulean, and I am sitting alone at a card table in the finished, wood-paneled basement of that house, playing dice baseball. I am using long yellow legal pads as scorecards and slightly smaller, white pads to calculate the batting and earned run averages of the New York Mets in my fictional league. I am probably nine.

After this conversation, I shared these recollections with my daughter, and she seemed to grow a little worried that I had a melancholy, friendless childhood. I reassured her that I had friends and most of the time I was pretty happy. I said that perhaps the moral here was that I was self-sufficient and I really liked baseball. Or, perhaps, that I loved the summer.

We are not so far into the baseball season that watching the Mets has become a mere exercise in masochism: There is still delusion masquerading as optimism. These days, gardening has replaced dice baseball and bicycling has replaced baseball cards, but I am still content when I’m alone – which might explain how I wound up a novelist rather than a journalist. Sometimes, I think one of the principal differences between journalists and novelists is that journalists crave company more. They are, pure and simple, more social.

But at mid-life I have also noticed this: I seem to be more social now than I was growing up. Part of this is because I have been in the same place for a quarter-century, while my family moved around a fair amount when I was a child. Exhibit A? At one point, I went to four different schools in four consecutive years. All told, in that period I went to five schools in six.

Nevertheless, a part of this might be a dawning awareness at mid-life of just how finite our time is in this world – and how ephemeral we really are. “Time passed, almost imperceptibly. First we were so young and then we were so busy and then one day we awoke to discover that we were an age we once thought of as old,” writes Anna Quindlen in her insightful new memoir, “Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake.” And while that realization turns a number of us into ornery cranks who grumble as we confront the indignities, infirmities, and stupidities that seem to accompany middle (and old) age, it just may turn an equal number of us into unexpected extroverts. Certainly I have a lot of curmudgeon in me: Trust me, I can roll my eyes with disgust as well as any teenager a third my age. (And I do. Often.)

But I’ve also found that I have the potential in me to be one of those four old guys at the diner who pontificate over eggs and coffee for hours. I’m not bragging, but I seem to have way more friends now than I have ever had as a boy – and that’s not because I have suddenly found charm at mid-life. It’s because I find myself actually making an effort.

The moral here? The sun is going to set. While you still have a little time, get in the sandbox, find some friends, and play nice.

Also, one more bit of unsolicited advice: Keep your baseball cards.

(This column originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press on June 24. Chris’s new novel, “The Sandcastle Girls,” arrives on July 17.)