The Song of the Wheels
A book can take you far. In the past 14 months, Wire to Wire has taken me to Michigan three times, New York twice, and to California, Minnesota, and Washington once each. Michael Slater and I have crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, the Mackinac Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge on our way to readings and events.
In Michigan alone I logged more than 3,000 miles. I got my rental car stuck in the sand of Lake Michigan, got lost looking for Canada, re-met friends I hadn’t seen in 20 years, helped a desperate man contact his parole officer, and talked with a prosecutor who claimed he’s put all my characters in jail.
Since W2W was published in May 2011, I’ve done 40 readings or events, easily earning the title of The Hardest Working Man in Train-Hopping, Glue-Sniffing, Quasi-Crime-Novel Indy Lit. What else may hap, they’ll never take that away from me.
Forty stops in 14 months: Wire to Wire Book Tour
After all that, last week’s reading at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers seems like the perfect ending. I’d been a student at Squaw Valley in 1986 and 1992, workshopping early versions of W2W. I went back last week to read with six other Squaw Valley alumni and was overwhelmed by the amazing line-up of talent and the generosity of everyone there.
I owe a lot of thanks to everyone along the way, and to the wonderful people at Tin House. For now, it’s good to be back in the treehouse.
W2W: From the treehouse to Michigan and back in couple of short decades.
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I'm currently reading your book and enjoying it. I read an article about it in the Antiochian. Having attended Antioch from 1974-1977, I wonder when you were there. (I'm so happy Antioch is back!) Indiana, 15 miles from Lake Michigan, was where I spent my first 17 years. Even though I never rode the rails or sniffed glue, I recognize some of your characters from my own mid-West upbringing. Many are still living back in my hometown. Congratulations on a wonderful book!
Hi Wendy -- I was at Antioch from 71 through 76, so our time overlapped. I took a lot of Lit classes, from Eric Horsting especially, and was Record editor one term. What about you? I'm glad you like W2W. Thanks for getting in touch! - Scott
We could have crossed paths. I took an independent study with Eric Horsting in poetry. Also, a theater class with Duane Jones (of Night of the Living Dead fame). He was a great teacher. Also Russian Lit. But my favorite class was Paleontology with visiting professor Stephen Jay Gould during a summer quarter. We went out and hunted fossils in rural Ohio. I was photographer on the Record in 1976 or 77, not sure which. John Bigelow was editor. I have an idea for a novel and have written a little. Last year I took some courses at Richard Hugo House, a community house in Seattle that has classes, resources, readings, events etc. for writers. My other career was in research nursing, but have "retired" from that now and can focus on writing. Did you have another career while you were writing the book? Thanks for your reply.
Wendy
