Tayari's Blog: Report From the Road: Hartford, CT
Posted by TayariJones on February 8, 2007 04:29 PM
Filed under
Book Tour
Yesterday, I had the great privilege of giving the keynote address for "The Big Read" program in Hartford, Connecticut. The Big Read is a nationwide program sponsored by the NEA. More than 200 communities will read a book together and host a series of literary events. The wonderful folks at the Hartford Public Library are sponsoring a big reading of Zora Neale Hurston. I love her.
(The Big Read has a blog. David Kipen, the director of the Literature division of the NEA, promised to blog about the Hartford event, but it's not up yet.)
I was really looking forward to the event, so imagine my dismay when I woke up Wednesday morning sick as a dog! Fever, coughing, and (here's the kicker) NO VOICE. I convinced myself that this was the sore throat equivalent of a flash flood. I swallowed a handful of medicine-- natural stuff and old fashioned DayQuil. Feeling sort of high and sort of miserable I boarded the plane.
The event was held in the Mark Twain House and Museum. I wasn't up to taking the walking tour, but I heard all the oohing and ahhing from those folks who got the full treatment. I was just milling around the reception, apologizing to everyone in advance.
The audience was so kind and patient with me as I whispered out my prepared remarks about Hurston and Twain. And they learned forward in thier seats as I read from Leaving Atlanta. (I learned so much about writing folk-speech from Hurston. I felt it was only right to read Octavia!)
After the reading, a tall man walked up to me. "Hi," he said. "I'm William Reeder." I blinked. "William from the 5th grade???" I just love that kind of synchronicity. I hugged him and dragged him around the reception, "He went to grade school with me!" I pointed to the copies of Leaving Atlanta. "He was THERE."
And, of course, there are pictures!
![[divider]](http://www.tayarijones.com/images/divider.jpg)
There are 2 comments on "Report From the Road: Hartford, CT". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by carleen ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tayarijones.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
You look pretty good for a sick chick! Hope you feel better! :-)
February 9, 2007 10:54 AM
Comment #2, by Mea
Isn't it delightful to meet "old" classmates, especially at such a developmental and memorable time in your life? I'm happy to know that you "survived" the trip and came out with something so much more!
February 9, 2007 04:50 PM