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Covid Daze
First today’s big event was canceled, then today’s big event was canceled Today was the big day. Twice. This was the public start of the fabulous Bizarre Bazaar in Richmond, Va. Or it was until it was canceled for the coronavirus. Understandable, of course. These days, it’s as impractical to hold a massive Christmas show as to go on a cruise ship and kiss all the passengers. Still, we miss it. We’ve been bringing books and such to the Bizarre Bazaar since we were first invited in 2006, the year my Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea came out. (If you’re counting, this would have been our 15th show.) We…
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“Our Town”
“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it — every, every minute?“ A book can bring comfort in the age of coronavirus — and even recognition [SPOILER ALERT: Details what happens to a main character ... for the seven people alive who don't know.] One of the social media questions floating around, as we’re all stuck inside during the coronavirus quarantining, is “What book are you reading?” Mine is Thornton Wilder’s Pulitizer-winning play, OUR TOWN. Why I’m reading it? Because we were supposed to be seeing it in a couple of days, Tuesday evening, at a community theater out of state. Our oldest grandchild was performing in…
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Jeff Bezos Needs No Fundraiser
Amazon is fine in the time of COVID-19, but not our Mom-and-Pops As we hunker down in this coronavirus-imposed isolation, we’ll soon run out of “things.” Food is obvious. … and we all know about our obsession with toilet paper. But there’s also everything from children’s crayons to laundry detergent to books to medications to … well, the list is as long as your list. We’re sure not going to the stores to get them. We’ll just go online. Probably to Amazon. Like Amazon needs our help. The ones who do need our help — and much more than just our help, of course — are the shops and restaurants…
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COVID-19 and the Summer of ’20
So are YOU going on vacation this year? This morning has been rapid-fire crazy, with cancellations or postponements over the coronavirus coming from every angle … every few minutes. Even our home town of Richmond. The first was a note from my wife saying students would be off from her school tomorrow, so faculty and staff could develop plans. Then she sent another saying the big end-of-March 10k road race was being pulled, too, delayed until September. (Our whole family comes into town for that one … or would have.) The Richmond Forum followed with a subscriber email saying its two speaker events this month — one with Michele Obama…