A BRIEF SUMMARY OF MY BOOK TOUR WITH MESHA MAREN

INDIANAPOLIS 6/29-6/30

We managed to narrowly miss storms the whole drive to Indianapolis but then right as we got into town, it began to pour rain. We watched a bolt of lightning hit the ground near the interstate and then suddenly all the lights on the interstate went out but then they went back on.

Changed, left for reading, it was sunny again. There was a homeless-seeming man who came by as Mesha was trying to close the Airbnb garage and I gave him all the change in my door (it was a lot of change, probably $5) and I really liked this guy and decided his presence was blessing us. He showed me his tattoos and complimented my eyes. Mesha pinched her fingers in the door.

Elizabeth, Barrie, & Emma were at the reading venue already. My relationship with EE is strained but I thought it would be nice to see her IRL and it was.

I liked Taylor. A thing happened that happens a lot to me, which is I make a dumb joke, and I’m not sure why I’m making it, and then it turns out the dumb joke is true. Taylor was saying he owned the bookstore with his grandfather and dad, and I stupidly said “Oh which books are your grandfather’s?” and he pointed to a book that was photos taken by his grandfather. His grandfather was a pathologist and the photos are of dead bodies and crime scenes. I bought the book. The photos are strangely beautiful.

Really loved the people who read with us, especially Cecily.

Went to dinner after with Brian, Brian’s wife Rebecca, Cecily, Taylor, Elizabeth, Barrie, Emma, and Mesha. I love Brian. He’s so sweet and thoughtful and was doing things like sending us pics of the table he saved us so we could find it easily.

Our Airbnb was one of those that seems nice but then you look closer and it actually kind of sucks. This one had bleach stains everywhere and Mesha was afraid she would get murdered by the people who owned it in her sleep.

The next morning, we got breakfast with Elizabeth, Barrie, and Emma, and then I went to Whole Foods to buy kava and then we went home. As a current small-town girl who grew up in hippie California, I cannot explain how much joy I get out of going to large health food stores. It just feels like… comforting and bountiful.

NYC 7/7-7/11

Scott and I stayed at my friend Amanda’s house. We went to Carmines and got pizza and I was then doing one of my favorite things in the world— walking around with Amanda.

This is Amanda’s dog Walter and I love him.

Slept like complete garbage. Woke up and got dressed and met Jordan and Nicolette at a Greeky-style place. The heat was overwhelming. I hadn’t seen them in a while and I missed them. We went to McNally Jackson after and Jordan was interested in reading books with strong plots so I babbled at him about plot-heavy books I liked.

Went back to Amanda’s and sat around and relaxed and got ready for the reading and then Jordo and Nic came and picked us up at Amanda’s. We got to Franklin Park early because I was supposed to help set up things to show my video. Blabbed with people before the reading: Nicolette & Jordan, Matt and Mesha, Geoff, Penina, my friend from back in the day Kit, Kit’s girlfriend Adrienne, Monika, Daisuke, Sam Heaps, Christoph… various others.

I felt somewhat miserable the whole time and I couldn’t figure out why. Franklin Park makes me more nervous than any other reading but I shouldn’t be that miserable. Then later I realized why I felt miserable: I WAS SO TIRED! I WAS SO SO TIRED!

I look like a giant fucking dork in this pic but I have cute shoes and a cute dress so whatever!

The next day, 7/9, the overwhelming heat made it so we didn’t do much, just met Daisuke at a Korean bakery and sat there for a long time. Then in the evening, we got pizza with Amanda and her boyfriend Paul and walked around and I loved walking around but Scott hated it because it was so hot.

On 7/10, I met Andrea, the publicist from Catapult, for coffee. Scott went to the airport and then I packed up all my shit and took a cab to The Evelyn. The cab was $50 and I was scandalized by that price but it was so insanely hot and I was paying $50 to not suffer which is well worth it.

The Evelyn is the dreamiest hotel in the world and they let me check in early. I then went and got frozen yogurt with my friend Amy, who I hadn’t seen since 2019. I love Amy dearly. She told me about her job as a sober coach and her breakup with a guy in a rock band.

Met up with Mesha and we tried to go shopping at large chain stores but neither of us bought anything. We got chicken and waffles at Sweet Chick and then bought many beverages at Sumac. The shower at The Evelyn was amazing. In the evening, we went to Milk Bar and Mesha was not impressed but my crack pie was delicious. I made Mesha watch Architectural Digest YouTubes about NYC architecture.

I sliced my finger on a can very badly before I left and it was red and swollen and I was freaking out that it was infected.

PROVIDENCE 7/11-7/12

The train to Providence was easy and pleasant. I told Mesha a lot of facts about Ebola, which I learned from the book I was reading.

We were staying at a bed & breakfast called the Wedding Cake House and it looked cool online but the photos did not do it justice. It was gorgeous and haunted-looking.

I tried to make an appointment at a clinic on the train but failed, so when we got to Providence we walked to Walgreens and I spent a bunch of money on different first-aid gear.

(I may have been suffering from PTSD due to getting MRSA on my thumb in 2022 which spread very quickly and I was, according to my dermatological surgeon, who I found very attractive, this close to losing my thumb.)

At the reading, there was hardly anybody at the bookstore and I grumpily thought WHY AM I HERE? THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME. But then more people showed up AND IT WAS THE NICEST CROWD I HAVE POSSIBLY EVER READ TO. So so sweet and such a nice evening. I love Providencians and I love Riffraff bookstore and I love Lucas who runs it.

Between Franklin Park and Providence, I had a lot of strangers come up to me and tell me how much they loved Juliet the Maniac. I am not saying this to brag, but as a reminder that the success of a book is not based on short-term press cycles but in years. Publishing is truly a long game.

I ate a giant hot dog covered in meat at a dive bar that was recommended to us by the Providencians and it was delicious.

Walked back to the B&B and went to bed early.

In the morning, our Uber driver was named Jennifer and she was insane. First, she yelled at us and her car was a mess but then I quickly came to love her. We told her we were from WV and she said “The only thing I know about Virginia is that there’s the body farm there.” I did not correct her on either factual error. We talked about dead bodies and what we would do with them and Jennifer was being very funny saying things like, “It’s good to know. You never know what life might hand you” (re: dead body disposal).

Wished I could have stayed in Providence longer…

Train was easy again. I told Mesha more Ebola facts. It was also clear my finger was not infected and was just red and sore from being inside a Band-aid in deathly hot NYC.

BALTIMORE 7/12-7/14

Megan picked us up from the train station and we picked up Ashleigh and then went to a vintage store that was going out of business. I bought a dress for ~$20. Then we went and got dim sum and Joey and Austyn met us.

Megan said she was trying to make a face like my dog Jelly in this pic and she succeeded.

We got gelato and walked by the water and I said many things for fun that I could be canceled for. Joey and Megan def. bring out my SILLY SIDE and then I say and do SILLY things. I would like to report some of the SILLY things I said but that is unwise.

On Saturday, we met up and went to an Italian grocery/restaurant. It was full of people and I was miserable because I hate crowds so I just ordered the first thing I saw on the menu, an Italian sandwich.

IT WAS AN AMAZING SANDWICH

IT WAS WORTH THE HELL

Then we went to Hampen and the witch store and the woman told us cool stuff about the Orishas. We also went to a non-alcoholic beverage place and an oddities store where I asked the man if he had anything with Ebola on it and he acted like this was a normal question and I loved being in a store where you can ask the clerk if they sell anything with Ebola on it.

Went back to Megan’s, spiffed myself up, went to the bookstore. Megan was saying how much she liked Mesha, which made me happy, because they’re two of the best people I know.

Megan, Blake, and I met the others (Mesha was staying with Ash and Joey) at the bookstore. My BFF Sunny was already there, talking to Mesha, with Sunny’s fiance Greg.

Sunny loved Mesha and Megan and they loved Sunny and I just love it when my favorite people like each other.

Felt #blessed at this reading, so many lovely lovely people like the aforementioned and Lauren Cerand and Don Berger et al

Went back to Megan and Blake’s and they had a party. There was a bunch of food and I was starving BUT NOBODY WAS MOVING AND I COULDN’T GET TO THE FOOD AND I WANTED TO INSTRUCT PEOPLE TO GRAB A PLATE AND MOVE AWAY FROM THE SNACKS but that is bad party behavior so I didn’t

Watched Blake, Austyn, & Ashleigh slice up and consume an edible.

Played Werewolf twice with everybody and I wanted to keep playing but then I realized that all I wanted to do was be the werewolf so I could see if I was capable of lying to a roomful of people but I was just a villager, twice.

Blake was the werewolf during the first game and he is bad at lying.

This nice, sweet girl Mara was the werewolf twice and she was great at lying and killed the whole village.

Went to bed much too late.

Very tired on the train, had a nice chat with Megan before she dropped me off.

WEST VIRGINIA 7/14

It was immediately clear that the Cardinal does not have the same passengers as the Northeast Regional. I was back among my people, for better or for worse. We got on the train and were directed to sit in a car with no empty seats and then the conductors woke up people so we could sit down and I had to sit next to a real bitch while Mesha had to sit next to a fantasy football fanatic.

But then a bunch of people got off in DC and the rest of the ride was fine.

Was so so tired but I cannot sleep on transit.

Talked to Mesha the whole time; felt sad when she got off in Alderson. She is an excellent traveling companion.

The river was very low due to a drought.

Scott picked me up at the station and we ate Taco Bell and I maniacally told him about my travels and then I slept for 10 hours and was still tired and later started sobbing (on Monday 7/15) due to being so exhausted.

But now I’m all rested up!

I was supposed to go to California today but it’s storming so I rescheduled my flight for tomorrow!