Book store anxiety

I just got back from an author reading at a locally owned book store. My natural inclination is to come home from work and not go anywhere—big thanks to Mr. Gaba for getting me out of the house. It was a very nice event. The author, Ayad Akhtar, was fun to listen to. I haven’t read his book. For a librarian I oddly don’t do a lot of causal reading.

I often feel intimidated at book stores—so much writing I haven’t done. I haven’t been published in anything but school publications and professional proceedings. Tonight was better. Why? Well, Mr. Gaba wanted to be sure to get a good seat so we arrived an hour before the event, so I brought my ten goals journal with me and did some writing while waiting for the event to start. It was a way of saying to myself, “See, I’m a writer, I’m working on something right now.” The fact that I’m just making a list that includes things like, “take a walk tomorrow, drive to my folks, write in this journal” doesn’t matter. I’m writing. I have a journal so all those imagined accusing voices of the books on the shelves taunting me about not being published in the commercial market can just shut up!

For whatever reason libraries do not have this effect on me at all.

REG

lhg edited and approved