Thanks so much to everyone who came to celebrate the publication of my first book, Holding Fast: A Memoir of Sailing, Love, and Loss last night at Blue Cypress Books. The bookstore sold out of my book! It was great to see old and new New Orleans friends and to hear from out-of-town friends and relatives who watched on the livestream. I especially enjoyed the question-and-answer period. Kate was seven when we left and someone asked about Kate's perceptions of the voyage. I told them about her cabin in the forward part of the boat, a cozy vee-berth at the bow where she was surrounded by her books and stuffed animals. At one point on the voyage, though, John and I were distressed to hear her refer to it as the "death cabin." Kate was listening to the launch party on livestream from her new home across the country and when I couldn't remember why she referred to it that way, she said, "The Titanic." The movie had just come out when we left on our voyage.
It was a really special night for me, and I'm still taking in that my book is in the world, people are reading it, and perhaps finding their own stories in it.
If you missed it, you can watch on youtube Susan's Book Launch Party. Next week on October 27th, I will have a book-signing at Garden District Books, and all are invited. More information on that will follow.