The Loneliness of the Long-Suffering Author

I am appearing at the Chevy Chase (MD) Library this Saturday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. I'll be talking about my award-winning* novel To Do Justice with Judy McGuire, president of the Friends of the Library Chevy Chase chapter. The library is located at 8005 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase MD 20815. The presentation starts at 2 p.m. I invite you to attend.

If this sounds a bit formal, well ... it is. Personal appearances are getting rare. Catch me while you can.

It wasn't like this in 2006 when my first novel, To Love Mercy, was published by Mid Atlantic Highlands. Over 2 1/2 years, I made 100+ appearances, mostly in Chicago where the novel is set and where I grew up.

I made seven trips to Chicago during that period. I appeared in libraries, bookstores, schools, book fairs. I sat at tables and hand-sold books. I appeared before book clubs where there was more wine and chatter than serious book talk. I drew crowds near 100 ... crowds of one or two persons ... and one crowd of exactly zero.

(The zero crowd occurred in a Borders in DeKalb IL, some 90 miles northwest of Chicago. I started talking anyway and a few customers moseyed over out of curiosity. You never forget humiliations like those first moments though.)

But not to brag, after all those appearances I got kinda good at it. And I'm an outgoing type so it was mostly fun.

Now though, nobody seems to want me.

I emailed nearly every public library branch in the city of Chicago, including branches where I'd previously appeared, plus a number of libraries in the suburbs. I got a handful of replies, all turndowns.

Blame it on the internet, on social media, on covid. Whatever. Unless you're a big-name author or it's your friendly neighborhood bookstore or library (Chevy Chase is where I live), things are mostly on line now.

I expected this. I even welcomed it, envisioning the money I'd save not flying to Chicago all the time. But now I miss it a bit.

So if you live in the DC area, and you have a few free hours this Saturday, come on over to the Chevy Chase Library at 2 o'clock and catch my act. Judging by the advance questions, it should be a good one.

Frank S Joseph Author

P.S. To Do Justice has *won Honorable Mention, Book of the Year (indie fiction), from the Chicago Writers Assn. I was in Chicago this past freezing weekend accepting the award. Maybe that'll be worth a few personal appearances, huh?

P.P.S. If you're local, I really would love to see you at the library this Saturday. The event is at 2 p.m., downstairs. The library is in Chevy Chase MD at 8005 Connecticut Ave.