After Oxford I had a signing in Memphis at the Davis-Kidd bookstore. After Memphis I was at Lemuria Books in Jackson. After Jackson I was at the Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans. This without doubt was one of my favorite stops, as much for the city as the store. Of course both are much changed since Katrina. I understand the bookstore is now open again. Who knows how long it will be before the city recovers?

Garden District is the same store where Anne Rice has done all of her New Orleans signings. I understand they used to carry her in and out in a casket. Don’t know much about her as I’ve never read her work, being more given to Camus than vampires, but I don’t doubt her signings were a hoot.

They didn’t carry me in in a casket. I gave an interview beforehand at New Orleans Public Radio, then proceeded to the Garden District, where I walked into the store unaided. The owner, Britton Trice, showed me all the special edition books, leatherbound, that he’d had published, especially those by Cormac McCarthy. They were kept in a locked case, which he opened for me, and man they were beautiful. Limited editions. I always wondered how they and the rest of the store fared after the hurricane.

I did my signing, had dinner at some French joint down the street, then proceeded to the Quarter to sample the bourbon. I believe I sampled it ’til past midnight. Some crowded place near the cathedral where the music wasn’t too loud, and the accents beautiful to hear. I remember going out into the street later. It was misting, you could smell the river, and the city as always had that pleasant feel of worn decadence, sex and jazz. Also literature, history and tragedy. I could go on, but some other time. Had to head to Mobile, and another signing, the next day.
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Met today with the director of University Academy in Kansas City. This is a charter school, K-12, for inner-city kids where I’m putting together a program for creating a large sculpture on campus that the kids will create, along with their teacher and two artists. More about this later. For now I think I’ll hit the rack.