River e-mailed me this morning. And again, she made me laugh. So, I asked her if I could share it with you, so you wouldn’t think I was making this stuff up. She graciously agreed. Plus, she choked me up too…she can have that affect as well. Enjoy…and don’t forget to go get her book!
“Thought you might enjoy the great, blog of Faster Than Kudzu featuring short interview on Saints In Limbo today. Comment on blog at will.
There it is. Finally and sooner than I expected. Today debuts the new novel, Saints in Limbo, and what a little jewel it is I promise you. If you love southern and you love something that runs a finger through the mysteries just on the other side of Tuesday, you won’t want to miss the Velma, Rudy, Long Sara, Annie, and Rose as they step off on this adventure of life.
For those of you who might not know that famous fastest pen in the South, Joshilyn Jackson has featured Saints in Limbo and yours truly on her world renown blog – FASTER THAN KUDZU where you can enjoy her three questions with yours truly and leave comments far and wide at will.
This week leading up to the big TADA has been busy and eventful from Nuns grabbing some fast paced exercise picking them up and putting them down on the streets of Nashville, to Garrison Kellier and Prarrie Home Companion broadcasting live from the Ryman. That specter of light is Mr. Keller himself – white suit, red high-tops, red socks, red tie. A fashionable man. Brad Paisely was one of the featured guests along with mandolin player Sam of which I immediately became a fan of both. A delightful evening for someone who once met Mr. K. at the Southern Festival of the Book and reacted just like Richie on The Christmas Story when he met Santa Clause. Mr. K. kept asking if I had written this novel, The Gin Girl, and I just kept nodding, big-eyed and tongue-tied. He finally gave up the attempt to have any conversation with me – much less anything intellegent. Fanship – it happens.
Husband and I wandered Broadway beneath the Batman building, walked into Jacks Barbeque and walked out drunk on Barbeque sauce.
Okay – so we’re heading down to the salty, no longer sleepy Gulf Coast for Mother’s Day and to kick-off Saints. Cousin tells me I need to be ready. That I need more books, new clothes. Maybe some botox and a spray tan. Yep. Well, the deal is you know how it is when you see some folks you haven’t seen in long, long time and the paper has run an old photo of you from the file where you looked a litttle – ummmhmmm – fresher. So this is what I thought I’d do.
Think I’ll head home as my friend from Africa tells me – home is not where you call home now and where you live, home is where you come from. Think I’ll head to the home I come from. Think I’ll show up with this face I’ve been wearing for a while now through a lot of ups and downs. And maybe some pants. Possibly a new shirt. Most likely not. Thought I’d pack some words and stories and memories, show up and share a few. And let some new stories develop in the process.
Because in the end, in the big picture of things, it’s not about my tan. And it’s not about those faces we keep checking in the mirror and saying like Beckett’s charcater in End Game – “Same, same.” There’s a lot more important things going on in the world than the images we are casting. Our reflections should be full of light, life, and the things that tell us we have a purpose for being here. As long as we recognise that light in our eyes – it’s going to be alright.
As I write this an old Simon and Garfunkel song plays and I sit looking out into the trees full of green growing deeper by the second. And thinking of Velma rocking on her front porch knowing her story is about to unfold.
Life is good.
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River Jordan
www.riverjordan.us
