The sun didn’t make an appearance in Ojai yesterday till early afternoon, and the expected crowds of word lovers never did appear at Libbey Bowl for “A Celebration of Words.”
But I met Ken Koury, one of the country’s top Monopoly experts, who set up shop at the table to my right, and got to listen as he offered tips to people interested in his Monopoly Strategy: How To Win The World’s Most Popular Board Game. (Here’s a hint, and it’s not just directed at Longhorn fans: go orange.)
I found out that there is a $5 or Less Bookstore in Simi Valley with a fascinating collection of used books and an enthusiastic, poetic manager named Will Reilly. The shelves of used books tempted me all day, and I enjoyed listening to Will read his original poetry and chat with would-be customers about classics and poetry all day.
I acquired a beautiful new cookbook: The Passionate Vegetable and chatted with author Suzanne Landry about my budding desire to eat more fresh food. I can’t wait to delve into some of the recipes in this book.
My table of editing advice didn’t attract a lot of attention during the day, so I got to just sit back and enjoy the lovely setting of Libbey Park. I really appreciated finally seeing for myself the charms of this much-loved area landmark.
No, it wasn’t exactly what I had been expecting, but I still enjoyed myself, and I feel a bit more confident now about this kind of face-to-face undertaking, which is so different from my usual online-only conversations and contacts.
And it’s a good thing I got a little practice because I’ve been asked to help staff the booth this coming Saturday for the Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. That’s always a huge affair, and I’m excited about the opportunity.
So if you missed the fun in Ojai last Saturday, come see me this Saturday in the heart of Los Angeles!
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