Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The Fair

My conclusion, after selling lots of books at a Lutheran church in May, sitting for two boring hours at B. Dalton, selling dibs and dabs at various venues, and talking with people for six exhausting hours at the Lane County Fair today, is that You Never Know. Therefore, you should not feel stupid for taking 25 books to the Oregon Christian Writers workshop and selling only two or, conversely, taking 18 to the Lutheran church and selling 79.

The Lane County Fair always has an Oregon Authors table and I was invited to join them this year but was warned that the table is back in the corner and people don't sell many there.

Well, it so happened that the warning was wrong. I signed up for six hours to make it worthwhile plus today was Senior Citizens Day--a happy combination, and every writer's dream. I was so busy talking with people that I never had time to eat lunch and probably missed some sales when I ran back out to the car for more books.

For the first three hours I was seated between Bob Welch and Joe Blakely. Then Bob left and was replaced with Shirley Tallman, who has seven children, so she and I had lots to talk about, except people kept coming so fast we could hardly say two sentences without being interrupted.

Writing is a strange thing, done in solitude and silence, and then your work goes out into the big world and takes on a life of its own, making a difference in the thoughts and emotions and lives of people you have never seen.

I am still trying to process all that, after talking to hundreds of people today.

A few Dibs and Dabs:

Six people said I look much younger than they expected. One said, "I've always pictured you as a white-haired old lady."

Two people said, "So is that your mother who writes the Letter from Harrisburg?"

Three people said they thought I'd be much bigger.

One person turned to Joe Blakely and said, "Are you Mr. Smucker?"

Three people asked if I'm related to the jam-and-jelly Smuckers.

Three women were in tears telling me how they appreciate my writing. One then turned to talk to Bob Welch who is good, she said, but doesn't make her choke up.

One women talked for 15 minutes about her book which she wrote two years ago and has 400 pages and sells for $19.95 and is out in the trunk of the car and she'd be glad to go get me a copy.

I sold 48 books. You never know.

Quote of the Day:
"What an image that was, seeing Dorcas Smucker with a cell phone."
--Bob Welch, who finds it hard to reconcile his image of Mennonites with cell phones, Reeboks, and such

9 comments:

  1. Wow Dorcas!!! I can't believe that I personally know a celebrity!!!!

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  2. I was just thinking along the same lines, Arlene! =]
    Mrs. Doc

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  3. Isn't it funny how we rate the importance of people based on how many other people know about them? I know it do it.

    From the late 70s to the mid 90s there was a Christian radio personality who was heard around the world on a very popular Christian broadcast. (You'd know the person's name right away if I gave it.) Well, last year I had reason to call this person. I was nervous as all get out about calling, but I reminded myself that he was just a person like the rest of us. Over the past year, I've talked to and emailed this person a number of times and he has the same frustrations and challanges as the rest of us.

    I remember reading about JFK Jr hating it when people would swoon over him. One of his closest friends was a "nobody" who just treated him like a regular guy.

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  4. Ahh, I hit publish too quickly. That should read "I know I do it" at the end of the first paragraph.

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  5. Dorcas, I wish I could have been there to see it!!!Wunnerful!

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  6. I'm reading your book right now. Laughing til I cry! If you were aiming at giving young Moms the courage to keep on,you definitely hit the mark!

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  7. One of the most amusing sights I saw was a number of years ago when I was in a small fabric store in Canada when cell phones were more of a novelty. I was the only non-Hutterite customer. To watch all those ladies chattering furiously away on their cells in German as they crusied the aisles was a sight to behold.

    Louise

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  8. Yikes!!!!!! I am a celebrities' sister in law with few noticable talents. Why me?????????
    seriously, congrats dorcas!!!!!

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  9. Very nice site! »

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