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| Main Street Louisville. Photo by me 1996. |
In the immediate days that follow a book launch I am nervous. It takes patience and commitment to spend four years writing a book and more patience to wait for the judgement of readers to trickle in. The waiting wrecks my sleep and concentration. I have been lucky that it rained the past two days, it gave me an excuse to sit in my dark office and listen to Sigur Ros. I do not like summer in the South much anyway the older I get.
Releasing a book is like closing your eyes and stepping over a cliff. I put out four years of deeply personal work into the wilds of the world without knowing how it is received. I am unconcerned of what readers will think of me, I am more interested in what they think of the work. I am not a painter or photographer standing in a gallery at a show opening listening to comments and watching the crowd. I am also not a playwright getting a review in the morning's paper after opening night.
Unless, you are a writer then it is difficult to understand. There is no instant punditry for new books with hours and days wasted analyzing every second on the television and internet by talking heads who produce nothing but unqualified opinions.
I peek at the sales data with
one eye covered and know that people are buying and reading my book.
Yet, it is too early for feedback and it is unknown what readers think as they turn the pages. Are they hating it? Understanding it or misunderstanding it?
Shadow's Gravity is the most complex and longest book I have written and I hope that readers will find it challenging to their perspective of the world.
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