Celebrating Wonder Together: Book Talks, Conversations, and Other Events

I did it! I packed up my decor and my books and hauled myself to Fultondale, Alabama for the book festival sponsored by the Impact Arts Council.

This was my first book festival. I spent so much time working on setting up my table, I wonder if i didn't intimidate my book. I sold a whopping three copies of Box Turtles, Hooligans, and Love, Sweet Love, and one of those was to a friend. Still, I loved watching the crowd, and found the joy and laughter of the whole scene a welcome vibe.

Between you and me and a fly on the wall, I've never successfully read a romance novel, but I have to say, those romance writers have it going on. Not sure how I can connect my book to romance, but it does have "love" in the title.

I had such a fine visit with the residents of Summer Village Senior Living. The residents and I swapped stories and talked about the importance of collecting and sharing our stories. When I left, one of the residents lent me a book he thought I'd like. I was touched by his recognition of what kind of book I would enjoy as well as his generosity in lending it to me.

It's not always about selling books. Sharing my stories with others and hearing theirs binds us in an intimate way. The real work of a writer is connection, and that is what I found with this visit.

The book, by the way, is excellent. Running With Sherman, by Christopher McDougall. It's about a donkey. I must exude donkey love.

So as not to exhaust my regulars, I vary my presentations. At this event, I told the story of my writing life, noting how my core identity as a writer, equestrian, and naturalist wove through every era. Using props including old journals, books, and other artifacts, I had the full attention of the audience members, who found themselves reflecting on their own roads that brought them to this present place.

"What a wonderful experience I had last night at Auburn Oil Company Booksellers during the "In Conversation With Mary Dansak" event! It was truly a remarkable evening filled with Mary's exceptional teaching and storytelling skills. Her ability to engage and inspire the audience was on full display, making the event enjoyable and enlightening. Thank you, Mary." --Darby Womelsdorf

Pop up visits are always fun. What a great opportunity to talk to a varied group of book lovers who wander into bookstores, as they did on this lovely April afternoon. Auburn Oil Company Booksellers in downtown Auburn, AL is a steadfast supporter of authors, offering several opportunities for readers and writers to interact. 

While I was packing up my things at the end of the visit, I wandered the bookstore giving out bookmarks and through that sold several more books. I'm learning to reach out more. Thank you to everyone for the lessons.

While wandering in town one afternoon, who should I run into but the original Hooligan of the eponymous essay in my book! We went into a pizza parlor for a slice, and later I met a friend at yet another pizza place, specifically at the bar.

Here's what I learned that day. If folks are sitting around in pizza parlors and bars reading the same book, other folks get curious. I sold so many books that day just being out and about. Lesson of the day: always carry books.

What a lovely day this was, connecting with so many varied creative souls in this reclaimed space in downtown Dadeville! While we had several topics on our agenda, we spent most of our time on the creative process. This talk was geared to writers and other artists.

From Kristina Hendrix, who attended, "Mary has the rare talent that great storytelling requires: an ability to weave her life's work as an educator, naturalist, and writer into cohesive insights about our natural world, and our human nature."