Last night the Village Bookshop in Bradenton was kind enough to have me in its bookstore for a signing of my book, Sideways in Sarasota. The signing coincided with the monthly Village of the Arts First Friday walk and the crowds meandering through the bookstore were OUTRAGEOUS! Folks started pouring in around 6 and the action was still going strong when I finally packed up around 9 p.m.

The Village Bookshop is enchanting. More than one person mentioned that it reminded them of the famous Brattle bookshop in Cambridge, Mass.

Book signing intime ...

The open mic in the back yard (gorgeous, gorgeous outdoor setting, full of interested, interesting writers and writer-listeners) was professional and inspiring. I read a poem and spoke for a few minutes … nervously, unfortunately, but the crowd was nice about it!

The night was full of interesting surprises … met tons (okay, not tons, but at least ten) of people from Boston environs, met natural-born Floridians, and even met people who knew my work from the Reality Chick/Pelican Press days.

One man came in with his son and had specifically come to pick up a copy of my book. He said he’d been reading me, I think, since the Reality Chick days, which is almost a year ago now that I retired that print column. His son was adorable with a capital A, and asked me, with very wide eyes as he soaked in the floor-to-ceiling books that surrounded my signing desk, “Do you live here?” All I could answer was the truth, “Honey, I only WISH I lived here!” Which is true.

The woman at the register had just bought the first book of the night!

The little boy mentioned that he LOVES reading and writing and if his Dad happens to be reading this … well, all I can say was that it was (even though I hate this word) — heartwarming to meet a young fella who reads real books! In fact, as his Dad and I were talking, the boy searched around and returned excitedly with a book for himself, “Can I get this, Dad?!” His Dad said, “Of course.”

I don’t know, it was just a great moment. I grew up without a Dad, really, and I can imagine what a tough job it is to be a good one, but this man seemed to be doing all the right things.

Another sweet surprise was when Sarasota writer Theresa Rose (author of the increasingly popular and well-known book Opening the Kimono — about which I’ve written previously) showed up looking tres glam with her drop-dead gorgeous hubby and off-the-charts-charming daughter, Emma, in tow. She bought a copy of my book, which is a true act of kindness from one writer to another, I’m here to tell you! Very appreciated!

For all the wonderful people I met last night, and for the people who kindly bought a copy of my book, and for the wonderful Village Bookshop owners Doug and Valerie — thanks for a lovely, lovely, evening in the best bookstore of my life — and believe me, I’ve haunted a lot of them!.

If you haven’t been to this bookstore, I heartily recommend a leisurely visit — they’re having a huge sale on hardcovers right now — I think 40% off the cover price — and they’ve got an outstanding collection.

My favorite room in the bookstore -- a private cubbyhole of history books!