Monday, October 22, 2007

Pagan Pride and Rain Day

The Pagan Pride talk went off well, and I had so many questions after that they had to shut us down so the next speaker could talk. I enjoyed it, and enjoyed the day overall. Met some interesting folks. Lana had taken some of her excess books and some pagany clothes to sell and we ended up making over $130 on sales of items. Unfortunately, I only sold one book of my own, but I gave out cards and maybe another one or two will eventually pick up a copy.

There were two other authors there to speak, and they talked about spending week after week on the road promoting their work. Considering the low number of sales that I've usually had at such festivals I don't see how all that traveling is cost effective. But maybe they are much better salesmen than I am.

I think for my next post I'm going to talk a little about public speaking for writers, but right now I need to get out of the office. It has been raining all morning and the campus is flooding. They've cancelled afternoon classes so I want to get on my way before I'm trapped here the rest of the day and night.

Until later,

15 comments:

Sidney said...

You know, we went to a lecture Sunday at the local Unitarian church. They had a Wiccan discussing Samhain and it was pretty interesting.

I did not fully know the Celtic concept that the night of Samhain is a "no time" zone. Kind of wild.

All in all a good lecture with some good insight.

Shauna Roberts said...

I'm looking forward with great interest to your post on public speaking.

When I've been invited to speak as a nonfiction writer, I've usually talked about a medical topic (such as what research shows about which weight-loss diet is best for people with diabetes).

But if someone asked me to speak as a fiction writer, I would have no idea what to talk about. What do people who go to talks by writers expect to hear? How does one both enlighten and entertain them?

steve on the slow train said...

My friend Jana at http:/www.janaoliver.blogspot.com writes science fiction/fantasy novels and makes the rounds of the conventions, especially in the Southeast. It seems to help her sales. I'm not sure what kind of costs are involved in setting up tables at such conventions.

I used to do one a column called "The Way We Were" for the Elkhart paper--what happened 25, 50, and 100 years ago--and there was a Pagan Pride Day in 1976 in Elkhart or South Bend. It was kind of a novelty back then, and everyone seems to have had a good time. I'm afraid the Christian Right would descend on it if it were held today in the Elkhart area.

Susan Miller said...

The thought of public speaking sends shivers down my spine. Thus, I applaud your efforts.

As a consumer I never buy much at festivals or craft fairs even when I find something that appeals to me. There is always the thought of "I'll come back after seeing everything," but then there's so much. I just never seem to get back. It all boils down to information overload. Of course, this does not help you in your sales, but it may give you some insight into the head of some of your festival consumers.

And a late congratulations to you on your nuptials.

Michelle's Spell said...

Can't wait to read your post on public speaking. Writers usually suck at it or they wouldn't have picked a line of work in which they stay inside by themselves all day! I know that either I'm really on or really really off (usually the latter) as I am a bit on the shy side when it comes to reading my own work, although I'm getting over that problem. A lot depends on the crowd and their energy as well. If I can find one person really into it, I can work with it. If the room is dead, well, I'm pretty well sunk. The best performer of his own work I knew was my friend Hank and he did the Pagan festivals as well.

writtenwyrdd said...

You always meet interesting folks at pagan gatherings, don't you? LOL. I used to do craft booths at Ancient Ways in San Francisco, and between Robert Anton Wilson, vampires, Goths, Otter/Oberon Zell, and other colorful characters of the scene at the time, it was amusing and educational.

Charles Gramlich said...

Sidney, the pagan festival days are pretty interesting, and it's fascinating to see how they have been coopted by Christianity.

Shauna, it is a bit easier I think to talk about a specific factual topic than a more opinion topic so I'll try and address that. I'm probably going to end up doing a couple of different posts on the subject, and much of it will be thinking on blog.

Steve, a group of pagans I belonged to used to meet at a local park here and were fairly regularly harassed. Once we were reported to security as "attempting to raise the dead." We were having a discussion group on various religious beliefs that night. We finally stopped meeting there because of it.

Susan, it did me when I first started teaching, but I think I've adjusted. And thanks for the congrats.

Michelle, I know. I was terrified when I got to graduate school and ended up having to "teach" a course. I thought I'd rather die.

Writtenwyrd, yes, it's so interesting to hear different viewpoints on things. Sometimes I'm laughing inside, but at other times I'm thinking, "now that's an interesting way to think of it."

AvDB said...

I enjoy public speaking. There's nothing like the high of being on stage and having every eye in the house riveted on me, waiting for me to sink or swim. It's what drew me to acting in college (my stupendous lack of talent is what led me away). But, I can still give a mean speech My mother used to call me, "Grade-A Virginia cured."

the walking man said...

I'm with Avery on this one, give me an audience, a microphone and if I have to I'll make my own topic go.

Pure pork I am
without a shy bone
in my body
all ham
the bigger the crowd
the larger my home
none of my siblings share this oddly
but I love speaking widely and loudly.



So uhhhh Shauna as a diabetic for 17 years who eats once, maybe twice a day but has not had an H1aC over 7 in ten years what is the best diet for me? But I do need to drop a few pounds (like 1/2 a ton)

Peace

TWM

Bernita said...

Please do, Charles.
it's one thing to quote someone else's words ( as in singing and acting) and quite another when they are all your own.
And I have this dreadful adrenalin response that affects the knees and hands.

Shauna Roberts said...

Excuse me, Charles, for replying to The Walking Man on your blog, but I couldn't find his email address.

TWM, if you haven't had a A1C over 7% in 10 years, you're obviously doing a lot right! But you could probably have even better control and perhaps lose weight by spreading out your calorie intake over three to five small meals a day instead of concentrating all your calories into one meal. Breakfast is particularly important to eat when trying to lose weight.

There are a lot of diets out there and the final word isn't in on which is best. If you haven't tried a low glycemic load diet, that might be worthwhile, if you make sure you get enough fruits and vegetables. If you want to try a formal program, Weight Watchers works for a lot of people and their plans are flexible and nutritionally sound.

DISCLAIMER. I'm not a doctor, and these suggestions are based only on my knowledge of the medical literature. Talk to your dietitian or diabetes educator about these suggestions before trying them to make sure they are suitable for your personal situation.

Lisa said...

I'm looking forward to your post on public speaking and if it fits, I'd love to hear what kinds of questions you like to get, or the types of questions you wish people would ask more often. I love to go to readings and book signings, but I never ask questions and I find I'm always tongue tied when I get to have my book signed because I can never think of a think to ask or say that doesn't make me feel like a total dork.

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

I would love to attend a pagan festival. It sounds fascinating! I also definitely want to hear about public speaking! I am an INtj ON THE MEYERS BRIGGS INDICATOR and I really hate public speaking which is funny that I do it for a living now in front of a bunch of students.

Erik Donald France said...

I love the idea of Pagan Pride Day. You probably saw a while back where the US military has now added Pagan to the "acceptable" death symbol list for vets' graves. . .

Farrah Rochon said...

I remember my first "real" public speaking appearance. It was a 2 1/2 minute speech in my 10th grade Speech class. I passed out about one minute into it.

Fast forward 14 years...I am speaking on a panel next weekend ath the Louisiana Book Festival and presenting a workshop on blogging at my local writer chapter's November meeting. My how we grow.