Another night at the Lyceum

I had a wonderful time with the Wormers book club.  It’s getting so that when I walk through the doors at Christianne’s Lyceum I feel like I’m coming home.  Maybe I should store a sleeping bag in the cupboard.  I love how the food for the snack break is always tied to the food mentioned in the manuscript.  Last night there were cold hot dogs!  Very funny.  They had other delicious things to eat for those of us who were not partial to cold slightly slimy hot dogs.  But I have to say, it did make me laugh. 

Chelsea and Mary from my beloved Book Jackets book club were helping out downstairs.  And we talked about Universities and graduation and I was all positive, but my heart was saying, Noooooo!  Because I can’t imagine the Lyceum when the Book Jackets are grown and gone.  A few of them didn’t come back this year because grade 12 requires so much work, with graduation and exams and University applications.  And I have to say, I totally understand, but I miss them.  I miss hearing Graham’s thoughtful comments, seeing Olivia’s intelligent face.  And now, this Spring when school gets out, the rest of them will be off too.  Exploring the world, testing the limits and going beyond.  And I feel blessed to have had the Book Jackets in my life, their influence in my work.  I never would have had the guts to put Gemma out there on my own if it hadn’t been for the Book Jackets and their parents enormous encouragement and support. 

And last night.  Two Book Jackets downstairs.  The memories of the others floating up.  A few Book Jacket parents with the younger siblings, around the table, familiar faces.  I don’t know how I got so lucky.

Christianne went around the long crowded table and everyone introduced them themselves and said which books of mine they’d read.  When Sandra said, “I’ve read GEMMA, SINGING SONGS, LUCKY, PORCUPINE and now THE BIG MUCKLE,” counting them off on her fingers until her whole right hand was full, I suddenly felt profoundly moved, humbled.  Several people had read more than one of my books.  I felt seen.  Truly seen.  Known.

And that is just the icing on the cake.  I’m trying to re-name LUCKY.  At the end of the evening, on the way out Sandra handed me a sheet of paper, that she and her two boys Jake and Issac had been scribbling on.  It was filled with title ideas and I really like one.  So, until further notice, I’m going to be calling the LUCKY manuscript, TRY AND STOP ME.  Right now, I love the new title.  We’ll see how I feel in a couple of weeks.

Oh, and for those of you who are following the eyeglasses saga with baited breath, my talented husband Don did an entire house recce yesterday afternoon and came up triumphant bearing my no-longer-lost long range glasses and a smile.  He did it because he loves me.  Although, to be honest, I imagine the threat of having to drive me to the Lyceum, and sitting for two and a half hours while I babble on about my books might have had something to do with his mighty search.  And then of course the even bigger impetus.  Not only would he be stuck listening to me go on ad-nauseum, but ALSO, he would have had to miss his Monday-night-with-the-boys ball hockey get-together.  Now that’s motivation!

Posted by Meg Tilly on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 in Chewing the Fat

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