Last night Deb and I saw the Steve Earle concert at Music Millennium in Portland. Way cool, dude and dudettes! You can check out “The Man” here, from a concert several years ago. If you haven’t already, and you like his genre–alt-country/folk/rock–make a Steve Earle “station” on Pandora! And now that I have your attention, please consider attending my Trout Kill reading at Annie Bloom’s Monday, April 22, at 7:00pm. See you there!

So, you’ve never been to an author reading? Really? Where have you been your entire life? For the uninitiated–and for you veterans, too, if you’d like to brush up a bit–here’s a guide by Nicola Griffith on what to possibly expect when (if?) you attend my reading of Trout Kill at Annie Bloom’s Bookstore Monday, April 22, 7:00pm.

Here’s the first part of Nicola’s guide: “An author reading is an informal, free event. (As in *free*. Costs you nothing. At all. Sometimes–rare, but not unheard of–there’s even free food.) You can plan in advance or just show up on a whim, wearing what you like (most bookshops, however, do require some kind of clothing), and sit anywhere. Bring a date, bring your family, bring your fine self.”

I hope to see you there!

The Myth: If you’re lost in the woods without a compass, look for moss – it shuns the sun, and therefore only grows on the north side of trees.

The Myth Busted: Mosses will grow on the north, south, west and east of trees (and, indeed, buildings), wherever there is enough moisture to sustain them – and that depends on various factors, such as prevailing winds, and not exclusively on shade. Besides, if the south side of the tree you’re looking at happens to be partly shaded – perhaps by another tree, this being, after all, a wood – moss will colonize it readily.

However, you won’t be “lost” on Monday, April 22, 7:00pm, if you’re at Annie Bloom’s, 7834 SW Capital Hwy, Portland, OR 97219. I’ll be signing books and reading from my debut novel “Trout Kill,” and I’d love for you all to attend. Please contact me if you think you can. Thanks, Paul

One of Eddy’s character “flaws” is he takes unnecessary risks. Perhaps he enjoys the resulting adrenaline rush. In Chapter One of Trout Kill, for example, he speeds around a corner and hits a deer. Would he take seriously the warnings on this sign at the state park at Nehalem Bay, Oregon? Many readers say TK is “suspenseful,” and what I think they may mean is they just can’t predict what Eddy’s gonna do.

First, a brief word about my recent blogging hiatus (a month or so): I’ve been working my butt off on my second novel, Trout Run, and it seems my literary psyche is capable of working only one butt off at a time. Who’d’ve thunk my psyche has just one butt?

Big Announcement: Paul’s next Official Reading Event for his debut novel, Trout Kill, is set for April 22, 7pm, at Annie Bloom’s Bookstore in Multnomah Village, 8734 S.W. Capital Hwy., Portland, OR 97219.

Annie’s already has my book in stock. Check the photo! I’d love for you guys to come and help pack the joint to the rafters. You can heckle me, too, if you promise to fork over a measly $14.95 for the novel. Hope to see everyone there!

In the March 17th edition of “Sunday Styles” in the NY Times an interesting article entitled The Stories That Bind Us. The subtitle states “Children who know their family’s history are better at facing challenges,” and most reputable psychologists agree. So, how much do your kids know about their family’s history? Here’s an example of the kinds of questions you can ask your kids to measure their family history quotient: Do you know where your grandparents grew up? Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school? Do you know where your parents met? Do you know of an illness or something really terrible that happened in your family? Do you know the story of your birth? Psychologists believe that every family has its “unifying narrative,” and there are three basic stories: The Ascending Family Narrative, the Descending Family Narrative, and the Oscillating Family Narrative. Which one is best, in terms of nurturing your child’s sense of family? Read the article and see! I found this information especially relevant to me, because I come from what I consider a dysfunctional family.

Thank you, Hannah, the manager at V. W. Books in the Roseburg Valley Mall, for hosting this signing event. You are wonderful, and the coffee was much-needed! It was my first experience sitting at a signing table waiting for random folks to stop in, chat and maybe buy a book. It was fun, especially when Roy, an old high school buddy, dropped in for a visit, along with his wife, Janet, and mother-in-law, Dorothy.

A big lesson I learned from this, my first tour, is don’t trust the media to get things right. Not only did the Douglas County News fail to publish my profile, but also the News Review paper didn’t get the date correct for the V.W. Books signing on their community events page. From now on when I contact media sources to publicize a signing, I’ll follow the old adage Trust But Verify.

Quote of the Day: “Writing comes more easily if you have something to say.” Sholem Asch

My first “World Book Tour” (Remember, the world is shrinking all the time) is history now. On Tuesday at Books Gallery in Sutherlin, many of my old friends were there, and we had what I hope was a fun time for all, reminiscing and talking literature. I consider it a grand success, but I have much to learn–like remembering to take photos! Sorry, but I got so caught up yakking I totally forgot to take your gorgeous pics–Jan, Bev, Carolyn, Jeff, Dan, Ann, Mona, Shirley, John and George. You guys were great, and I really enjoyed your questions and comments. And let’s hear it for Cheryl at Books Gallery, who provided such an ideal place for us. There we were, surrounded by thousands of books, gathered around a large table talking plot, character, theme and such. How could it get any better? (Okay, maybe with a splash or two of wine.) And another thing I learned: The M-16 fires a 5.56 caliber round, not a 7.62 caliber as I’d mistakenly wrote in my short story “Guard Duty.” Thank you for that bit of military wisdom, Jeff. Leave it to a former Marine to correct a former Army guy! I am eagerly looking forward to August, when we’ll meet again around pizza and beer and yak about the good ol’ days. Oh, yeah, after the mini reunion, Carolyn and George have said they’ll host another reading at their home. Thanks, Carolyn and George!

Quote of the Day: “The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” Anaïs Nin

Deb, Tucker and I took a walk today along the Banks-Vernonia trail, starting in Buxton, heading up the trail about 2 1/2 miles, enjoying a backpack lunch, and then returning along the same path to the trail head. Delightful walk! Couldn’t help but think about how I grew up in a small valley literally surrounded by the woods. Used to hike all over those hills, heavily wooded with oak, madrone, fir, spruce and the occasional pine. A place to let a boy’s imagination run where it would. Eddy Trout, too, grew up in such a wooded place but, alas, his recent adventures (in Trout Run) take him to the Big City, where he’s a bit of a fish out of water. Eddy’s got troubles that run to his deepest roots. Will the woods he loves help him find solutions?

Quote of the Day: “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison