Signing books, hearing stories

I'm heading out to book signings today in Pullman, Spokane and Moscow (Idaho!). I know I'll hear some good stories as people stop to tell me what they did during the Vietnam era. "We were in the dorm when we got our draft numbers ... went running down the halls because we were so happy ... but other guys weren't." Or: "I when I was in the 'Nam, the guys in my squad called me Chief, because I'm Indian. Nobody else got to do that. But with them, it was OK."  Or, often: "Sign one for my uncle. He served, but he never talks about it."
Sometimes I visit with people who've already read "Boocoo Dinky Dow." Two couples told me they read it to each other in bed. Wow ... for a writer, it doesn't get any better than hearing that the stories you sent out to the world are part of people's most intimate lives for awhile.

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