Months ago, I booked a ticket to Des Moines, Iowa, to celebrate the Drake Relays, my alma mater's big alumni fest. The whole thing is centered around a track event, but that's not the draw for folks like me: It's mostly an excuse to have fun with old friends, which is what I did most of the time. But...My lovely old Drake magazine professor Angela Renkoski insisted that, while I was in town this past weekend, I do a couple of pre-release book events while I was in town. On Thursday, I did two talks/signings at the new East Village Books in downtown Des Moines' hip neighborhood, the East Village. (I know, it's a rip-off of NYC's famed 'hood, but seriously, it's very cool!) Mostly students attended the first, a "lunch 'n' learn," where I spoke about how I made the book deal, my background, and my top 10 tips from the book. The second, an evening event, was attended mostly by people from around town and other friends. On Friday, I went back to my old workplace of four years, Meredith Corporation, where a dear old colleague of mine, Gary McKay, hosted a delightful event where I signed books for a bevy of my former co-workers. They were all so happy to see me.
All three signings/talks were rather surreal. I never thought I'd be heading back to Des Moines just three years after college to give lectures and sign my own book. But it was amazing: Everyone was so supportive, and I was rather impressed with how well it all went.
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