A couple dear friends and I loaded the car in yesterday’s sunny, early morning to embark on a whirlwind road trip to Detroit for my first reading of the Better Book Tour. Mollica, Carl and I took the Canadian route, by which I was able to admire the Toronto skyline, eat a Canadian veggie burger, and enjoy a ferry ride back to the States.
After popping in at Pages Bookshop to introduce myself to the store’s owner, Susan Murphy, I paid a visit to Sally Jane Kerschen-Sheppard over in Detroit’s University District. Sally Jane visited Better Farm through the betterArts Residency Program in 2012 as a playwright-in-residence. Since her time at the farm, Sally Jane relocated to Detroit, where she bought a house, completely renovated it, and opened up a writer’s residency called Blue Field Writers House. It’s a gorgeous building on a totally sweet, tree-lined street:
Pages Bookshop.
The reading at Pages was in front of a small, intimate crowd, which made for a really fun Q&A period in which I was able to elaborate about what goes on at the Farm, my belief that urban centers will lead the charge toward a more sustainable, self-sufficient future, and a discussion with locals about the great strides Detroit is making in regard to growing its own food, building community, and making local art. Here’s a list of community garden and farming groups making big change in this city:
Following the signing, Sally Jane gave a great driving tour of Detroit, complete with all the big sights and sounds of this totally fascinating city.
Heading out this morning to hit Niagara Falls—and to ready for the book signing in Alexandria Bay tomorrow. Hope to see you somewhere on the road—click here for my (ever-growing!) book-tour schedule.
Until next time, better be!