Dan White

The other day, I made my way through the crowds of people picking over the bones of my local Borders book store. I saw a floor manager standing near the entrance, and told him I was sorry to hear the store was closing. As I spoke to him, I remembered the huge to-do about this store when it opened: protests, recriminations, nervousness, and someone (a local merchant, no less) foolishly strapping on a guitar and singing “break all the windows at Borders” during a gathering in front of City Hall. There was a lot of worry that Borders would become an overwhelming force driving out all indie bookshops. Now it turns out that Borders itself is a casualty of more overwhelming market forces. These days, it’s not so much a question of corporate versus indie. Now it’s bricks-and-mortar booksellers of all kinds trying to survive in world of online book-selling….

On a (very) serious note, today marks Amy Ettinger’s New York Times debut. This true and scary story, published in the NY Times’ Motherlode section, explains why we left San Francisco in such a big hurry, without saying goodbye to anyone. The folks who own our building told us the apartment was completely habitable, recently painted and ready to go. They gave us no warning that anything might be amiss. The lesson, I think, is to do your own testing, and look out for your own best interests when you move into one of these old places. Alas, we can’t assume “landlords” have our best interest in mind when they hand over that set of keys. I’m very glad to report that the post resulted in a few folks contemplating a move away from their lead-infested abodes, and also prompted some folks to do their own testing. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

So what if I missed the concert event of the year in San Francisco? (see below.) This weekend I returned to the famous Glaum Egg Ranch Vending Machine, a 24-hour automatic dance party and egg dispenser located just off Freedom Boulevard in Aptos. Three dollars (crisp single dollar bills — no coins) buys you 24 eggs and a performance by a group of shameless, butt-shaking robotic chickens who will dance and sing and squawk for you behind glass. This time, I stuffed my crisp three dollar bills into the slot, the curtains lifted up, and I was thrilled to see that the dancing chickens had brand new costumes just in time for Halloween. One of them was dressed up like George Clinton, complete with a pink-orange-green Afro fright wig. Another was dressed like a friendly Satan, complete with a felty pitch fork. They also had a mummy chicken and a…

..because the logistics, this time around, will simply be too much for me, but I am hoping to live vicariously through those of you who are going. If you are going, do me a favor and see the following groups or individuals so you can report back to me and Cactuseaters about what you saw: — The Dukes of September Rhythm Review Featuring Donald Fagen (!!!), Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald.— Doc Watson— Emmylou Harris— Earl Scruggs— Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes— Robert Earl Keen (for whom my pet cat is named.)— Nick Lowe— Randy Newman (!!!!!) — The Flatlanders— Rosanne Cash–Hot Tuna Electric— Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (!) And if you go, please don’t blow pot into people’s faces and talk loudly throughout the entire thing. Or yell out requests for “Every Day I Write The Book” during Elvis’s set. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

(photo, taken by me, of Mount Whatever, located in Whatever State It Was.) Here is the podcast of my recent live radio conversation on Talk Of The Bay, KUSP FM, about the writing of The Cactus Eaters. And here are some of Rick Kleffel’s recent thoughts on the book, posted on the Agony Column. Thanks to everyone for tuning in. And yes, to answer your question, I will have more events and news soon. Can’t say “boo” about it at the moment. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Breaking news. You read it here first. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Thanks to everyone for tuning in! Had a great talk with Rick Kleffel. He is going to podcast it, and when that happens, I will put the link up right here. When you tune in to his website, you will also see a photo of me holding up a scary picture showing what I looked like on the trail (in a self portrait I took with one of those crummy disposable cameras that they used to sell in drug stores.) Meanwhile check out the offerings on Kleffel’s Agony Column — featuring conversations with Mary Roach, Vendela Vida, William Gibson, John Brandon and more. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

(This photograph shows a peaceful, alluring meadow under Mount Whatever.) This Sunday I will have an on-the-air book talk with Rick Kleffel from 7 to 730 p.m. on KUSP 88.9 Central Coast Public Radio about The Cactus Eaters and other writings. It’s a call-in show, so listeners can participate. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Apparently, invertebrates are getting dibs on parking spaces up there. (thanks to B. for forwarding this.) Photo credit: Peggy Delaney, UC Santa Cruz. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default