Last Night…

A bonus post…

Last night I had the good fortune of being a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He is such a generous and energetic and deeply there person - a comic genius, a national treasure.

I had a great time - the experience is like: deep nerves, followed by big fun, during which seven minutes goes by like seven seconds, because one is in a hyper-alert state, followed by a sense of relief…and then one immediately wants to do it again. But, too bad, one is in a car bound for LaGuardia.

A good reason to write another book. 😉

One thing we talked about was his beautiful reading of my story, “Love Letter,” at Symphony Space, back at the beginning of the tour for Liberation Day, three weeks ago. Here’s a link to Stephen’s reading of “Love Letter” and here’s our talk from last night.

Photo by Scott Kowalchyk

Am writing this from my classroom in the Hall of Languages at Syracuse, as I wait for my brilliant third-year fiction writers to come in for workshop this morning.

This room has so many happy memories - Paula and I had a class in here with the great poet Hayden Carruth…my workshop with Tobias Wolff was in here…I remember teaching so many talented students in this room…and soon our current group will be coming in, and (lucky me) I get to do it all again.

Me and a dear old friend on campus. While writing “Lincoln in the Bardo,” I used to look out on this “sad Lincoln” from my office window.

The Green Room, with some dear pals. On the couch: my agent, Esther Newberg and my editor, Andy Ward. Near Esther, Maria Braeckel, director of publicity for Random House and, in the foreground, Marni Folkman, publicity assistant. I am so fortunate to have these brilliant and dedicated people in my corner.

Yes, those doughnuts rocked. I lugged one back to and ate it at midnight in my Syracuse hotel room.

Taken during an nervous afternoon pre-scout of the premises.

The glorious interior of the Random House offices - a place I love.

And my book has found a place there too.