Indie Film? In New Albany?

I'll admit I was shocked. Shocked, I say, to discover that independent film was returning to New Albany. Last time I looked, Constituency for Progress was putting on the COLDEST outdoor screening of "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" ever recorded. And they showed it twice, despite several near cases of hypothermia.

Hoosiers for a Common Sense Health Plan, joined by CFP and your local independent booksellers, are offering Michael Moore's "Sicko," an entertaining and provocative documentary about America's health care environment, where not only the children but millions of others are "Left Behind."

Huzzah, Hooray, Kudos. And thank you.

DETAILS: Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m. The film is a little over two hours long and the time will pass rapidly when accompanied by the brew and repast par excellence provided by host Rich O's, off Grant Line Road on Plaza Drive in New Albany. We'll close the store a few minutes early to get over to the No. 6 beer bar in the world, order a Big Ten pizza and a couple of Electors.

It will be fun to reconnect with our old friends from Constituency for Progress and our new friends from Hoosiers for a Common Sense Health Plan, co-sponsors of this amazing film. While everyone in attendance won't agree as to who should lead our country forward, you can count on a common wish for COMMON SENSE when it comes to collectively providing health care for all.

If there's one thing we've learned, it is that the so-called free market is destroying lives. Our duty to our fellow man requires that we join to provide a common sense health plan that leaves no one behind.

Don't believe me? Come watch the film with us and then tell me where I'm off-base. Or just enjoy the food, libations, and company. I guarantee you won't find a more literate, compassionate, and rational gathering of souls than at this singular event.

I'm reminded of the query, "What Would Jesus Do?" I'm convinced he'd be there at Rich O's on Thursday night.

But this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Power of Three

Things are piling up in threes for yours truly.

The triple play of my dad's birthday, St. Valentine's Day, and my bride's birth anniversary all fall within six days of each other.

As I write this, three inches of snow surround us.

And I have three books, all nearly completed, in progress. As I told Ann, they're all pretty darn good. I can recommend them all, though you'll have to write them down for later (or preorder them now).

The first started is Netherland, by Joseph O'Neill. I'm only 30 pages from the end of this novel from Pantheon Books. It's hard to convey just how good the book is by describing it, but I'll try. The main character is Hans, a Dutch-born, British-employed investment analyst who has found himself in New York before and after Sept. 11, 2001. Ultimately, wife and child return to England, leaving the affluent Hans at loose ends. Thusly, he renews his acquaintance with the game of cricket and thereby discovers a hidden world of Empire in the five boroughs. Sounds weird, but the plot, with its hint of a mysterious underworld, shady characters, and a transition to responsible manhood makes the book well worth reading.

Next up was A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World, by Tony Horwitz. I'm about halfway through this exploration of the forgotten explorers of North and South America between Columbus and the Pilgrims. Horwitz, who brought us Confederates in the Attic, found himself, a history major, no less, embarrassed at his dearth of knowledge about the dozen or so decades between the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria and the Mayflower. The coolness starts with the cover itself, which gives us a 9-question true-false quiz. Here's a sample:

3. America is named for a ship's chandler from Seville who wrote that native women are "taller kneeling than I am standing" and "very desirous to copulate with us Christians."

6. A black slave crossed the U.S. continent more than 160 years befor Lewis & Clark.

8. Sir Walter Raleigh planted tobacco at his colony in Roanoke and wrote that "smoking this foul weed" was bad for health but good for profits.

The third book is By Hook or By Crook: A Journey in Search of English, by David Crystal, who also wrote How Language Works and The Story of English. Mark at the store finished it first and we both found ourselves liking it but growing tired of the "Welshness" of the book. Many of the references went over our heads because we simply don't know enough about England and Wales. Still, I know that several of you are going to enjoy this one. It's filled with pleasing word origins and discussions of dialect and regional speech. And it's all done with a light touch. Shakespeare-lovers will find it particularly fascinating.

Don't mistake the fact that I have three books going as a bad reflection on any of them. I've read a couple more since I started them. Since I began walking to work a couple of years ago, I've been able to add quite a few minutes to my daily reading list by reading while I walk down Spring Street. Some think it queer, but it's actually something I've done since first grade. I recommend it.

Oh, yes. There's another 3 occupying my time. Tim Dorsey's newest Serge Storms novel, Atomic Lobster is a treat unto itself. The addition of a personal visit from the author (Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m.) makes it doubly good. And Tim's desire for a less-formal gathering afterward makes it a three-fold pleasure.

We still have a few spots left for the after-party at Rich O's that evening. But you must reserve your space if you want to spend some extended time with this amazingly talented creator.

Tim's On the Way

Tim Dorsey is at this moment blanketing the state of Florida in support of his tenth Serge A. Storms novel, Atomic Lobster. Fans in the Sunshine State are having a ball before Tim departs for his trip to see us.

Along the way, he's blogging at his MySpace blog. Below is an entry that will tell you an awful lot about the author. It's dated Jan. 10th.

Hey everyone,

Only a little more than a week till blast off. ... People are always asking me, "Hey Tim, now that you no longer work for a newspaper, are you going to run out of ideas for your novels?" Actually, people never ask me that. I just compulsively make up crap all the time. That's why I write books. But it's still a valid question. And here's the answer: The book tour is hands-down weirder than anything I experienced in journalism. Out there is where rubber truly meets the reality road.

First priority of touring is not to become another Florida crime stat. Which is tough if you're traveling alone on business and have a soft spot for sub-budget (but historically significant) motels. After shooing off enough hookers and foiling more than a few muggings with my early-detection scumbag radar, I decided that returning from evening book signings in a suit was not the best tactic. Now I stop at convenience stores/gas stations and change into my anti-crime-victim uniform, i.e. crazy clothes that make you not just an unattractive target, but a potential social burden. My "standard" is a ratty T-shirt, laceless sneakers on the wrong feet and one of those baseball caps with the moose antlers (sweat pants w/urine stains optional) – while loudly repeating Peter Gabriel lyrics: "Shed my skin!"

But the compliments of readers more than make up for any hardships, and they always come in the least likely form. Such as the woman who handed me a cell phone in one book store and asked if I could talk with her husband who wanted to make it but couldn't. So I did. Yeah, he couldn't make it – had four years to go in the federal pen. But he said I was tops with the gang in the cell block.

Then there all the photos I get (see the "Readers' Pix" album on my page) of tattoos and Flat Stanley-esque location shots with my books. ... So thank you all for making this one of the most implausible livings in America!

Peace,

Tim

Atomic Lobster crosses the Ohio River on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for a booksigning at Destinations Booksellers in New Albany, Ind. But you can get your copy now and also reserve space at the after-party at Rich O's Public House. The in-store event starts at 5 p.m. The party at Rich O's at 7:30. Space is going fast, so reserve now.

Here's a little peek at A.L.

23 Days

For three years we've been preaching the marvels of Tim Dorsey, the skillful story-teller who introduced Serge Storms to our universe.

And for three years we've been promising that we would bring Tim to New Albany. The countdown starts now. On Tuesday, February 26, Mr. Dorsey will touch down in his native state following an exhausting tour northward. Join us as we celebrate this momentous visit, starting at 5 p.m.

Our Web site contains all the key information. We invite you to pick up Tim's newest book, Atomic Lobster, the tenth of his Serge Storms novels.

We have a special invitation for all "Shredders," the folks who started the Serge Storms Historical Research & Debating Society and all who would like to join. At 7:30 that evening, we'll venture north to Rich O's Public House and the Prost Events Hall for a reservation-only evening with Tim Dorsey. The hall can only accommodate 50 people and the reservation list is filling up rapidly. The multiple dining rooms of Rich O's and Sportstime Pizza will be available for overflow, but to ensure your chance to spend time with the author, you must reserve before the list is full.

During that event, we also will have a very special presentation for Mr. Dorsey. Guests can sample brews from The New Albanian Brewing Company, but for the most part the party is a la carte. And it's free! You can order food and libations from the menu and mingle with the author, his fans, and even the Publican himself. If the festivities allow it, we'll have games and contests, too, although Tim himself asked for this venue so he could spend time with his fans.

And while we can't promise it, I expect Tim will accommodate those who can't get into the Prost but who will be lingering in the other dining rooms.

The best way you can thank Tim for this visit is to buy his book, available now at Destinations Booksellers, 604 E. Spring St., New Albany.

In the coming days we'll share with you our love for Tim and his "hero," the inimitable Serge A. Storms. Do not miss this event, whether it is the booksigning from 5 to 7 p.m. or the after-party. This will be our biggest event ever and the response we get will make a significant statement to major national publishers like Tim's own HarperCollins Publishers about how well New Albany and Southern Indiana can support big author tours.

For the time being, we're keeping publicity quiet and local, but soon the whole metro area will be clued in. Purchase the book Atomic Lobster or any of Tim's previous books now and make your reservations for the post-signing gala.