Sold three books. (I hate to say it, but Donald Trump may have the economy booming. Trickling down to my café table anyway.)

An M.D. at Café One bought a “Best Ride” and a “Schiz.” (He’d already bought a couple of my other books, so he must be a true fan, not just being polite.) Then an aspiring writer at Café Two, with whom I’d previously bantered “career guidance,” bought a “Cheesesteak.”

My display at Café One also drew into conversation a more accomplished and better known, while still under-appreciated Berkeley writer. We talked Commerce and Art. (He has his own non-profit publishing house to which he kindly invited me to submit my next manuscript.)

And in yet another testament to semi-unconscious networking, this fellow with whom I had played basketball for over a decade without knowing his surname, let alone that he had studied with John Barth before becoming a regular contributor to national magazines and author of several books, graciously gave me contact information for his agent and okayed my using his name as a referral.

I may have to start looking more kindly upon my fellow man.

[Bob’s books are available from this very web site.]

T. asked how the book sales were going.

I looked up from my table. I said I seemed to have saturated the market.

We had met at the other café where I do business, when he had said my “Buy Bob’s Books” sign was too confusing. It should say “For Sale.”

I had offered to swap him a book for such a sign.

He had not availed himself of this opportunity.

He asked if I no longer went to the other café.

I said half the time I did.

He said he no longer did.

When he had been living in his van, he said, he had needed the café for Wi-Fi. Which meant he had to buy a coffee ($3), and then a pastry ($3) and, if he stayed for lunch, a sandwich ($6) and another coffee. But now he had a room in a house. He had a big screen TV. He never even went on his lap top.

And reading did not appear to factor into his equation.

2.

“I have never seen so many people stealing books, burning book. And this is Berkeley,” said the woman seated outside the café, a backpack under her poncho, shopping bags by her sides. “Mostly redheads.”

[Bob’s books are available from this very web site.]

Ten of my old pick-up game regulars attended this winter’s reunion at the west Berkeley bar. We discussed a few hearts, a hip, a cancer, two backs. Five of us still worked. Only one played basketball.

One fellow, who’d worked for the park district, told me he’d enjoyed “Cheesesteak” and regretted missing the launch party of “The Schiz” (flu). Copies were still available, I told him.

Three fellows had bought copies at the launch party. Two did not mention it. Which did not surprise me. But one, a lefty trial attorney, said, “I read your book.”

“What’d you think?” I ventured.

“It was funny.”

Which did surprise me. “Which book?”

“The new one.”

“‘The Schiz’?”

I mean, it is funny, but most people…

He said he had liked the skewering of lawyers and doctors.

He also said, when it got slow, he skipped ahead.

I did not believe it was ever slow, but, over all, I was pleased.

“How’s the heart?” I said.

I put this link up on Facebook yesterday but I thought I should blog it too.
http://travelswithtrump.blogspot.com/p/guest-shots_15.html
It’s a contribution to my on-line pal Bob Ingram’s anti-Trump site. Much of it comes from previous FB posts of mine which I strung together and expanded.

Sold one “Best Ride.”

It went to a fellow I’d played Saturday pick-up basketball with for 20 years. He said he hadn’t known I wrote books until he saw my display in the café, which suggests I need to expand the reach of my brand. On the other hand, I hadn’t known his last name for 15 of those 20 years. It was that kind of game.

In other news, the distribution de3al for “Cheesesteak” and “The Schiz” is moving forward. I completed a 7-page Author’s Questionnaire designed to supply sales reps with information to convince book stores my works will sell despite my entire career’s seeming to argue the opposite. I’m pushing a “Long Over-Looked Master Finally Gets His Due” campaign.

We are also lowering prices, knocking $10.01 off “Cheesesteak” and $5.01 off “The Schiz.” That penny seems important to the experts. Buyers seem to believe there is a difference between $X.99 and $X+1.00.

Prices have been adjusted accordingly at my website. And both books have been pulled from Amazon for the time being.

Finally neither book left on consignment at Pegasus sold and were returned to me. I have not dusted for fingerprints to see if they were opened.