AT LAST...I'm updating my listings. And coming soon, a much more updated listing page, and updated book pages, and updated everything. I have to confess I don't entirely understand how people find time to do daily blogs when I find it hard to keep this small entry up to date. But enough about that. I'm doing a reading WEDNESDAY MARCH 5TH at the Cornelia Street Cafe, in New York City. Here's the text from the announcement:

You are cordially invited to the 2nd installment of Cornelia Street's

FREE RANGE ** NONFICTION READING SERIES
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
6:00 p.m.
Downstairs @ the Cornelia Street Cafe
$7 cover, includes one drink
Mira Ptacin, host

Please join us to launch NYC's freshest creative nonfiction reading series!

You ask, what is creative NONfiction (non fik shun)?
answer:
some say creative nonfiction is... not fiction
some say creative nonfiction is done by "showing and not telling"
some say "you know, like David Sedaris?"
the fact is, creative nonfiction is a fuzzy, pulpy hybrid literary genre that is difficult to define, so why not just find out for yourself?

Every first Wednesday of each month, Free Range will release onto Cornelia Street Cafe's stage supah-star writers and fascinating new literary talent in the NYC area, sans additives/preservatives.

Our March readers include:

Susan Orlean, author of several books including "The Orchid Thief" which inspired the film "Adaptation." Susan has been a staff writer at the New Yorker since 1992, and she is working on a book about dog actor Run Tin Tin.

as well the talented:
Adam Chandler
Mira Ptacin
June Eding
Barbara McGuire
and
Maris James

for more information, please email freerange.readings@gmail.com

Ithaca! Ithaca!(Remember that scene in 'Saturday Night Fever'? Or...well, never mind.) The point is I'm going to Ithaca Thursday, April 12th, 2007, to give a talk at Ithaca College. It's at 7:30 pm at Emerson Suites on the campus. For more information, you can email mgattine@ithaca.edu. I believe it's open to the public. I'll read a little but mostly I'm going to talk about the writing life (as it were) -- what I do, why I do it, how I do it. I've also got lots of other appearances coming up and I will diligently list them all as soon as I sit down with all the information.

I Refuse to Use the Too-Obvious 'My Own Private Idaho' Headline! even though it is very hard to resist! But, more to the point, I will be speaking and reading in Coeur d'Alene very soon -- October 20th, in fact -- so see here for details: http://http://www.idahohumanities.org/news/orlean.php Idaho is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been and also one of the most eccentric (years ago, I visited an all-nuclear town in Southern Idaho, which was a little unnerving...). I had once considered writing a piece just trying to describe its peculiar combination of hippies, reactionaries, ski bums, farmers, nuke-meisters, quiet people, and mountain men -- still on my To Do list, so maybe I'll do some research while I'm out there...

On the banks of the Susquehanna...hey, I did that without spellcheck! I'm heading to Pittsburgh soon -- October 9th, 2006, in fact -- to give a lecture and reading as part of the Drue Heinz lecture series. For more information, check http://www.pittsburghlectures.org/section.php?pageID=108 (I hope to take a detour through the Warhol Museum while I'm there, too -- a lifelong ambition of mine, which has been thwarted every time I've been to Pittsburgh in the last decade or so. Watch out Warhol! Here I come!)

Another, different Portland...Uh-oh, I have another upcoming appearance to report, but this one is a different Portland from my usual Portland (see below for the other Portland appearance. Are you following?). I'm going to give a reading and field questions and sign books at a gallery in Portland, Maine on January 19th, 2006 -- a whole new Portland for me! The event is at 7 p.m. at the very cool Space Gallery -- see http://www.space538.org/ for more information. (Note to self: Just make sure you are going to MAINE and not OREGON for this event.)

Wet and wonderful...or maybe dry and beautiful. You never know with Oregon in February, do you? But no matter what, I'm heading out there on February 22, 2006, to give a lecture as part of Voices, a very interesting series of women speakers that's been a mainstay in town there for years and years. Since I used to live in Portland, plus it's such a wonderful city, I am always thrilled to have an excuse to go, even in February, when it will be raining for, oh, about thirty days straight. But enough about the rain! Check www.voicesinc.com for ticket information and details.

Flower girl...And proud of it, I must confess. So I will be discussing my life and times as a chronicler of flower adventures (as in The Orchid Thief) this Thursday, October 20th, 2005, at the extraordinarily beautiful Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The event is free and open to one and all. I'm going to proclaim, sign books, read, and pollinate, starting at 7 p.m. For more information, go to http://www.meijergardens.org/calendar/event.php?id=123.

Homeward bound... I'm having turkey at Thanksgiving in Cleveland with my mom and dad, and then I'll be heading to the Cleveland Public Library to give a talk on 2 p.m., Sunday, November 27th, 2005. Yes, there's a Browns game that afternoon, and everyone will be stuffed with turkey and sleepy from the triptophane in the giblets, but still -- I promise a lively afternoon. Go to http://www.cpl.org/write_read.asp for more details. Pecan pie not included.

Very Windy...I love Chicago, so I look for any excuse to visit. I have a very good one at noon on Sunday, November 13, 2005 -- I'll be giving a talk at the Chicago Humantities Festival , which is an amazing city-wide festival in its sixteenth blockbuster year. This year's theme is "Home and Away". The website, which has tons of information on tickets, other speakers, and good places to eat pizza in Chicago, is http://www.chfestival.org/fest2005/index2.cfm...

My Old Virginia Home...well, not really. But I will be going to Virginia soon -- Wednesday, October 5, 2005, in fact, for the Annual Literary Festival sponsored by Old Dominion University in Norfolk. For specifics, check out http://www.lib.odu.edu/litfest/28th/. I'll be discussing -- hmmm...well, I won't give it away here. Why don't you just take a little trip to Virginia? Come hear for yourself! And the weather is lovely there in October, isn't it?

Alpha and Omega...Here's a perfect getaway opportunity: I'm teaching a writing workshop on July 31, 2005at the Omega Institutein the lovely town of Rhinebeck, New York -- 99 miles north of New York City. Omega is better known for classes on yogi breathing and herbal healing, but they're expanding into creative endeavors these days. Hey -- if you want to practice yogi breathing during my workshop, that's quite okay. For more information, check out www.eomega.org and put "Susan Orlean" in the faculty search box...

Texas ho!! I'm giving a talk in Dallas at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 22nd, 2005 as part of the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers' Conference of the Southwest -- a big name for a big event. Lots of cool writers and workshops and events for several days running...and while you're in Dallas, go see the amazing Nasher Sculpture Museum (one of my favorite places in the entire world). And then, while you're at it, buy a pair of new cowboy boots! All the details can be found at http://mayborninstitute.unt.edu/.

Lions and tigers and bears...and me. I'm giving a talk at the wonderful Museum of Natural History in New York City about my experiences as a (very) amateur anthropologist...information is at the museum's website (www.amnh.org). The details are: Thursday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m. Kaufmann Theater, first floor Code: EL050505. Tickets are $15 ($13.50 Members, students, senior citizens). Come to the event and see the big blue whale hanging from the Museum's ceiling while you're there...

Reading for books...I'm doing a reading at the Somerville Theater in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, on March 13, 2005, that will benefit the Somerville Public Library. Excellent cause! The host of the event is Rosie O'Donnell, who likes books, apparently. There will be lots of other readers besides me, including Lauren Slater, Alice Hoffman, and a bunch more. It starts at 3 pm. Because this is a benefit, ticket prices are tiered and range from 37.50 to 500.00. For tickets, contact Lauren Slater at 617-623-5597 or by email at laurenslater@rcn.com.

A loaf of bread....So here's what I'm doing next August 17th through 28th: I'm going to be teaching at the Breadloaf Writers' Conference in Middlebury, Vermont. I was a teaching fellow there a few years ago, and had a great time, so I was happy to be invited to be a full-fledged faculty person for this coming summer. I'll be teaching a non-fiction workshop. The conference is pretty wonderful -- first of all, it's in a gorgeous spot in Vermont; secondly, there are lots of interesting people, and every day there are readings and book signings and what-have-you; thirdly, lots of agents and editors come through there to meet with writers, which makes it a valuable experience all around. Most of the people are working on fiction and poetry, but over the last few years the non-fiction focus has expanded. Check it out at http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/blwc/ and come join me...!

Off and running...! I'm starting to pack now for my book tour in October. I've seen the galleys for My Kind of Place and I must admit, I'm pretty excited. I hope lots of you will turn out for my readings -- I'll be watching for you... Here's part one of the book tour:

Tuesday, October 5 – San Francisco Reading/Signing
7:30 PM READERS BOOKS
127 E. Napa Street, Sonoma CA 95476
Phone: 707/933-2656

Wednesday, October 6 – San Francisco Reading/Signing
7:30 PM CAPITOLA BOOK CAFE
1475 41st Ave. Capitola CA 95010
Phone: 831/462-6297

Thursday, October 7 – San FranciscoReading/Signing
12:30 PM—1:30 PM STACEY’S BOOKS
581 Market St., San Francisco CA 94105
Phone: 415-896-1606
-and-
7:30 PM KEPLER’S BOOKS
1601 El Camino, Belmont CA 94022
Phone: 650/594-5935

Now, for part two... Here's the next installment of this fall's grand tour:

Friday, October 8 – Seattle
6:30 PM Reading/Signing
THIRD PLACE BOOKS
17171 Bothell Way NE, Ste. A101, Lake Forest Park WA
Phone: 206/366-3320

Sunday, October 10 – Portland
7:30 PM Reading/Signing
POWELL’S BOOKS
1005 W. Burnside, Portland OR 97209
Phone: 503-228-0540 x489

Tuesday, October 12 – Kansas City
7:00 PM Reading/Signing
RAINY DAY BOOKS
2706 West 53rd Street, Fairway KS 66205 Phone: 913/384-3126

Wednesday, October 13 – Austin
7:00 PM Reading/Signing
BOOKPEOPLE
603 North Lamar, Austin, Texas 78703
Phone: 512/472-4288 ext 404

Thursday, October 14 – Minneapolis/St Paul
7:30 PM Reading/Signing
BOUND TO BE READ
870 Grand Avenue, St Paul MN 55105
Phone: 651/298-0378

Friday, October 15 – Minneapolis/St Paul
7:00 PM Reading/Signing
AMAZON BOOKS
4432 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis MN 55407
Phone: 612/821-9630

Saturday, October 16 – Minneapolis/St Paul
2:00 PM Reading/Signing
BOOK CASE
607 Lake St East, Wayzata MN 55391
Phone: 952/473-8341

Sunday, October 17 – Chicago
WRITERS ON THE RECORD
Noon—1:00 PM Interview Lookingglass Theater, 821 N. Michigan Avenue (TICKETS REQUIRED; please call 312-832-6789 )
1:00 PM—2:00 PM Signing; reception to follow

Tuesday, October 19 – Boston
6:30 PM Reading/Signing
HARVARD BOOKSTORE
1256 Massachussetts Ave, Cambridge MA 02138
Phone: 617-661-1424 x5

Wednesday, October 27 – New York City
7:30 PM Reading/Signing
BARNES & NOBLE UPPER WEST SIDE
2289 Broadway, New York NY 10024
Phone: 212/721-5282

Big fun, and a good cause, too! I'm joining my friends They Might Be Giants, Brian Dewan, Robin Goldwasser, and Fred Tomaselli in a benefit for New York City public arts education. . . it's going to be a great evening. I'm reading, They Might Be Giants are performing an acoustic set, Robin is singing, and Fred's amazing paintings will be on display. This is all taking place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 5th, at the James Cohan Gallery (533 West 26th Street, New York City). Tickets are $25 and worth every single penny. Please come! For reservations, call (212) 714-9500.

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