alexandriacardinals

[Editor’s note: Recognizing this began as a site to cover Cardinal athletics, it has sadly regressed to include such as vacation trips, wining and dining, music, plays, and . . . books. All things that hold at least partial interest for me (without whom you would not be bothered by this). And occasionally we venture back into the fog of time. This time, because of recent delvement (OK, a Sarah Palin-like created word – just adding to the language a’ la Mark Twain) into authors Kurt Vonnegut and Jess Lourey, we venture all the way back to April 16, 2010, and our encounter with Anna Quindlen (as reported at the time).]

There are very few things that will inspire me to make a day trip to the big cities – especially on the same day when Dan Mahar is performing at SAWA! But yesterday was such a day. Anna Quindlen was having a book signing at the Wayzata Community Church. She has been my favorite columnist for a long time – I wore a black arm band for weeks after she gave up her last page column in Newsweek to become a full-time novelist.

She was there to promote her new novel, Every Last One, before a packed house. She was very entertaining, as usual. During the Q&A, I asked her what the reaction was to her statement in Newsweek [April 14, 2008] – “there is only one reason to go to war . . . it is that you have a cause so great that it justifies asking people to sacrifice their children.” She said just the usual – the same people who have been calling her a Commie for 30 years, called her a Commie and told her to go back to where she came from. To which she would query, the suburbs of Philadelphia?

When Newsweek carried a Quindlen column, I would read the entire magazine – except for her.  I wanted to read her separately, later – like waiting to eat a good steak.

Ruthie requested she sign the book to “her biggest fan.” She smiled and thanked me. 🙂  [A high school classmate said I looked like I was blushing?]

We finally got a chance to meet Jess Lourey yesterday. She was doing a book signing at Cherry Street Books.

Jess, of course, is incredibly famous as the creator of Mrs. Berns.  OK, Mira James is THE protagonist in her books – and a wonderful character she is as well [Editor’s note: In discussion with Jess we learned Mira is pronounced “Mirror-ah,” not “My-rah.” Jess said women generally think the former; men the latter – I told her I generally thought of her either way, which brings into question my gender.] When I asked Jess to guess my favorite character, however, she immediately said Mrs. Berns. Mrs. Berns is Mira’s 80-year old library assistant who often comes to work in attire that would get a teenager tossed out of school and placed on double secret probation. We both agreed Betty White would play Mrs. Berns in the movies.

Jess taught English at Alexandria Technical College (now the Alexandria Technical and Community College) for nine years. She left Alex in 2007 (if memory serves, though it often doesn’t) for a similar position at St. Cloud Technical and Community College – closer to her hometown, Paynesville. But it was in Alex where she began her career as a writer – murder-by-month mysteries that revolve around the high crime metropolis of Battle Lake, Minnesota.

She was here to sign her latest book – October Fest.  In a bit of a calendar challenge, her “November” book will come out in March. She is also under contract for “December.” When she runs out of months she thought she’d probably go to days of the week. 😉

We asked how a full-time teacher finds time to write novels. Her response was basically that’s what weekends are for. Moving closer to home freed her weekends for writing because her mom can provide childcare.  She writes a 1,000 words per day, which will produce a novel a year.

I was amazed at the number of patrons at the bookstore who are writers, either by vocation or avocation. Jess handed all a handy-dandy five-page reference guide entitled How to Write and Publish Your Novel. I undoubtedly will find it extremely useful as I venture into the construction of the great American novel – Pork Chops and Cabbage Patch Dolls.  (OK, I made up that last part – by choosing random vowels.)

[Happy Mother’s Day!]

This was going to be an ode to girls’ softball. Well, it still is – to a degree. The Cards were hosting their own invite tournament. Minneapolis Southwest, Maple Grove, and Eden Prairie were the guests. And surprise, contrary to some forecasts, it turned out to be a lovely day! 🙂  [Editor’s note:  The Card girls’ golf team won a major meet at Geneva golf course yesterday.  Jamie Piepenburg was named conference performer of the week after setting a new meet record in the 3,200 at the Hamline Elite Meet.  Regarding events in “Keeping TRACK,” Joie Warnes’ 110 meter hurdles time put her 8th on the Class AA honor roll; her triple jump moved her into 6th.  Rosey Erickson’s time in the 200 meter was the 2nd best in the state this year; her 100 meter time at the Hamline Elite Meet is the best in the state.  Piepenburg’s 800 meter just for fun run was the 7th best in the state.]

These were my first games of the year. I picked up a program on the way in and was amazed at how young our Cards are (the baby birds?) – freshmen are playing everywhere! Despite our youth, The Cards handled Southwest, 12 – 4, in the first game. Then they played state athletic juggernaut, Eden Prairie, who dispatched Maple Grove, for the championship. I hadn’t taken any photos during the first game as Val Trumm (daughter Lauren catches) assured that the staff photographer would soon be there. Greg arrived and soon discovered he had camera issues. I took out ole trusty, recently returned from a visit to the camera hospital, only to discover it had a dead battery. Chris Kragenbring ventured by, camera in tow, to take photos of daughter Quinn playing left field. She discovered her camera had issues! We were Oh-for-3! Shortly thereafter Quinn made a terrific running catch – and we have no photographic evidence! 😦

The Eden Prairie game was tied 1 – 1 after the prescribed 7 innings, so it was going into extra innings. I had to leave then (the Cards subsequently lost 5 – 2) because . . .

There was a Theatre L’Homme Dieu fundraiser at the golf club. The theme was the Kentucky Derby. We avoided mint juleps but made an attempt at appropriate attire. We assume it was a great success as “the joint was packed.”

[Ralph Tillitt (l) participating in the “Minnow Races.”]

Now to the subject title. We left the golf club to catch a new performer (at least to us) at SAWA. Lisa Lynn was advertised as a Carole King type – and indeed she was. We thoroughly enjoyed her performance. Upon entry, we were accosted by the proprietor, DiAnn Ness, who advised we had to hear Lisa’s Hallelujah.  Lisa graciously agreed to perform it again, and to be videoed, as we were calling it an evening. We thought it terrific:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYAsDbP1hx8

I suppose you’re wondering (as any sentient being would) what Kurt Vonnegut (he was a junior, hence the initials KV2) is doing on an “alexandriacardinal” blogsite? Well, the best I can come up with is the cardinal is the Indiana state bird; there is an Alexandria, Indiana; and the supervisor is a native Hoosier and is justly proud of her home state author. And this is also occasionally a travel site.

On our most recent visitation to Indiana, the kids took us to the new Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in downtown Indianapolis. As honorary Tralfamadorians, it seemed the proper thing to do. Beginning with Cat’s Cradle in the early 60’s, shaping our impressionable teenage minds, we became lifelong fans. The following reflects the displays at the library, including his artwork, and an homage by Morley Safer:

[Brickhead 3 by James Tyler – not at the library but in downtown Indy.]

“Poo-tee-weet!”