John Updike Podcast

I wasn’t at BookExpo in Washington, D.C. I’ve talked with a few people who attended the event. Some of the faculty members at the Blue Ridge conference came from BookExpo. While this trade show event has come—and gone, you can catch part of the excitement and information.

Yesterday I downloaded the podcast from John Updike’s speech from the Saturday Book & Author Breakfast. Usually a large number of booksellers and publishing personnel attend this particular breakfast. Many years ago I heard Maurice Sendak at this same event. I thought it was interesting for John Updike to set aside his planned speech to promote his new novel, Terrorist. Instead, he gave an impassioned talk about the importance of the printed page and booksellers. He calls booksellers, “the citadels of light.”

These podcasts are another resource you can use for your writing life. Even if you were attending BookExpo, it’s possible you missed this particular event. I know when I’m at a trade show, I often miss the general sessions because I’m tied up in another meeting. These events have so much packed into them that you want to divide and conquer—but you are only one person. I recommend you tap into these podcasts and other such tools to collect the information.