Hi, all. John is busy this week speaking from coast to coast, so I’m filling in temporarily. My name is Bob Trexler – John’s publisher at Zossima Press. John leaves for California tomorrow for two lectures: one at Biola University and another at Pepperdine University. Then, on Sunday, September 30th he will be signing books at the “BIG E” New England State Fair in West Springfield, Massachusettes. He will be there from 3-9 PM in the Connecticut Building.
I’ll add more specifics later – and will try to figure out how to add photographs to the posts. If anybody can explain this to me you can email me at Robert@Zossima.com
Hello Bob! I am an avid fan of John’s, anxiously awaiting the third edition of “Looking for God in Harry Potter”! I’ve loaned my copy to several teachers and take every opportunity to promote the positive and informative content to any and everyone willing to listen. (One of my impromptu reviews resulted in a sale at a Houston-area Barnes & Noble while we were visiting our grandchildren last summer!) Thank you for publishing such great material.
Cigar95 wrote:
Info on John’s Biola lecture – it is indeed open to the public
Wednesday, 26 in the cafeteria banquet room on the Biola campus, in La Mirada California (just a few blocks from my home, yay!) Starts at 7 pm, and goes until, . . . . . . . well, knowing John, it goes until he’s finished!
For a campus map, I’m sure there’s a campus map at http://www.biola.edu, and you can find the cafeteria building.
Hi, PJ – This is Bob logged in under John’s name. Thanks for hawking John’s books to teachers and Barnes & Noble stores. You might be interested to know that John and I “met” via email when he sent me an article on Harry Potter for my consideration to publish in CSL: The Bulletin of the New York C.S. Lewis Society (which I have edited/published for nearly 8 years). Of course, I said, “Yes” and then helped him to market his first book Hidden Key to Harry Potter. It’s all been uphill since then (sometimes steeply uphill) and lots of fun. Tyndale publishes “Looking For God in Harry Potter” – so I don’t know when a third revised edition will appear.
I may have to try to get up to the Big E for that book signing. I was already there last week with the children, so it will be a stretch to go again….
You want to hear about the fun? Having a micro-publishing company with John is sort of like watching Micky Rooney and Judy Garland getting all the neighborhood kids together and staging a great theatrical production (in their movies). It seems so effortless, but in reality it’s a lot of work. Learning the best way for distribution, book design, bookkeeping systems, and how to create a “buzz” on the internet, booking speaking engagements. One of the things on John’s list was to start this Blog. One of the things on my list was to create the Zossima website and shopping cart.
We’ve met lots of terrific people along the way. I’m not going to quit my day job anytime soon, but maybe in another 10 years?
OOPS! Me bad, me bad….I should have checked before writing! Sorry about that…
I am curious… how one author can be published by different houses?
I haven’t had the pleasure of reading “Hidden Keys…” and hope to acquire the title soon. My understanding of literary styles is quite limited, though I find the discussions on John’s website fascinating and extremely informative. Needless to say, while I am intimidated by the obvious scholarship of those contributing along the way, I am also blessed to be able to learn in silence (mostly because I was too afraid to sign on and commit my thoughts to print).
Thank you for sharing how you and John met. I’m sure there are others out in Granger fandom who would like to hear about the “fun” as well!
Blessings on your day!
Hi Bob! Thanks for helping to get John’s amazing work out into the world. You’ve done a marvelous service! And you remind me, without words, to pray for you.
You lucky folks who can attend John’s lectures. Have fun!
Welcome aboard, PJ! Yes, there is erudition on this site that is so impressive–I feel privileged to be a part of such an intelligent community here, many of whom, quite frankly, leave me slack-jawed in the dust.
Uh-oh, Madame LaScrawny has her jaws clamped on Little Flako’s tail…
Hi, ChristineH. If you can make it to the Big E, that would be great! They have a website http://www.thebige.com for those who need information or directions. Admission on the weekends is $15 dollars. The “State Buildings” are the best, in my opinion – lots of delicious food. And next Sunday is “Mountie Day” when there will be some sort of exhibition of Canadian Mounties.
Cigar95 wrote:
Starts at 7 pm, and goes until, . . . . . . . well, knowing John, it goes until he’s finished!
I had the pleasure of being able to attend the lecture (admirably clear & engaging, I thought, especially considering the complexity of the material) and meeting John face-to-face in between the lecture proper and the “fireside talk” afterward. I had to cut out of that a bit early (about ten ’til ten) because I had an online homework assignment that had to be submitted before 11 that night, but I discovered that I didn’t have to actually leave the campus thanks to Biola’s generosity in providing internet access for guests, so I got to sit at a table outside the bookstore with my laptop, do my assignment, and learn by stealthy eavesdropping worthy of any Slytherin that the bit about the, ahem, carnality of the imagery in the denouement of Chamber of Secrets went over very well with the fraction of the audience I eavesdropped on. Rather unsurprisingly, it was a male audience fraction. 🙂
And I’m enjoying the new book… I’ve just finished reading the chapter on “Narrative Misdirection.” Finished reading it for the first time, of course.
Helen, you were probably standing right behind me. After the formal talk, John stood at the podium and signed a couple books for me, before I had to go. When we finished, there was a lady standing behind me, waiting her turn. Maybe that was you.
(Also, you might want to read my observations on the evening’s activities in the comments a couple posts down – I think entitled “The HogPro Speaks!”)
“Carnality of the imagery in the denouement of COS”? Did I somehow miss this in John’s books or blog? Or has the knowledge skidded off into my memory’s regrettable oubliette?
Oops, Thudders just pounced on the throw-rug and skidded the against the wall…ouch.