Here’s a photo (click to enlarge) of Corinne, Utah, on the route of the first transcontinental railroad. This was taken by A. J. Russell sometime between 1864 and 1869 and is online today thanks to Yale’s Beinecke Library. The resolution on the original scan, at the Beinecke web site, here, is so good that you can almost fall into it. Zoom way in, and on the left, just back of CITY BAKERY, there’s a sign, not easily readable, but readable:
NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE, &
PERIODICAL DEPOT.
CORINNE BOOK STORE.
Now that is a local, independent bookstore, and local independents are on my mind; last night there was a launch party for Locomotive at Brooklyn’s BookCourt. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for organizing, to BookCourt for hosting, and to everyone who came! It meant a lot to see a lot of familiar faces in the audience. And local independents are also on my mind because as of today I’m off for the next five weeks (!) on a Locomotive book tour that’s going to take me to local independents across the country. This afternoon, the Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina; tomorrow, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, N.C.; Saturday, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana; Tuesday, a signing at the Saint Louis Public Library in Saint Louis, Missouri. The tour goes on from there but I’m taking things one step at a time here on the blog. The full tour schedule is here. All wishes for smooth travel currently being accepted. I look forward to sharing Locomotive transcontinentally. I hope I’ll see some of you on the road!
3 comments:
Brian - My son Kevin and I were thrilled to meet you yesterday at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. We love your work! Thank you for signing our books and for the special illustrations. It is wonderful to see my 3 year old enjoy your books so much and learn through your fun, technical and factual accounts, presented so creatively!
Safe travels and enjoy the rest of your tour.
Best,
Amy
Mr Floca,
Over the years I have collected many of your books including Lightship, and Moonshot. Now just today, I picked up Locomotive, and I must tell you, it is amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to produce such a beautiful work of art. I have enjoyed looking through it again and again, page after detailed page. Oh, and I think it was unique and very special that you painted another cover (under the dust jacket) depicting a great herd of buffalo. I'm from North Dakota, and that's a sight we love to see. You are definitely my pick for the Caldecott! Good luck on your book tour!
--Jen G
Thank you for the kind comments, Amy and Jen!
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