Festival of Books

I'm in historic Deadwood, SD.

My memories are of a run down town with OLD stuff in the display windows. One year after Christmas with Bill's family,  there was a sale- 50% off everything in the store...and  I wanted the German nativity piece in the window. "I don't think that's for sale. It's just been there forever." Well, yes, it was for sale and I got a good deal since no one could remember the price.  Later when we traveled to Germany, I found out I got a real bargain.

My kids have some memories of wandering the only main street of Deadwood and getting taffy. Or even better, watching the taffy machine in the window as it slowly wound and folded sticky strands of sugar and goo into smooth taffy.  The big treat was if a fly landed on the goo and was slowly folded into the taffy. Yum... watch AFTER you eat a piece.

Well, a few years ago CASINOS came to Deadwood. Now everything is flash and glitz.  The pressed tin ceilings, Corinthian columns and crystal chandeliers of the historic Franklin Hotel's foyer share the space with slot machines and neon "HOT Video Slots".  All the mom and pop stores that serviced the mountain mining towns of Lead and Deadwood are now large casinos complete with "All you can eat Buffet!" There is no end to the endless medicore food Americans can eat on vacation.  People come in buses, seniors mostly, on day trips.  I find it depressing.

So it's being redeemed today with the South Dakota Festival of Books.  Two weeks ago, the National Mall in Washington, DC was covered with the ubiquitious white tents that signal a festival there. Those huge tents held displays for libraries, new authors, established authors, Barnes and Nobel, Amazon and everything related to books.  BIG.

For the last nine years, the state of South Dakota has celebrated books and this  year it's only an hour from my new home. No big white tents but lots of authors. I'm about to go to a screening of a movie by a memoir writer who writes about her two years of travel.  Hey- I'm in the right place!

SO... off I go to rub elbows with people who love books.  Deatails to follow.

Blessings, Kathryn