Channeling Tess

The test of literature is, I suppose, whether we ourselves live more intensely for the reading of it."
-Elizabeth Drew

Laura Lippman, one of my favorite writers, is on tour promoting No Good Deeds, and I noticed she had an appearance scheduled at the Skokie Public Library. Whether or not you enjoy mysteries, read her To the Power of Three for its mastery of point of view and character development. If you're always looking for a good mystery, you'll also enjoy By a Spider's Thread featuring her private investigator, Tess Monaghan.

I cleared my day and drove two hours to find I had arrived an hour early—a perfect opportunity to find coffee beans' Spare Time letterbox. Still early, I took the rest of my spare time to write in the cool of the auditorium as I waited. I was interrupted by a woman asking if I had checked in. "I wasn't aware that I had to check in."

As it turned out, this appearance not only required an admission fee but was a closed meeting. I had invested too much to leave meekly, so I emulated Tess Monaghan, unabashedly talking my way in. Such a small victory, really, but so exhilarating.