Buon Viaggio!

Last October I got this email and thought it was a joke:

Dear Sir,
I am a literary translator and a journalist.
I often work with Mattioli 1885, the Italian publisher who is trying to bring your books back to Italy.
I know that the deal for the reprinting of “Famous Potatoes” is still in the works, but it also seems that it is a matter of days before it is official.
I was very curious and intrigued when Mattioli told me they would be willing to reprint your book, which I never had the opportunity to read but which I’d heard of.
I am the art director of an interesting music and literature festival, not far from Milan and from the headquarters of your publisher.
Your publisher has decided to bring you over to Italy to promote “Famous Potatoes” and has decided to take care of all your expenses (flight fare, food and lodging). We’d be delighted to have you appear at our festival, which will take place between the 10th and the 17th of May 2009.
You would be with us for the whole week and participate in a series of events. The festival started as a music festival only but now it is both a music and literature festival.
The music still plays a major role and we try to always make references to it, but you don’t need to be an expert…
You can visit our website (which is in Italian and English) on this page:
http://www.festivalbluespiacenza.it/fbn/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=145&Itemid=27&lang=en
In 2009, we should have the likes of: Jeffery Deaver, Joe Lansdale, Ronald Everett Capps, Anne Perry, David Liss, David Fulmer, Laura Lippman etc.
Please let me know what you think.
All best.

Well, it wasn't a joke. Tomorrow I board a flight to Milan. For 3 weeks I'll be reading (and singing!) throughout northern Italy. I'll be on Italian national radio. I've already been interviewed by an Italian newspaper. It's all a little weird for an old La Honda hippie who makes his living as a building contractor and has never been to Europe.

I don't know whether I'll be able to post from Italy (I hear the electrons are metric over there), (that's a contractor joke), but in any case I return jet-lagged and groggy on Tuesday night, May 26 to the land where we measure in feet and inches. Wednesday, May 27 I'll be at Sullivan's Pub for the monthly reading. Come on down and I'll tell you what happened.

Ciao.