Tony at the Merch Table

If you’ve attended one of my events over the past couple of years, I hope you’ve swung by the “merch” table. To buy a book or a T-shirt or a Sneezing Cow can koozie, sure (I’ve still got a kid in college), but also to notice how neatly those books and T-shirts are arranged and maintained, and to meet Tony, the fellow wearing a maroon shirt in this photo. Tony and I have put on thousands of van miles together, setting up shop in cozy theatre lobbies, drafty theatre lobbies, libraries, convention centers, windy outdoor parks, echoing gyms, old barns, places with elevators, places without elevators…and every step of the way Tony does the lugging and loading, sets things up and packs things up, runs the cash register, and most importantly of all, treats each person who approaches the table with respect and thoughtfulness. And then it’s back in the van to do it again. I am especially grateful because for decades I did every bit of this myself. Tony and I have passed countless hours sharing our stories; we’ve passed other countless hours in silence, with Tony at the wheel and me at the keyboard, working on the next book. Which Tony will find a place for somewhere amongst the merch. Thank you, Tony. (And behind the scenes, Ben, “other” Mike, and Becky).