An American Tale 2: Alisha Goes West
Can the sequel ever beat the original? We're about to find out.
I’ve been telling people while on tour that my pop culture and literary tastes are best described as “eclectic nostalgia,” and I think that’s fairly accurate. So today, as I pack my only-just-unpacked suitcase to head out to LA to kick off the next leg of Someone’s Gotta Give events, it’s unsurprising that the image that keeps popping into my head meets that criteria.
That plucky young Fievel is on my mind as I get ready to fly allllllll the way over to the West Coast for three events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. If you, like me and Fievel, have gone west, I’d love to see you there.
*Monday Oct 6 - Los Angeles: In conversation with the INCREDIBLE genius that is Gloria Calderon Kellett at Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica at 6pm.
*Weds Oct 8 - San Francisco: My amazing brother and brother-in-law are throwing me a happy hour. Come for the vino, stay for the Gnarly dance? 5:30-7:30pm
*Sat Oct 11 - Seattle: Brilliant philanthropy expert and fellow musical theater lover Emily Inslee and I will be lighting up the floor at Elliott Bay Book Company at 7pm
For those of you more virtually inclined, I’d also love to catch you at the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy book club on Zoom on October 14th.
As to my question in the subtitle — can the sequel ever beat the original? — well, we’ll just have to see. Tour Part 1 is going to be a hard act to follow. Thirteen events, 7 flights, 2 Acela journeys, a million hugs, a thousand chocolate chip cookies and a THIRD week on the USA Today Bestseller list! (Thank you guys!!): I should be exhausted but mostly I just feel exhilarated.
The way people have embraced this story, and Lucia, has been the biggest delight of many delights. “I didn’t want to finish the book,” Jen C. told me in Washington. “Because I didn’t want Lucia to be out of my life.” Truly all I have ever desired with my writing is to create a character that people can hold in their hearts like the many characters I adore from books, movies and tv. That includes Fievel (and his hardworking sister Tanya, shoutout to my fellow eldest daughters), who still makes me cry a little and smile a lot when I think of him.
(Full disclosure: I can’t remember if the American Tale movies got cancelled for something. They might have. I seem to recall Bridget and Tony having horrifically stereotypical accents. But I dare you to listen to “Somewhere Out There” and not shed a tear or 30 when Fievel’s voice cracks on that high note.)
After this round of jetsetting, I’m staying put in the UK for a blissful few months. If you want to catch me on this side of the pond, I’ll be at Fettes College, Bicester Village, our Clean Money ethical fundraising debate or a freshly announced lunch with the Harvard Club in London. Please please come along. And please keep telling your friends about Someone’s Gotta Give - word of mouth has been crucial to the success of this book and I owe that to all of you.
May I see you on tour and may your streets be paved with cheese.
With love,
Alisha