Dispatch 11: Chris Cander and The Weight of A Piano come back home

February 22, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 11, back in Houston.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

As much as I’ve enjoyed being on the road, it’s been great being back home the past few days. And while my family is proud of me and supportive of my work, they also like it when I return to my usual post in the kitchen. And laundry room. And driver’s seat… Continue reading

Dispatch 10: Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano go to New York City

February 15, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 10 from New York City.

February 7, 2019

Not only because I dedicated the book to her, but because I love being with my daughter, Sasha, I invited her to join me in NYC for my event at the gorgeous McNally-Jackson Books. She originally said she couldn’t miss school that week, but on Monday, she called and said her schedule was light and she really wanted to be there. So on Wednesday, she flew up from Houston—by herself, clever girl!—and was able to be with us last night for a truly memorable event. Continue reading

Dispatch 9: Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano make it to Springfield, Mass

February 13, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 9 from Springfield, Massachusetts.

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

I caught the train from Penn Station to Springfield, Mass for a relaxing, 3-hour ride. About the time we were to arrive, the train stopped. Nobody said anything, nobody moved. I assumed we were letting a southbound train pass, as we had a while earlier. My friend was at the station waiting for me, and sent a text asking if we were late. Finally, just as the train started moving again, I asked the conductor what was happening, and he said, “Springfield was twenty minutes ago! Why didn’t you get off?” Continue reading

Dispatch 8: Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano go to Washington D.C.

February 9, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 8 from Washington D.C.. 

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Sunday morning, in Washington D.C., I rushed down to the hotel lobby to pick up copies of the New York Times and the Washington Post, both of which ran their wonderful reviews of The Weight of a Piano. The day could’ve ended happily right then, but it was just the beginning of what would be one of the best of the tour thus far.

My sister Sara, whose birthday is today, had joined me for the weekend, so naturally we had cupcakes for breakfast. The reading at Politics and Prose, which is one of the 6 stores to choose The Weight of a Piano for their Signed First Edition Club, was at 1 pm—early  enough to satisfy those who are both book lovers and football fans. My agent Continue reading

Dispatch 7: Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano go from Mississippi to Tennessee

February 6, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 7 from Mississippi to Tennessee. 

Friday, February 1, 2019

My new friend and sales rep Jess Pearson and I made a pilgrimage to William Faulkner’s grave before starting our road trip from Oxford, Mississippi to Nashville via the peaceful, historical Natchez Trace Parkway. It was a long drive, so we stopped in Collinwood for a cup of coffee and some sugar-free fudge, and then at my editor Gary’s house in Franklin, where I got to see The Weight of a Piano lined up alphabetically next to Peter Carey and Raymond Carver and others on the wall of shelves containing all the books he’s ever edited. Swoon. Continue reading

Houston author Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano go to Oxford, Mississippi

February 5, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 6 from Oxford, Mississippi. 

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Oxford, Mississippi is a true gem, “the cultural mecca of the South.” We stopped at the home of Richard and Lisa Howorth, owners of the renowned Square Books, where we’ll spend the night. I can already tell I want to be friends with them forever. (Gary and Richard and I were feeling the love for The Weight of a Piano in store’s Valentine’s Day-themed window display!) Over lunch at Proud Larry’s, I learned about Oxford’s literary history, including the fact that theirs is the only town square in the south with four bookstores. Continue reading

Dispatch 5: Houston author Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano go to Jackson, Mississippi

January 31, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 5 from Jackson, Mississippi. 

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

How apropos to take The Weight of a Piano to Mississippi, the “birthplace of America’s music”. It’s also home to one of the most gorgeous bookstores I’ve seen: Lemuria Books in Jackson, owned by John and Mel Evans. John invited me to peruse the special, locked room filled floor to ceiling with signed first editions by the likes of Eudora Welty and William Faulkner, and it felt like being in church. After signing 300+ books (gorgeously covered in mylar, which makes the gold foil on the cover shine even more) for their Signed First Editions Club, we headed down to their event space. Continue reading

Dispatch 4: Houston author Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano go to Fairhope, Alabama

January 30, 2019, by

Houston author Chris Cander’s “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week blog series of reflections and updates along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano (published by Knopf), continues with Dispatch 4 from Fairhope, Alabama. 

Fellow writer and dear friend Caroline Leech panicked this morning when she found out I didn’t have what she thought was adequate outerwear to endure the Polar vortex that is bearing down on the US during this leg of the book tour. In full mama-mode, she quickly wrapped her own scarf around me and wished me and my friend Dina, who’s joining me for two days, luck as we headed off to IAH. The flight to Mobile, Alabama was easy and uneventful, as was the drive to the gorgeous little town of Fairhope, which sits on bluffs that overlook Mobile Bay. Continue reading

Dispatch 3: Chris Cander and The Weight of a Piano go to Dallas

January 28, 2019, by

Last week AnOpenBookBlog kicked off a blog series by Houston author Chris Cander, “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week series of reflections and updates by Chris along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano published by Knopf. Here is Dispatch 3 from Dallas:

Thursday, January 24, 2019

One of the best things about being on book tour is reconnecting with old friends. I met Nancy Allen when we were in the same workshop at Sewanee Writers’ Conference in 2016, and when she found out I’d be in Dallas, she invited me to stay with her. Not only that, but I had dinner with members of her book club, who’ve been together for 46 years.  Continue reading

Author Chris Cander takes her novel The Weight of a Piano to Austin

January 25, 2019, by

Yesterday AnOpenBookBlog kicked off a blog series by Houston author Chris Cander, “Dispatches from Book Tour,” a multi-week series of reflections and updates by Chris along her 17-city U.S. book tour for her new novel The Weight of a Piano published by Krnopf. Here is Dispatch 2 from Austin:

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

How have I only just discovered Vonlane?? Why drive yourself when you can nap on this luxury bus ride from Houston to Austin? I woke up, thinking I was still dreaming, to the news that the day after its release, The Weight of a Piano has already gone into its third printing. Continue reading