This non-vacation/vacation from the keyboard was prompted by my moving my base of operations from upstate NY to California. This coast-to-coast shift was about as taxing as anything I have ever done.But it's completed. Done. Over. Finished.
Y gracias Dios.
And the draft of The Devil's Pipeline? Pardon the pun but it is still in the pipeline. The plan is to get the completed manuscript off to a New York publisher this fall for an agreed-upon look-see. But in the meantime, I have another potential writing project in mind, a la a well-known, well-loved John Steinbeck book, Travels with Charley.
If you haven't read this short tome, pick it up. I read snippets years ago. Now I am rereading it in its entirety as I plan a cross-country trip of my own beginning in early September.
I don't have dog named Charley, or any dog actually. But I do have a pickup truck and time. Lots of time.
My Travels will start in New York City, from the same spot I left in 1970 driving a blue, 1964 VW van. That two-month cross-country tour ended in Napa, Calif.
I will retrace many of the steps I took along that route. But this time I will be solo piloting a 1990 Nissan pickup truck with a camper shell. And my journey will be viewed through the eyes of novelist & journalist, not a brand-new dad with his wife, three-month-old son and a coal black cat named Mr. Kitter aboard.I have no idea what will come out of this trip: A handful of daily blogs (Posted on The Captain's Blog), a magazine article or two - or even a book about the America I find. I won't know until I head out and return.
Steinbeck explains this far better on the first page of Travels with Charley.
"We all find after years of struggle, that we do not take a trip, a trip takes us."
Good luck man, sounds fun!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great trip and a great writing idea, although I always liked Log From The Sea Of Cortez better than Travels. My first thought was that you need a name for the truck, although I hear both Rocinante & Further are taken. And a dog, unless you already have Merry Pranksters you gotta have a dog. Will there be any Gonzo in this? Anne and I can't wait to read about it. Best...
ReplyDeleteA name for the truck and dog... Agreed... But too sure about getting a pooch and then trying to drive him/her across country. My luck lately, I would get a dog that gets violently car sick! This will be a Gonzo trip thought. All the way....
ReplyDeleteHow 'bout Log from the Seer of America? You could have a plastic dog as a hood ornament. Low maintenance and they'll always have plenty of air.
ReplyDeleteI hope a worthy dog will find you on this trip
ReplyDeleteSuzanne J