David Daniel column in July 17, 2022, Boston Globe print edition

Congratulations to our frequent blogging colleague David Daniel who has a column in the Ideas section of today’s Boston Globe print edition. (The column with photos of Dave in action is on the Globe website).

“The blind courage of the book signing” perfectly captures the highs and lows of author events at bookstores. Mostly Dave reminds us how much we miss carefree in person events from before the pandemic. (I say “carefree” because even though plenty of in person events have resumed, the threat of Covid continues to lurk as much was we might pretend otherwise).

Dave’s prose is consistently outstanding but the content he submitted to the Globe exceeds his already high standards. Here’s a sampling:

Signings, or author events, were an act of blind faith that set you out there for the world to see — but mostly ignore. Although no one threw rocks or anything and there were people who’d come and you were glad for the contact with readers, the events were exercises in uncertainty.

You’d sit in a mall or a book emporium — Borders, Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, Brentano’s, and a lot more independent booksellers were around then — amidst a soft insinuation of Muzak, and wonder: Is tonight the night? Will rockets flare and sales soar? Does the industry see you poised for takeoff to the stratosphere? Or will it be another grind, an agonizing crawl of minutes until the appointed hour arrives when, chagrined, you pocket your pens and whatever tatters of pride remain and slink home?

So please check out Dave’s column, and is teased at the end of it, watch for his forthcoming book, “Beach Town” which is set on his native South Shore and will be published in 2023 by Loom Press. Also, please visit Dave’s page on Amazon for many of his previous titles.