On the radio

This site is an open journal about publishing this book: The Given Self.

It’s probably been a while since I intimated a desire to give up on the marketing end of book publishing. I’ve nearly done it, but not quite.

Take, for instance, the idea that you will do radio interviews.

Now, for one thing, this is difficult for me because I don’t listen to the radio. Well, okay, every once in a while, I turn it on when I’m in the car. The fact that each time I do I end up scribbling myself a note about some great new song I’ve heard, doesn’t get me to do it more often. It doesn’t get me to learn how to put that song on my computer. I’ve got, at any given time, a half-dozen bank slips with song titles written on them in my purse though. Then, when I get a chance, I ask music savvy people, “Have you ever heard of Dan Wilson?” Usually, the answer is “Yes.” Then I’ll give them my guess at the name of the song I liked. With the click of a finger and a cell phone, blackberry, or whatever kind of device they have in their pocket, they’ll find the correct title. I’ll revise my note. That’s as far as it goes.

I never listen to talk radio. Occasionally I’ve listened to a Twins game. Basically, it seems to me that listening to the radio is something you do if you’re alone and bored. When I’m alone, I sigh in relief for the quiet. When I’m alone in my car, I’ve really gotten so I enjoy the freedom – maybe because my car broke down not long ago and I missed her while she was awaiting repairs. She’s a 2001 PT Cruiser. When I first got her, other Cruiser drivers would honk at me and people in grocery store parking lots would ask how I liked the car and want a peak inside the door. I’m sentimental about her, I guess. I named her Maurice after a song I still can’t ever remember the title of. But anyway, unless the drive is long or I’m feeling a restless energy, we ride in silence.

So you take this easy sounding thing – start with talk radio in your local area. You get on the internet and try to find out which talk radio shows aren’t right wing political diatribes. You delete those, and then you try to guess which ones might be interested in the arts. It’s a long and laborious process.

I found one woman I’m going to give a try though. Get this. There was this section – a kind of “get to know the host” question and answer section on the station’s website. When asked what her pet peeve was, this woman, host of Steele Talkin, said, “Cleanliness.” I thought – ‘She and I could get along.’

I told my mother- and sister-in-law about her while they were over working with Donny to make 9 dozen spinach and meat pies. They’d started before I got home from work. Donny hadn’t put the morning dishes away. They were going up and down the stairs to the basement where we’ve got more kitchen equipment than you can shake a stick at, including a warming oven (at least I think that’s what it’s called), and a big industrial mixer. To make spinach and meat pies, you mix the dough, set the dough in little balls, pound the dough after its risen, fill the dough, and then pinch it into little triangles and bake it. The table and counters were laden with bowls, flouer, pounding areas, pans, spoons, and big trays of beautiful, golden brown pies already done. The floor and steps were littered. Talking of this Jearlyn Steele and her pet peeve, I said, “I feel so much more comfortable in a house that isn’t perfect.”

Graciously, my mother- and sister-in-law agreed that I was comfortable with a mess. They started talking about people who’d wash your wooden spoon before you were done with it with great disdain.

Being peeved by cleanliness is a great conversation starter. I figure this woman knows what she’s doing on the radio. I figure if I can interest her in talking to me, we’ll have a great time. Check her out if you care to – she’s a fine looking woman besides – I mean you just know by looking at her that she’s got stuff to say:
http://www.wccoradio.com/pages/3457.php

But it still feels like a shot in the dark…even when you find someone who isn’t too keen on cleanliness. You might not think this bodes too well for me: one shot in the dark radio personality whom I feel I can approach with ease. Actually there are two more, both former patrons of our former coffee shop. One will remember me. The other will remember my daughters if I drop their names.

I just can’t see that it makes any more sense to send out massive inquiries to every radio program in town than it does to send the awful group e-mails. Call me old-fashioned, behind the times, or just plain contrary, but this is how I feel. And you can’t put out a book called The Given Self and go against yourself and your best instincts too much. It just won’t fly.