How much does a Hemingway?

This post has nothing to do with the title. I just liked the way it sounds. My weekend in the Great Northwoods, clearing my head and working up a new strategy for promoting The Floating Man accomplished a few things—none of them having anything to do with promoting the book. First I learned that Scotch blended whisky makes a better whisky sour than American bourbon. Something I learned only by happenstance when my bottle of Southern Comfort fell off the countertop and broke—should never attempt to mix a drink sober. I am now a Cutty Sark man, thanks to an ancient bottle my brother had stored in case our late departed Uncle John stopped by.

The second thing I learned is that my brother thinks he is a landscape artist. He is. Just not so much when he’s been drinking. Much of Sunday afternoon was spent moving large Oak tree trunks into various configurations. After each move my brother would ascend to the large deck that overlooks his property leading to lovely Lake Peppermill and survey his kingdom. Then he would make a command decision to rearrange all the fallen Oaks into yet another configuration. This process went on for much of the afternoon until mercifully, his hernia and my back started to act up.

The third thing I learned is that you can’t do everything yourself. It’s good to have friends. While nursing my back with a Cutty Sark sour I checked my email and blog comments; and there, in the musings of my friends was the key to my book promotion. Roxanne wrote that I should do some interviews at local community college radio stations and contact our former communications manager for a life after work article. Joe wants me to send copies of my book to Oprah and other celebrities. And Steve my webguy sent me links to various free sites that promote books.

So now I won’t have to chop my ear off à la Van Gogh to promote my book. Besides, that thinking outside the box strategy that everyone talks about is highly overrated. Ever notice that when anyone actually comes up with an outside the box strategy—like chopping off an ear or staging your own kidnapping—everyone unanimously agrees that it is a stupid idea?

Almost forgot. I figured out how much a Hemingways. Not nearly as much as an Oak tree.