My mother-in-law, Marie Jackson of Commerce City, Colorado, is one of the world’s friendliest women. Recently, she was in her local library, and, overcome by an irresistible urge to boost her son-in-law, she told the librarian that I had recently published The Coup. Right away, the librarian looked up the book in some super-exclusive data base available only to librarians, and discovered that somebody in the library system–some individual or commission possessed of uncommon insight and taste–had awarded The Coup four stars. (We’re just going to presume that this was four out of a possible four, not five or ten or a Milky Way galaxy of possible stars.) So right away, right on the spot–because that’s how they do things out west, no prissy prevaricating– the librarian ordered a copy for his branch. So thanks, Marie, and thanks, librarian, and thanks, rankers in the ranking system. Soon we hope to send Marie on a tour of every branch in the system, to see if she can work her magic again.
Meanwhile, a great many other libraries have bought the book. Here’s a thanks to the River Forest IL Public Library; the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library; the Richland County, SC, Public Library; the Washington Township Public Library in Morris County, NJ; the Dayton Ohio Metro Library; the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District; the Morley Library, whose website is reticent about the city and state where it is located, but fairly clear that the building is on Phelps Street, between North State Street and North St. Clair Street, one block south of East Erie Street (Route 20); the Greene County, Ohio, Public Library; the James V. Brown Memorial Library in Williamsport PA; the Brown County Library in Green Bay WI: the Boonslick Regional Library, Missouri; the Tulsa City-County Library; the Bellingham WA Public Library; the Stratford, Ontario, Public Library; the Salt Lake County (presumably UT) Library Services; the Rogers Memorial Library; the Abbot Public Library in Marbelhead, Massachusetts; the Newton MA Free Library; the Webster Groves MO Library; the Three Rivers PA Library District; the Oshkosh WI Public Library; the Ramsey MN Library; the Tacoma WA Public Library; the Yorba Linda CA (birthplace of Richard Nixon) Public Library; the Bloomingdale IL Public Library; the Cambridge, Mass., Public Library; the Upper Hutt City Library; the Hill Memorial Library, somewhere in New Hampshire; the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System in Plattsburg NY; the Auckland City Libraries in Australia; the Saratoga NY Public Library; the Stevens County Rural Library District, Washington; the Sudbury MA Library; and the LaPorte IN Public Library. Thank you, one and all.
Meanwhile, back to Colorado for a final word. Lynsey Gilchrist, a student at the University of Colorado who did a splendid job interning in Playboy’s editorial offices in Manhattan this past summer, sent an email the other day that says “I saw someone at the gym reading your book today. I was very excited and almost stopped her but thought she might not appreciate that in the middle of her run :)” Lynsey, here’s a lesson: never be afraid to approach someone, even a total stranger in the middle of a run; if there’s even a small chance of soliciting any sort of compliment for me. But thanks for the news.