Honest Abe Freaked Me Out

This is Abe Lincoln, gesturing at the hotel he stayed in before he gave the Gettsyburg Address. This isn't really Lincoln, it's a statue.That crafty Abe. The hotel I stayed in was across the square from his, which now houses a thrift shop and some tourism knick-knack shops.Too bad about that. Civil War tourism isn't just for the senior set, y'all!

Down the street from Abe and me are the Thai restaurant where I had dinner with some of my hosts' finest creative writing students (excellent company, guys, and outstanding ginger shrimp, too) and later, drinks with old and new friends at a charming bistro, where people walked in and out and sat down from drinks (or left to get a burger and came back.)

I got to play "visiting writer" at Gettysburg College one night this week, and had a blast. I love reading in a comfy, informal room, and the forty or more students asked really incisive questions, laughed in the right places, and impressed me with their smartness. And the bookstore damn near sold out of Invisible Sisters!

And what a joy to see my friends and teachers K & F, too!


(This photo from the NYTimes because I can't seem to download my G'burg photos from my phone.)