Last week Mike, Hanni and I brought a copy of Safe & Sound down to Hackney’s, our local tavern. Jim — one of the owners — Showed the book off to everyone at the bar. I was so busy answering questions about the illustrator – “He lives in a farm house two hours north of Minneapolis.”, “No, I didn’t know him before. The publisher chose him.” “Hanni and I took a bus up there from Chicago, he watched us working together and sent sample drawings to Mike.” “Oil. each page is a painting. He did them in oil.” — that I didn’t notice Jim slip away downstairs.
When Jim re-emerged, he had a couple of bottles in hand. Champagne! Not only that, but real champagne glasses, too. Oo la la! Everyone in the bar that night celebrated with us.
Cheers to Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound. And cheers to Hackney’s, too.
Hanni is a rock star! I hope you are prepared!
I know what you mean –I hope all this celebrity doesn’t go to her head!
It doesn’t surprise me that children who read your book are going to want puppies of their own. Actually, not only children, but people who just need that little extra nudge to get themselves that special, faithful companion. Hanni is such a love, and the book is just beautiful.
Hi Beth! A few folks here in Arkansas have seen your book–and a few are pleased to know it is out in Braille. I see you have a baby grand piano in your place. Who plays? I was a piano major in college but switched to English after I realized I did not like to practice for 5 hours a day. My technic has gone downhill since.
Katie
Kaite,
I’m the one who plays the piano. It is *not* a baby grand, ahem. It is a SEVEN FOOT MONSTER. We weren’t sure it would make it into our 7th floor apartment in Chicago and I lost all my fingernails witnessing the movers needle it through to our unit. It’s here now, though — I’d love to hear you play it!
DELIGHTED to hear soem fols in Little Rock are excited about the Braille version of “Safe & Sound.” Must say, I think it’s pretty cool myself.
[…] About « Hanni’s Namesake: Hans Solo […]
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Billy Balducci is a total hottie? Beth, my sister Joanna knows you…think you could hook something up? haha
Billy, stop posing as Christina S., will you?
Beth, great book, great site!
Jim I think Christina S. is a legitimate eamail address. I guess no one else has ever mentioned to you before what a hottie that Billy Barducci is? I know Billy has been telling *me* what a handsome guy he is ever since I first met him.
Well I think WE’VE all known that Billy’s hot- now the world knows!
Beth,
You need to loan Hanni out to Billy. The women in Chicago would be defenseless…don’t you forget who her best friend is at work…
Beth,
I am Amy Edge Dinsmore’s (your niece Jenn’s good friend)mother. I am a teacher or hearing impaired children. I recently purchased your book and I treasure it! It is beautiful in every way. The art work is amazing and the story is just wonderful. I love Hanni! I love that you wrote it from her point of view. I plan to use it with my students, as soon as I am able to read it without weeping so much! I moves me to tears every time I read it. I think it will help my students on many levels. One, is to understand how other people deal with their disability.
Thank you for sharing this part of your life in such a personal, lovely way. I love your book.
Kathy Edge
Kathy,
Thank you so much for commenting on my blog! Compliments from you, a teacher of kids with hearing impairments, are extremely high praise! I am trying to hook up with a conference or two in Orlando in 2008, you know, give a session or some such, then perhaps a reading and signing at Urban Think Bookstore? If that happens, I’d love to come to your school and meet your students while I am there. Let’s stay in touch.
In the meantime –THANKS for reading my blog. And ESPECIALLY thanks for reading Safe & Sound!
Oh, Beth, that would be fabulous! I am no longer in the classroom, I travel from school to school, but I could help arrange a visit to one of our programs for deaf/hard of hearing students. That would be such a great experience. I look forward to meeting you in person some day!
Kathy
[…] My Date with Billy Balducci Published August 26, 2008 Hanni , Seeing Eye dogs , blindness , dogblog , guide dogs Tags: Hackney’s, hottie, Julie Taylor, sighted guide, White Sox You know who Billy Balducci is, right? The bartender at Hackney’s, our local tavern? The guy sitting next to me in that photo from an October blog post? You know, the post called Cheers!? […]
[…] Billy Balducci to the rescue.You remember who Billy Balducci is, right? The bartender at Hackney’s, our local tavern? The guy sitting next to me in that photo from an October, 2007 blog post called Cheers!? […]
[…] dog got carded last week. Not at Hackney’s, don’t be silly. Everyone there knows Whitney is 21 (in dog […]
[…] followers know Billy as the guy sitting next to me in a photo we originally published with a 2007 blog post called Cheers! — Mike and I are fortunate to know him as a dear friend. He and his wife Kathleen’s son […]
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