we discovered last fall, in blog world, that we were connected, through many different avenues,
and mutual close friends. amazingly, we had never crossed paths in real life. until…..
i attended a wonderful and unusual book signing at our local ann arbor senior center,
with guest author, susie sexton.
susie read and offered anecdotes from her book,
and local Roy Sexton, Susie Duncan Sexton’s son,
(known throughout Michigan for his cabaret style performances),
sang some of his mom’s favorite musical show tunes.
they kept the audience laughing and clapping.
and roy was there to support his mother’s wonderful endeavor.
Susie Duncan Sexton – is a writer, political pundit, arts critic, animal rights advocate, (and mother of Roy) – has her own column on Jennifer Zartman Romano’s “Talk of the Town.” The column offers observations of growing up in a small Indiana town – the culture, the anecdotes, the legends, the gossip, the joys, the heartaches – and what Sexton has learned about life ever since. She also writes a column “Homeward Angle” for the Columbia City Post and Mail, and she recently published two books, “Secrets of an Old Typewriter,” and “More Secrets of an Old Typewriter.”
and just yesterday, i attended son roy’s own book signing,
at a new ann arbor local independent community bookstore, bookbound.
and susie was there to return the favor.
as roy shares a piece from his book, about growing up with films all around him,
susie is happily surprised by a shared love of favorite movies,
with yet another closely connected audience member, john.
roy (snarky and smart blogging movie reviewer), sang,
(accompanied by his longtime friend and fellow theater musician, rebecca biber),
and read and answered questions.
and susie was there to support him.
book bound owners, megan and peter blackshear
(former borders bargain book-buyer extraordanaire)
graciously hosted the event
in support of local authors.
they may have to create a ‘sexton section’ in the store.
only open seven months,
this store has brought a much needed bookstore to the north side of ann arbor.
and roy’s first book,
Reel Roy Reviews Volume 1: Keepin’ it Real.
has been making it’s way around the world.
there were so many sextons, so little time……
and i was so happy to be a part of it all,
and in awe of the heartfelt and mutual support shared by all.
——
links:
Susie’s blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5161078.Susie_Duncan_Sexton/blog
Roy’s Blog: http://www.reelroyreviews.com
Susie’s author website: http://www.susieduncansexton.com
Roy’s theatre group: http://www.pennyseats.org
Bookstore: http://www.bookboundbookstore.com
What a cool blog post.
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thank you akriti )
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🙂
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Six degrees is right, how cool a family of Authors ..the family that writes together stays together. 🙂 x
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they are jen ,and you might be right )
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🙂 x
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thanks so much!!
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What fun- to meet a blogger in person, and attend her reading. What a talented mother-son team.
Great to have a new bookstore. We just lost our local one due to severe winter flooding- the entire store ruined and the owner can’t reopen, even with insurance payments. Sad.
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we love Beth – she is so gracious to introduce us virtually to her wonderful friends here. thank you!
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) to roy
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and two of them, and from the same family, and connected to other friends, it was so lucky. and sorry about your bookstore, cg )
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Great post Beth. Thank you for the introduction.
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hi, Paul! greetings from cyberspace – nice to meet you too!
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you’re very welcome paul, and thanks for reading and commenting )
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Just love the character that independent bookstores possess – can’t pass one without going in and buying a “few” treasures. What a great name for Susie’s book…secrets of an old typewriter is pretty genius! Great post showcasing a talented family, Beth. ~Karen~
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thanks! I’m really proud of my mom – and of Beth – two great souls for sure! as are you!
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)
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Best wishes for continued success! 🙂 ~Karen~
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Thank you!
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thanks and it’s easy to showcase such a family, karen
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how absolutely lovely!!! you are such a doll and such a wonderful friend, Beth! WE are the lucky ones to have someone like you in our lives. we love you!!!!
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the pleasure is mine, roy (and susie)
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To the Sextons, mother and son: Bravo! Bravissimo! That’s a great thing for Susie, Roy, Ann Arbor, Bookhound, and the world, Beth. Hey, in Syracuse, there’s a big and vibrant Sexton clan that gave the world Martin Sexton, wonderful singer, guitarist and songwriter who tours the nation and the world. I wonder if they are related, another degree of Sexton-ation?
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thank you so much, Mark! alas, we are not related, but I love Martin Sexton too. so talented!!
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I hope Martin discovers your work, too, Roy. Thank you so much for reacting to my comment. Congratulations, and good wishes for more success to come for you and your mom.
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yep, they seem to be quite a cool and talented clan. thanks for answering the martin question, roy )
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my pleasure! 🙂
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I have become friends with local bloggers through the blog world first and I think that there is something to be said to it. There is a different mentality we have as writers. Don’t you think? We feel like a family instantly! Kind of like people who connect via certain hobby. Like art or crafts or even flying. I remember when I was much younger and would see a long trailer being pulled behind a vehicle and would see the “soaring” sticker somewhere on their trailer or car and the universal sign is a thumbs up sign so would drive by an give a thumbs up and it was like this instant family feeling. lol. I feel the sameway here. If I met YOU for instance at a party randomly. HOW cool would that be?! Or if someone I knew in my life had a family member that was a blogger that I read regularly I’d be over the moon, I know it. So funny.
I can imagine what fun this was for you! Thanks so much for sharing! I hope this happens to us all in way or another someday as we continue to click those keys!
xoo
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beautifully put – some of our best friends – like Beth – have been discovered (and vice versa) virtually. it’s wonderful that we can now transcend the limits of geography and happenstance to find the folks we truly love!
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i agree, and what fun we would all have. perhaps we should set something up in the middle? hawaii? kind of in the middle of australia and north america and most everywhere else )
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sorry…. I just reread this and must have been in a hurry! Hope you can decipher!
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no worries, cm. i read kindergarten speak, this is nothing. )
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I am awarding you The Butterfly Light award if you don’t accept awards, sorry about that, it’s just my way of saying thank you for coming by. For more details, please view this post http://wp.me/p41c99-ME Take care, Sage
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thank you so much, sage. that was very kind of you )
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You’re welcome!
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I really liked this post! I love local bookstores, am sad our Beehive Books, with its little coffee shop inside, didn’t last. I respect you for taking the time to go to senior citizen’s center, we have an Arbors where I worked for 4 years as an Activities Director. I love this way you are connected and got to meet more people than you expected and not many strangers either! Smiles, Robin
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beth is amazing! we are so lucky to have her in our lives!
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thanks robin, that’s great that you did that, i can see you as begin the perfect person for that job. and these meet ups/author events were so fun for all of us )
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You went to a few different ones, which is so cool that you took the time to do this for Roy and Susie, too. Also, love the way you insert your little opinions, which are funny! You have the ability to be able to connect people together and find yourself smack dab in the middle of the most interesting situations, too!
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She sure does! Beth is wonderful!
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well, robin you know i always have my opinions and i love connecting and being in the mix of all the fun )
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oh, my word! beth is a spectacular person…I love her forever…wow and double wow!!!! she is FAMILY…how did she happen to us? aren’t we lucky? so honored that wonderful beth features me and royboy but the neat part is that she features also the independent book store … and best of all is that she is a master blogger/writer regardless of the subject matter. holy zounds! this is amazing!
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amen, Susie! beautifully put!
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aw, wowie, zowie, susie. thanks and the pleasure is mine.
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I read this story this morning, Beth, before my own book signing. It was a good bolster for my confidence. Thanks to you and to the Sextons.
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Thanks, andra! Hope it was a great success!
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thanks andra, and i hope it all went well for you )
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Hmmm, the kind of event I would love to attend 🙂
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thanks, Eric!
On Sun, Apr 27, 2014 at 8:28 PM, I didn’t have my glasses on…. wrote:
> Eric Alagan commented: “Hmmm, the kind of event I would love to attend > :-)” >
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oh, eric you should have flown in from singapore for these events, you would have loved them )
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LOVE everything about this!
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thanks, Maumie!
On Mon, Apr 28, 2014 at 10:55 AM, I didn’t have my glasses on…. wrote:
> maumie commented: “LOVE everything about this!” >
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me too, and thanks )
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One of my sisters lives just outside of Ann Arbor. I’ll have to check out that bookstore the next time I visit her!
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it’s so wonderful, Faith!
On Mon, Apr 28, 2014 at 4:13 PM, I didn’t have my glasses on…. wrote:
> Faith Simone commented: “One of my sisters lives just outside of Ann > Arbor. I’ll have to check out that bookstore the next time I visit her!” >
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fantastic, and thanks, faith )
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Sounds like it was a terrific event. I’ll be sure to check out their links.
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Thank you! Love your avatar!!
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I’d have to say that yours is nothing to sneeze at either, Roy. 🙂
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Aw shucks!
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they were both great, and i’m sure you’ll like what you find, thanks for reading and commenting, peak )
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What a cool family! So multi-talented.
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they really are, and i agree about the bookstore name too )
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y’all have made my day! thanks for this glorious blog and these fantastic fans of the blog and their kind comments!
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Yay!
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And Book bound is a cool name for a bookstore.
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Thanks! Really appreciate that! We do our best!
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Wow! A response from Roy himself! I’m going to be in Ann Arbor this July. I may have to stop in!
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Excellent! Peter and Megan have a great store there
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Don’t you just love indie bookstores?!
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i do, jadi!
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I love printed version of books, I love book stores (may they ever flourish). Congratulations, Beth!
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Such fun we had!
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we did indeed, roy, you guys are a great source of fun )
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me too and i agree, thanks doc )
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Thanks for the follow, Beth…
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my pleasure )
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it was good to read this piece again; a shared joy of reading, the joy of community through the arts
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thank you, john –
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