Photo Essay: The Launch of CLOG!

Pot-bellied editor-author strides to the front of the room to read from CLOG!

With ex-Business Journal boys: Jim Lindsey (left), John Montgomery

Waiting for a signed copy.

Reading (with mouth closed) from CLOG!

Chatting with friend Andrea Brunais.

Grandgirl Madeline with Jeff Rigdon, the Viking.

John Montgomery, Anne Piedmont chat.

Hollins President Nancy Gray listens to the reading.

Roland Lazenby's new Michael Jordan bio is due out soon.

Oz roared into the room during the reading and took over.

Theater boys Ernie Zulia and Todd Ristau.

Signing Dan Radmacher's copy of CLOG!

It was a golden evening in every sense. The crowd was big and lively, Oz showed up and charmed everybody in the room, and the newly minted novelist reveled in all that attention. This was last night at Hollins University for the launch of my new book, CLOG!

I don't recall having more fun in such a short period with so many people that I simply adore. At one point the brain power in the Green Drawing Room was so overwhelming that I considered excusing myself so I could breathe.

Among those attending were my former colleagues at the Blue Ridge Business Journal, Jim Lindsey and John Montgomery. The photo of us above is an almost exact copy (sans our tuxedos) of the one taken of us the night I was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame in Richmond. These boys show up and I appreciate that. John's magazine, Play by Play, has a lovely review by Gene Marrano of CLOG! this month.

My son's family spent the day in D.C. yesterday, getting final papers for their move to Europe, but they hauled ass back to Roanoke in order to be at the reading, which meant a lot to Pampa. Their entrance, during my reading, had as its clarion call Oz shouting "Pampa!" and running across the packed room for a hug. I was warmed and I think my room full of buds liked it, too.

Somebody asked me about halfway through the proceedings why anybody would go through so much (writing a novel) for so little reward (books almost never make any money) and I waved my hand around the room. "This," I said. "Don't need much more than this."

It's about attention and I got mine last night. Thank you all for coming, for supporting and for making me feel vivid and real.

(Photos by my friend Anne Sampson, who has a wondrous eye.)