Dr. Sarah with the co-owners of Kindred Thoughts Bookstore in Bridgeport, CT, Derek Tompkins and Karin Smith.
Kindred Thoughts was the first bookstore to reach out to me for an author event. They’re also one of the only ones to reach out. Several of the bookstores I’m working with are ones I reached out to first. That’s a big reason I was so excited for this event, because I love working with folks who are enthusiastic about working with me. The fact that they asked so soon after my book release made me feel like I would be in genuine and relatively safe company, and that feeling was right. Karin and Derek are super down-to-earth, warm, and welcoming people that I’m so pleased to now know! Their bookstore is incredible, and I would happily take the 90min train ride to Bridgeport again to collaborate with them in the future.
The fact that Bridgeport was so convenient by train made working with them an easy yes. And I love a quiet, peaceful train ride. The day of my event, the whether was some of the most beautiful of the year, and I found a super cool café, as I do in every city I visit. This one, Ursa, has an art gallery attached with a current exhibit by all black curators and artists, and they happened to be having a panel discussion immediately after my author talk at Kindred. Since it was just around the corner, I went back after my book signing to witness some of it before catching my train back to Manhattan.
All Being art exhibit and panel discussion at Ursa Gallery Café
And the water. Bridgeport, as the name suggests, is a waterfront town. I saw the water from the train station platform when I arrived, and I caught a Lyft to Seaside Park so I could sit and enjoy the beach views before my author talk. This was definitely a cup-filling activity that nourished my spirit before pouring into the audience that showed up for my talk.
“Well, sometimes I go out by myself, and I look across the water.”
Dr. Sarah at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT
At one point some kids came up to my bench, and I let them look through my binoculars, lol. Future birders in the making!
This author talk was different than the other two I’ve had so far (in Brooklyn and Atlanta) because I did not have a designated conversation partner. Per the audience request, I began by reading a few pages from the book, then went into audience questions. After a minute of silence, hands started going up, and questions and comments kept coming for an hour and a half.
This community was so delightful. Their questions and comments were thoughtful, their energy was palpable, their body language was deeply engaged. We kept it all the way real.
One of my favorite synchronicities was a reader telling me how her dark-skinned friend had trauma around wearing the color red, and here I was wearing what is perhaps the brightest shade of red possible. Another successfully fly event in the books for the Colorism book tour!
Dr. Sarah taking a selfie with the attendees of her Bridgeport, CT author talk and book signing at Kindred Thoughts Bookstore.
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