Oskaloosa or Bust

10-6

On Tuesday, I went east. Beginning at 3 a.m. in Bellingham, I traveled back to Seattle and caught the only plane that could get me to Oskaloosa, Iowa, in time for a 7 p.m. event. I landed at Des Moines at 3 p.m. and jumped in a rental car, arriving in Oskaloosa just as the tornado sirens began to sound.

Almost anything could have gone wrong, but I arrived without a scratch. (The tornado warning was a false alarm.) If only the pioneers had had GPS! I tried this new technology for the first time when I picked up a car in Seattle, and it guided me around the Pacific Northwest with only a few miscues. My faith in the system received its biggest test in Iowa where a mechanical female voice directed me over a bewildering variety of federal, state and local roads. I didn’t see one sign for Oskaloosa until I arrived at the city limits.

Stone Mansion, Oskaloosa, IA

My first stop was the McNeill Stone Mansion, which was built by the owner of a neighboring coal mine in 1908. Beautifully restored by its current owners, the mansion is now a bed and breakfast that can house dozens on a busy weekend. However, I was the only guest on Tuesday night. I took the smallest room they had, but I was still ensconced in Victorian luxury for about the same price I would have paid at the other hotel in town.

After showering for the first time that day, I put on my author’s outfit (black pants, black sport coat and open-neck shirt) and drove downtown to the Book Vault, a two-year-old bookstore that is located in a former bank building. Oskaloosa has a population of "almost 11,000," Nancy Simpson, the owner of the Book Vault, tells me. Like other small towns, it is built around a square.

Nancy Simpson of the Book Vault

On arriving at the bookstore, I confronted my first serious obstacle of the day. The square is being remodeled to emphasize its already considerable charm, and construction material was blocking the Book Vault’s front door. I finally found my way in through an entrance in an adjoining restaurant. "We really roll out the red carpet for you," Nancy laughed.

Like the Stone Mansion, the store is another beautiful renovation that takes maximum advantage of the visual interest created by its four vaults and their beautiful doors. Modern touches include a demonstration kitchen at the back of the store and a roomy event space upstairs. The restaurant next door is a people magnet. As we waited in line for our food, Nancy noted that Barack Obama had stood on exactly the same spot just the week before.

I’m sure that the crowd that was waiting for me when we returned to the store was considerably smaller than Obama’s. Consistent with the habit I acquired while pushing my first book, a biography of Alfred E. Smith, I usually don’t count the people at any of my events. This allows me to avoid giving direct answers when people ask later.

But I can say with confidence that there were 12 people present. I know this because it was the number reported in the Oskaloosa Herald the next day by Wes Kappelman, an intern who recently graduated from Iowa State. Other members of the audience included Wes’ girlfriend, who is a freelance editor, a professor from a nearby college and the author of a self-published book, "Jesus Weeps," which argues that Christianity has betrayed Christ’s teaching. He will be reading at the store later this month. We had a lively discussion after my talk and then moved downstairs for refreshments. To read Wes’ story, click here, Oskaloosa Herald. 

Although Nancy has been a bookseller for only two years, she has already experienced one controversy over a book. She called me for advice a couple of months ago when she began receiving criticism for scheduling an event for a local man, the author of Selections from the Serial Killers Cookbook (A Handbook for Youth).  The content of the book was not as incendiary as the title, but Nancy was soon fielding complaints.  I sent her a model statement that ABFFE has prepared defending the importance of allowing controversial authors to appear and explain their views.

BBW Display at the Book Vault

Book Vault promoted Banned Books Week vigorously this year. There was a prominent display outside Nancy’s office, which allowed her to hear many expressions of amazement. She and her staff also wore the newly redesigned Freadom shirts that are available in the store on the ABFFE Web site, www.abffe.com.