Clark Ashton Smith Tour!

On Sunday, the third day of our adventure, Scott Connors, Darin, Kyle, and I took off to visit Don and see if he wanted to join us on our tour.  Unfortunately he wasn't feeling too well, so he didn't accompany us.  He gave us a tour around his house though and signed my books.

(This is the Jack Skellington doll I gave to Don.  He has it hung up by his door.)

Scott Connors, unfortunately, had to get home and didn't accompany us on our CAS tour either.  So from Don's house we began our journey.  We first went to the Placerville County Library where we saw the CAS plaque. 

We then ventured to Old Town Auburn and visited the boulder that used to be on his property and where his ashes used to be scattered under.

We then saw a restaurant he used to eat at, now drastically different, and bar he and his friends would drink wine in.

The Post Office was next but unfortunately it was closed, it being Sunday and all, so we couldn't see his mail box.

We then went up a hill to see, the now vacant lot, of a house that inspired a story.  (I forgot which story.)

We visited an inscription on CAS on the sidewalk that portrayed him in a strange light.  I think everyone agrees that its phrasing is weird and possibly inaccurate.

(Kyle is bowing before the Emperor of Dreams.)

Then we tried to visit the house he was born in but it is officially closed off due to it being scheduled to be demolished.

Next stop was Poet Smith Drive!

Our last stop was a spot of vacant lot that was on CAS's property.  It could have been where CAS lived or if not, it's near where he lived.

I took a few rocks home with me along with a rodent skeleton, Kyle found for me.   I have named him Clark Jr.  :)

Totem Coffee Poetry Reading

Darin showed us around Main St. and took us to where we would be reading later that night.  It was in a lovely patio courtyard enclosed by a few buildings, including the Totem Coffee shop, where we sampled their drinks and sweets.  Inside they had the event posted along with the poetry book Darin composed, Dreamland Review.

(That is the Cary House, a hotel said to be haunted by miners.) 

We wandered around and Darin took us into his bookshop, the Bookery, where I found some awesome books I had to take home.  Then he took us to the Gothic Rose Antiques which is exactly what you'd expect from that title.  I took home one vial of wormwood and one vial of mandrake root.  Too bad I couldn't afford the human bones they were selling....

Then we headed back to Darin's house for a bit then came back to get ready for the poetry reading.  Darin set everything up including lights, the microphone, and of course, the camera.  As I watched him do this, I started get increasingly more nervous.  I had to get more tea.  I don't think that helped much.  

Slowly people began to show up, the first of which was Michael Adams, who we've corresponded with on facebook before. He brought Spectral Realms No. 1 and the Crimson Tome for us to sign and I invited him to sit with us.  Next Scott Connors and Don came.

Then the event began and a few poets from the Dreamland Review read their stuff.  We were supposed to be second to last, before Don, but someone arrived late so they were squeezed in before Don.  Kyle and I went up together and read our selected poems back and forth.

So this was my first poetry reading ever and I was told I did fine.  I hope so for it's all caught on film.