Adventures by the Book

By Susan McBeth

How often have you read a book that swept you away to exotic places and times of which you've only dared to dream? I like to think of these alternate realities as "heterocosms," a term coined by Harold Bloom perhaps when referring to brilliant poets like Shakespeare and Wordsworth, but which for me describes a world that otherwise would not have been accessible without the magic of a good book. And if the magic of language can figuratively transport a reader, what would happen if a literal transport were available? That's the concept I sought to explore when I recently founded Adventures by the Book.

After having been a bookstore author events coordinator for years, I was bursting at the seams to escape from the confines inherent in a retail environment, so that I could create the kind of experiential events that would seek to connect readers with authors and their books on a more intimate basis than through a traditional lecture format. I confess I had, and still have, visions of grandeur about what those events would entail - grand trips to Tuscany, weekend escapes to the magical world of Tiffany, and cultural luncheons in exotic venues, just to name a few. But what all those books taught me is that if I dare to dream, oh what magical worlds are open to me.

My Adventures by the Book world was created from a seed that was planted years ago when I first met the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Under the Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes. How many thousands of readers were exposed to the magical world of Tuscany through her lyrical prose, and how many, like me, had never experienced an actual adventure under the Tuscan sun? When I mentioned this to Frances, she replied in her typical thoughtful fashion that I should come to visit her there. Perhaps if she would have known me better, she would have never extended that gracious offer, because I vowed then and there that someday I would make that happen.

So when the stars were perfectly aligned and I was ready to make the move, I left my bookstore job and set out to literally transport readers on a series of Adventures by the Book. It probably won't come as a surprise that the first author I contacted was Frances Mayes. If she had no recollection of our discussion years prior, she never let on, not did she display panic when I led with the dreaded "remember when you told me years ago..." conversation opener. Months of planning and research ensued, and I am honored to say that I have now experienced an Adventure Under the Tuscan Sun with Frances Mayes, both figuratively and literally. And I can honestly say that while there is no substitute for a good book when the figurative world is all that is available, if you want the whole enchilada, so to speak, there is nothing like an Adventure by the Book.