A few thoughts
I’ll be doing a book talk at Barnes & Noble in May and so I got to thinking about the day they finally agreed to have All Creatures Weird and Dangerous on the shelf of the location near me (and only that location—for now). I signed some copies for them.
It’s in some pretty fantastic company on the shelf—Flannery O’Connor, Maggie O’Farrell, George Orwell!! That’s kind of thrilling, I have to say, even if it’s just the alphabet that’s made it so.
Maybe I’ll see you at the book talk there on May 13th. In the meantime, here are a few pictures.
Word Up in Barrie, Ontario
I had the pleasure of being invited by Word Up Barrie to speak at the Barrie Public Library on the 15th of September 2022. For those not familiar with Ontario geography, Barrie is a town of about 100,000 located on the west side of Lake Simcoe just south of Algonquin Provincial Park. I was joined by Peter PJ Jennings, journalist and author.
We had a panel discussion of our writing methods and then went off searching for Lake Simcoe's lake monster Kempenfelt Kelly. (If there is a lake, there is always a lake monster.) The creature’s legend goes way back in Huron First Nation folklore and has been spotted by locals regularly over the last few centuries.
By chance, I was able to obtain some grainy photos of the creature.
Me and the Squatch Detective
I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Kulls (aka The Squatch Detective) at the Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo this fall where he was presenting his methods of looking for physical evidence of sasquatch. By trade, Steve is a private investigator but his interest in “relic hominoids” (yes, this is a thing) has led him to become an author, public speaker, podcaster, TV personality, and authority on Sasquatch—and debunker of hoaxes and questionable evidence. More importantly for me, Steve is an animal lover and was really interested in reading this curious book by a veterinarian exploring the world of crypto-veterinary medicine.
Next thing I know, I'm scheduled to be live webcasting with Steve and his fellow researcher Chris Bennett of Kentucky. Check it out and all of Steve's work. He's a hard-working investigator and a real character.
Award Finalist: Global Book Awards
I just learned that All Creatures Weird and Dangerous is an Award Finalist in the “Occult and Supernatural” category of the Global Book Awards!
This is exciting!
Writing a book is such a wild experience. You write it at home (sometimes in your car) in your spare time. You ask your devoted partner to read and edit, your kid to draw, and revise the heck out of this manuscript. You send it all out into the world to get rejected or just blown off until you find the right reader at the right publisher (Thanks Guernica!). Then you wait. Then you do everything you can to get it out into the world and now all of your writing is about bringing this book to readers—visiting bookstores, visiting organizers of book clubs, wheeling and dealing. You get an occasional review (Thanks Ottawa Review of Books!), but it’s the connection of friends and the constant emailing, visiting, calling that sell the books.
And then something like this happens! Our book is acknowledged as good! Award worthy!
It’s a good day in Buffalo! and on top of everything, the sun is out!
Wild Connection: The Podcast
Wild Connections
A Wild thing happened—I was on Dr Jennifer Verdolin’s Wild Connection podcast! Dr Verdolin is an animal behavior expert and author of Raised by Animals (2017). She just happens to have an enduring interest in Icelandic fairies and kraken, so we started on some intriguing conversation before even recording.
The Wild Connection podcast is really great and I highly recommend it—she has a wide range of guests covering a diverse set of topics, something of interest for everyone.
It was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed the conversation.
Book Stores
Everywhere we go these days, Laurie and I visit bookstores. We go in with a copy of All Creatures Weird and Dangerous, hoping to convince the shop to carry the book and make a suggestion or two about where it might be shelved. (We also end up leaving with a pile of books, but that’s another story.)
Where to shelve the book is actually a real issue—not only is it about “weird and dangerous” creatures, but it’s kind of a “weird” combination of genres and folks don’t necessarily know where to put it. Is it magic realism? fantasy? fiction? non-fiction? It’s certainly not your standard memoir. When I spoke to a group of 6th graders at Nichols School this spring, one of the kids asked, “Is this real?” another asked his teacher, “Is this guy crazy?”
But we actually found the book on a shelf at City Books in Toronto—next to a book by Nick Offerman and just below the shelf of several volumes of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small!
My Very First Review
My very first review was published in this month’s Ottawa Review of Books.
Here it is: https://www.ottawareviewofbooks.com/single-post/copy-of-all-creatures-weird-and-dangerous-by-timm-otterson
The best thing about this review, written by Jerry Levy, is that the reviewer really gets what I was trying to do:
“It is also storytelling with a heart (the author’s deep respect, love, and empathy for all living things, no matter how creepy they may be, is prevalent throughout), and with a message – while not in the least preachy, it chronicles man’s devastation of our planet (climate change, overfishing, poaching) and the terrible consequences, not only for man himself but also for animals. Quoting John Muir, the 19th-century Scottish-American naturalist and environmentalist, Otterson adopts the same philosophical outlook: ‘Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.’”
And, Nels’ “charming illustrations” are noted!
“Added to the fun are charming illustrations of many creatures, cryptid and non-cryptid alike, scattered amongst the pages. They’re not exact replications (they obviously couldn’t be because although we have ideas, we don’t for certain know what, say, a sasquatch looks like up-close), but good enough to spark one’s imagination.”
I actually met Jerry at Guernica’s book launch event in Toronto, and he mentioned that the review would be forthcoming, but he wouldn’t say if it was a good one. In fact, Laurie and I were just a bit concerned because he kept avoiding that question! It’s a lovely and gratifying review, however—thanks, Jerry!
Timm and Nels Otterson at Alice, Ever After Books in Buffalo, NY.
Reading in Toronto!
The official book launch from Guernica Editions was in Toronto at the Super Market. So cool!
We hadn’t even crossed the border in years (covid, obviously) and this gave us the opportunity to wander around the city, take in the Royal Ontario Museum (is another book in the works? perhaps…), and just have a good time.
The venue, the Super Market, is in Kensington Market, is pretty amazing, absolutely worth exploring.
These are pictures from the main event—or at least the reason for going up to Toronto this weekend.
Weird (but not Dangerous) Readings!
On May 14, Timm had a packed and wonderful reading at Alice, Ever After on Parkside Avenue in Buffalo and then we traveled to Toronto for Guernica Editions spring book launch party. We didn’t post the pictures at the time for the obvious reason. We just couldn’t.
How cool are these cookies made by Fairy Cakes? (on Parkside next to Alice, Ever After)
Tonight at Fitz Books
My very expressive reading face from tonight’s event on the new patio at Fitz Books!
Tonight’s reading and signing at Fitz Books was a lot of fun! It was great to have long-time friends and clients int he crowd—and it’s been great to reconnect with Aaron Bartley (owner of Fitz) in that way that happens in Buffalo just all the time. Yes, I’m wearing a “Gone Squatchin’” t-shirt, and I know you’re jealous. Blame Laurie for all of these pictures.
I’m looking forward to Saturday at Alice, Ever After!
An Invitation!
Join us for a reading at Alice, Ever After Books on Parkside Avenue in Buffalo, just across from the Buffalo Zoo. The Buffalo Zoo, is, of course, where Dr. Timm treated the Clarence Sasquatch!
Register for the event at this link.
Alice, Ever After is one of the fantastic local bookshops that carries All Creatures Weird and Dangerous!
Signing Books
Signing books at Alice, Ever After
The books are in at Alice, Ever After Books on Parkside Avenue in Buffalo.
Alice, Ever After is right across from the Buffalo Zoo, which is entirely appropriate as the Zoo is in the book—where the Zoo Vet, Kyle Victor, and I treat the wounded sasquatch. I stopped in to see Meg and to sign some books. I look forward to the reading scheduled there for Saturday, May 14 at 2pm!
Another Reader
An old friend who now lives in Arlington, VA enjoys All Creatures Weird and Dangerous.
Readings in WNY
Stella is helping me to practice for my spring readings throughout Western New York. You can see that she is somewhat skeptical, but that she readily provides feedback. She thinks I’ll be ready when the time comes.
We have a definite date scheduled for a local bookstore, Alice, Ever After in May, but I’ll also be at a number of local veterinary hospitals and the Amherst Paw Park. We’ll have all of the reading dates on the Events page as soon as we know them.
Nova gets her review copy!
Nova Ham receives her review copy. Thanks to Sarah Ham for the photo!
Bigfoot in WNY
Earlier this month, Steve Cichon covered “Bigfoot” sightings in Western New York. We were successful in keeping our Sasquatch friend out of local news—writers for the Buffalo News will be amazed by what they learn from All Creatures Weird and Dangerous!
What do you think of Cichon’s article “[BN] Chronicles: Looking Back at Western New York Bigfoot Sightings”?
Special Delivery
The first boxes of All Creatures arrived today! The adventure goes public!