Peace, Man, Cool, Yeah: 3 out of 5

On Friday night I ventured to the lovely city of Decatur to a place I haven't been caught dead or alive in for years...a Baptist church! But for good reason...

The wise and witty Anne Lamott was speaking with her son Sam to promote their new book, Some Assembly Required!

Anne Lamott has been a favorite author of mine since I first read Bird by Bird for my Creative Writing course in college. Her chapter on "shitty first drafts" is some of the best writing advice in existence. Operating Instructions, her memoir about her son's first year, is one of my favorite books ever. And she has written many a heart-wrenching, heart-warming novel, including one called Rosie. (I have a daughter--you see the connection.) She's hilarious and insightful and someone you'd really want to meet, say at a book signing in Decatur.

I attended with my mom, and a good friend, and a stranger-turned-new friend. The four of us arrived an hour early, and good thing. The house o' God quickly became packed with Anne fans. Then she entered the sanctuary with her handsome grown-up son, who we all know from her books, and she made us laugh and nod our heads and generally beam for joy. They each read portions of the new book and then fielded questions from the audience. I can't give you any quotes because I didn't take notes. They talked about belly buttons and diaper changing and church and humanity, and it was hilarious and true and wonderful.

Anne told us that life is hard, and writing is super hard, and nobody really cares about our dreams. But that we are in the world together, and our work is worth the effort, and we can experience the divine in those difficult, vulnerable places. We applauded, and Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog came over the loudspeakers while we lined up for autographs. Camera and book at the ready, all I could think to say when I arrived at the table was "Anne Lamott!" But that said it all, right?

Now I have been lucky enough to meet three of my all-time favorite authors. There is no reason not to believe I'll get the chance someday to shake hands with Martha Beck and Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Who knows, maybe J.K. Rowling's autograph will eventually decorate my box set.