On The Big Green Book Tour, By Diane McEachern

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After six weeks of intense promotion, the Big Green Purse book tour has taken me to a dozen bookstores in as many locations. Though my stops have included the national chains, just as often, I've been delightfully hosted by independent book shops that are long on charm, enthusiasm and a genuine philosophical understanding of my book's "power of the purse" message.

The tour didn't start off very auspiciously. We "launched" at Philadelphia's Big Blue Marble, no doubt a terrific spot for an author Reading-unless it's pouring rain and the night of the gripping Potomac Primary, both of which dampened turnout for my event there. Nonetheless, the store's managers couldn't have been more gracious. If everyone is as friendly as Big Blue Marble, I thought, Big Green Purse will do just fine.

At Olsson's in Washington, D.C., the crowd was small, but engaged. I realized that people don't come to a book signing just to learn from the author. They also want to share what they know. This was true in spades at another D.C. event, held at Hoopla, an eco-boutique that specializes in products made from fair trade and recycled materials. In a room packed with thirty-something professionals, seasoned lawyers, neighborhood curiosity-seekers, and the store's erstwhile shoppers, I read for just a few minutes so we could get to the fun - the back-and-forth dialogue among people who are trying their best to live and shop with the earth in mind. The event was enriched when, to my surprise, the couple who sell free-range eggs and meats at my local farmer's market showed up to talk about "being green" from a farmer's point of view.

I approached New York City and my events there with some trepidation. New York is a tough town, as they say, and you never know what major distraction is going to occur to steal your show. But McNally's Books knows how to throw a party. At 7 p.m., the chairs in front of my author's podium were full, and not just with the incredible team from Penguin that has embraced Big Green Purse since we talked about the original concept a year ago. Many women had filed in, eager to hear how they could make their purses "green." Several guys joined the crowd as well, asking thoughtful questions and clearly savoring the opportunity to be part of our environmental discussion. Both men and women bought copies of the book for themselves -- as well as for their mothers, whom they cited as offering early inspiration to live a more eco-friendly life.

The group at Stacey's Bookstore in San Francisco was no less engaged. I was surprised when I was asked to justify the perception that environmentalism is only a past-time of the upper middle class, due to the sometimes extra costs involved in shopping green. I made no apologies for having the money to buy organic produce or that slightly more costly compact fluorescent light bulb. Indeed, I feel like it is my responsibility to do so; by using the standard theories of supply-and-demand, I can use my increased demand to increase supply and ultimately reduce costs. It would be foolish if I didn't make a better purchase because other people couldn't afford to. The audience seemed to agree.

At Great Good Books in Oakland, the store was crowded not only with book buyers, but with C-SPAN TV cameras as well. Fortunately, that didn't deter anyone from asking pointed questions or sharing their own

stories. The store owners were delightfully accommodating, having me sign maybe two dozen books after the event concluded so they could feature autographed copies throughout the shop. They also kindly gave me a book of my choice from their shelves.

When I got to Ann Arbor, it was a bit like going home. I had been an undergraduate as well as a graduate student at the University of Michigan there, and a frequent browser in the original Border's Books (which was a unique independent in Ann Arbor before it became the behemoth chain it is today). It was rewarding to return to Borders as an author, rather than a student, and more rewarding still when one of my graduate school professors showed up to buy my book.

A couple days later, I headed for "Crazy Wisdom," another Ann Arbor depot. Yes, the name conjures all kinds of interesting possibilities, but in fact, it turned out to be the perfect place to read from a book about saving the planet. (They also make a delicious cup of green tea!).

Perhaps my most unexpected invitation came from the Black Madonna Bookstore in downtown Detroit. The store is really more an emporium of rich Africana, including gorgeous masks carved out of ebony, colorful dashikis, and the manifestos of Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael. But when I walked in, there was Big Green Purse, front and center on the "Buy Now" book shelf. "We've all got to care about the planet," said the store's manager. "We've only got one."

I couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, as the tour continues, I'm looking forward to saying it again, and again. And thanks to these bookstores and others, I won't be talking to myself.

View more information on Diane McEachern's Big Green Purse.

Diane McEachern, Big Green Purse, green, environment, pollution, consumer force, economy, Penguin Books, books