Tolk, Part 2

After I wrote the earlier entry about the piece inspired by Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, I got an email from Powell's Books reminding me that Ursula K. Le Guin was reading from her new book on April 22nd. It seemed to me that the piece had come together with suspiciously fortuitous timing. I looked at it and almost felt like it was looking back at me, challengingly. What, me anthropomorphize a rock? Maybe so.

I thought about how pretentious it was, to think that a brilliant author would want a piece of beadwork made by me. Then I thought -- why wouldn't she? It's a sweet little thing, I'd want it, especially if I was the inspiration for it. So I wrote a note, slipped the rock into a little clamshell box, went to the reading (which was awesome), stood in line for 45 minutes... and gave her the little rock. She was very gracious and appeared to be pleased.

I got home and told my teenager what I'd done, and he brought me right back to earth with, "Gee, mom, I'm sure she will put it with all the bags and bags of crap her fans send her." He's very helpful in keeping me from taking myself too seriously.

It felt good to give the piece away. It felt a little silly, a little pushy, a little sycophantic- but mostly it felt right. I'm glad I did it.