New England Dreams
Boston, Duck Boats and Noah Kahan
Do you believe in signs? You know, moments that seem to happen in such precise synchronicity, it seems impossible to be a coincidence?
I found myself Friday night with my daughter, standing amongst 38,000 passionate Noah Kahan fans as we cheered him on for his iconic Fenway Show. It was a big deal for Noah and a big deal for all of us fans who find such pleasure in belting out I’m mean cuz I grew up in New England at the tops of our lungs at Fenway for all of Boston and the world to hear. Really, it felt pretty damn good.
I was born and raised in New England. Still here. If you’re from New England, you know, there is something special about it that you can’t truly understand unless you’re from here. It’s a love hate relationship caught between history, survival, cold winters, and what Noah calls “Stick Season” that weathers our hearts and makes us strong.
When I wrote ALL THESE THREADS OF TIME, I really wanted to get a gritty feel into the story world of the book. The fictional town of “Lowridge” featured in ATTOT is a place where people are stuck between their dreams and the history that ties them down. As I wrote in the book,
Lowridge, the forgotten mill town tucked into the quiet northeast corner of Connecticut, historically broke its promises. That was clear by the run-down textile mills that’d once boomed during the industrial revolution that were now either collapsing or barely holding on. The mills that were still standing provided menial salaries and benefits to the employees who trudged in each day in what were no longer textile mills, but factories making hamburger rolls, potato chips, or glass containers for fancy makeup. Makeup that the employees, like Mom, couldn’t afford.And also . . .
It always amazed her that people traveled for miles to see the parade of red, brown, and golden hues. The tourists came like pilgrims, as if spotting the autumn display would reveal the secrets of a good life, like the supposed ones masqueraded in Nonna’s Norman Rockwell prints. But June knew the truth; the only promise autumn offered was that winter was on its way.This is why I love Noah’s music and why I had to be at that Fenway Show. New England is in my blood. He gets New England. He is New England. He’s a modern day rock star version of Robert Frost.
So, back to signs . . . I was standing there amongst 38,000 people and Noah started telling a story about how, when he was a kid, he always felt like he would do something special one day. But then, life happened, and he lost that inner voice. He talked about the time he spent alone, thinking his dreams might not ever come true. And how now, how surreal it was to sing on stage, at Fenway with all of us singing his lyrics back to him. He said he found that voice inside again. Then, he said this: “Sometimes in life, you’ve got to bet on you.”
And I screamed, not just on the inside but out to Fenway and all the world to hear, YES! Bet on you! Because all I could think of was that this has been my motto all along this publishing journey. I even wrote a Substack post about it—Bet on You. I thought it was pretty cool Noah unknowingly, quoted my Substack and personal motto. It gave me chills.
But then, Noah started singing my favorite song, one that motivated me so much during this journey. Cool, I thought. My favorite song, too! Except then, at that moment, I happened to look up at the night sky and saw a shooting star! Not just any shooting star. A dazzling shooting star racing through the Boston clouds, over the star struck Noah Kahan fans belting out his lyrics. Time stood still. It was completely awe-inspiring.
Just before the show, I found out my book was being carried online by the Harvard Book Store. What a cool coincidence to find that out while being in Boston. Along with the rest of it.
Really, it’s been a hell of a week—from launching a book, to hitting Amazon’s Top 100 in Teen Science Fiction and Time Travel, and the Top 10 in Kindle New Releases in YA Time Travel books, to seeing my book pop up at so many wonderful indie bookstores online, to hearing from readers telling me how much they love the book, and then, finishing it off not just with Noah Kahan, but driving the Boston Duck Boat down the Charles River . . .
So, hold tight to your dreams, dear friends. No matter where you are or what is happening in your life, Noah sings it best when he says, Start your life in the middle of the jungle.
There’s no better time to bet on you than now, so get betting. And thank you for all of your support.
XOXO,
Sarah
AKA A Busy Lady
P.S. Stay tuned for some new upcoming indie author interviews, a brand-new Write Life featuring a look at Rudyard Kipling’s house, and so much more!
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