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A beer brunch! Is this a great country or what? On a snowy Sunday, I joined a bunch of local Common Causers for a brunch-time benefit in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was held in the New Belgium Brewery, where “Fat Tire” and other great beers are brewed. Though there was an ample spread of great food, laid out for us, I took breakfast straight from the tap. (It’s just grain and water!) Kim and Jeff Jordan, the founders of New Belgium, were there and they are a perfect example of the progressive business spirit that DeMarco and I celebrate in Swim Against the Current. The brewery (now producing half a million cases a year) is worker-owned, aggressively green, strongly supportive of grassroots community groups… and is a fun enterprise for all involved. The road I’m on is long, but events like this one make it smooth.

It’s a joy to work with so many of America’s independent bookstores on on this tour. In the past three days, we’ve done events with Stacey’s in San Fran, Cody’s in Berkeley and Book Passage in Marin County. The last one is renowned as a community center that draws serious readers and area activists eager to discuss ideas, and the place was overflowing with a rollicking crowd of about 250 on Friday. The questions were sharp the political spirits high — we even had a timely comment from Maggie, a dog that was in attendance. She had been perfectly still until I mentioned Dick Cheney’s name, at which point Maggie let out a yelp of disapproval, earning her the biggest applause of the whole event. Now I’m off to Colorado where we’ll working with such other greats stores as Boulder Books and Tattered Cover.

From the snows of Maine just a few days ago, I’ve reached the balmy climes of southern California. Along the way, DeMarco and I have been generously aided by so many progressive organizations and friends, who are making the tour enjoyable as well as successful. In Los Angeles, Suzie Shannon put together a 300-person book benefit for Poverty Matters a vibrant advocacy organization she founded. Suzie did this despite delivering her baby, Grace, only a few weeks ago. In fact, Grace attended our event, which was held in the beautiful sanctuary of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church — baby Grace’s first political exposure. Likewise the great progressive filmmaker Robert Greenwald hosted DeMarco, me and an overflowing crowd for a talk at his muckraking video center, Brave New Films, in Culver City (video coming soon!). Then last night, Steve Skrovan — a noted screenwriter and union captain in the recent successful strike in the writer’s guild — pulled together a lively bunch at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church in Pasadena. It’s a long trail I’m traveling, but folks like these make it a pleasure. See you down the trail…

Touching home base for a couple of days, we had two glorious events in TX. In the Art Deco-ish River Oaks Theater in Houston, some 250 KPFT radio enthusiasts (a Pacifica jewel that carries my commentaries twice a day) came together for a benefit/book talk. Then in Austin, we had a Spring equinox extravaganza at a beloved urban farm called Boggy Creek. It was a benefit for the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners, and more than 300 folks turned out for a joyous evening. Delectable food was served up by a dozen of Austin’s top chefs and food artisans, music from The Lovers and La Strada filled the air, kids romped among the chickens and rows of veggies/flowers, local beer lubricated the event, a 60-degree night and a nearly full moon graced us, the crowd cheered the stories DeMarco & I told in Swim Against the Current and the spirit was so high that people hung around more than an hour after the event was over. Next: California!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this 40-city is the variety of venues for our book events. Old town halls, renovated theaters, venerable churches and such great bars as Busboys and Poets in Washington DC, where I did an event this week with Progressive Democrats of America. Owned by Andy Shallal, who is both a savvy businessman and progressive firebrand, this restaurant/bookstore/bar/theater/hangout has hosted many boisterous political blowouts and we did our best to live up to that standard. Speaking of progressive Democrats, Representative John Conyers spent the evening with us, and we were also joined by two terrific congressional candidates — Donna Edwards of Maryland and Chellie Pingree of Maine. Now, I’m winging my way to Houston and points West.

As I was driven from my Portland, ME hotel to a TV interview this morning at 9am, we passed an Irish bar that already was overflowing with St. Patty’s Day revellers, saluting a saint with breakfast pints of Guinness. At the NBC station, my interview was completed by Boys of the Lough, a terrific five-piece band from Ireland. Then I caught a plane to Washington, DC, where I’m staying at Jury’s — an Irish-owned hotel on Dupont Circle. Tonight I’m doing a fun book event with Progressive Democrats of America, which is being billed as “Get Your Irish On with Hightower“. We didn’t really plan all of this Irishness, but I take it as a sign that the gods are smiling on us.

Cheers,

From Boston’s classic South End station, I took an Amtrak train through Rhode Island into Connecticut– a beautiful ride along the sea coast. At 5 pm, I entered the old town Hall of West Hartford (home of Noah Webster), filled with a crowd of Common Cause supporters, peace and Justice advocates, union members, students–and of course–Lowdowners!

This year’s election in Connecticut is the first to be run under the state’s new clean election law–a landmark reform passed over the opposition of the old guard by the tenacious, grassroots efforts of Common Cause, USAction, and other activist groups. People are excited, engaged, and on the move, and it’s energizing to amongst them.

On to Maine!

As I travel I’m doing many great radio shows–one of my favorite mediums. In Boston, I had a most enjoyable, hour-long interview on the NPR show “On Point” with Tom Ashbrook. He takes calls from across the country, and a caller from upstate New York added her “buck the system” story to the ones that DeMarco and I’ve written about in Swim Against the Current. In her town of 5,000 people, rather than recruiting a chain store, she says they’re opening a community-owned department store. It’s one more example of the innovative ways people are devising to escape the corporate tentacles. Remember to send your own examples to our YouTube storytelling contest: www.jimhightower.com/storytelling