Heather Stewart Poetry

Honestly, I had been terrified of the whole book launch idea. I don’t even like birthday parties thrown for me. We decided to keep it low key and put out a table at a friend’s coffee shop with some copies.

It was perfect. Friends showed up to buy signed copies and stayed a while for a coffee or sandwich. We were not in the way of normal business but could spend some time together, talking about the process and generally congratulating each other.

It’s kinda funny, but I do find myself in a place in life where everyone I interacted with were deserving of congratulations. One is days away from his wedding, one is moving to Japan, two others were coming into new business ventures, and another got a surprise call that her son eloped with his new wife just an hour earlier.

It was great to spend that time hanging out with people who all have things to celebrate together rather than being a strange focal point. More than that, it made me feel like I was on a rising tide with everyone. While I do hope for even more books sales and plan to hustle to get things out there, I’m excited to see what we all do next.

If you’re interested in the book, it’s titled Shapeshifting and about my time in the Navy from ’99 to 2020. It is a poetry memoir for many reasons, most of which boil down to that metaphor is better than narrative in a world that can be hard to relate to and is often classified. 

It can be purchased direct from the publisher here.