An update from — yes, really — New York
A message from Maurits Chabot, written on 20 October 2026; the plans mentioned are described as of that date.
Dear all!
An update from — yes, really — New York.
Landed in the US on Saturday 17 October. (A day later than planned, because KLM was dealing with technical problems.)
At last I can bring the book to American readers, meet the main characters in person for the first time, and find out who in today’s America is still trying to bring people together.
Yesterday morning, Monday 19 October, I visited the publisher, DK Group. On Broadway, in an imposing building, on the 20th floor.
I signed with a view over New York, and was given a large blow-up of the book to take with me. The 200 signed bookplates will be sent out when people pre-order the book.
(You can pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org (independent bookstores).)
The first pre-orders came in straight away last night, because yesterday at 7 PM I had my first ‘speaking event’ in the US, at the NL Club in New York.
I believe the audience enjoyed it.
Books were sold, and one of the attendees is looking into whether she can help me get more speaking events elsewhere in the US, to bring the book to wider attention.
One member of the audience was moved to tears. Attached are a few photos (not of the moved audience member).
Tomorrow I pick up the rental car, and the day after I drive from NY to Philadelphia. There I have an interview with Ben Fink, the initiator of Hands Across the Hills. He brought together people from two villages, in Kentucky and Massachusetts.
In 2016, one village voted 85% Trump, the other 85% Clinton.
Ben organised conversations between Democrats and Republicans from both villages, in people’s living rooms.
When the Republican village was hit by a storm a few years later, the Democratic village raised 15,000 dollars to repair the damage to homes.
On Friday I’ll talk to him about his initiative, and about how he sees America today.
My main questions: what made the rapprochement possible, and is that connection holding up under the current political tensions?
After that I travel to Hopkinsville to meet Jimmy Hunter. That’s on Monday 26 October.
He is one of the main characters in the book (the chapter Ticket to the moon, about the car accident).
On Tuesday 27 October, Oregon radio is interviewing me about the book.
On Thursday 29 October I’m giving a talk at the Hopkinsville Public Library: hccpl.org/events/maurits-chabot-author-talk-and-signing
I’ll be glad to keep you posted.
Thanks to your support I have been able to travel to the US, have had my first speaking event, and later this week I’ll meet the first American bridge-builder. I treasure that.
Warm regards, from NY to Europe,
Maurits
