Omnibus Book Tour

Saturday, July 31, 2004

California Tour

So, here's what I'm thinking -- and don't mind me, I'm half talking to myself as I work this idea through. Starting in mid-October, I head down the coast from Portland . I hit the Bay Area and do a reading with a pal who is writing a book on Disneyland (and who shall, for the moment, remain nameless), Then a couple more stops on the way down to Southern California, where I do a reading with another pal, who is writing a book about Knott's Berry Farm -- and if I'm lucky, I'll recruit yet another pal who has self-published a book about dark rides. Hit Knott's for their annual Halloween Haunt. Visit the parents and my brother in San Diego, and go with him up to Six Flags for some serious thrill-riding.

Yeah, I like that. Then I'll do the Pennsylvania tour in the late Spring.

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

My Planning Style is Unstoppable!

Well, no, not really.

I'm pretty much giving up on attempting the PA tour until next year. There's just no way I can get an organized tour booked in four weeks -- and there is a deadline, because the parks will only be open weekends after that. I got some people interested, but I was too late to get on their current schedule, and they'll still be interested later. So, live and learn. It's a much better plan to try to do a whole month in PA during the late Spring and early Summer.

Meanwhile, I'm going to shift gears and try to do a California tour in the Fall. I can do Knott's Scary Farm (and ride my favorite roller coaster, Ghost Rider), visit the family in San Diego, go to Six Flags with my brother, hang out with friends in the Bay Area...

(Note to self -- remember to buy annual passes at Knott's, which I can use at Cedar Point next year.)

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

I haven't even started yet, and I've got some press coverage: MSNBC picked up a story published last week in the Portland Business Journal. Plus this followup on the semi-official lulu.com blog.

PA Map


I’m Dan Howland, the author of The Journal of Ride Theory Omnibus, and I will be touring through New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio in late August and early September. I’ve chosen Pennsylvania because it has what must be the densest cluster of amusement parks in the United States, if not the world. The trip will take me from Coney Island to Hershey Park, Williams Grove, Bushkill, Dorney Park, Knoebels, Lakemont (home of one of the oldest roller coasters in the world, Leap the Dips), Del Grosso’s, Idlewild, Kennywood, Conneaut Lake, Waldameer Park and finally into the Bowling Green area of Ohio for Cedar Point. I’m currently looking for independent bookstores in areas around those parks that might be interested in hosting readings.

The Journal of Ride Theory Omnibus is a compilation of six issues of the Journal of Ride Theory, the zine about amusement parks, rides and strange forms of transportation. WIRED magazine called it "...Singularly charming and witty," and the Willamette Week named it one of Portland's "Best 'Zines for Inducing Bafflement and Awe."

My reading will include live narration of a short documentary on the Futurama ride at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, as well as excerpts from the book. If you would like to include the documentary as part of the presentation, a VHS player and a TV large enough to be seen by the audience will be required. However, the reading can take place without it. Afterwards, the floor will be open for Q&A on the subjects of amusement and theme parks.

JoRT Omnibus Book Cover


The Journal of Ride Theory Omnibus is a 192-page trade paperback book, which retails for $15.95. I can either bring copies with me to the reading, or sell them to you directly in advance. This is also a good opportunity to sell other amusement park history and guide books.