One of the best things about living in D.C. is the proximity of great bookstores, especially Politics & Prose.

A couple weeks ago, Barbara Kingsolver came to town. Knowing how popular she is, the store arranged for her to do her reading at a local church.

She started off behind the pulpit, but after a little while moved to center stage.

I have enjoyed her work since sophomore year when I took a class on contemporary women’s writing. We read The Bean Trees and I fell in love. More recent books have merely reinforced the sentiment. I especially enjoyed Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which was one of the best books I read last year.

Her new novel, The Lacuna, focuses on the first half of the 20th century. It sounds great, and I’m eager to start reading it.

After reading for half an hour or so, Barbara took questions from the audience, including interesting ones about whether she felt sad leaving her characters behind when she was done working on a book.

She also signed books.

I managed not to fall down in front of her when it was my turn. But I did stumble all over myself in a fangirlish effort to thank her for her writing. She was gracious, in just that way I knew she would be.

Oh, and she did say she liked my shirt.

I will own that shirt forever.