The thank-you note arrived a little more than two weeks after I sat on a sports stories panel at the Virginia Festival of the Book. The note was signed by festival director Nancy Damon.
“At the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, we thank you for your participation in making the Festival the amazing event it is,” wrote Damon. “We are so happy to present a sports-oriented program.”
I’m not David Baldacci, who was at the festival this year. Nor am I John Grisham, who appeared in 2013. But I felt special nonetheless, thanks to Damon. She apparently wrote, signed and sent similar thank-you notes to the hundreds of authors who participated at this year’s festival.
I was told by a reliable source that Damon does nearly all of the work. That surprised and impressed me.
Now she’s retiring and is deserving of the accolades that appeared in the The Daily Progress (Charlottesville):
It will be hard to imagine the annual Virginia Festival of the Book without the quicksilver, whirlwind presence of Nancy Damon.
But next year we won’t have to imagine. We’ll know.
Ms. Damon is retiring as the festival’s director.
She’s led the event for the past 14 years and has been involved since its founding 20 years ago. And she’s done an amazing job.
Neil Sagebiel 